--- sourceDocument: Australia Field Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/field-service-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Field Service Management ft:clusterId : - fsm bundleId : - fsm workflow : - Customer and Industry --- # Schedule Optimization # Configuring Schedule Optimization {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Configuring Schedule Optimization Schedule Optimization automates task assignments and creates efficient schedules, adapting dynamically to changes throughout the day. It evaluates tasks and technicians based on configured policies to generate optimized schedules. This capability supports batch, intraday, prioritized event, and on-demand optimization modes, enabling ServiceNow customers to improve field service efficiency and responsiveness. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Configuration Elements:** Includes Properties (system-wide controls), Policies (rules and priorities), Scheduling Attributes (task and technician descriptions), Batches, and Scopes (define what is optimized, when, and how). * **Qualifiers:** Use assignment groups (skills/roles) and territories (geographic areas) to filter technicians; overlapping technicians are supported only with territory qualifiers. * **Optimization Modes:** * **Batch Optimization:** Scheduled runs that create comprehensive schedules for upcoming work. * **Intraday Optimization:** Reacts to schedule disruptions such as cancellations or technician issues. * **Prioritized Event Optimization:** A focused intraday mode targeting affected tasks and technicians after critical events. * **On-Demand Optimization:** Allows dispatchers to manually trigger optimization anytime from Dispatcher Workspace. * **Scalability:** Supports split qualifiers to distribute workloads for large organizations and offers configurable capacity beyond the default 50 optimization requests per 24 hours. ## Setup and Configuration Steps * Activate the Schedule Optimization plugin. * Configure properties to control optimization behavior and performance. * Optionally configure territory-based optimization, workforce optimization integration, and planned crews as needed. * Create policies defining objectives (e.g., minimize travel) and constraints (e.g., skills, availability) for task assignments. * Set up scheduling attributes to define optimization settings and applicable qualifiers. * Define scopes to specify schedules and qualifiers for optimization runs; scopes are required for batch execution. * Create batches to schedule optimization runs including timing and frequency. * Optionally configure intraday optimization and on-demand capabilities to handle real-time scheduling changes. * For large workloads, configure split qualifiers to improve processing time through parallel optimization jobs. ## Benefits for ServiceNow Customers * Automates and streamlines the scheduling process, reducing manual effort. * Improves schedule responsiveness to unexpected changes in the field. * Enables configuration flexibility to match organizational needs and scale as workloads grow. * Supports efficient resource utilization by considering skills, availability, and geography. Use Schedule Optimization to automate task assignment, create efficient schedules, and respond to changing conditions as they occur throughout the day. ## Configuration overview {#schedule-optimization-engine__section_ynf_nyy_qhc} The Schedule Optimization configuration comprises four main elements: Properties, Policies, Scheduling attributes, and Batches with their associated Scopes. The workflow involves configuring properties to control system-wide behavior, policies to define the rules and priorities that guide optimization, and scheduling attributes to describe the tasks and technicians included in a run. You then create batches and scopes to define what gets optimized, when, and by which method. Additional configurations support intraday and on-demand optimization, allowing scheduling updates in response to changing conditions throughout the day. ## How Schedule Optimization works {#schedule-optimization-engine__section_b1r_jzm_m3c} Schedule Optimization evaluates available tasks and technicians against configured policies to produce optimized schedules. Each optimization run is associated with a scope, which specifies the scheduling attribute configuration and qualifiers. Qualifiers, such as assignment groups or territories, determine which technicians are included in the run. Assignment groups organize technicians by skill or role, while territories define geographic service areas. Qualifiers support overlapping technicians only when optimizing by territory, not by assignment groups. Schedule Optimization can be configured to run in three modes: * **Batch optimization** runs on a scheduled basis to create optimized schedules for upcoming work. It evaluates all available tasks and technicians within a specified time window and produces a complete schedule based on your configured objectives and constraints. * **Intraday optimization** runs throughout the day in response to schedule disruptions such as canceled tasks, new high-priority tasks, or technicians running late or calling in sick. Prioritized event optimization is a focused mode of intraday optimization that triggers shortly after a critical event occurs, targeting only the affected technicians and tasks. * **On-demand optimization** allows dispatchers to trigger optimization manually from Dispatcher Workspace at any time. ## Schedule Optimization workflow diagram {#schedule-optimization-engine__section_r33_ff5_cyb} The following figure illustrates the high-level workflow of Schedule Optimization in batch mode. Figure 1. Schedule Optimization workflow ## Steps to setup Schedule Optimization {#schedule-optimization-engine__section_ryt_zjp_frb} The steps to set up Schedule Optimization are: 1. Activate the Schedule Optimization plugin. For more information, see [Activate Schedule Optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/BJqHAmjI_ehGlMT5jaUKeQ "Activate the Schedule Optimization plugin (com.snc_schedule_optimization) for Field Service Management with the administrator role."). 