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Link an existing schedule

This guide is for schedule owners who wish to link an existing schedule from an external product with On-Call Optimizer.

Before you start

  1. Choose an existing on-call rotation that you wish to begin scheduling with On-Call Optimzer.
  2. Check the product from which you wish to link your existing schedule is supported by On-Call Optimizer.
  3. Ensure you have the necessary permissions in your on-call product to establish an API connection with On-Call Optimizer.

Intended results

Completing the steps in this guide will result in:

  1. Creation of a new On-Call Optimizer schedule linked to your existing schedule.
  2. Configuration of the new On-Call Optimizer schedule to begin assigning new shifts from a future date.
  3. (optionally) Each member of the schedule will be invited to share their calendar(s) with On-Call Optimizer.
  4. (optionally) Future assignments created by On-Call Optimizer will be exported back to your existing schedule.

If you do not opt-in to send invitations or export assignments linking an existing schedule to On-Call Optimizer will not affect the operation of your existing schedule in any way.

Begin

To get started, select Connect an On-Call Product below.

1 - Connect an On-Call Product

In this step we will establish a connection between On-Call Optimizer and the On-Call Product you are currently using to manage the on-call schedule you have chosen to link with On-Call Optimizer.

1. Login to On-Call Optimizer

If you have not already logged-in to On-Call Optimizer visit https://app.oncall-optimizer.com/login and complete the login process now.

2. Navigate to the New On-Call Product Connection page

  1. Select Schedules from the main menu (on the left on desktop, or above on mobile/tablet)
  2. From the Schedules page, select Create New Connection at the bottom of the page.

After following these steps you should be at https://app.oncall-optimizer.com/irm_connections/new and be able to see the logo of the existing on-call product you are using on screen.

3. Select your product and configure authentication

  1. Click on the logo of the product you wish to connect to.
  2. Enter your API Key in the provided field and click Continue

Screencast

Next Steps

Once you have configured an API key, On-Call Optimizer will begin the process of connecting to the chosen product and collecting details of the available schedules. This may take a couple of minutes during which you will see a loading spinner.

Click below to begin reading the next steps while the connection is created.

Continue with: Selecting a schedule to link

2 - Select a schedule to link

In this step you will select which of the schedules available in the On-Call Product you connected to should be linked with On-Call Optimizer.

Use the drop-down arrow within each schedule to expand the list of members and see the shift times for the schedule inferred from the existing configuration.

Create On-Call Optimizer Schedule

Once you have identified which of the listed schedules you wish to continue linking, click the Create On-Call Optimizer Schedule link (on the right of the box on desktop, or the bottom on mobile/tablet).

Next Steps

When you click the create link, a new draft schedule linked to the existing schedule from your On-Call Product will be created within On-Call Optimizer. In the next step you will have the opportunity to configure and customize the new schedule before confirming the link.

Continue with: Configure the linked schedule

3 - Configure the linked schedule

In this step you have the opportunity to customize and then confirm the configuration of the schedule that On-Call Optimizer will use.

Configuration Screen

The numbered areas in the screenshot highlight the key aspects of the schedule configuration covered in this guide. Refer to the detailed schedule configuration docs for further details.

1. Member list

The list of members is sourced from the On-Call Product being linked to, when these change On-Call Optimizer will update automatically.

On-Call Optimizer will default to sending invitations to each member as indicated by the checked box to the left of each member’s name. To prevent an invitation being sent, uncheck the box for the row before clicking the Create button at the bottom of the page.

2. Automatic assignment parameters

These parameters control how On-Call Optimizer will generate future shift assignments. The default settings provide 30 days notice of newly assigned shifts (the horizon), and assign 30 days of shifts at a time (the schedule window). To ensure all members have a chance to configure their calendars before the first assignment, On-Call Optimizer adds an additional 7 days to the horizon when setting the initial starting date.

Below the configuration options, On-Call Optimizer shows details of when the next assignment and what shifts will be assigned.

You can modify any of these settings now, or at any time in the future. See the schedule configuration docs for full details on these parameters.

3. Shift configuration

On-Call Optimizer will assign a new shift at each of the listed times. The shift times are inferred from the linked schedule as a one-off step to initialize On-Call Optimizer’s configuration, but once confirmed, On-Call Optimizer will assign shifts based on the configuration shown here even if the configuration of the schedule in the linked On-Call Product later changes.

You can modify the shifts now, or at any time in the future. See the schedule configuration docs for full details on these parameters.

4. Destination configuration

The schedule being linked is configured as a destination for export of the primary assignment by default and left in the disabled state iniitally to allow time to review and become comfortable with On-Call Optimizer’s assignments before they are exported to the destination.

When you are ready for On-Call Optimizer to automatically synchronize assigned shifts into the destination, select the Automatic toggle.

Prior to selecting this toggle you will see an optional to manually trigger an export shown in the sidebar whenever viewing the schedule.

Finishing up

Once you are happy with the configuration, click the Create button at the bottom of the screen. On-Call Optimizer will send any pending invitations to the members of the schedule and begin monitoring the assignments, ready to assign new shifts as required.

Congratulations. You have successfully imported your existing schedule into On-Call Optimizer!

To get the most out of On-Call Optimizer, we recommend continuing with the following documentation topics: