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Creating a schedule with IBM Cloud Event Management

How To


Summary

This scenario describes how to create a weekly schedule with IBM Cloud Event Management. The first steps are to create the users, set their working hours, and create a group. You then add a schedule to the group, and finally allocate users to the shifts.

Objective

To demonstrate how to create a basic group schedule in Cloud Event Management by using one of the "out-of-the box" shift patterns.
How to create a schedule with your own customized shift pattern is covered in a video demo here: Video 1.
Later in this blog we cover some #Key concepts to help you understand how the scheduling feature works and how to manage it effectively. The relationships between user profiles and schedules are also covered in Video 2.

Environment

IBM Cloud Event Management

Steps

1. Click Users and Groups on the Cloud Event Management Administration page.

     a) Create the users and set their working hours.

     b) Create a group and add the appropriate users.
You can find more information about this step in the IBM Knowledge Center.
2. Add a schedule to the group. In the New Group window, click Schedule.
New group
3. Complete the following fields on the Schedule page below:
     a) Select a Base assignment time zone (1). A time zone must be chosen before shifts can be created on the calendar.
     b) For this scenario, under Apply an existing pattern select 8 to 5 (2).
     c) Select a Start day for the shift pattern (3).
     d) Select a time period to Generate the schedule in advance (4). The length of time that you want to fix the schedule for. For example, one week, two weeks, or one month.
     e) Specify how the shift pattern is saved from the following options (5):

          • Stand alone shift pattern to save the changes for the group only.
          • Reusable shift pattern to save the changes for the group and create a template with the new shift pattern for future reuse.
 
     Note: If you want to save it as a Reusable shift pattern, you must enter a Shift pattern name (6).
     f) Click Schedule view (7). Available users are automatically assigned to shifts.
Shift pattern
4. To manually allocate users to a shift:

     a) Select the shift box in the calendar that you want to allocate users to. A single click selects an individual shift. Press and hold the Shift key to select all the shifts in a series.
     Note: If the shift is either under or over allocated, you need to adjust the Staff per shift number. Select the shift or shift series, then click Edit to open the Shift details window. Here you can also differentiate between On duty and On call shifts.
Shift details
 
 
      b) Select the employee names from the shift assignments list.
Shift assignments
     
     c) Click Save.

Additional Information

Key concepts
To make best use of CEM scheduling, familiarize yourself with the terminology and concepts that it uses.
  • Work hours and notifications
    • Configure these settings in Administration > Users and Groups > New or Edit user. Then, expand Work hours and Notify me.
    • For groups without schedules, a user's work hours determine whether the user is notified by the Notify me > During working hours setting (1). Outside of these hours, the user is notified by the preference they selected for When I am not working (2).

      Working hours and Notify me

     
    • For groups with schedules, the users working hours determine whether the user is available for auto assignment to on duty shifts. The checkbox
      I am available to be on call outside my normal working hours (3) determines whether a user is available for auto assignment to on call shifts. A user with the “Operations lead” role, can assign users to on duty and on call shifts ignoring the users working hours and preferences for on call duties.

      A user in an on duty shift is notified according to their Notify me > During working hours preferences. A user in an on call shift is notified according to their Notify me > When I am on call preferences (4). A user is not notified when they are not scheduled except when an incident is assigned to them. A user can also specify if and when they would like to be reminded of upcoming on call shifts (5).
  • Auto assignment
    Cloud Event Management looks at all the user's work hours and on call preferences and attempts to auto assign users to upcoming shifts and shift series in a schedule. Where possible (based on the number of users available for each kind of shift) it will attempt to rotate users to On duty and On call shifts.

    There are two different types of repeating shift series:
    By shift pattern – which means the rotation is based on the entire series, say Monday through Friday.
    By individual shift – which means even if you have a shift for Monday through Friday, the shift rotation is performed on a daily basis.
    Staff rotation
  • Shift series
    A shift series is a series of repeating shifts in the same time slot on consecutive days.Shift series
    Special thanks to Mr. Phil Riedel for his videos and contributions.

Document Location

Worldwide

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Product Synonym

CEM

Document Information

Modified date:
04 August 2021

UID

ibm16172419