Do you regularly find you create optimizations with the same optimization configuration? 

You can save yourself a lot of time and reduce errors by creating a Favorite optimization. Next time you want to create an optimization with the same configuration apply the Favorite to auto-fill your settings in the optimization Workflow. 

Favorite optimizations are quick and easy to use and also easy to set up.

Favorites is a tool in the optional Route Optimization feature. To find out more about Route Optimization, 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

This article explains the Favorites function in the Optimization feature.

Topics include:

• Create a Favorite optimization
• Apply a Favorite to create an optimization
• Edit a Favorite optimization
• Delete a Favorite optimization
• Helpful things to know about Favorites

Create a Favorite optimization

Favorite optimizations are configured in Create and saved in the Optimize step of the Workflow.

The simplest way to create a Favorite optimization is to save it at the time you create a commonly used optimization. This saves all the settings you have used in your configuration, without saving the specific jobs, as a Favorite. 

If you want to find out how to configure an optimization, please see the article: How do I create a route optimization?

To create a Favorite optimization:

1. Create the optimization as you normally would in Create; select the search filters, choose the Setup options, define the time period, select the jobs and workers - but don’t run the optimization.
   
   
2. In the Overview step of the Workflow, click Name your favorite and enter a name for your Favorite.
   Note: The field to the left of Name your favorite shows the Group you are saving the favorite into. You won’t see this field if you don’t have Groups enabled in your account.
   You can also save the Favorite optimization configuration to another Group by selecting that Group from this field.
   
   
3. Click Save.
   
   
   
   
4. A message displays confirming the Favorite is saved.
   Click Close.
   
   In this example, we have called the Favorite: “Auckland North Shore 9:30am to 11:30am Today”. This is helpful as it identifies the geographic area and the time period of the optimization in the name and makes it easier to find the Favorite later when we want to use it.
   
   
   
   
5. Once saved, we return you to the Overview in the Workflow so you can run the Optimization you have configured.
   

Tip: You can create a Favorite optimization at any time. You don’t need workers or jobs to show on the map to create a Favorite. (You can even clear the selected jobs and workers if they show in the configuration.)

When you do this it may create error messages in the Optimize step of the Workflow. If you have all your settings the way you want them you can ignore these error messages. You don’t plan to run the optimization at this time - you are only saving the configuration for later use.

Apply a Favorite to create an optimization

Now you have created a favorite, you can use it to quickly and accurately create an optimization. You do this using the Favorites function.

To run a favorite:

1. Click Favorites to open the Favorites function.
   
   
   
   
2. Click the Favorite you want to use to apply it to the optimization configuration.
   
   
   
   
3. Your selected favorite will open at the Optimize step in the Workflow with all settings from the Favorite applied.
   Now, review the configuration and make adjustments if you want, then run the optimization.
   
   

Edit a Favorite optimization

You can edit some settings in a saved Favorite optimization. 

To edit a Favorite optimization:

1. Go to the Optimization page and open Favorites.
   
   
2. Click to select the Favorite you want to edit and apply it to the optimization configuration in Create.
   
   
3. Make changes to the configuration. (See the topic Helpful things to know about Favorites below, to learn more about what you can’t edit in a saved favorite.)
   
   
4. In the Overview of the Workflow, click Save Changes to update the configuration in your Favorite.
   
   
   

Delete a Favorite optimization

Favorite optimizations are deleted in Favorites.

To delete a Favorite optimization:

1. Open Favorites and click the checkbox to put a checkmark next to the Favorite you want to delete.
   Note: You can select more than one Favorite to delete at a time.
   
   
2. Click Delete.
   Note: The delete button is only active when a checkmark is put into a box next to a Favorite.
   
   In this example, we delete two Favorite optimizations.
   
   
   
   
3. A message shows confirming that you have deleted the Favorites.
   Click Close.
   
   

Helpful things to know about Favorites

Naming a Favorite optimization

• Once you have named a Favorite optimization you can’t change the name.
  
  
• Tip: Think about the naming conventions you want to use for your favorites. If you have a consistent naming convention it is easier for you to find and select the favorite you want to use.
  

Polygon

• Once your favorite is saved you can’t change the polygon used to select jobs and workers. If you want a slightly different geographic area saved in your favorite you need to create a new favorite using a new polygon that defines the geographic area with the changes you want.
  
  
• Tip: Make sure you think about your polygon shape before you set it. When the polygon defines the area you want, you can use the Favorite you saved in this polygon as the foundation to create new Favorites with different configurations. Simply apply the Favorite, make the changes, and save the Favorite with a new name.

Add workers

• When you select Auto-select workers in the polygon as an option all workers with a Start Location in the polygon are automatically added to your optimization. This is really helpful if you have a workforce that changes frequently. It ensures your worker pool is not limited to named workers but selects all workers on shift with a start location within the polygon.
  
  
• If you want to use named workers make sure you add them in the Workers step on the Workflow and don’t select the Auto-select workers in the polygon option from the Setup step.

Add jobs

• Tip: Use the Auto-select Jobs in polygon option to quickly add all jobs to your optimization without having to perform any extra steps. 

Time period

• Tip: When you set the time period for the optimization you want to ensure that all jobs shown on the map have a scheduled start time within the time range of the optimization.
  If you start the optimization a minute before jobs with scheduled start times are due to be scheduled you can be certain they will show on the map and are included in the optimization. (For example, if your jobs commonly start at 9:00 am, start your optimization from 8:59.)
  
  
• Tip: If you want to create a Favorite optimization for Today you need to start early. When creating optimizations for Today you can only create them for a time in the future, not a time that has passed. This means, for example, if you want to schedule the optimization for 7:00 am Today, you need to create the favorite before 7:00 am.
  
  
• Tip: The Start Time and Finish Time you select in Setup are saved with the Favorite - but are not shown explicitly in the list of Favorites in the Favorites function. If the Start and Finish times are important to the optimization, it’s a good idea to save the Start and Finish Time details as part of the Favorite’s name.
  
  
• If you select a Custom Time Range for your favorite, it will save the Start and Finish times with the Favorite, but not the custom date range. The Start and Finish times are applied to the day that you create the optimization when you apply the Favorite. In the Range column for the Favorites, a Custom Time Range is identified by the label Range.
  
  

Search filters

• The Jobs that show on the map and can be selected to include in the optimization are filtered by the selections you make in the Search filter on the Map. These filters are saved with the Favorite. You can see what filters are saved in the Search Parameters column in the Favorites function.
  
  In this example, the Search parameter is the Food Delivery template used to create the jobs.