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Overview

Knowlix Planning helps you organize team schedules, allocate resources efficiently, and manage work shifts across your organization. Whether coordinating employee shifts, booking equipment, or planning project work, the Planning module provides visual scheduling tools and intelligent automation. The system supports both human resources (employees) and material resources (equipment, vehicles, meeting rooms). Assign roles to resources, create reusable shift templates, and leverage auto-planning to distribute work based on availability, skills, and workload. Integration with Sales allows planning work around sold services. Integration with Projects enables dedicating shifts and resources to specific project tasks. 💡 Pro Tip: Ask Your Knowlix to manage schedules: “Schedule Sarah for a morning shift tomorrow” or “Show me all open shifts for this week”

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Understanding Key Concepts

Before creating schedules, understand how Planning organizes work: Shifts: Individual work assignments with a specific date, time, and duration. Shifts can be assigned to resources or left open for later assignment. Resources: Workers or equipment that perform shifts. Resources include:
  • Human resources: Employees from your Employees module
  • Material resources: Equipment, vehicles, rooms, or other non-human assets
Roles: Job functions or skills that resources perform (e.g., Manager, Technician, Chef, Forklift Operator). Roles help match the right resource to the right shift. Shift Templates: Reusable shift configurations that pre-fill common scheduling patterns (e.g., “Morning Shift 6 AM - 2 PM” or “Evening Service 5 PM - 11 PM”). Auto Planning: Automated assignment of open shifts to available resources based on roles, working hours, and availability.

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Configuring Roles

Roles categorize the types of work resources perform. Defining clear roles enables accurate shift assignment and ensures the right skills are allocated to each task.

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Creating Roles

To set up roles:
  1. Navigate to Planning → Configuration → Roles
  2. Click New
  3. Enter a Name for the role (e.g., Receptionist, Driver, Line Cook)
  4. In the Resources field, select which employees or materials can perform this role
  5. Click Save
Examples of roles by industry: Restaurants:
  • Chef
  • Sous Chef
  • Server
  • Bartender
  • Host
Construction:
  • Site Manager
  • Electrician
  • Carpenter
  • Heavy Equipment Operator
  • Safety Inspector
Retail:
  • Store Manager
  • Cashier
  • Stock Associate
  • Sales Associate
Service Companies:
  • Consultant
  • Project Manager
  • Technical Support
  • Account Manager
Integration with Sales: If the Sales module is installed, a Services field appears on the role form. Link services you sell to the roles required to deliver them. When customers purchase these services, Knowlix can automatically plan shifts for resources with the appropriate roles. 💡 Your Knowlix: “Create a new role called Senior Developer and assign John and Sarah to it”

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Role-Specific Custom Fields

Add custom properties to shifts based on the assigned role. These properties appear only on shifts for that specific role, keeping forms relevant and clutter-free. To add role-specific properties:
  1. From any schedule, switch to list view
  2. Click View on a shift
  3. Ensure the Role field contains the target role
  4. Click the gear icon → Add Properties
  5. Configure the custom field (text, checkbox, selection, date, etc.)
  6. Click Save
The property now appears on all shifts assigned to this role. Use cases for role properties: Accreditation tracking: Add a “License Number” field to Driver roles to track certifications. Location assignment: Add a “Store Location” selection field to Cashier roles in multi-location businesses. Language skills: Add a “Languages” tag field to Consultant roles for matching clients with bilingual staff. Equipment assignment: Add a “Assigned Vehicle” field to Delivery Driver roles to track which vehicle each driver uses. 💡 Best Practice: Use role properties for information that varies by shift but is consistent within a role. For one-time notes, use the shift’s note field instead.

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Configuring Employees

All employees can be included in planning and assigned shifts. Configure employee-specific scheduling settings to ensure accurate planning and workload calculations.

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Employee Planning Settings

To configure an employee for planning:
  1. Navigate to Planning → Configuration → Employees (or use the Employees module)
  2. Select an employee
  3. Open the Work Information tab
  4. Configure the Schedule and Planning sections

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Working Hours

The Working Hours field defines an employee’s standard schedule. This affects:
  • Allocated Time: How shift duration is calculated as a percentage of working hours
  • Auto Planning: Only employees with defined working hours can be auto-assigned
  • Payroll: If contracts generate work entries based on shifts, working hours impact payroll calculations
To set working hours: Select a standard working hours template from the dropdown (e.g., “40 Hours/Week,” “Part-Time 20 Hours/Week”). To create custom working hours:
  1. Click Search More…
  2. Click New
  3. Define the weekly schedule (days, start/end times, breaks)
  4. Click Save
Flexible hours: Leave the Working Hours field blank for employees with flexible schedules. These employees can be assigned shifts but won’t be available for auto-planning.
Payroll Integration: Working hours and allocated shift time can impact payroll if the employee’s contract is configured to generate work entries from shifts. Consult payroll documentation for details.

