Production Calendar Auto-Scheduler & Shift Capacity Guide

Print Life Software provides an intelligent, capacity-aware production auto-scheduler and daily press timeline manager designed for custom apparel decorators. By analyzing exact run times calculated from your pricing matrices, shop operating hours, and customer delivery deadlines, the auto-scheduler sequences jobs forward day-by-day—preventing press bottlenecks, eliminating overbooking, and providing shop floor managers with interactive drag-and-drop scheduling across work centers.

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1. Feature Scope & UI Navigation

The production scheduling architecture connects shop work hours, Kanban column opt-in filters, automated calendar allocation, and granular daily press timelines across the following navigation paths:

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                PRIMARY NAVIGATION PATHS                                │
├──────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┤
│ Work Schedule & Capacity │ /financials                 │ Operating Costs -> Work Sched │
│ Production Calendar Grid │ /dashboard?view=calendar    │ Dashboard View Selector       │
│ Unscheduled Jobs Drawer  │ /dashboard?view=calendar    │ Calendar -> Unscheduled Queue │
│ Day Press Timeline View  │ Click Calendar Day Cell     │ 24-Hour Day Timeline Dialog   │
│ Calendar Opt-In Settings │ /dashboard (Cog Icon)       │ Manage Dashboards Hub         │
└──────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────┘

Work Schedule & Capacity Setup (/financials)

• Expand Finance & Settings in the left sidebar $\rightarrow$ click Financials $\rightarrow$ select the Operating Costs tab.
• Locate the Work Schedule & Capacity card:
  • Active Work Days: Check the days your facility is operational (e.g., Monday through Friday). The scheduler skips unchecked days.
  • Daily Operating Hours: Enter your maximum target production hours per day (e.g., 8.0 hours).
  • Shift Start Time: Choose when production begins (e.g., 8:00 AM). The scheduler sequences jobs forward starting at this hour.

Production Schedule Calendar (/dashboard?view=calendar)

• On the main Dashboard, use the top view switcher dropdown to toggle from Kanban Board to Calendar View.
• Header Controls:
  • Month / Week / Day navigation steppers.
  • Capacity load bar per department (Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week).
  • All Staff dropdown: Filter calendar jobs to a specific team member's personal task queue.
• Unscheduled Jobs Queue (Slide-Out Drawer):
  • Displays all approved invoices awaiting scheduled press time.
  • Auto-Schedule (Button): Automatically analyzes open capacity and allocates jobs forward chronologically.

Day Press Timeline Dialog (Click Any Calendar Cell)

• Clicking on any calendar day opens the full 24-Hour Day Timeline Dialog:
  • Displays scheduled jobs ordered sequentially by start time.
  • All-Day / Unassigned Time Slots: Top row holding jobs assigned to the day but not yet given a specific start hour.
  • Interactive 15-minute slot snapping with drag-and-drop handles.

Column & Status Opt-In Settings (Manage Dashboards)

• Click the Manage Dashboards (Cog) icon in the Dashboard action header:
  • Dashboards Tab: Edit individual columns $\rightarrow$ toggle 📅 Show on Production Calendar.
  • Status Settings Tab: Edit statuses $\rightarrow$ toggle 📅 Show on Production Calendar or flag as 🏁 Terminal / Completed Status.

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2. Capabilities & Operational Boundaries

The auto-scheduler synchronizes matrix labor estimates with physical facility capacity while enforcing strict opt-in visibility:

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        PRICING MATRIX RUN TIMES                        │
│      Setup Minutes + (Print Seconds per Piece x Quantity) = Run Time   │
└───────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      CALENDAR OPT-IN GATEKEEPER                        │
│  Approved Invoices ONLY  •  Column OR Status "Show on Calendar" Checked│
└───────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                                    │
                                    ▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      AUTO-SCHEDULING ENGINE                            │
│  • Due Date Prioritization (Soonest Deadlines Scheduled First)         │
│  • Forward Day-by-Day Search (Respects Active Days & Shift Start)      │
│  • Real-Time Shift Awareness (Starts at Next Full Hour if Booking Today│
│  • Daily Capacity Ceiling (Stops Allocating When Daily Target Reached) │
└───────────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
                                    │
         ┌──────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────┐
         ▼                                                     ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────┐   ┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│     CALENDAR GRID DAY CELLS     │   │      DAY PRESS TIMELINE         │
│  • Visual Capacity Color Bar    │   │  • 15-Minute Slot Snapping      │
│  • Green (<75%) | Yellow | Red  │   │  • Sequential Job Dragging      │
│  • Total Booked Hours Indicator │   │  • Unassigned Slot Holding Area │
└─────────────────────────────────┘   └─────────────────────────────────┘

