Conflict Detection

DrillerDB's scheduling system includes intelligent conflict detection to prevent double-booking, overlapping assignments, and other scheduling errors. The system automatically checks for conflicts when you make scheduling changes and provides warnings and resolution options.

Types of Scheduling Conflicts

Several types of conflicts can occur in scheduling, each requiring different resolution approaches.

Team overlap conflicts occur when a team is assigned to multiple projects with overlapping dates and times. Since a team cannot be in two places at once, these conflicts must be resolved by rescheduling one of the projects or reassigning it to a different team.

Equipment conflicts happen when the same piece of equipment is assigned to multiple overlapping projects. Critical equipment like drill rigs cannot be shared simultaneously, so these conflicts require rescheduling or alternative equipment assignment.

Resource availability conflicts arise when crew members are unavailable due to time off, training, or other commitments. While the system may not have visibility into all availability constraints, it will warn you if obvious conflicts exist based on schedule data.

Automatic Conflict Detection

The system automatically checks for conflicts whenever you make scheduling changes. Conflict detection runs when you drag and drop a project, change assignment dates, or reassign projects to different teams.

If a conflict is detected, the system displays a warning message explaining the issue. Depending on the severity, the system may prevent the change from being saved or allow you to proceed with a warning that manual resolution will be needed.

Visual Conflict Indicators

When conflicts exist in your schedule, visual indicators appear in the scheduling interface to draw attention to the problem.

In Calendar View, conflicting events may appear overlapped or stacked, with warning colors highlighting the conflict. Hover over conflicting events to see details about why the conflict exists.

In Gantt View, overlapping bars indicate timing conflicts. The system may draw bars with special patterns or colors to indicate they represent conflicting assignments.

In List View, projects with detected conflicts show warning badges or icons. Click the warning indicator to see details about the specific conflict and suggested resolutions.

Cascade Scheduling Prevention

One of the primary conflict prevention mechanisms is cascade scheduling. When you reschedule a project, the system automatically shifts all subsequent projects for that team to maintain proper sequencing and prevent overlaps.

This automatic cascade prevents most timing conflicts by ensuring projects remain spaced appropriately. However, cascade scheduling can sometimes push projects further into the future than desired, requiring manual adjustment to optimize the schedule.

Working Hours Validation

The system enforces your configured working hours when scheduling projects. Attempts to schedule work outside normal business hours or on non-working days are prevented or flagged with warnings.

For example, if your company operates Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM, the system will not allow projects to be scheduled on weekends or outside these hours. This validation prevents unrealistic schedules that cannot be executed.

Resolving Team Conflicts

When a team conflict is detected, you have several resolution options:

Reschedule one of the conflicting projects to a different date when the team is available. Use drag-and-drop in any scheduling view to move the project to an open time slot.

Reassign one of the projects to a different team with availability. Drag the project to another team's schedule in List View or change the team assignment in the project details modal.

Adjust project duration to eliminate the overlap. If one project can be shortened or if work can be accelerated, reducing the estimated hours may resolve the conflict without major schedule changes.

Resolving Equipment Conflicts

Equipment conflicts require either rescheduling projects to use the equipment at different times or assigning alternative equipment if available.

Review your equipment inventory to identify backup equipment that could substitute for the originally assigned equipment. Update the project's equipment assignment to use the available alternative.

If no alternative equipment exists and rescheduling is not feasible, you may need to prioritize projects and delay lower-priority work until equipment becomes available.

Manual Conflict Review

While automatic conflict detection catches most scheduling problems, manually review your schedule regularly to identify potential issues that automated systems might miss.

Look for projects with unrealistically short turnaround times between distant locations. Even if no technical conflict exists, crews may not have adequate travel time.

Check for periods with unusually high workload concentration that could stress resources even if no direct conflicts exist. Spreading work more evenly may improve execution and reduce crew burnout.

Verify that assigned crew members have the skills and certifications needed for specialized projects. A technical conflict may not exist, but a mismatch between project requirements and crew qualifications can cause execution problems.

Conflict Warnings vs Errors

The system distinguishes between hard conflicts that must be resolved and soft warnings that indicate potential issues but allow you to proceed.

Hard conflicts, such as scheduling a team for overlapping projects, prevent the change from being saved until resolved. You must address these conflicts before the system will accept your scheduling change.

Soft warnings, such as scheduling a project immediately after a distant prior project, display a notification but allow you to proceed if you choose. These warnings serve as reminders to consider potential issues but trust your judgment on whether they're problematic.

Best Practices for Conflict Prevention

To minimize scheduling conflicts, follow these preventive practices:

Maintain buffer time between projects, especially when they require travel between distant locations. Add 15 to 30 minutes of buffer time to account for unexpected delays, equipment setup, and travel variations.

Review and update project duration estimates regularly based on actual completion times. Accurate estimates prevent projects from running longer than expected and encroaching on following work.

Communicate with field crews about realistic project timelines. Overly optimistic estimates create conflicts when projects take longer than scheduled.

Schedule regular planning sessions to review upcoming work and proactively adjust schedules before conflicts develop. Weekly scheduling reviews help catch potential issues before they become urgent problems.