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Planning Roles

Assign one or more roles to each employee to control which shifts they can be assigned. Effect of assigned roles: Shift Templates: When creating a shift for this employee, only templates matching their assigned roles appear. Schedule Notifications: When schedules are published, employees are notified only about open shifts matching their roles. Auto Planning: The system assigns only shifts matching the employee’s roles during auto-planning. Default Role: Designate one role as the employee’s Default Role. This role:
  • Auto-fills when creating shifts for this employee
  • Takes priority over other roles during auto-planning
Important: Employees with no roles assigned cannot use auto-planning features. They can still be manually assigned to any shift.
💡 Your Knowlix: “Assign the Manager role to Jennifer and make it her default role”

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Configuring Material Resources

Materials are non-employee resources like equipment, vehicles, rooms, or tools that can be scheduled and tracked.

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Use Cases for Material Resources

Construction companies:
  • Cranes
  • Forklifts
  • Excavators
  • Concrete mixers
Consulting firms:
  • Meeting rooms
  • Video conferencing equipment
  • Projectors
Delivery businesses:
  • Delivery trucks
  • Cargo vans
  • Refrigerated vehicles
Manufacturing:
  • Production lines
  • CNC machines
  • Testing equipment

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Creating Material Resources

To add a material resource:
  1. Navigate to Planning → Configuration → Materials
  2. Click New
  3. Enter a Name (e.g., “Forklift #3,” “Conference Room A”)
  4. Assign Roles the material can fulfill
  5. Set Working Hours if the material has availability constraints (e.g., meeting rooms available 8 AM - 6 PM)
  6. Click Save
Assigning roles and hours: Like employees, materials can have roles and working hours. This enables auto-planning and ensures materials aren’t double-booked. Example: A conference room might have:
  • Role: Meeting Space
  • Working Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 8 PM
When scheduling meetings, the system won’t assign the room outside these hours or during times it’s already booked.

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Creating Shift Templates

Shift templates standardize common scheduling patterns, saving time when creating recurring shifts.

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Building Templates from Shifts

To create a template from a new shift:
  1. From any schedule, click New
  2. Fill in shift details (role, start time, duration, etc.)
  3. Click Save Template instead of Save
The shift is saved as a reusable template.

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Building Templates Directly

To create templates in the configuration area:
  1. Navigate to Planning → Configuration → Shift Templates
  2. Click New
  3. Configure the template:
Start Hour: When the shift begins (e.g., 9:00 AM) Span: Shift duration in hours (e.g., 8 hours) End Time: Calculated automatically based on Start Hour, Span, and working hours (including breaks) Role: (Optional) Link to a specific role. Templates appear only when creating shifts for that role. Project: (Optional) Associate the template with a project for project-based scheduling.
  1. Click Save

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Understanding End Time Calculations

End times account for working hours and breaks, not just raw duration. Example: Employee working hours: Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM with a 1-hour lunch from 12-1 PM Template 1:
  • Start: 9 AM
  • Span: 8 hours
  • Calculated End: 5 PM (accounts for the 1-hour lunch break)
Template 2:
  • Start: 10 AM
  • Span: 10 hours
  • Calculated End: 10 AM next day (business closes at 5 PM, so remaining hours spill to the next day)
💡 Template Naming: Use descriptive names like “Morning Kitchen Shift (6 AM - 2 PM)” or “Weekend Security (8 hrs)” for easy identification.

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Planning Shifts

Open the Planning module to view schedules. The default view shows your personal schedule. Administrators can access additional views organized by resource, role, project, or sales order.

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Schedule Views

Available views for administrators:
  • Schedule by Resource: View all shifts grouped by employee or material
  • Schedule by Role: Group shifts by job function
  • Schedule by Project: Group shifts by associated project
  • Schedule by Sales Order: Group shifts by linked sales orders
All views display in a Gantt chart for visual clarity and easy editing.

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Visual Indicators

Knowlix uses visual cues to convey shift status: Full color blocks: Published shifts that are confirmed and communicated to employees Diagonal stripes: Planned but unpublished shifts (employees haven’t been notified yet) Grayed-out background: Time periods when employees are on approved leave Progress bar: Currently active shifts with linked timesheet entries Grayed-out shifts: Temporarily shown when copying shifts. Previously existing shifts gray out to highlight new copies. Color returns on page refresh.

