Substitution modes

The substitution function can currently be used in 3 different modes.
These are explained here.

If you want to change the mode for your business entity, please contact the responsible Soobr project manager.

Mode 1: All times may be used for all work.

When planning the substitution, no distinction is made between the max time and the tasks of the cleaner who does the substitution, as well as the additional time available for this and the tasks to be completed. The own max-time and the additional time which is made available, as well as the own tasks and the tasks to be done, are added together. 

The summed up time is now used to complete the tasks with the highest priority, regardless of whether these are tasks from the own tour or tasks from the substitution. If, for example, there are now surfaces scheduled in the own tour that all have a much higher priority than the surfaces of the tour that is being substituted, this can lead to the cleaning tour using the additional time for its own tasks. 

Tour configuration

We assume the following tour configuration:

Tour	Defined max time	Plannable tasks of their assignment
Tour 1	50 min	120 min
Tour 2	60 min	140 min

Substitute configuration

A substitute configuration is stored for tour 2, which, when activated, transfers the tasks to tour 1 and adds an additional 30 minutes of time.

Planning

Tour 1 has been given the tasks of Tour 2 by substitution and an additional 30 minutes of time. Thus, she has 80 minutes of time available. 

From the combined pool of tasks totaling 260 minutes, the tasks with the highest priority are now scheduled, regardless of whether they were originally the tour's own tasks or tasks of the tour that is being substituted. 

Mode 2: The times and tasks are handled and planned separately.

The available times and tasks are not combined, but treated and planned separately.

Therefore, the additional time a cleaner receives for performing a substitution is used exclusively for tasks from the tour to be substituted. 

We assume the same initial situation as in mode 1.

Planning

Tour 1 has 50 minutes for its own tasks as without proxy. The tasks with the highest priority are scheduled from the 120 minutes of plannable services available for tour 1. 

An additional, separate schedule is now created for the tasks from the deputy (Tour 2). The additional 30 minutes that Tour 1 has available are now available exclusively for Tour 2 tasks. These tasks are again scheduled according to priority. 

Mode 3: The times and tasks are handled and scheduled separately - but an automatic time balancing or time reduction helps with optimization

The difference to mode 1 (All times may be used for all work) is that in this case it is ensured that only the additional time that tour 1 receives for performing the substitution of tour 2 is reallocated. Thus, it is impossible for tour 2's substitution tasks with a high priority to displace regular tour 1 tasks.

In addition, the system optimizes substitution by means of the following rules:

Using own free time for deputy tasks

If Tour 1 has more time available through its own maximum time than it needs to complete its tasks, the excess time is made available to complete substitute tasks. 

For example, it was determined by Soobr that there is 30 minutes more time available in Tour 1 than there are schedulable tasks (highlighted in blue in the graph below). Instead of leaving this time unused, the 30 minutes are reallocated and added to the substitute time.

Reduction of substitution time to ensure fair distribution

If too much time has been allocated to the deputy during configuration, it will be automatically reduced by Soobr. This prevents all the tasks from the deputy from being done by only one tour, instead of being distributed evenly among all the tours that perform the deputy. 

For example, if two tours share a floor, but one or both of the tours have been allotted enough time to clean the entire floor alone, then the scheduling algorithm will tend to schedule all activities to only one tour.

To counteract this problem, a maximum required duration for the tasks to be completed is calculated from the substitution. If this calculated duration is shorter than the additional time originally provided, the time calculated by the system is used. 

In the graphic below, the portion of time that is too high according to Soobr's calculation and would result in all substitution tasks being scheduled for Tour 1 only is marked in red. The system will now take out this portion so that both Tour 1 and Tour 3 substitution tasks are received. 

Click here for more articles on substitution:

Activation of the subsititution

Substitution Overview & Configuration