Scheduling method
A method assigned to an activity via its activity definition, which determines how the start dates of future activities are affected if an end user modifies the start date-time of the activity, or sets the status of a previous activity to completed.
In Maintenance Planner a scheduling method is selected at > in the Scheduling method field.
There are three methods available in the scheduling method field:
• Variable method: Changing the start date of an activity scheduled via the selected activity definition does not change the start and end dates of future activities scheduled in the same activity definition.
• Fixed method: Changing the start date of an activity scheduled in the selected activity definition changes the start dates of future activities scheduled via the same activity definition accordingly. For example, if you put the start date back by two days, the start dates of other activities are also put back by two days.
• Fixed completion method: Changing the completion date of an activity scheduled via the selected activity definition causes the start date of the next activity scheduled via the same activity definition to change accordingly. For example, if you put the completion date back by one month, the start date of the next scheduled activity is also put back by one month.
 | If an activity definition is assigned the Fixed completion scheduling method, only 1 maintenance order can be manually generated at a time and only if the previous maintenance order is in Technically completed / Administratively completed status. If relevant, the start dates of future activities are moved forward or put back in accordance with the changes to the intervals between the activities. |
 | If a maintenance activity in a Fixed completion sequence has already been executed, but setting this activity to the Completed status takes longer than anticipated, the actual completion is moved to a later date. As a result, future activities are also delayed. If this is not what you want, you can antedate the completion of this latest maintenance activity, by giving it a completion date prior to that of the order. You do this via the Actual completion date field of the maintenance activity. Antedating the activity will not affect the Technically completed date of the related maintenance order. However, it will make sure that the start date of next activity in line is based on the correct Actual completion date of the previous maintenance activity. |