Supported Capabilities

1. Matrix-Derived Run Time Calculation: Job run times are calculated automatically based on the cycle times configured on your active price matrices (print speeds, screen setups, flash cure times, stitch counts).
2. Strict Opt-In Visibility Model: Unfinished draft quotes, estimates, and administrative cards never clutter the production schedule. Jobs only appear on the calendar if their column or status has Show on Production Calendar enabled.
3. Shift-Aware Real-Time Allocation:
   • If auto-scheduling during an active work day, the scheduler starts booking at the next full hour (e.g., running auto-schedule at 1:20 PM books slots starting at 2:00 PM).
   • If the current shift has ended, today is skipped and allocation begins at the start of the next business day.
4. Outsourced Work Order Integration: Outsourced jobs (contract embroidery, promo items, Supacolor transfers) appear on the calendar with a dedicated purple Outsourced badge. They track customer delivery deadlines while contributing 0 hours to internal press capacity.
5. Interactive 15-Minute Drag & Drop: Floor managers can drag job cards directly between days or open the Day View to drag jobs up and down the 24-hour timeline in 15-minute increments.
6. Visual Capacity Heatmap: Calendar day cells feature real-time color-coded capacity bars:
   • 🟢 Green (<75% target): Ample open capacity available.
   • 🟡 Yellow (75%–100% target): Nearing maximum shift capacity.
   • 🔴 Red (>100% target): Day is over-booked; overtime required.

Operational Boundaries & Guardrails

• Approved Invoices Only: Draft cost estimates and unapproved quotes remain in "Due Dates" sales mode and never occupy machine hours or consume capacity.
• Matrix Setup Prerequisite: If pricing matrices have 0 production minutes configured, jobs will import with 0 hours and will not occupy capacity blocks.
• Terminal Status Auto-Exclusion: Moving an invoice to a Terminal / Completed status (e.g., Completed, Shipped, Picked Up) automatically removes it from active capacity calculations and takes it off the active schedule.

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3. Step-by-Step SOP Workflows

SOP 1: Setting Up Facility Schedule & Shift Hours

[Financials -> Operating Costs] ──> [Work Schedule & Capacity Card] ──> [Set Days, Hours, Start Time] ──> [Save]

1. Navigate to Financials (/financials) from the left sidebar $\rightarrow$ select Operating Costs.
2. Locate the Work Schedule & Capacity card.
3. Check the days your shop operates (e.g., Monday through Friday).
4. Set Daily Operating Hours (e.g., 8.0).
5. Select Shift Start Time (e.g., 8:00 AM).
6. Click Save Changes. Your weekly capacity targets update immediately across the platform.

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SOP 2: Opting Production Columns & Statuses into the Calendar

1. On the Dashboard, click the Manage Dashboards (Cog) icon in the top header.
2. In the Dashboards tab, click Edit Column (Pencil Icon) next to each active production column (Screen Printing, Embroidery, DTF, Pre-Press).
3. Check 📅 Show on Production Calendar $\rightarrow$ click Save Column.
4. Switch to the Status Settings tab.
5. Ensure active statuses have Show on Production Calendar checked, and finished statuses (Shipped, Picked Up) have 🏁 Terminal / Completed Status checked.
6. Click Save Status.

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SOP 3: Running the Automated Job Scheduler

1. Switch the Dashboard view dropdown to Calendar View.
2. Open the Unscheduled Queue drawer on the left side of the screen.
3. Review the queue of unscheduled invoices, sorted automatically by customer delivery deadline.
4. Click the Auto-Schedule button at the top of the drawer.
5. The algorithm allocates each job to the earliest available business day with open capacity before its due date, sequencing jobs chronologically from shift start.
6. Calendar day cells update immediately with booked hours and color-coded capacity bars.

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SOP 4: Manually Dragging & Rescheduling Jobs

1. On the monthly or weekly calendar grid, click and hold any job card.
2. Drag the card across the grid to a new day.
3. As you hover over target days, notice the capacity bar update in real time.
4. Release the card to drop. The job's scheduled production date updates automatically in the database.

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SOP 5: Setting Specific Press Start Times (Day View Dialog)

1. Click on any calendar day cell to open the 24-Hour Day Timeline Dialog.
2. Notice the All-Day / Unassigned Time Slots row at the top holding jobs that haven't been given a specific hour.
3. Click the grip handle of an unassigned job and drag it down onto a specific time slot on the vertical timeline (snaps in 15-minute increments).
4. To rearrange the run sequence, drag scheduled jobs up or down the timeline.
5. Close the dialog. The timeline sequence is saved automatically.

