Resources

This solution turns the standard Business Central Resource table into resources in Dime.Scheduler. Every other FastTrack solution relies on these resources, with one exception: production routing planning, which uses work centers and machine centers instead.

Setup

Use the options in DS Setup and the FastTrack Wizard (shown below) to define how resources, groups and teams are created.

The resource setup has five subsections:

• Type
• Department
• Team
• Pin
• Filter

Resource type

A resource type is any property you use to categorize resources. Rooms, vehicles and machines are all good candidates. Resource types organize your resources and are especially useful on the planning board, where you can filter by them. Some teams even set up a separate planning board per resource type.

The FastTrack wizard lets you set up resource types from Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central rather than directly in Dime.Scheduler (which is also possible):

The options in the Resource Type From selection list are:

• Default: the resource type will be "Resource" for all resources.
• Resource Group: the resource type will be the value of the resource group you have selected for the resource in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
• Field: select any field (including any custom fields that may have been added) from the resource table. For every value of the selected field the resource type will be the field value you have selected for the resource in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
  • Select the field in "Resource Type Field"
• Dimension: select a dimension, for every value of the selected dimension the resource type will be the dimension you have selected for the resource in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
  • Select the dimension in "Resource Type Dimension".

tip

The resource type setting can be modified at any time. The modification takes effect the next time you send the resources to Dime.Scheduler. Any planned data remains in place as each resource has a unique identifier regardless of its resource type. Any changes made to the resource types in Dime.Scheduler will be overridden by the settings in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Department

A department is a generic grouping in Dime.Scheduler that lets you sort and group resources on the planning board (and in other components such as the planned tasks grid).

Options for Department from are:

• Blank: the value for department is empty for all resources
• Resource Group: resources are grouped in departments according to their assigned resource group
• Field: select any field (including any custom fields that may have been added) from the resource table. Resources are grouped according to the value assigned in the field.
  • Select the field in "Department Field"
• Dimension: select a dimension, resources are grouped according to the value assigned in the default dimension.
  • Select the dimension in "Department Dimension"

tip

The department setting can be modified at any time. The modification takes effect the next time you send the resources to Dime.Scheduler. Any changes made to the departments in Dime.Scheduler will be overridden by the settings in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Team

Teams are another way to sort and group resources in Dime.Scheduler. Teams carry more functionality in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (such as assigning a team member's role), but the FastTrack solutions use them only for sorting and grouping.

The options for Team from are:

• Blank: the value of team is empty for all resources
• Resource Group: resources are grouped in teams according to their assigned resource group
• Field: select any field (including any custom fields that may have been added) from the resource table. Resources are grouped according to the value assigned in the field.
  • Select the field in "Team Field"
• Dimension: select a dimension, resources are grouped according to the value assigned in the default dimension
  • Select the dimension in "Team Dimension"

tip

The team setting can be modified at any time. The modification takes effect the next time you send the resources to Dime.Scheduler. Any changes made to the teams in Dime.Scheduler will be overridden by the settings in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Pin

Pins are indicators in Dime.Scheduler that let you give resources, jobs and tasks different pin colors on the maps.

The options for Pin from are:

• Blank: the value of pin is empty for all resources
• Resource Group: resources are grouped in pins according to their assigned resource group
• Field: select any field (including any custom fields that may have been added) from the resource table. Resources are grouped according to the value assigned in the field.
  • Select the field in "Pin Field"
• Dimension: select a dimension, resources are grouped according to the value assigned in the default dimension
  • Select the dimension in "Pin Dimension"

tip

The pin setting can be modified at any time. The modification takes effect the next time you send the resources to Dime.Scheduler. Any changes made to the pins in Dime.Scheduler will be overridden by the settings in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.

Resource Filters

Resource filters are a powerful way to find the right resource for a task in Dime.Scheduler. They also drive the data-driven security model that defines segregation of roles and responsibilities. The filter options for standard resources are aimed at service management, but they apply to other areas just as well.

You can define additional filter groups in the DS Filter Groups setup, outside of the FastTrack Wizard.

There are two pairs of filters: skill filters and service zone filters.

tip

When using service management, it is recommended to enable these filters. By enabling one or both of the filters the FastTrack Wizard creates the necessary configuration in BC to send the required filter values when sending service orders from BC to Dime.Scheduler, allowing the user to use the automatic filter options in Dime.Scheduler.

Resources that are Blocked in BC are still created in Dime.Scheduler, but they stay hidden from users. Blocking or unblocking a resource in BC sets the Do Not Show setting in Dime.Scheduler accordingly.

Skill filter

Enable "Create Skill Filter" to create the necessary configuration in BC to filter resources based on their skills. Enter the name the users will see in Dime.Scheduler for this filter in "Skill Filter Name".

Service zone filters

Enable "Create Service Zone Filter" to create the necessary configuration in BC to filter resources based on the service zones in which they operate. Enter the name the users will see in Dime.Scheduler for this filter in "Service Zone Filter Name".

Usage

Actions

This page extends the default actions with the following items.

List Actions

See common actions for an overview of the list actions for this type.

Card actions

The following actions have been added to the resource card:

• Send resource
• Send capacity

Fields

Alongside the standard fields like name, unique number, type and address, a few fields have been added specifically for Dime.Scheduler:

• Hide in planning board
• Enable Gps Tracking
• Enable Exchange Synchronisation

These fields can be found at the bottom of the resource card:

For more information about these fields, read more about it in the resource settings manual.