Implement scheduling
Scheduling with Universal Resource Scheduling
Scheduling in Customer Service (and Field Service) runs on Universal Resource Scheduling (URS). The core object is the resource requirement: the work to be done, with a duration, a from/to window, required characteristics and roles, a territory, a priority, and a fulfillment preference. Requirements are fulfilled by creating bookings against bookable resources - users, facilities, equipment, crews, accounts, or contacts. Each booking carries a booking status (Scheduled, Travel, In Progress, Completed, and so on) that drives schedule board colours and downstream flows.
Matching happens in the schedule assistant, which filters resources by territory, characteristics, availability against their work hours calendar, remaining capacity, and the fulfillment preference (for example, prefer fewer resources or maximize utilization). The schedule board gives dispatchers a drag-and-drop view with availability, maps, and booking alerts. Characteristics are matched against a required rating; a resource missing a characteristic will not appear unless the filter is relaxed.
Traps: candidates confuse a requirement (the ask) with a booking (the answer); they set a from/to window narrower than the duration; and they forget that a resource's capacity derives from its calendar and capacity profile, not from the booking status.
Rule of thumb: if the schedule assistant returns nobody, check territory, characteristics, and calendar before assuming a permissions problem. Worked example: a two-hour on-site visit needing a certified technician in the North territory - create the requirement with that characteristic and territory, then use 'Find availability' so the engine ranks candidates.