Automatic Appointment Scheduling

Automatic Appointment Scheduling is enabled on your system by default. It allows parents to enter the earliest and latest times they are able to attend your event as well as the teachers they would like to meet with. The system then automatically creates the most efficient appointment schedule within the selected times. These appointments can then be accepted or cancelled, allowing the parent to either try again with a different choice of times/teachers, or to make the bookings by manually choosing times instead.

How to switch Automatic Appointment Scheduling on/off

1. From the Navigation Bar on the left of your system go to Settings > School Settings and enable or disable Automatic Appointment Scheduling.
2. 
3. Then click Save at the bottom of the screen.

How parents book appointments automatically

When  Automatic Appointment Scheduling is enabled parents see the following when booking:

1. Parents are asked to select how they would like to create their appointments.
2. If Automatic is chosen they are asked to set the earliest and latest times they are available and select those teachers they would like to book with.
   
3. Once chosen they can then click Generate Appointments.If a schedule is possible, the system then provides a list of appointment times for the requested teachers. The parent then has 2 minutes to click to Accept or Cancel these.
4. If have limited the number of appointments a parent can book for a particular event, the system will attempt to book the teachers selected, in alphabetical order, up to the limit that was set. It will then notify the parent of any teachers that cannot be booked.
   
   For example, here a school has set a limit of two appointments per parent, but the parent has selected 4 teachers under step 2 above. All the teachers have availability, so the system offers appointments with the first two of those teachers.
5. If the parent accepts the appointments, they are booked and an email confirming them is sent to the address the system has on that parent's record.
6. If the parent rejects the appointments, the parent is returned to the screen at step 2 above. They can then adjust the times and/or teacher choices - or click Previous Step to go back to select how to create the appointments.
7. If neither option is selected within 2 minutes a message appears advising that the appointments were not confirmed. The option to choose how bookings should be created then reappears.
8. Should the system not be able to provide a schedule within the requested times the following message will be shown, along with the screen at step 2 where they can enter an earlier start time or a later end time, or a different selection of teachers. Alternatively, they can choose to book manually.

How administrators book appointments automatically

1. Go into your Evenings on the navigation bar at the left of the screen. Then Go to Evening.
   
   Once in the evening you can click Add Appointment on the navigation bar or in Common Actions
2. Select the student you wish to make the appointments for in the Select Student box.
3. The Select Parent box shows parents linked to the selected child. Select the parent you wish to make the appointments for.
4. If your evening runs over multiple dates, select the date of the evening you need to add the appointments to, then click Next.
5. Select Automatic on the booking method screen then click Next.

You'll then be asked the parent's availability and which teachers they'd like to make an appointment with.
The process after that is the same as for a parent.