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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2024-11-15
Set Up the Optimization Engine

Set Up the Optimization Engine

Security:
Set Up: Scheduling: High Level Scheduling Settings
 domain in the Scheduling functional area.
Administrators can configure Optimization Engine values that determine the default positions of the sliders on the schedule. Managers can then modify these values on the schedule. If all of the slider values are equal, the Optimization Engine applies internal weightings to some factors. If you enter a value for
Consistency
, it will take precedence over all other values.
  1. Access the
    Edit Scheduling Settings
     task.
  2. Select the
    Scheduling Engine Settings
     tab.
  3. As you complete the
    Scheduling Engine Settings
     grid, consider:
    Option
    Description
    Engine Setting
    Engine settings are objectives that the Optimization Engine takes into account when generating schedules. Example: You can weight
    Labor Cost
     so that it takes priority over every other objective.
    Setting Value
    Enter a numerical value between 1 and 100. You can enter values based on the relative importance of the settings for your business objectives. If you set a weight to zero, Workday will ignore that setting.
    Example: You enter
    50
     for
    Preferred Weekly Hours
     and
    10
     for
    Preferred Schedule Tags
     because you want to prioritize workers receiving their preferred amount of scheduled hours each week, rather than their preferred role.
    Lock Setting
    When you lock 1 or more engine settings for a high-level scheduling organization, Workday also locks the settings for all scheduling organizations that are subordinate organizations of the HLSO.
    Exclude from Score Usage
    Select this option to prevent engine settings from impacting the schedule score that Workday displays when you attempt to replace 1 worker with a different worker in a schedule.
  4. As you complete these options, consider:
    Option
    Description
    Exceed Maximum Weekly Hours
    Allows the Optimization Engine to create schedules for workers that exceed the maximum weekly hours validation.
    When you enter a low value here, it’s more likely that the Optimization Engine will create schedules that exceed maximum weekly hours (based on coverage and cost requirements).
    Exceed Maximum Working Days
    Allows the optimization engine to create schedules for workers that exceed the maximum working days validation.
    When you enter a low value here, it’s more likely that the Optimization Engine will create schedules that exceed maximum working days (based on coverage and cost requirements).
    Exceed Labor Budget
    Allows the Optimization Engine to create schedules that exceed your budget. To ensure that schedules are always at or under your budget, don't select this option.
    If you use subgroup organizations, Workday combines the budget of all subgroup organizations to generate a schedule. You can’t set budget as a constraint at the subgroup organization level. Example: If Financial Services has a budget of $1000 and Technology has a budget of $500, the total budget constraint will be $1,500 when generating a schedule. We won't constrain it to $500 in Technology and $1000 in Financial Services.
  5. Enter a value in the
    Consistency Look Back Cycle
     field.
    For the
    Consistency
     setting, Workday looks back either 1 or 2 weeks to find a reference schedule to compare against the current schedule. If the reference schedule includes time off or holidays, Workday looks back another single look back cycle of 1 or 2 more weeks to find a week without holidays or time off.
    Example: When you enter 2, Workday looks at the schedule 2 weeks in the past. If there was time off or holidays in that 2-week cycle, Workday will look back another cycle (4 weeks in the past).
  6. Complete these options:
    Option Description
    Allow Gaps for Meals
    Enables the Optimization Engine to treat scheduled meals as covered time, not coverage gaps. This improves performance by reducing the number of solution variations the engine must evaluate, as it eliminates the need to provide coverage for meals.
    Enable Single Meal Placement
    Limits the optimization engine to generating only the first valid meal placement slot for any eligible shift. This is ideal for customers who offer workers flexible (ad-hoc or demand-based) meal times but still require a meal to be scheduled for shifts that meet the criteria.