OR-Tools is configured through a nine-step wizard in SmartRoster Settings. Complete all steps before running OR-Tools for the first time. You can return to this wizard at any time to update the configuration.
⚠️ Important: OR-Tools Settings must be completed before OR-Tools can be used to generate a roster. If the settings are incomplete, the OR-Tools option will not be available on the SmartRoster dashboard.
Step 1: General settings
Step 1 covers general configuration for the OR-Tools engine, including the planning horizon and the team areas to include in roster generation.
Step 2: Choose the rostering engine
Select which roster generation engines are enabled for this configuration. You can enable OR-Tools only, AutoRoster only, or both. Enabling both makes the Run All and Compare Engines options available on the SmartRoster dashboard.
Step 3: Set the optimisation goal
The optimisation goal tells OR-Tools what to prioritise when generating the roster. This is the primary objective OR-Tools will optimise for, subject to the constraints defined in subsequent steps.
Optimisation goal | What OR-Tools prioritises |
Minimise cost | Produce the lowest-cost roster that satisfies all constraints. |
Maximise coverage | Maximise the number of staffing demand requirements met across the planning period. |
Maximise fairness | Distribute desirable and undesirable shifts as equitably as possible across employees. |
Step 4: Set secondary priorities
Secondary priorities are applied after the primary optimisation goal. When two roster solutions score equally on the primary goal, OR-Tools uses the secondary priorities to choose between them. Drag items in the list to set the priority order.
Step 5: Configure validation rules
Validation rules define the hard constraints OR-Tools must respect when generating the roster. These are drawn from the Validation Rules configured in XD. Select which rules apply to this OR-Tools configuration.
⚠️ Important: Validation rules act as hard constraints. OR-Tools will not produce a roster that violates a selected validation rule. If constraints are too restrictive, OR-Tools may not be able to find a valid solution.
Step 6: Set the minimum shift length
Define the minimum number of hours for a shift that OR-Tools can assign. Shifts shorter than this value will not be generated.
Step 7: Set the maximum shift length
Define the maximum number of hours for a shift that OR-Tools can assign. Shifts longer than this value will not be generated.
Step 8: Set the shift gap interval
Define the minimum gap, in hours, that must exist between shifts for the same employee. OR-Tools will not schedule an employee into a shift that starts before this gap has elapsed since their previous shift ended.
Step 9: Review and save
Step 9 displays a summary of all configuration choices made in Steps 1 to 8. Review the summary to confirm the settings are correct, then select Save to complete the OR-Tools configuration.
