Labor Forecast Limits

The system can adjust the labor forecast by the percentages entered for a break factor and a personal fatigue and delay factor.

In cases where a mixed Labor Forecast Limit includes jobs from a store that were moved to the parent location with another Start day of week and stores that were not moved, you must create a separate Labor Forecast Limit that should have two effective versions:

  • one version before move.
  • the second one after move.

Each version of a Labor Forecast Limit should contain jobs with a similar Start day of week. You can create separate Labor Forecast Limit for jobs with a different Start day of week instead of creating a new effective version.

To create a Labor Forecast Limit, perform these steps:

  1. Go to Administration > Application Setup > Forecaster Setup > Labor Forecast Limits.
  2. Enter a Name and an optional Description.
    3. Note:
    • The Version Effective Date is the date on which the labor forecast limit takes effect.
    • When you create a labor forecast limit, the only save option is Update this version. After you enter a name and a description and click Save, the Create New Version Effective option and date box are available.
    • When you edit an existing version of a labor forecast limit, select one of the following:
      • Create New Version Effective — Creates a version of the labor forecast limit using the effective date you select in the date box.
      • Update this version — Modifies the existing version of the labor forecast limit with the effective date displayed in the Version Effective Dates drop-down list. Select this option to use the effective date that you selected, and any changes that you made for the new or existing labor forecast limit.
  3. Enter a Break factor percent.

  4. The system compensates for time lost to meals and breaks as a percentage of productive time. For example, if an employee is scheduled for 8.5 hours — including two paid 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute unpaid meal — the worker is actually productive for 7.5 hours out of 8 paid hours. Unpaid hours are not included in the break factor.

    This amounts to 93.75% productive time and 6.25% unproductive (paid break) time.

  5. Enter a Personal fatigue and delay percent.

  6. The system compensates for the percent of productivity lost due to fatigue and delay associated with doing the same tasks repeatedly.

  7. On the Limits tab, define the labor limits. Select the time when the labor forecast limit is in effect.

  8. Note: Every day means every day except those that are specifically called out in another row. Click the Add Row icon to add another day.

    • Absolute Hours — Labor period times are specific.
    • After Close Hours — Start labor relative to the store close.
      • Offset is the amount of time from the close. A positive offset starts the labor period after the store closes; a negative offset starts the labor period before the store closes.
      • Duration is the length of the labor period.
    • After Open Hours — Start labor relative to the store open.
      • Offset is the amount of time from the open. A positive offset starts the labor period after the store opens; a negative offset starts the labor period before the store opens.
      • Duration is the length of the labor period.
    • Hours of Operations — Labor period is defined by the hours of operation.

  10. Enter the Minimum Headcount and Maximum Headcount for the labor period.

  11. Round Up Headcount Threshold

    Headcounts are rounded up to the nearest whole number at the amount you select. They are rounded down if the headcount remainder is smaller than the selected amount.

  12. Select Optimize Minimum Headcount to enable the labor forecast engine to generate a labor forecast that is as close to the minimum headcount as possible. When Optimize Minimum Headcount is selected, the Minimum Headcount value must be greater than zero.
  13. On the Jobs tab, click Save and Add Jobs to assign the labor forecast limits to one or more jobs. The Auto-Scheduler schedules that job within the constraints of the labor forecast limits.
  14. The business structure opens.
  15. Select the job or jobs for the labor forecast limit and click OK. The job appears on the Jobs list.
  16. Select Within Labor Period to have the labor distributed only within the labor period.
  17. If not selected, the labor forecast limit for a job is applied to the full duration specified in the labor forecast limit configuration irrespective of the labor periods for which the labor forecast was generated.
  18. For example, if the labor forecast limit for a job is specified for 24 hours — for example, 12 A.M. to 12 P.M.—and the labor period for the same job is from 9 A.M.to 6 P.M., then the system generates minimum labor hours outside of the labor period.