Scheduling

The Scheduling system provides comprehensive resource management for consultant assignments, availability tracking, PTO handling, and visual timeline management. It enables optimal resource utilization across the organization.

Overview

The scheduling module consists of interconnected components:

Timeline/Gantt - Visual timeline with consultant rows and assignment bars
Assignments - Direct consultant-to-project allocations
Availability - Consultant time tracking and blocking
PTO - Paid time off requests and approvals
Requirements - Resource needs with skill matching
Matching - Skill-based consultant recommendations

Timeline/Gantt View

🖥️ Gantt Timeline View with Consultant Rows and Assignment Bars Screenshot

Visual Timeline

The Gantt view displays:

Rows - One row per consultant
Bars - Project assignments as colored blocks
Duration - Bar width represents assignment length
Status Colors - Visual indication of assignment state

View Scales

Scale	Range	Best For
Week	7 days	Detailed daily planning
2 Weeks	14 days	Sprint planning
Month	30 days	Monthly overview
Quarter	90 days	Strategic planning

Utilization Display

Each consultant row shows:

Name and role
Current utilization percentage
Color-coded utilization indicator
Assignment count

Utilization Color Coding

🖥️ Utilization Color Coding on Timeline Screenshot

Color	Level	Percentage
Gray	Under-utilized	< 20%
Blue	Low	20-50%
Green	Optimal	50-80%
Yellow	High	80-100%
Red	Over-allocated	> 100%

PTO Visualization

PTO periods appear on the timeline as:

Hatched/striped bars
Distinct color from project assignments
Tooltip with PTO type and dates

Assignment Status Colors

Status	Color	Meaning
`proposed`	Light gray	Suggested, not requested
`pending_approval`	Yellow	Awaiting consultant response
`confirmed`	Blue	Accepted, scheduled
`active`	Green	Work in progress
`completed`	Dark gray	Finished
`cancelled`	Red	Removed

Overlapping Assignments

When assignments overlap:

Bars stack vertically in tracks
Each track represents one assignment
Total utilization calculated from all tracks
Conflicts highlighted when over 100%

Assignments

🖥️ Assignments Creation Interface Screenshot

Creating Assignments

Direct assignment workflow:

Select consultant from list
Choose project to assign
Set start and end dates
Define allocation percentage (e.g., 50%, 100%)
Add notes or special instructions
Submit assignment

Assignment Fields

Field	Description
Consultant	Team member being assigned
Project	Target project
Start Date	Assignment begins
End Date	Assignment ends
Allocation	Percentage of time (0-100%)
Status	Current assignment state
Notes	Additional context

Assignment Status Workflow

flowchart LR
    A[Proposed] --> B[Pending Approval]
    B --> C[Confirmed]
    B --> D[Declined]
    C --> E[Active]
    E --> F[Completed]
    A --> G[Cancelled]
    B --> G
    C --> G

Bulk Status Updates

Update multiple assignments simultaneously:

Select assignments using checkboxes
Choose bulk action (confirm, cancel, etc.)
Apply to selected assignments

Conflict Detection

The system checks for:

Overlapping assignments exceeding 100%
Assignments during PTO periods
Assignments outside availability windows
Skill mismatches with project requirements

Availability Management

🖥️ Availability Management Interface Screenshot

Availability Types

Type	Description
`available`	Open for assignment
`project_work`	Allocated to project
`internal`	Internal meetings/work
`training`	Training or certification
`pto`	Paid time off
`sick`	Sick leave
`holiday`	Company holiday

Tracking Availability

Availability records contain:

Consultant reference
Date range (start/end)
Availability type
Hours per day (if partial)
Notes

Bulk Availability Creation

Set standard working hours:

Select consultant(s)
Define date range
Set daily availability hours
Apply recurring pattern (weekdays only)
Create availability blocks

Conflict Checking

Before creating assignments, the system verifies:

Consultant is available during requested period
No blocking PTO or leave
Total allocation doesn’t exceed capacity

Resource Requirements

🖥️ Resource Requirements Creation Form Screenshot

Creating Requirements

Define project resource needs:

Specify required role (e.g., Senior Consultant)
List required skills
Set date range needed
Define allocation percentage
Assign priority level

Requirement Fields

Field	Description
Project	Project needing resources
Role	Required position/title
Skills	Required competencies
Start Date	When resource needed
End Date	When resource released
Allocation	Percentage of time
Priority	Urgency level
Status	Fulfillment state

Requirement Statuses

Status	Description
`open`	No assignments made
`partially_filled`	Some allocation assigned
`filled`	Fully staffed
`cancelled`	Requirement removed

