Bulk Set Dependencies & Schedule Work Orders

Scheduling a sequence of work orders one by one is time-consuming. The Set Dependencies & Schedule feature lets you select multiple work orders, define the order they should be completed in, and automatically calculate start and end dates for the entire chain — all in a single action.

What this feature does

When you have a group of work orders that need to be completed in sequence (one after another), this feature:

• Links each work order to the one before it as a dependency (finish-to-start)

• Calculates the planned start and end date for each work order based on its estimated duration

• Saves all dependencies and scheduled dates in one step

Before you begin

• You must have Update Work Order permission. Contact your administrator if the button is not visible.

• This feature must be enabled for your company. If you cannot see the Set Dependencies & Schedule button, ask your administrator to enable the Bulk Work Order Dependency & Scheduling feature.

• You must select at least 2 work orders for the button to become active.

• This feature requires an internet connection and is not available in offline mode.

• Locked work orders cannot be rescheduled. If any of your selected work orders are locked, they will be skipped and a warning will be shown. Unlock them first if you need to include them.

How to use it from the Work Order List

1. Go to the Work Order List view.

2. Check the checkbox next to each work order you want to include in the sequence (select 2 or more).

3. In the bulk action bar that appears at the top, click Set Dependencies & Schedule.

4. The scheduling modal will open. Continue from Using the scheduling modal below.

How to use it from the Gantt Planner View

1. Go to the Planner View and switch to the Gantt view.

2. Click to select the work order tasks you want to include (select 2 or more).

3. In the toolbar on the left, click Set Dependencies & Schedule.

4. The scheduling modal will open. Continue from Using the scheduling modal below.

Using the scheduling modal

Once the modal is open, follow these steps:

Step 1 — Set the anchor start date

The anchor start date is the date the first work order in your sequence will begin. Click the date field at the top of the modal and pick the date you want the chain to start from.

Step 2 — Review and adjust the order

The table shows all selected work orders and their automatically calculated schedule. Review the columns:

Use the up ↑ and down ↓ arrow buttons on the right of each row to change the order. The planned dates update automatically as you reorder.

Step 3 — Save

When you are happy with the order and dates, click Save. All work orders will be updated at once and the changes will be reflected immediately across the planner for all users.

To discard your changes, click Cancel.

How durations are calculated

The system estimates how long each work order will take using the following logic:

1. If the work order has Repair Time (man-hours) and a Number of Technicians Required set, the clock hours are calculated as: repair time ÷ number of technicians

2. If not, the work order's Estimated Time field is used

3. If neither is set, the company's default scheduling duration is used (typically 8 hours)

The number of working days is then calculated by dividing clock hours by your company's hours per work day setting (typically 8 hours), rounding up to the nearest whole day, with a minimum of 1 day.

To get the most accurate scheduling results, make sure your work orders have estimated durations filled in before using this feature.

What happens after saving

• Each work order is linked to the previous one in the sequence as a finish-to-start dependency

• Planned start and end dates are saved to all work orders in the chain

• A change log entry is recorded on each work order with the reason "Bulk dependency scheduling"

• The Gantt view and work order list refresh automatically for all users in real time

Limitations

• The dependency chain is always linear (sequential). This feature does not support parallel scheduling or branching dependencies.

• Locked work orders are excluded from scheduling. A warning will list any skipped work orders.

• A minimum of 2 work orders must be selected — the button is disabled with fewer selections.

• This feature is only available online. It cannot be used in offline mode.