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Gantt View Editing

Edit shifts directly in the Gantt chart without opening forms:
  • Drag and drop: Move shifts to different times or resources
  • Resize: Drag shift edges to adjust duration
  • Split: Hover over a shift and click the scissors icon to divide it
  • Duplicate: Copy shifts to other time periods or resources
💡 Your Knowlix: “Move all of today’s shifts to tomorrow” or “Copy this week’s schedule to next week”

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Creating Individual Shifts

Build shifts manually for custom scheduling needs or one-time events.

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Shift Creation Process

To create a shift:
  1. Navigate to any schedule view
  2. Click New
  3. Complete the shift form:
Templates Section: If templates exist matching the selected role, they appear at the top of the form. Click a template to pre-fill shift details. Resource: Select the employee or material assigned to this shift. Leave blank to create an open shift (unassigned). Role: Select the job function for this shift. The role determines:
  • Which templates appear
  • Which employees can be assigned (based on their assigned roles)
  • Auto-planning eligibility
Project: (If Projects module is installed) Link the shift to a project for tracking project-dedicated work time. Sales Order Item: (If Sales module is installed) Link the shift to a specific sales order line item for tracking sold service delivery. Repeat: Click the repeat icon to create recurring shifts. Configure:
  • Repeat Every: Frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)
  • Until: End date for recurrences
Recurring shift rules:
  • All shift details copy to each recurrence except the date
  • Recurrences are created as planned (unpublished) by default
  • System creates recurrences 6 months in advance by default (configurable in settings)
Additional Note: Add a message sent to the assigned employee when the shift is published. Date: Select the shift date and time. This is the only required field. Allocated Time: Calculated automatically based on shift duration and the employee’s working hours. Shows the percentage of a standard work period this shift represents.
  1. Choose how to save:
Save: Creates a draft shift (visible to admins, not yet sent to employees) Publish & Save: Creates the shift and emails the assigned employee their schedule
Draft vs. Published: Drafts appear with diagonal stripes in the schedule. Employees receive notifications only when shifts are published.

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Employee Notifications

When you publish a shift, the assigned employee receives an email notification: Employees without user accounts: Redirected to a dedicated Planning portal to view their schedule Employees with user accounts: Redirected to the “My Planning” view within Knowlix

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Splitting Shifts

Divide long shifts into multiple segments easily. To split a shift:
  1. Hover over the shift in the Gantt view
  2. Click the scissors icon
  3. Specify where to split the shift
  4. Confirm
The original shift divides into two separate shifts at the specified point. 💡 Use Case: An 8-hour shift needs a 1-hour break in the middle. Create the 8-hour shift, then split it at the 4-hour mark to create two 4-hour shifts with a gap between them.

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Open Shifts and Auto Planning

Open shifts (shifts without assigned resources) can be automatically assigned to available employees or materials using the Auto Plan feature.

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Auto Planning Logic

The system considers multiple factors when auto-assigning shifts: Roles: Resources are only assigned shifts matching their configured roles. Resources without roles cannot be auto-assigned. Default Roles: If a resource has a default role, shifts for that role take priority during assignment. Conflicts: Resources cannot be double-booked. If a resource already has a shift during a time period, they won’t be assigned another. Time Off: Employee vacation, sick leave, and public holidays are respected. Resources on leave won’t receive shift assignments. Working Hours: Shifts are only assigned within a resource’s defined working hours. Resources with flexible hours (no defined schedule) cannot be auto-assigned. Contracts: (For employees with contracts) Shifts outside the contract’s active period aren’t assigned to that employee.

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Using Auto Planning

To auto-assign open shifts:
  1. Create open shifts by leaving the Resource field blank
  2. Ensure eligible resources have:
    • Roles assigned matching the shift roles
    • Working hours defined
    • No scheduling conflicts
  3. Click Auto Plan at the top of the schedule
  4. Review the proposed assignments
  5. Click Publish to confirm and notify employees
💡 Agent Automation: “Auto-assign all open shifts for this week” or “Plan next week’s schedule automatically”

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Shift Swapping and Unassignment

Empower employees to manage their own schedules by enabling shift swapping or allowing self-unassignment.
Important: These features are mutually exclusive. Shift swapping is enabled by default. Enabling unassignment disables swapping.