2. [Set the properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/b6s16sFP4SERqycnP3bFNQ "You can set parameters that control how optimization runs.") to control optimization behavior and performance in your instance. 3. Optionally, you can set up [Territory-Based Optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/kykUcMEjI4g98yADfT9QDA "Enable the Field Service Territory model to focus optimization on territories rather than assignment groups."), [Schedule Optimization with Workforce Optimization for Field Service](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/WTShGXFYtKiItCEJn5J1sg "Schedule Optimization uses technician schedules and event attributes from Workforce Optimization for Field Service to automatically assign tasks and improve scheduling accuracy."), and [Schedule Optimization for Planned Crews](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/XJfgd0ccBWjGyfoLJN22iQ "Use Schedule Optimization to assign tasks efficiently to planned crews, ensuring alignment with crew schedules and locations.") depending on your specific needs. 4. Create policies that define optimization goals through objectives and constraints. Objectives prioritize how tasks are assigned, such as minimizing travel time or maximizing task assignments. Constraints set rules that must be met before assigning tasks, such as required skills or availability. For more information, see [Create a policy for Schedule Optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/TbjG7XgIJR9Wn2aXtAFF2Q "Create policies to promote factors like the travel time and an agent's availability. Policies determine how to optimize an agent’s schedule based on defined objectives or constraints."). 5. Configure scheduling attributes to define reusable optimization settings, including the default policy, travel estimate provider, and applicable qualifiers. For more information, see [Create a scheduling attribute for Schedule Optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/81xNM0itm8aRQDkiML0QKw "Create scheduling attributes to specify which tasks to optimize and define the rules to perform the optimization. You can create different scheduling attributes configurations for each policy."). 6. Create scopes that define the scheduling attribute configuration and qualifiers for an optimization run. Scopes are required for batches to run. For more information, see [Create a scope for Schedule Optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qzPZmZHPUVYJzJ5XCR48qA "A scope defines the scheduling attribute configuration, horizon offset, horizon range, and qualifiers for an optimization run. Scopes are required for batch optimization to run.") 7. Create batches that define when optimization runs, including start date, run frequency, and start and end times. For more information, see [Create a batch for Schedule Optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ubqPHkHjYeJK7_ZgYHekgw#create-an-optimization-batch "Create an optimization batch to determine the interval at which optimization should run. Set the start date, batch start time and end time, and run frequency for the related scope."). 8. Optionally, create intraday configurations to trigger optimization in response to schedule disruptions or enable on-demand optimization for dispatchers. For more information, see [Intraday optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/EC8Hq2ThCc0PkD3aupKChw "Efficiently reassign tasks and maximize productivity by continuously running schedule optimization at selected intervals throughout the day."). 9. Optionally, for large workloads or growing organizations, configure split qualifiers to distribute optimization across multiple parallel jobs and improve processing time. For more information, see [Running Schedule Optimization jobs for large workloads](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/iGb4YHCSg3FcXQ3oWTxgBA "Run Schedule Optimization as multiple jobs for large workloads."). {#schedule-optimization-engine__ol_imm_rf5_cyb} By default, Schedule Optimization processes up to 50 optimization requests across all optimization methods every 24 hours. Schedule Optimization handles high volumes of scheduling tasks within each request. If you need higher capacity, you can contact support or submit a change control request to adjust the configuration. **Related concepts** * [Schedule Optimization](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FONWVMW6qYPZBZgVQ7YoEw "Schedule Optimization enables you to optimize task scheduling, auto-assign tasks, and adapt to changing conditions. You can create the best possible schedule that maximizes task assignment and minimizes travel time.") **Related reference** * [Schedule Optimization components](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qDZU398Wr0hCWDh~iuayvw "Components installed with Schedule Optimization include tables, roles, constraints, objectives, and properties.")