Understanding Task Group Anchoring and Scheduling

When you create a task group, the scheduling for each task can be 'anchored' to the date and time of another job or task. The initial schedule is set when the tasks are generated. aACE also includes robust logic that can update a task group schedule to stay consistent with changes to the planning calendar.

Anchoring Tasks

The Anchor field provides four options for the various tasks involved:

Start

If a task is anchored to the job Start, the task's date and time are always set relative to the start date and time of the job it belongs to. For example, if a certain job is set to start Monday, January 1, 2022 at 9:00 AM:

• Entering '0' for all scheduling data will have the task also start on January 1 at 9:00 AM and end on January 1 at 9:00 AM.
• Entering '1' for all scheduling data will have the task start on January 2 at 10:00 AM and end on January 2 at 10:00 AM (i.e. one day and one hour after the Job Start Date).
• Entering '1' for the Start Day, '2' for the Start Hour, '3' for the End Day, and '4' for the End Hour will have the task start on January 2 at 11:00 AM and end on January 4 at 1:00 PM (i.e. starting one day and two hours after the Job Start Date; ending three days and four hours after the Job Start Date).

End

If a task is anchored to the job End, the task's date and time are always set relative to the end date and time of the job it belongs to.

Previous Task Start (PTStart)

If a task is anchored to the Previous Task Start, the task's date and time are always set relative to the start date and time of the task that comes before.

Previous Task End (PTEnd)

If a task is anchored to the Previous Task End, the task's date and time are always set relative to the end date and time of the task that comes before.

Scheduling Tasks

The scheduling you set up represents the time window in which a task should be completed. While an actual task itself may only require the small amount of time noted in the Qty column, coordinating the necessary equipment and personnel can take longer. 

Creating a schedule for a task group consists of setting start and end times for each task.

Start On Day/Hour

This sets the expected time for work on each task to begin.

The most common setting is to have a subsequent task begin when the preceding task ends (i.e. Anchor: PTE, Start On Day/Hour: 0/0). Higher numbers for the Start On settings will add time as a buffer before the subsequent task begins.

End On Day/Hour

This sets the expected window of time your staff have to complete the task.

Changing Task Scheduling

If changes to the schedule for an open order arise, you can edit the task schedule.

Schedule Calculations

Schedules are calculated based on the relevant department's Start Time and End Time. Navigate from Main Menu > Internal > Offices > office detail view > Departments:

You can customize the default business hours for new departments: Navigate from Main Menu > System Admin > Preferences > My aACE.

Note: Scheduling in aACE defaults to ignore weekends. This means that on a Friday, a task that is set to begin 'the next day' will actually start on Monday. 

Testing a Schedule

After you create it, you can easily test your task group to verify it will work as intended.