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Shift Swapping (Default Behavior)

Employees can request to swap shifts with colleagues who share the same role. How it works:
  1. Employee receives a published shift notification via email
  2. Employee clicks the unwanted shift
  3. Employee clicks Ask to Switch
  4. The shift remains assigned to the original employee but displays a “wants to switch” notification
  5. Other employees with the same role see the shift as available
  6. Another employee clicks I Take It to accept the shift
  7. Shift reassigns to the new employee automatically
Swap limitations:
  • Only future shifts can be swapped (not past shifts)
  • Only employees with matching roles see available swaps
  • Original employee remains responsible until someone accepts
Use cases:
  • Employee has a personal conflict
  • Employee prefers different shift times
  • Employees want to accommodate each other’s preferences

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Self-Unassignment

Allow employees to mark themselves unavailable, converting their shifts back to open shifts. To enable self-unassignment:
  1. Navigate to Planning → Configuration → Settings
  2. Enable Allow Unassignment
  3. Set the maximum number of days before the shift that employees can unassign themselves (e.g., “3 days”)
  4. Click Save
How it works:
  1. Employee receives a published shift notification
  2. If the shift is more than X days away (based on your configuration), the I Am Unavailable button appears
  3. Employee clicks I Am Unavailable
  4. Shift reverts to an open shift
  5. Administrators can then manually assign it or use auto-planning
Unassignment limitations:
  • Only future shifts can be unassigned (not past shifts)
  • Only shifts beyond the configured minimum notice period can be unassigned
  • Only shifts matching the employee’s roles appear in their schedule
💡 Best Practice: Set the minimum notice period long enough to allow time to reassign the shift. For example, require 3-7 days’ notice depending on how difficult it is to find replacements.

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Integration with Sales

Link shifts to sold services to track service delivery and resource utilization.

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Linking Roles to Services

When you configure roles, you can specify which services require that role. Setup:
  1. Navigate to Planning → Configuration → Roles
  2. Open a role
  3. In the Services field (requires Sales module), select products/services that require this role
  4. Click Save
Effect: When a customer purchases one of these services, Knowlix knows which roles are needed to deliver it. You can then plan shifts for those roles or use auto-planning to assign the work automatically.

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Planning from Sales Orders

Create shifts directly from sales order line items. To link a shift to a sales order:
  1. Create a new shift
  2. In the Sales Order Item field, select a line item from a confirmed sales order
  3. Complete the shift details
  4. Publish the shift
This links the shift to the sale for tracking and invoicing purposes. 💡 Workflow: Customer buys 10 hours of consulting. Link shifts to the sales order line. As consultants work those shifts, hours are tracked against the purchase.

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Integration with Projects

Dedicate shifts to specific projects for accurate project time tracking and resource allocation.

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Linking Shifts to Projects

To associate a shift with a project:
  1. Create a new shift
  2. In the Project field, select the project this shift supports
  3. Complete the shift details
  4. Publish the shift
Shifts linked to projects help you:
  • Track how much time is spent on each project
  • Allocate resources to project work
  • Report on project resource consumption
Shift Templates by Project: When creating shift templates, you can link them to specific projects. These templates then appear when planning shifts for that project. 💡 Use Case: A construction company has three active job sites (projects). Assign shifts to each site to track labor allocation and ensure adequate staffing per location.

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Best Practices

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Define Clear Roles

Create specific, well-named roles rather than generic ones. “Senior JavaScript Developer” is better than “Developer” for accurate skill matching.

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Use Shift Templates Aggressively

Build templates for all recurring shift patterns. This speeds up scheduling and maintains consistency.

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Set Realistic Working Hours

Ensure employee working hours accurately reflect actual availability. Incorrect hours lead to over-scheduling and auto-planning errors.

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Publish Schedules in Advance

Give employees notice by publishing schedules at least one week ahead. This improves satisfaction and reduces shift swap requests.

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Enable Appropriate Swapping/Unassignment

Choose the feature that fits your operations. Swapping works well for retail and hospitality. Unassignment suits professional services where finding replacements is easier.

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Use Open Shifts for Flexibility

Create open shifts for variable-demand periods. Let auto-planning assign them as demand clarifies.

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Review Schedules Before Publishing

Always review auto-planned schedules before publishing. Auto-planning is smart but not perfect. Verify assignments make operational sense. If you bill customers for time, link shifts to projects and sales orders. This enables accurate invoicing based on actual work performed.

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Add Notes to Complex Shifts

Use the “Additional Note” field for special instructions, location details, or equipment requirements.

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Monitor Workload Balance

Regularly check that shifts distribute evenly across team members. Use Schedule by Resource view to identify over- or under-utilized employees.

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Need Help?

Ask Your Knowlix:
  • “Create a morning shift for Sarah tomorrow from 8 AM to 4 PM”
  • “Show me all open shifts for next week”
  • “Auto-assign shifts for the Kitchen role this weekend”
  • “Copy this week’s schedule to next week”
  • “Who is scheduled for the Manager role on Friday?”
  • “Create a shift template for evening service”
Contact Support: For questions about advanced scheduling, auto-planning configuration, or integration with projects and sales, contact Knowlix support through the Help menu.