WFM UK: UI Refresh: Revenue-Based Scheduling: Scheduling Warnings

Overview

The ‘Scheduling Warnings’ functionality generates and displays various Warnings as Schedules are being created. These can be used to ensure that Company Recommendations are followed or unnecessary Labour costs can be prevented. 

This article describes the process of activating and using the ‘Scheduling Warnings’ setting.

For a list of all Revenue-Based Scheduling articles, please visit: WFM - Revenue-Based Scheduling: Getting Started

Scheduling Warnings

This functionality is switched on by an Organisation setting. Please liaise with your Fourth contact to enable this.

Warnings are displayed within the ‘Schedule’ page of Scheduling.

To access Scheduling Warnings:

• Go to the Schedule page and select the Scheduling Warnings tab

Fig.1 – Scheduling Warnings Tab 

A number will display within the tab showing the current number of Warnings available. Numbers will also display next to an employee’s name to show the number of outstanding Warnings against them. 

Fig.2 - Warning Number Displayed by Employee Name

Warnings are generated in real-time as a Schedule is created, and the number indicators refresh when the Schedule tab is reloaded.

A Warning will display until shift data is changed to make the shift warning no longer applicable.

The Warnings generated are defined by Warning triggers which are set at Organisation level using the ‘Warning Triggers Settings’ page. This page displays a list of triggers which have been created and options to Create, Edit and Delete existing triggers.

A Warning trigger generates a Warning when a specific value is between the minimum and maximum threshold values. These values can be Hours or a specific Pay Part. 

• When creating a Warning trigger, the following fields can be set:
  • Name – A text field for distinguishing rules. This is only used within the ‘Settings’ page
  • Type – Defines whether the Warning is triggered based on Hours or a Pay Part
  • Warning Message – This text will be displayed to the user creating a schedule if the Warning is triggered
  • Minimum Value – The value which must be exceeded for a Warning to trigger. This can be left blank if there is no minimum value
  • Maximum Value – The value which Hours or Pay Part must be lower than for a Warning to trigger. This can be left blank if there is no maximum value
  • PayPart (Paypart rules only) – Text field to enter the name of the Paypart which is to trigger the Warning, e.g. MinimumWageTopUp
  • Apply to employees? - Defines which age group of employees the warning is triggered for. Under 16s, Under 18s, Over 18s
  • Applies to Pay Type – Defines which type of employees the Warning will trigger for based on their pay type, i.e. Hourly, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Annual Salaried or Shift Paid
  • Interval – The context which the trigger will consider when deciding whether to generate a warning. This can be Shift, Day or Week
  • Level – This denotes the severity of the Warning. Currently this only affects the colour and label of the Warning

Within the Warning Message, specific tags can be used to include dynamic values in the Warning text.

These tags are: 

• [Value] – Value of either the Hours or Paypart being considered
• [ValueUnderMaximumThreshold] and [ValueOverMinimumThreshold] show by how much the Warning was triggered depending on how they’re used

To use the tags: 

• Type the tags into the Warning Message field or select the tags beneath the warning message field

 
Fig.3 – Warnings in Warning Message Field

The Warnings will display as follows in the Reason field on the Warnings displayed within the Schedule tab:

 
Fig.4 – Warning Example

Example potential Warning rules include those shown in Fig.5. 

 
Fig.5 – Warning Rules Example

The first rule shown triggers when an Hourly paid employee is scheduled between 30 and 40 hours within a single week. The second rule triggers when the same employee works more than 40 hours.

The ‘Overscheduled in one day’ rule triggers if any employee works more than 10 hours in one day.

The ‘Short Shift’ rule triggers when any employee has a single shift which is less than 3 hours long.

These rules will generate a set of Warnings for the Rota using the tags within the Warning trigger as appropriate, see Fig.6. 

Fig.6 – Warnings in Scheduling Warnings Tab