Priority Levels

Priority	Description
`low`	Can wait for availability
`medium`	Standard priority
`high`	Needs prompt attention
`critical`	Immediate staffing needed

Automatic Status Recalculation

When assignments change:

System recalculates requirement fulfillment
Status updates automatically
Partially filled shows percentage complete

PTO Management

🖥️ PTO Request Interface Screenshot

PTO Request Types

Type	Description
`vacation`	Planned time off
`sick`	Illness-related absence
`personal`	Personal day
`bereavement`	Family loss
`jury_duty`	Civic obligation
`parental`	Parental leave
`other`	Miscellaneous

PTO Request Workflow

flowchart LR
    A[Draft] --> B[Submitted]
    B --> C[Pending Manager]
    C --> D[Pending HR]
    C --> E[Denied]
    D --> F[Approved]
    D --> E

Creating PTO Requests

Select PTO type
Set start and end dates
Add notes (optional)
Submit for approval

Conflict Checking with Assignments

Before PTO approval, system checks:

Existing project assignments during period
Impact on project timelines
Coverage requirements

Conflicts are flagged but don’t block submission—managers decide on approval.

Manager Approval

Managers review:

Consultant’s current assignments
Team coverage
Project impact
Approve or deny with notes

HR Approval

For certain PTO types:

Additional HR review required
Verify policy compliance
Final approval authority

Assignment Requests

Request/Accept/Decline Workflow

PM Creates Request - Request sent to consultant
Consultant Reviews - Views assignment details
Response Options:
- Accept as-is
- Decline with reason
- Propose alternative dates
- Suggest alternative consultant

Proposing Alternatives

When declining, consultants can:

Suggest different dates when available
Recommend another consultant with matching skills
Provide partial availability options

Request Expiration

Requests auto-expire after configured period:

Default: 72 hours
Expired requests return to pool
PM notified of expiration

Consultant Matching

🖥️ Consultant Matching Results with Scores Screenshot

Skill-Based Matching Algorithm

The matching system scores consultants based on:

Factor	Weight	Description
Skills Match	40%	Required skills vs. consultant skills
Availability	30%	Open time during needed period
Utilization	20%	Current workload balance
Experience	10%	Past work on similar projects

Matching Results

For each requirement, the system provides:

Ranked list of matching consultants
Match score (0-100)
Availability indicators
Skill gap analysis

Search Functionality

Find consultants by:

Specific skills
Availability window
Utilization level
Certification status
Role/title

Utilization Tracking

Utilization Calculation

Utilization = (Assigned Hours / Available Hours) × 100%

Example:

40 hours available per week
32 hours assigned to projects
Utilization = 80%

Utilization Levels

Level	Range	Recommended Action
Under-utilized	< 20%	Assign more work
Low	20-50%	Has capacity
Optimal	50-80%	Ideal workload
High	80-100%	Near capacity
Over-allocated	> 100%	Reduce assignments

Team Utilization View

Dashboard showing:

All consultant utilization rates
Team average utilization
Over-allocated consultants (highlighted)
Under-utilized consultants (flagged)

Individual Utilization View

Per-consultant detail:

Weekly/monthly utilization chart
Assignment breakdown
Availability gaps
PTO impact

Resource Scheduling Workflow

flowchart TD
    A[Project Created] --> B[Define Requirements]
    B --> C[System Matches Consultants]
    C --> D[PM Reviews Matches]
    D --> E[Create Assignment Request]
    E --> F{Consultant Response}
    F -->|Accept| G[Confirm Assignment]
    F -->|Decline| H[Select Alternative]
    F -->|Propose| I[Review Proposal]
    H --> E
    I -->|Accept| G
    I -->|Reject| H
    G --> J[Update Schedule]
    J --> K[Track Utilization]

Best Practices

Timeline Management

Use appropriate view scale for planning horizon
Monitor utilization colors for quick health check
Address red (over-allocated) immediately
Review PTO conflicts before confirming assignments

Assignment Creation

Check availability before requesting
Use skill matching for optimal selection
Set realistic allocation percentages
Provide clear notes on expectations

Availability Tracking

Keep availability current
Block internal time proactively
Update when plans change
Use bulk creation for standard schedules

PTO Handling

Submit requests early
Check for assignment conflicts
Provide coverage suggestions
Communicate with affected projects

Utilization Optimization

Target 50-80% utilization
Balance workload across team
Address under-utilization proactively
Plan for upcoming capacity needs