Scheduling Setup: Periods

To access this screen:

Display the Optimization task bar and select Optimization >> Scheduler >> Settings.
In the Scheduling Setup screen, select the Periods tab.

Define sequential periods for your scheduling scenario.

This determines the resolution of your schedule as a linear progression of either:

Quarters
Quarters and Years
Years
Years and Multiple Years
Multiple Years

Scheduling calendar periods can only increase in size, not decrease, into the future. For example, a calendar where 12 quarters is followed by 4 yearly periods is fine, but you can't start with yearly periods and reduce to quarters later.

The starting quarter will allow only certain number of quarters. For example, if the starting quarter is 1 then the number of quarters can be 0, 4, 8, 12, and so on. However, if the starting quarter is 3 then the number of quarters can be 2, 6, 10, and so on. This is needed to ensure that Quarter 4 ends in December and the following Year starts in January.

By default, there are 10 periods of one year starting in the current calendar year.

Tip: Processing times depend on the number of periods. For schedules up to 15 years it is common to use Quarters and Years or Years (say, 12 quarters plus 12 periods of one year or 15 periods of one year). For schedules more than 50 years it is common to use Years and Multiple Years (say, 15 years plus 10 periods of 5 years).

To define scheduling periods:

Warning: Changing a scheduler calendar can affect (and invalidate) other settings.

Select the starting Quarter and Year of the initial period. For example, Qtr 1, 2025.

Note: The initial scheduling period is set according to the calendar year.
Use Create Periods controls to define the first batch of periods (where a 'batch' relates to contiguous periods of the same length):

Note: A schedule duration must be at least one year = 4 quarters.
- To include only quarterly periods in your schedule—Select of one quarter and select the number of quarters from 4 to 76.
- To include quarters and years—Select of one quarter and select the number of quarters from 4 to 76, then enter the number of one year periods to follow (any number).
- To include only years in your schedule—Select either of one quarter or of one year and set it to zero, then enter the number of one year periods.
- To include years and multi year periods—Select the lower option and enter the number of one year periods to start, then enter the number of x years periods to follow.
  
  For example, to start the schedule with 5 yearly periods, followed by 5 more 2-year periods, choose 5 of one year and 5 of 2 years.
- To include only multi-year periods—Select the lower option and add zero of one year, then enter the number of x years periods to follow.
Click Create to regenerate the calendar on the right.

To remove the final period, click Delete last period, or Delete all periods to clear the calendar(although note that clicking Create will automatically clear previous results).