Schedule Optimization components

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
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    Summary of Schedule Optimization components

    Schedule Optimization in ServiceNow Field Service Management (FSM) provides a framework to efficiently assign tasks to technicians by using defined policies, objectives, and constraints. It leverages a set of components including specialized tables, roles, and configuration settings to enable effective scheduling and optimization processes.

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    Key Features

    • Tables: Schedule Optimization installs multiple tables to manage optimization data:
      • Optimization Scope: Defines qualifiers like groups or territories along with tasks and policies for optimization.
      • Optimization Batch: Schedules optimization runs for one or more scopes.
      • Optimization Feature: Contains objectives (soft goals) and constraints (hard rules) that guide the optimization logic. This table is read-only.
      • Policies and Policy Configurations: Container records for objectives and constraints, including weights that influence priority during scheduling.
      • Scheduling Attribute Configuration: Manages global and qualifier-level settings for intraday optimization, including travel estimate providers and processing windows.
      • Group and Territory Scheduling Attributes: Links groups or territories to scheduling attribute configurations, with territory support conditional on the FSM Territory plugin.
      • Optimization Job Distribution: Tracks how optimization jobs are distributed when qualifiers are split into parallel jobs, automatically updating as batch qualifiers or scopes change.
    • Roles: Two primary roles are installed:
      • scheduleoptimizationuser: Allows users to access the Schedule Optimization application and trigger on-demand optimizations.
      • scheduleoptimizationplanner: Enables administrators to configure the application and perform scheduling planning; includes assignment rule administration privileges.
    • Objectives and Constraints: These are the core optimization features that define how tasks are assigned and schedules are built, balancing soft targets and hard rules.
    • Properties and Parameters: Various parameters can be set to control optimization behavior and execution.
    • Integration User Access: Specific access requirements exist for the shared integration user account used by Schedule Optimization to operate securely and efficiently.

    Key Outcomes

    By implementing Schedule Optimization components, ServiceNow customers can expect:

    • Automated and scalable scheduling that respects business rules and priorities.
    • Flexibility to configure optimization scopes, policies, and constraints tailored to organizational needs.
    • Clear role-based access controls to safeguard optimization administration and execution.
    • Support for intraday and batch optimization with travel estimates and job distribution for enhanced efficiency.
    • Integration readiness with FSM and optional Territory plugin for comprehensive field service scheduling.

    Components installed with Schedule Optimization include tables, roles, constraints, objectives, and properties.

    Tables

    Field Service Schedule Optimization adds the tables listed in the following table.
    Table 1. Tables installed with Schedule Optimization
    Table Description
    Optimization Scope snc_schedule_optim_optimization_scope Defines the qualifiers (groups or territories), tasks, and policies to be used during optimization.
    Optimization Batch snc_schedule_optim_batch Defines the optimization schedule for one, or more scopes.
    Optimization Feature snc_schedule_optim_optimization_constraints Defines the objectives and constraints to be used in optimization policies.
    • Objective = soft target, optimizer tries to build a schedule that honors these goals
    • Constraint = hard rule, optimizer must build a schedule that honors these restrictions
    Note:
    This table is read only
    Policies snc_schedule_optim_policy Container record for objectives and constraints that are used for optimization.
    Policy Configurations snc_schedule_optim_policy_configuration Related list table used to add objectives and constraints to a policy and to associate weights with objectives.
    • Optimizer prioritizes adhering to the objectives with the highest weight.
    • Lower weight objectives are considered but might have less impact on the schedule
    Scheduling Attribute Configuration snc_schedule_optim_sched_attr_config Defines global and qualifier-level settings for intraday optimization, including policy and travel estimate providers.
    • "If Global is set to false, groups or territories can be added to a configuration to override optimization settings for a particular qualifier.
    • If Global is set to true, the settings apply to all other groups that don’t have an override.
    • A Global record also includes additional settings that cannot be overwritten at the qualifier level, such as the intraday processing window and flow.
    • Determines the travel estimate vendor for batch optimization.
    Group Scheduling Attributes snc_schedule_optim_group_m2m_sched_attr_config Links a group to a scheduling attribute configuration.
    Territory Scheduling Attributes snc_schedule_optim_territory_m2m_sched_attr_config Links a territory to a scheduling attribute configuration.
    Note:
    This table is installed only if the FSM Territory plugin is active
    Optimization Job Distribution snc_schedule_optim_job_distribution Stores the distribution of Schedule Optimization jobs when qualifiers are split across multiple parallel jobs. Records are created based on qualifiers linked to batches and are automatically updated or inserted when batch qualifiers or scopes change.

    Roles

    Field Service Schedule Optimization adds the following roles.

    Table 2. Roles installed with Schedule Optimization
    Role Description
    schedule_optimization_user User role for accessing the Schedule Optimization application. This role allows users to trigger on-demand schedule optimization executions.
    schedule_optimization_planner Planner role for the Schedule Optimization application. This role allows administrators to perform administration configurations for the Schedule Optimization application and perform schedule planning activities.

    Contains assignment_rule_admin role.