Schedules

Overview

Schedules provide sophisticated time-based access control for your parking facility. Define when different user groups can access your system, configure working hours for each day of the week, and integrate with holidays to automatically adjust access permissions.

Key Features:

• Flexible Access Control: Separate permissions for Users, Customers, and Guests
• Date Range Support: Define schedules valid for specific time periods
• Holiday Integration: Prevent or allow access only during holidays
• Daily Time Periods: Multiple time slots per day for complex schedules
• Active Days Tracking: Visual indicator showing how many days have active time periods

Viewing Schedules

Access the schedules management page from Settings → Schedules in the main navigation menu.

Schedules List

The schedules page displays all configured schedules in a table format with the following information:

• Name: The schedule name (e.g., "Staff Schedule", "Visitors & Customers Schedule")
• Access Control: Comma-separated list of allowed user types (Users, Customers, Guests)
• Date Range: Start and end dates in YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss+00 format
• Holidays: Holiday integration mode (None, Prevent, or specific holiday names)
• Active Days: Number of days with configured time periods (e.g., "5 days", "All days")
• Actions: Edit and delete buttons

Active Days Indicator

The active days column shows at a glance how comprehensive your schedule is:

Search and Refresh

Use the search bar to quickly find specific schedules by name. Click the Refresh button to reload the list and see the latest changes.

Creating Schedules

Click the + Add Schedule button to create a new schedule. The creation form is organized into several configuration sections:

Basic Information

• Name: A descriptive name for the schedule (e.g., "Staff Schedule", "Weekend Visitors", "Contractor Access")

Configuration Workflow

Follow this recommended order when creating a schedule:

1. Name the schedule - Choose a clear, descriptive name
2. Configure access control - Select which user types can access
3. Set date range - Define when the schedule is active
4. Configure holidays - Choose how holidays affect this schedule
5. Define time periods - Set hours for each day of the week

Access Control

Access control determines which types of users are allowed to access the system during this schedule. You can enable any combination of the three user types:

User Types

Multi-Select Configuration

Use the multi-select dropdown to choose which user types are allowed. You can select multiple types to create schedules that accommodate different users during the same time periods.

Date Range

The date range defines when the schedule is active. This allows you to create temporary schedules for specific periods or set up long-term recurring schedules.

Start Date

• Click the start date field to open the date picker
• Select the first day the schedule should be active
• Format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2000-01-01)
• Typically set far in the past (e.g., 2000-01-01) for permanent schedules

End Date

• Click the end date field to open the date picker
• Select the last day the schedule should be active
• Format: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2100-01-01)
• Typically set far in the future (e.g., 2100-01-01) for permanent schedules

Use Cases

Holidays Integration

Integrate with the Holidays system to automatically adjust access permissions on public holidays and special dates. Choose from three holiday handling modes:

Holiday Modes

Selecting Holidays

When you choose "Prevent Holidays" or "Only Holidays", a multi-select dropdown appears allowing you to choose specific holidays from your configured holidays list.

• Select multiple holidays to apply the same rule to all of them
• Holidays must be configured first in Settings → Holidays
• Changes to holiday dates automatically update the schedule behavior

Time Periods

Time periods define the specific hours when access is allowed for each day of the week. Each day can have multiple time periods to accommodate complex schedules like split shifts or break periods.

Adding Time Periods

1. Locate the day you want to configure (Monday through Sunday)
2. Click the + button next to the day name
3. A new time period is added with default times (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
4. Click the time fields to adjust start and end times
5. Add multiple periods for the same day if needed

Editing Time Periods

• Start Time: Click the start time field to open the time picker
• End Time: Click the end time field to open the time picker
• 24-Hour Format: Times are displayed in HH:MM format (e.g., 09:00, 17:00)
• Delete Period: Click the trash icon to remove a time period

Multiple Periods Per Day

You can configure multiple time periods for a single day to handle:

• Split Shifts: Morning (6:00-12:00) and afternoon (13:00-18:00) with lunch break
• Extended Hours: Regular hours (9:00-17:00) plus evening access (19:00-22:00)
• Peak Periods: Different rates or access for morning rush (7:00-9:00) and evening rush (16:00-18:00)

Empty Days

Days without any time periods configured are considered inactive for that schedule. Users will not have access on those days.

Common Examples

Here are real-world schedule configurations for common scenarios:

Staff Schedule (24/7 Access)

Visitors & Customers Schedule (Business Hours)

Weekend Premium Schedule

Contractor Temporary Access

Holiday Event Schedule

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

• Use clear, descriptive names that indicate the purpose and user type
• Include time references for temporary schedules (e.g., "Summer 2025 Schedule")
• Indicate access restrictions in the name (e.g., "Weekday Staff Only")
• Maintain consistent naming across similar schedules

Schedule Organization

• Create separate schedules for different user groups (staff vs. customers)
• Use specific schedules for temporary access instead of modifying permanent ones
• Keep schedules focused - one clear purpose per schedule
• Document the reason for holiday settings in the schedule name

Access Control Strategy

• Grant Users the most permissive access (typically 24/7)
• Restrict Customer and Guest access to business hours
• Never combine all three types in a single restrictive schedule
• Create priority levels with separate schedules if needed

Date Range Management

• Use far-future dates (2100-01-01) for permanent schedules
• Set realistic end dates for temporary schedules and review them
• Create new schedules instead of extending dates on expired ones
• Review and clean up expired temporary schedules monthly

Holiday Integration

• Configure holidays in Settings → Holidays before creating holiday-based schedules
• Use "Prevent Holidays" for customer schedules that observe closures
• Set staff schedules to "None" to allow emergency access on holidays
• Use "Only Holidays" sparingly for special event parking
• Select specific holidays rather than applying rules to all holidays

Time Period Configuration

• Avoid overlapping time periods on the same day
• Use multiple periods for split shifts or break periods
• Round times to convenient intervals (on the hour or half-hour)
• Leave days empty rather than setting 00:00-00:00 for no access
• Be consistent with time formats across all schedules

Testing and Validation

• Test schedules with each user type before activating
• Verify holiday behavior around actual holiday dates
• Check the "Active Days" count matches your expectations
• Confirm time periods don't accidentally span midnight (00:00)
• Test temporary schedules before and after their date range

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Creating schedules with no access control types selected
• ❌ Setting end dates in the past for active schedules
• ❌ Forgetting to configure time periods for required days
• ❌ Using "Only Holidays" when you meant "Prevent Holidays"
• ❌ Overlapping multiple schedules for the same user type
• ❌ Not cleaning up expired temporary schedules

Time-Based Access Control Configured!

Your schedules are ready. Implement flexible access control for users, customers, and guests.