Define Dataset

Explanation

This activity is used to define the datasets that will be used within a company to transfer data to the Scheduling Engine. A dataset will contain information on how data should be scheduled. That is, the type of scheduling that should take place and the time horizon for the scheduling. There are three types of scheduling that can be assigned to a dataset, Static, Dynamic and Appointment. Static scheduling is generally used for long term rough scheduling such as the resource capacity for a year, while Dynamic scheduling is used for short term detail scheduling with the focus on optimizing the utilization of resources. And the Appointment scheduling is used when the Appointment Booking Engine is requested to generate appointment slots based on available resources. The time horizon for which the data should be transferred and scheduled should be entered in days. For instance, if the number of days is set to 7, all work tasks, schedules, resources, breaks and HR bookings, for the site(s), that should be scheduled within the given time interval (7 days in this example) will be sent to and scheduled by the Scheduling Engine. In addition an appointment work days duration can also be specified; the appointment work days duration will follow on from the scheduling work days duration to return a less accurate but faster schedule for a longer period. For example entering an appointment work days duration of 10 days and a scheduling work days duration of 5 days will make the Scheduling Engine schedule activities for 15 days ahead from the system date, with a high accuracy in the first 5 days and rest with a less accuracy. Further, a calendar can be entered as an input reference so that the scheduling work days duration will determined based on the working days of the calendar only. For example entering a 5 working days per week calendar, with 7 scheduling days and 14 appointment days will send a total scheduling window of 27 days(7+2 and 14+4 = 27).

You can set up the dataset to be applicable for one or more sites within the company. Following is a list of data that will be transferred for scheduling from the relevant site(s):

• Scheduling resources
• Schedules and work shifts for the employees
• Work task activities
• Resource preferences and availabilities of equipment objects and locations
• Scheduling basic data, e.g., scheduling resource, resource type, resource regions, scheduling SLA (service level agreement), scheduling types

Note: In Planning and Scheduling Optimization (PSO), permission groups define which users are allowed to view a set of resources (employees in IFS Applications) and activities (work tasks - resource demands). These permission groups are called object groups. In the integration, object groups have the equivalence of sites in IFS Applications. This means that in order for a PSO user to be able to view information like resources and activities belonging to a particular site, the user must be connected to the corresponding object group. The object groups for activities and resources are transferred automatically from IFS Applications to PSO, but object groups for the PSO users must be set up and granted to the users manually from the Scheduling Workbench. The user must also be granted to the dataset itself manually in Scheduling Workbench. It is possible to turn off the functionality to transfer object groups to scheduling by setting the parameter Object Group Filter to None in Service and Maintenance/Scheduling/Basic Data/Scheduling Configuration.

Default values can be entered for the work tasks in the dataset. From these, the default activity type, maximum base value per hour and appointment scheduling type must be entered when setting up the dataset. If a work task is missing a primary scheduling type, secondary scheduling type or an activity type, or if it is an appointment work task which is missing a scheduling type, the default values from the dataset will be assigned automatically to the work task. If a location is missing its do on location incentive value, the default value entered in the dataset will be retrieved to the work task. It is possible to define the lowest status from which work tasks in the dataset can be transferred for scheduling. The default work task status for all datasets is Released and is set for the parameter Dataset Schedule from Work Task Status (Scheduling/Basic Data/Scheduling Configuration). The parameter value can be changed if required and you can also choose to configure this per dataset. Values need to be entered for HR activities, i.e., Lunch and Break, in the dataset as well. The values will be assigned to all lunches and breaks and will be used as an input when scheduling the activities.

For each dataset, it is possible to connect a broadcast to an allocation type. The allocation type is used to indicate what type of data should be output based on its association with either the Dynamic Scheduling Engine (DSE), Schedule Dispatch Service (SDS), Appointment Booking Engine (ABE) or Scheduling Workbench (iSWB). The purpose of connecting broadcasts to allocation types is to enable transferring of SDS rules (i.e., a set of commit rules to automatically commit/uncommit orders) and to set up communication between IFS Application and the SDS, iSWB, ABE or DSE. To start the transfer of data per allocation type, the connected broadcast must be activated. It is possible to deactivate a broadcast for an allocation type without deactivating the entire dataset. Based on the allocation type you select, the following will occur when the data is transferred via the dataset:

• DSE - The Dynamic Scheduling Engine produces a plan allocating work tasks to resources, at locations, with proposed start dates. These suggested allocations are visible on the work task, and the work task can be processed further in IFS Applications.
• ABE - The Appointment Booking Engine produces a plan with a list of time slots, with proposed start and end dates, based on the availability of the resources for a period (Scheduling work days + Appointment work days) defined in the dataset. This list is visible in the Appointment booking dialog opening from the work task form.
• SDS - The Schedule Dispatch Service will commit/uncommit (assign/unassign) work task activities automatically, once they have been allocated by the DSE, and the broadcast for this allocation type will be used to communicate with the SDS. For the SDS to operate, it requires a rule set. These are stored in a rules XML file, in a folder on the Input Manager Service (IMS) server. The data_path parameter has to be set on the dataset to point to this file. If the data_path is set and there is no corresponding file on the IMS server, the XML messages will error at the IMS. The SDS will commit or uncommit (assign/unassign) plans based on the given rules.
• iSWB - IFS Applications will be synchronized with the changes made to the data in the Scheduling Workbench.

It is possible to connect a Modelling Dataset ID to the scheduling dataset. A modelling dataset allows combining modelling data configured in the Advanced Resource Planner (ARP) to be used with the scheduling dataset. Modelling datasets are set up in Scheduling Workbench - Administration and the modelling data is set up in Scheduling Workbench - Planning - Data Management. The scheduling dataset must specify a Modelling Dataset ID to extract and utilize the modelling data.

