Time windows are a setting used exclusively for Route Optimization.  They specify times that jobs can and cannot be included in an optimized route. 

Route Optimization is an optional feature. To find out more, or add this to your vWork account, please contact support@vworkapp.com.  A member of the vWork Team will be in touch to discuss your requirements.

Alternatively, you can read all about it in the article What is Route Optimization?

In this article

• What are Time Windows (or Start Time Slots)?
• Add time windows
• How will the time windows affect my jobs?
• How can I tell that a job has time windows from on Optimization page?
• Time windows and Automated Breaks

Click a link from the topic list above to go to that topic. You can return to this list by clicking this icon:

What are Time Windows?

Time Windows apply to Assets and Jobs. They restrict when jobs can be done within an optimized route. A time window works in one of two ways. It can specify a period of time when jobs:

• must be completed (within specified time slots), or
• must not be completed (outside specified time slots).   

Time windows are included in route optimization to ensure jobs are scheduled only within, or outside, the time slots specified - depending on which option is selected when setting the time windows.

For example, if you have an asset that is affected by rush hour traffic (maybe a building on a busy highway) and you would prefer jobs were not assigned around rush hour, you could add time windows to the asset to prevent jobs involving the asset being scheduled during rush hour. The time windows assigned to the asset are pulled through to all jobs for this asset. All route optimized jobs for the asset would be scheduled outside of the rush hour time window.

🔔 Note:

• You cannot choose time windows that are both within a specified time and outside a specified time for a job; you must choose one or the other.
• If time windows are set for an asset, and you want to add more time windows in the job, you must use the same format as used for the asset - either within hours or outside hours.

Add time windows

You can choose to add a time window to:

• A Job Template  - this flows through to any jobs based on this template.
• A Job  - this is for one-off jobs that might need time restrictions.
• An Asset  - this flows through to any job with this asset and is added to time windows that already apply to the job. 

Add time windows to Jobs and Job Templates

In Job and Job templates, time windows are added on the Job information tab in the 'Select a Start Time Slot' section.

To add a Time Window to a Job or Job template, in teh Job editor or template editor:

1. Go to the 'Select a Start Time Slot' section in the Job Information tab.
   
   
2. Click either Within the time specified below' or Outside the times specified below to select the type of time window you want to apply.
   
   
3. Click to add a line where you can enter the day and time that the Time Window applies. You may need to add several lines to specify all the Time Windows that you want to apply.
4. Click in the Day drop-down list and click to select the day the Time Window applies to.
   
   
5. Click in each of the time fields and select the time when the Time Windows starts and and ends.
   
   
6. When you are done making changes to the job or job template make sure you save the job or job template using the green create or update button at the bottom of the page.

In this example, the time window specifies that this job must be optimized within the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 am on Monday, and 7:00 am and 1:00 pm on Tuesday.

These jobs cannot be optimized for any other day or time other than what is specified here. If you wanted to optimize these jobs for a Wednesday, for example, they would not be available to select on the route optimization page.

Add time windows to Assets

In an Asset, time windows are added in the Time Windows section.

1. Go to the 'Time Windws' section.
   
   
2. Click either Within the time specified below' or Outside the times specified below to select the type of time window you want to apply.
   
   
3. Click to add a line where you can enter the day and time that the Time Window applies for this asset. You may need to add several lines to specify all the Time Windows that you want to apply.
   
   
4. Click in the Day drop-down list and click to select the day the Time Window applies.
   
   
5. Click in each of the time fields and select the time when the Time Windows starts and and ends.
   
   
6. When you are done making changes to the asset make sure you save using the blue 'Create Asset' or 'Update Asset' button at the bottom of the page.

In this example, jobs with this asset assigned can be optimized so they are scheduled on any day from Sunday to Saturday between 8:00 am and 9:00 pm.

How will the time windows affect my jobs?

When routing jobs Route Optimization respects the time windows set on the jobs and will only assign these jobs to start times that work within the parameters of the time windows. This is great for avoiding times like rush hour or when a business is closed, and ensuring jobs are done in a window that customers prefer, like for grocery deliveries.

Jobs with time windows can still be manually assigned to a time that is outside of the time window restrictions. In this instance, the dispatcher is warned they are scheduling the job outside of the specified time window. 

This shows in the schedule like this:

And it also in the Job like this:

How can I tell that a job has time windows on the Optimization page?

When you see jobs with time windows on the Optimization page they display a small clock on the job icon.

Time windows and Automated Breaks

Time windows, along with Tags, are also used to enable rest breaks for mobile workers involved in route optimization. To learn more about Automated Breaks, please read the article: Schedule worker breaks in Route Optimization with Automated Breaks.