Auto-Schedule

Forecasts AI-powered Auto-Schedule can assist project managers with scheduling any project. The feature offers multiple options to make sure that the project is scheduled properly while still allowing project managers to make changes before finalizing.

This article includes:

• Overview of Auto-scheduling
• Using Auto-scheduling
• Reviewing your Auto-Scheduled Project
• Auto-Scheduling Duplicated Projects

Overview of Auto-Scheduling

Forecasts Auto-Schedule is an AI-powered feature that assists with scheduling tasks on a project's timeline tab. 

Auto-schedule collects information regarding Task Roles, Task Estimates, Task Dependencies, and the Project Team. Then, based on the project team's availability and capacity the auto-schedule will plan tasks for all team members. This process is based on a Heuristic planning algorithm.

Using Auto-Scheduling

Before you use the Auto-Schedule, make sure that you have scoped your project, e.g. created phases, and tasks, set a role to a task, set estimates, and assigned a team to the project. Once this is done follow the steps below to use the feature.

To auto-schedule a project

1. Click on the Projects tab in the header. 
2. Open your project. 
3. Within the project, click on the Timeline tab.
4. Click on the Auto Schedule button. This will show the following pop-up:
   
5. If you would like to copy the schedule of an existing project select a project from the 'Select a similar project' dropdown menu.
   
   • Select a Similar Project: This option allows picking an already existing project that the AI can look into and learn from the way the team was scheduled in that project. 
6. If it is necessary to change the current assignees on the project, select the 'Change current Assignees' button. 
   • Change current Assignees: By checking this option the AI will replace the team assigned to the project and assign the first available team member with the available capacity and appropriate role for the tasks of the project. 
7. Click on 'More Settings' for the additional options if needed
8. Select one of the Project team options to either use the team members already assigned to the project, use and add the entire company, OR, if a similar project is selected, use and add team members from the selected similar project.
   • Use and add team members specifically assigned to this project: By checking this option the AI will only use the assigned project team members in the project to schedule tasks. 
   • Use and add the entire company: By checking this option the AI will use the entire company's team members and assign the team members with the most availability and similar roles.
   • Use and add team members from the selected (similar) project: If a similar project is selected that the AI will look at then by checking this option the AI will use the team from the selected project for this project. 
9. Select whether the phases should overlap or not.
   • Allow Phases to overlap: By enabling this option the AI will allow phase dates to overlap.
   • Do not allow Phases to overlap: By enabling this option the AI will now allow for phase dates to overlap. 
10. Choose if the high-priority tasks should be prioritized.
    • Auto schedule highest priority first: By enabling this option the AI will prioritize tasks that are flagged as a high priority first. 
11. Choose if the auto-schedule should not schedule blocked tasks.
    • Do not auto-schedule blocked tasks: By enabling this option the AI will not schedule tasks that are indicated as blocked.
12. Change or set the project start date. This will also be the starting point for the schedule.
    • Project Start: From this button, it is possible to change the project start date. This will also give the AI a starting point.
13. Click on Continue when ready to proceed.
14. The next pop-up will appear that concerns Phase dates. The options are as follows:
    • Keep Phase dates: This option will keep the original dates on the phases
    • Reschedule Phase dates: This option will change the phase dates based on the start date that was chosen in the previous screen.
    • Select and order phases to auto-schedule: From here it is possible to click and drag the phases to change the order. This will inform the AI as to which phase should go first, second, third, etc. 
15. Click on Continue to proceed.
16. If there are tasks that are missing information such as roles and estimates, they will appear here. This is a chance to fill in the blanks before the auto-schedule proceeds with scheduling the tasks.
17. Click Save and Continue to finalize the process. 

Reviewing your Auto-Scheduled Project

Once the AI has finished scheduling the project, a preview screen will appear that can be used to review how the schedule will look once the process is finalized.

From this screen, it is possible to do a few things. The schedule heatmap is fully interactive so it is possible to click and drag on a phase, task, or team member to make any changes that are not agreed upon by the project manager. 

It is also possible to Add or Remove team members from the project by using the dropdown button found in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

Below, the article provides a step-by-step guide on how to go about editing/changing this information. 

To edit a phase/task/team member in the Schedule heatmap

1. Click and drag the phase, task, or team member on the heatmap.
2. Place them on the dates that best suit their availability.
3. Once the process of reviewing the schedule is finished, click on Reschedule. The AI will then reschedule the project using the new data. 

To manage team members in the project

1. Click and drag on the team members icon either in the heatmap or from the menu at the bottom of the page
2. Drop them on the task that they should be assigned. 
3. To remove them from the task click on their icon in the heatmap (marked as X)
4. Once the process of reviewing the schedule is finished, click on Reschedule. The AI will then reschedule the project using the new data.
5. Once finished with the review, click on Apply to finalize the process.