Optimized Modulation

Note: This integration is an extension that is developed outside the normal release schedule to meet specific client needs. To request one of these extensions, you must submit a Salesforce Service Request to ADP. After the extension is delivered to your tenant, you can edit it accordingly.

The Optimized Modulation integration provides an automated way to optimize scheduled hours of contractual employees based on the forecasted demand while still adhering to the minimum and maximum working hours of each employee.

In some countries, employees are paid based on fixed contracts. Regardless of whether or not there is workload, they are paid their contractual hours. During the year, employees modulate their hours. For example:

  • In weeks where the workload is low, they are scheduled a reduced number of hours.

  • In weeks where the workload is high, they are scheduled an increased number of hours.

The objective is to break even at the end of the year with no variance between contracted and actual hours, limiting the need to pay overtime or for shortfall hours. This concept is called Modulation.

Schedule rules, with minimum and maximum weekly limits, create a band of hours to control the number of hours an employee can flex up and down. The Optimized Modulation integration uses expected weekly weight, representing the seasonal long-term volume forecast, as a parameter to define and assign the appropriate band of hours which applies to the employee for that week.

This extension does the following:

  • References client-provided weightage data up to 52 weeks in the future.

  • Evaluates the expected weekly weightage data by location or job.

  • Adjusts the employee’s weekly scheduled hours minimum and maximum limits.

  • Can insert schedule tags into the Schedule Planner to identify the weight of the week.

  • Can use work rule transfers to align with weekly weight.

  • Remodulates upon contract changes.

As a result of this extension, the scheduling process performed by the engine or self-scheduling more closely aligns with the operational need.

Weekly weightage data

Client-provided weekly weightage data is uploaded in a CSV file to the tenant’s SFTP inbound folder. The weekly weightage data file must contain the following information:

Location – The organizational path of the location for which the weight applies. Granularity down to the job level, and the use of wildcards, are supported.

Start – Start date of the forecasted weightage period.

End – End date of the forecasted weightage period. The Start and End Dates must span a minimum of 1 week and align with the weekly schedule period. Multiple weeks with the same Location and Weight values can be combined.

Weight – High or Low. There is no need to provide the medium weeks because this weight is the default for all employees.

Refer to the table below for a sample of the weightage data CSV content.

Sample weightage data CSV content
Location Start End Weight
*/Administration/Manufacturing Manager* 18-08-2021 25-07-2021 High
*/Administration/Manufacturing Manager* 26-07-2021 02-08-2021 Low
*/Administration/Manufacturing Manager* 03-08-2021 10-08-2021 High
*/Machine Shop* 18-07-2021 25-07-2021 Low
Organization/France/Metropolitan Plan/Receiving/Warehouse Clerk 26-07-2021 10-08-2021 High
Organization/France/Metropolitan Plan/Assembly/Mechanic 05-08-2021 20-08-2021 Low
*/Assembly/* 05-08-2121 20-08-2021 High

Note: Sample dates are presented in dd-MM-yyyy format.

Schedule rule override

Note:

The rules engine uses the following logic when validating weekly rule overrides:

  • When the date range covers the entire week, the engine uses the override value.

  • When the date range covers only a portion of the week, the engine uses the most restrictive value configured for the rule set and the override values.

For example, if the week ranges from Monday to Sunday, setting the expiration date to Sunday means that the rule is not in effect on the Sunday. In other words, the expiration date always needs to be the last day of the active period +1 day.

Note: The Optimized Modulation integration includes an automated script that adds 1 day to the expiration date, allowing clients to continue providing the last day as the expiration date.

Example:

The schedule rule is configured with a maximum hours per week = 40:00.

The first week of August, which ranges from Monday August 1 to Sunday August 7 requires an override of 44:00 hours.

Effective date = Monday August 1 and Expiration date = Sunday August 7. (The integration automatically adjusts the expiration date by setting it to August 8).

The expiration date can overlap with the effective date of the next period — this is not considered an error.

Band of hours

Schedule rule overrides data, defining a high or low week representation in terms of band of hours, must be provided in a CSV file that is uploaded to the tenant’s SFTP inbound folder. Four fields in the file are combined to match the employee with the correct band of hours; these fields also define the minimum and maximum schedule hour values. The combination of multiple fields is considered an AND condition; therefore, the employee needs to qualify against all fields to determine a match. The schedule rule overrides file must contain the following information:

Person number — Individual Person Number. This is the most restrictive option, which allows the definition of specific limits by employee .

Employment terms — All employees assigned to this employment term during the specific week are matched.

Pay rule — All employees assigned to this pay rule during the specific week are matched.

Location — All employees working in this location during the specific week are matched.

High Week Min — The schedule rule override hours for High forecast minimum value.

High Week Max — The schedule rule override hours for High forecast maximum value.

Low Week Min — The schedule rule override hours for Low forecast minimum value.

Low Week Max — The schedule rule override hours for Low forecast maximum value.

Refer to the table below for a sample of the schedule rule overrides data CSV content.

Sample schedule rule overrides data CSV content
Person number Employment terms Pay Rule Location HighWeekMin HighWeekMax LowWeekMin LowWeekMax
10001 French Employees Full Time *Organization/Germany/* 32 36 24 28
10002 Manufacturing USDC-RT-PT *Organization/Australia/* 36 40 26 30
10003 California Employees Manufacturing Intern *Organization/Human Resource/* 28 32 22 26
  Healthcare Employment Terms     30 36 20 26
    California   30 34 22 26
    USNY-RT-FT   34 38 26 30

Optional functionality

Schedule tags

When enabled, the integration inserts schedule tags in the Schedule Planner identifying the weight of the week. Tags are only for visualization purposes.

Work rule override

When weekly weight deviates from the standard weight, the integration optionally allows an override to the employee’s work rule for that week. For example, different overtime thresholds or entitlements could apply if the weekly weight is high or low. If enabled, the integration automatically scans for the _Low or _High version of the employee’s work rule and inserts the appropriate work rule transfer. For example, during a high week, the employee’s default work rule of Supermarket FT will be overridden with work rule Supermarket FT_High.