Prerequisites

• The company must have been defined in IFS/Enterprise.
• The sites which are to be scheduled, must have been defined in IFS/Enterprise.
• SLAs (service level agreements) must have been defined.
• Scheduling types must have been defined.
• If scheduling broadcasts are to be connected to allocation types on the dataset, these broadcasts must have been defined.
• In order to define a Calendar on the Dataset, one or several work time calendars must be entered and saved in application base setup.
• At least one Activity type must have been defined.
• At least one Availability ID must have been defined.

System Effects

• A scheduling dataset is setup for one or several sites belonging to the company.
• Default values are defined for the work tasks and HR activities in the dataset.
• The dataset can be activated whereupon data will be transferred to the Scheduling Engine to be scheduled. For more information refer to the activity Activate Scheduling Dataset.

Window

Scheduling Dataset

Related Window Descriptions

Scheduling Dataset
Scheduling Dataset/Site
Scheduling Dataset/Work Task
Scheduling Dataset/Resource
Scheduling Dataset/Broadcast

Procedure

Use the following procedure to create a dataset for your company and define the default values for work tasks in the dataset:

1. Open the Scheduling Dataset window.
2. Verify that the correct company is in use. If not, right-click and click Change Company to change the company.
3. Create a new record (F5).
4. In the Dataset ID field, enter a unique identification for your dataset.
5. In the Description field, enter a description of the dataset.
6. Optionally, in the Modelling Dataset ID field, enter a Modelling Dataset ID.
7. In the Process Type field, specify whether this should be a Static, Dynamic or Appointment dataset.
8. In the Scheduling Work Days field, enter the number of days for the scheduling horizon of the dataset.
9. In the Appointment Work Days field, enter the number of days to extend the scheduling horizon from the Scheduling Work Days period.
10. In the Calendar ID field, enter the calendar which contain details of working and non working days.
11. In the Time Zone field enter the time zone for which the work in this dataset is to be scheduled in. The defaulted value in this field will be the value set in Dataset Default Time Zone in the Scheudling Configuration.
12. Click the Work Tasks tab.
13. In the Default Activity Type field, enter an activity type for the work tasks in the dataset. Use the List of Values to select a valid value.
14. In the Maximum Base Value per Hour field, enter the maximum base value in hours for the work tasks in the dataset.
15. In the Appointment Scheduling Type field, enter the scheduling type that is to be used for the appointment work tasks in the dataset. Use the List of Values to select a valid value.
16. Optionally, enter the default primary and secondary scheduling types for the work tasks in the dataset by using the List of Values in the Default Primary Scheduling Type and Default Secondary Scheduling Type fields respectively.
17. Optionally, enter the default Do on Location Incentive value. The value can be set to -1 or anything between 1 and 2.
18. Optionally, enter the lowest status from which work tasks in the dataset can be scheduled in the Schedule from Work Task Status field.
19. Save the information (F12).

Use the following procedure to define default values for the lunches and breaks in the dataset:

1. Click the Resource tab.
2. In the Scheduling Type Lunch field, enter the scheduling type for all lunches in the dataset. Use the List of Values to select a valid value.
3. In the Lunch Base Value per Hour field, enter the base value per hour for all lunches in the dataset.
4. In the Scheduling Type Break field, enter the scheduling type for all breaks in the dataset. Use the List of Values to select a valid value.
5. In the Break Base Value per Hour field, enter the base value per hour for all breaks in the dataset.
6. Save the information (F12).

Use the following procedure to enter the sites within the selected company which are to be scheduled:

1. Click the Site tab and create a new record (F5).
2. In the Site field, enter the site for which scheduling data is to be transferred. Use the List of Values to select a valid value.
3. Save the information (F12).

Use the following procedure to connect a scheduling broadcast to an allocation type:

1. Click the Broadcasts tab and create a new record (F5).
2. In the Allocation Type field, enter the allocation type. Valid values are DSE, ABE, SDS and ISWB.
3. In the Broadcast ID field, enter the identity of the broadcast that is to be connected to the allocation type. Use the List of Values to select a valid value.
4. Select the Active check box if you want to activate the broadcast for the allocation type.
5. Save the information (F12).

Use the following procedure to define a scheduling parameters for a Dataset, this step is optional:

1. Click the Parameters tab and create a new record (F5).
2. Use the list of values for Parameter Name to select a parameter.
3. In the Parameter Value field, enter the desired value for the parameter.

Note: Parameters defined on the dataset will override their global parameter value defined in Service and Maintenace/Scheduling/Basic Data/Scheduling Configuration.

Use the following procedure to define a scheduling attribute for a scheduling dataset, this step is optional:

1. Click the Attributes tab and create a new record (F5).
2. Use the drop down for Entity Type to select if to add an attribute for either Work Task Activity or Resource.
3. Enter an Attribute name for the Attribute to add.
4. Use the drop down for Attribute Value to select any of the pre-defined Attributes defined for Work Task Activities and Resources. Attribute Values are information that is available on the Work Task such as Customer name or Priority that can be used as labels and information on the Activities in Scheduling. Attribute Values for Resources is for example the Maintenance Organization, that if enterred as an attribute for the dataset can be viewed as an Attribute on the Resources in Scheduling.
5. Optionally, in Custom Value Expression the user may write custom PL/SQL code and use API-methods to fetch additional attribute data. This can for example be used to concatenate multiple values. For example the Customer Number - Customer Name. This applies if the Attribute Value is set as #CUSTOM_VALUE#.
6. Optionally, in Data Type specify the data type for the attribute to be used for sorting. This value is defaulted to String.
7. Optionally, in Exclude Empty Value select if the attribute should not be transfered and displayed in the Scheduling Workbench if it has not got a value.