Shift rule configuration in Auto Schedule
Updated
by
Daniel Sjögren
Introduction
Shift rules allow you to control the types of shifts Auto Schedule is permitted to create. These rules are typically based on labor regulations and include parameters such as minimum and maximum shift lengths, as well as allowable start and end times. By configuring these rules, you ensure that the AI-generated schedule complies with local agreements and regional differences.
Auto Schedule creates shifts that adhere to these rules while optimizing shift lengths to cover your demand curve. For example, it may create shorter shifts to cover specific peak periods.
Adding Shift Rules
Select Your Scope
Shift rules are configured in Pythia (AI Optimization) in Auto Schedule > Configuration > Shift Types. You can select both Units and Sections in the left-hand hierarchy.
In the hierarchy on the left, select the Unit or Section for which you want to add shift rules:
- Sections: You can configure shift type rules specifically at the Section level. This ensures that shifts are generated correctly for staffing demand defined at that specific level. Read more about Working with shift type rules at the section level.
- Hierarchy: Sections (e.g., Engineering, Sales) are always nested as children of Units.
- Selection Logic: The UI selection follows the same pattern used in OHV labor standards.
- Visibility: Selecting the Customer level allows you to view all existing shift rules, but you cannot add new ones from that level.
Create Shift Type Configuration
In the side panel for the Shift Type Configuration you are able to configure the following.
Configuration | Description |
Customer | By default defined as the selected customer in the hierarchy |
Name | The name of the configuration |
Description | A potential description of the shift rules in free text |
Is Active | An indicator whether the shift rule is active. If the configuration is not active, the shift rules will not be considered in Auto Schedule |
Units | Select the unit(s) that the shift rules are applicable to. If you don’t select any of the units the shift rules are assumed to apply to all units within the selected customer |
Once the Shift Type Configuration is added to the table, you can click on the configuration to further configure the actual shift rules. Select the + icon in the top-right corner to configure the specific shift rules, which in Pythia (AI Optimization) are called Shift Type Definitions.
Define Shift Type Definitions
In the side panel for Shift Type Definition, you can configure the following:
Configuration | Description |
Name | The name of the specific shift rule. |
Minimum Shift Duration | Define the minimum shift length of a shift created by Auto Schedule. This should be defined in minutes and only in numbers. E.g. 6h should be set to 360 |
Maximum Shift Duration | Define the maximum shift length of a shift created by Auto Schedule. This should be defined in minutes and only in numbers. E.g. 10h should be set to 600 |
Earliest Start | Define the earliest time of the day a shift created by Auto Schedule can start. This should be defined in minutes from the start of the day. E.g. 6am (06:00) should be set to 360 |
Latest Start | Define the latest time of the day a shift created by Auto Schedule can start. This should be defined in minutes from the start of the day. E.g. 6pm (18:00) should be set to 1080 |
Latest End | Define the latest time of the day a shift created by Auto Schedule can end. This should be defined in minutes from the start of the day. E.g. 11pm (23:00) should be set to 1380 |
Departments | Through departments, you are able to connect specific Quinyx Shift Types to a shift type rule such that the shift rules only apply to shifts with that Shift Type. Should be defined as the Shift Type IDs as defined in Quinyx. Multiple shift types should be separated by a comma. Please reach out to Quinyx for support if you want to set up different rules for different shift types. |
Break Type Configuration | Select the break rules which should be applied to this shift type configuration. The break types need to be configured in advance. This field is only required whenever you have different break rules per each shift type configuration. In cases where a break rule applies to all shift types they do not need to be defined here, but configuring them within the break rule configuration directly is sufficient |
Weekdays | Select which days of the week these specific rules are active. |
You can add multiple shift rules (or Shift Type Definitions) within the same configuration by selecting the + sign and adding rules multiple times. Differentiations in shift rules can, for example, occur for different times of the day, departments, or days of the week.
Managing Shift Rules
- Edit or Delete: Click the three dots (...) at the end of any row to edit or delete configurations or definitions. Changes are applied immediately and will be reflected in the next Auto Schedule run.
- Copying Rules: To save time, select Copy from the three-dot menu to duplicate a rule set. Use the Edit panel of the copied configuration to select the new relevant Units or Sections.
In order to select which unit(s) within that Customer the copied configuration should apply to, in cases where it’s not applicable for all units, you need to select the relevant units within the Edit panel of the copied configuration.
Shift Rules and Auto Schedule
Auto Schedule relies exclusively on rules configured in Pythia (AI Optimization). It does not currently use shift rules configured directly in Quinyx. If section-level rules are present, Auto Schedule will match them to your Optimal Headcount (OHV) demand, resulting in fewer scheduling failures and reduced manual follow-up.
