The weekly schedule-conflict check
Catch double-bookings, overtime and impossible drive times in next week's schedule before the week starts.
Time: 20 min first time, 5 min after
You need
- General chat assistant on a company account
- A schedule or calendar export (CSV or Excel) from your scheduling, job or calendar software
Before you start
- Delete customer names, phone numbers, notes fields and anything like gate or door codes before you upload. Job ID, date, start, end, tech and town are usually enough.
- Keep street addresses out. A town or ZIP is enough to spot a drive-time problem.
- Write down your rules first: shift length, overtime line, lunch, travel buffer between jobs.
- Some scheduling tools have their own AI or conflict warnings. Check the Finder (/tools/ai-finder) for yours.
Steps
- {"do":"Export next week's schedule as CSV or Excel.","tip":"Look for Export or Download on the schedule or calendar view, or under Reports. Not every plan offers it."}
- {"do":"Delete the columns you don't need, keeping job ID, date, start time, end time, who and town."}
- {"do":"Write your scheduling rules as a short list.","tip":"For example: nobody over 45 hours, 30 minutes between jobs in different towns."}
- {"do":"Start a new chat, upload the file and paste the prompt below with your rules."}
- {"do":"Look up each flagged conflict in your real scheduling tool before you move anything.","tip":"The export may be out of date by the time you read the answer."}
- {"do":"Fix the schedule in your scheduling tool, not in the spreadsheet."}
The prompt
Attached is next week's schedule for [BUSINESS NAME], [START DATE] to [END DATE]. Columns: [LIST COLUMNS]. Our rules: [PASTE RULES, e.g. no one over 45 hours; at least 30 minutes between jobs in different towns; everyone gets a 30-minute break on days over 6 hours]. Check the schedule and list: 1) overlapping jobs for the same person, 2) anyone over the hours limit, with their total, 3) back-to-back jobs in different towns with less than the travel buffer, 4) jobs with no one assigned or a missing time. For each problem give the job IDs, the person and the times. Use only the data in the file. Don't estimate drive times unless I gave you a rule for them, and don't suggest who should take a job unless I ask. If a time or column is unclear, ask me first.
Check the result
- Each flagged overlap is real when you look at the schedule itself.
- Hour totals match a quick count for at least two people.
- Nothing was missed: scan the busiest day yourself.
- The schedule you fix is the live one, not the export.
Written, not yet tested.