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4. Business Logic, Formulas & Scheduling Rules

Remaining Daily Capacity Formula

For any given calendar day, open capacity is calculated dynamically:

$$C_{\text{remaining}} = H_{\text{daily_target}} - \sum_{i=1}^{n} T_{\text{job}_i}$$

Where:

• $H_{\text{daily_target}}$ is the shop's configured daily operating hours (or the specific Decoration Department's target hours if using departmental capacity).
• $T_{\text{job}_i}$ is the matrix-estimated runtime in hours for each scheduled job on that day.
• Outsourced contractor jobs contribute $T_{\text{job}} = 0.0\text{ hours}$.

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Shift-Aware Forward Allocation Algorithm

When Auto-Schedule is executed, jobs are placed according to the following algorithmic rules:

[Unscheduled Invoices] ──> Sorted Chronologically by Customer Due Date
                                  │
                                  ▼
                     [Evaluate Starting Calendar Day]
                      Is today an active work day?
                      ├── YES: Is shift still active?
                      │         ├── YES: Earliest slot = Next Full Hour
                      │         └── NO:  Skip today; Start tomorrow
                      └── NO:  Skip today; Start next active business day
                                  │
                                  ▼
                     [Daily Capacity Check: Day D]
           Does Day D have sufficient open capacity (C_remaining)?
           ├── YES: Place Job, sequence sequentially, decrement C_remaining
           └── NO:  Advance to Day D + 1 (Stop if target day exceeds Due Date)

• Rule: Jobs are never scheduled past their customer due date. If capacity is tight, the engine places the job on the due date itself and flags the day cell in red.

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Visual Capacity Indicators Reference

Capacity Level	Visual Color Code	Operational Meaning	Recommended Action
$< 75%$ Target	🟢 Green Bar	High availability	Open for rush jobs or additional volume.
$75% - 100%$ Target	🟡 Yellow Bar	Nearing shift limit	Shift is well-utilized; monitor setup times.
$> 100%$ Target	🔴 Red Bar	Over-capacity	Drag jobs to earlier open days or schedule overtime.

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5. Troubleshooting & Diagnostic Matrix

Symptom / Question	Root Cause	Exact Remediation Step
Jobs do not appear in the Unscheduled Queue or on the Calendar	The job's Column or Status does not have Show on Production Calendar enabled.	Click Manage Dashboards (Cog icon), edit the column or status, check 📅 Show on Production Calendar, and save.
Jobs import with "0h 0m" estimated production time	Active price matrices have no run speeds or setup minutes configured.	Go to Pricing & Materials $\rightarrow$ Matrices, edit the decoration matrix, enter cycle times under Production Time, and save.
Auto-Schedule places a job on Tuesday when it is due Friday	Friday's capacity was already 100% booked by earlier deadline jobs.	The forward allocation engine finds the earliest open day before the deadline. You can manually drag the card to Friday if you plan to run overtime.
Outsourced embroidery jobs are not showing on the schedule	The outsourced status was left unchecked in calendar settings.	Go to Manage Dashboards $\rightarrow$ Status Settings, edit the Outsourced status, and enable Show on Production Calendar.
Staff member sees an empty calendar	The staff account has view_all_jobs turned OFF and has no jobs assigned to them.	Assign the staff member to orders in the Quote Builder, or edit their profile in Settings $\rightarrow$ Staff/ Vendors and enable View All Shop Jobs.

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6. Frequently Asked Questions & Action Prompts

Q: Why aren't my quotes showing up on the Production Calendar?

Answer: By design, draft quotes and cost estimates do not consume production press time. Only approved, active Invoices are scheduled on the calendar and unscheduled queue.

[Show me the Production Calendar](chat:Where is the Production Calendar on the Dashboard?)

Q: How does the auto-scheduler know how long each job takes?

Answer: Runtimes are calculated automatically from your Price Matrices. The system calculates setup time plus print seconds per piece multiplied by quantity. Ensure your matrices have production times configured under Pricing & Materials $\rightarrow$ Matrices.

[How do I set up matrix production times?](chat:Where do I configure matrix production times?)

Q: Can I drag jobs between different days manually?

Answer: Yes! You can drag any job card directly across the calendar grid to a new day. You can also click any day to open the Day Timeline Dialog and drag jobs up and down in 15-minute increments.

[How do I adjust daily press timelines?](chat:How do I schedule specific times on the calendar?)

Q: What do the green, yellow, and red capacity bars mean?

Answer: Green indicates plenty of room ($<75%$ capacity), yellow indicates nearing capacity ($75%–100%$), and red indicates the day is over-allocated ($>100%$), requiring overtime or job rescheduling.

[Where do I configure daily operating hours?](chat:How do I set shop work schedule and capacity?)