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How Conflict Detection Works in Event Scheduler

Updated

How it Works

Conflict detection is designed to alert users when spaces, resources, and services are already reserved on another event that has already been submitted for approval. 

When any user level is creating an event, conflict detection looks at the time frame between the Begin Setup Date/Time and the End Teardown Date/Time on the Details tab and shows a "See Conflicts" message next to each space, resource, and service that is reserved on another submitted event if there is any overlap. 

  • If there is no Begin Setup Date/Time, then conflict detection will look at the time range between the Event Start Date/Time and the End Teardown Date/Time.
  • If there is no setup or teardown, then conflict detection will look at the time range between the Event Start Date/Time and the Event End Date/Time.
  • Because of this, events that have a Begin Setup Date/Time and/OR End Teardown Date/Time that is different than the Event Start Date/Time and Event End Date/Time will "reserve" all spaces, resources and services more than a 24 hour period continually from the Begin Setup Date/Time through the event to the End Teardown Date/Time.
  • Make sure if you are using a Recurrence rule to make the event recurring that ALL the dates (Event Start, Event End, Begin Setup, and End Teardown) are ALL the same: Adding Recurrence Rules: Making an Event Recurring

 

How Users Get Notified

When a regular user, sub-admin, or admin is creating an event each space, resource, and service will tell them if that space, resource, or service is already reserved on another event at the same time and date that they chose on the Details tab. It will tell them by saying "See Conflicts" next to the space, resource, or service.

 

Any user can then click "See Conflicts" to see which occurrences on other events are conflicting with one or more of the occurrences of the event they are in the process of creating. 

 

 

Who Can Submit a Conflicting Event

Admins, who have access to Settings, can decide if they want to enable or disable the setting that allows regular users and sub-admins to submit an event that conflicts with another already submitted event. This setting is found under Settings > Advanced > General > Conflicts. All users will still see the "See Conflicts" next to a space, resources, and service if it's already reserved on another submitted event.

  • Admins can also enable a setting that will disallow all admins from submitting an event request that conflicts with another already submitted event.

 

NOT Allowing Users & Sub-admins to Submit Conflicting Events

  • If admins prevent users and sub-admins from submitting a conflicting event, then users and sub-admins will need to select spaces, resoeuces, and services that do NOT show the "See Conflicts" message next to them otherwise they will get an error message pop up asking them to resolve all conflict before they can submit the event request.
    • The same principle applies if admins are NOT allowed to submit conflicting events.

 

 

Allowing Users & Sub-admins to Submit Conflicting Events

  • If admins do NOT enable the setting that prevents users and sub-admins from submitting a conflicting event, then those users will be able to choose spaces, resources, and services that show the "See Conflicts" message next to them on the Item tab and submit the event for approval. After they do, it will be up to the admins on the account to review all events in their "Conflicts" grid before they approve events.
    • The same principle applies if admins are allowed to submit conflicting events.
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Disabling Conflict Checking

While admins have the option to disable conflict checking for resources and/or services, eSPACE is designed to always have conflict checking for space.

  • These settings like all settings only apply to events that are created and edited after the setting is applied.

  • Since resources are designed to be movable objects on a campus that people can request in the space they are meeting for their event, it is NOT recommended to disable conflict checking for resources.
  • Since services are designed to be the human interaction/service that someone needs to request for their event and organizations often have more than one tech person, AV person, or childcare person...disabling conflict detection is recommended so that overlapping events can both request the service that they need and then have the sub-admin over the approval area that includes that service decide if they have the man power to meet both overlapping requests.

 

 

Conflicts Grid on the Dashboard

All users will have a "Conflicts" grid on their dashboard. Regular users and sub-admins will see events in that grid on their Dashboard if any of the events that are the owner of are conflicting with other events.

Admins will see ALL events that are in conflict with others in that grid on their Dashboard. 

  • If admins have decided to disable "Prevent Users & Sub-admins from submitting a conflicting event", then admins should review all events in this grid before approving them.

 

Other Conflicts on Events

Beyond conflict checking, there are other conflicts that might show next to spaces, resources, and services. 

       Closures

    • If an admin has added a closure on a day for a space, resource, and/or service that conflicts with one or more occurrences of an event being created all users will see a "Closure" message next to each item affected. In order to resolve the conflict, the owner of the event can go to the Occurrence tab and cancel or delete the occurrences that conflict with the closure.
      • Example of Space tab

               

      • Example of Resource tab

             

      • Example of Service tab

                   

 

      Number of People Violation

    • If an admin has set a min and/or max number of people for a space and the person creating an event hasn't entered a number of people that is within those restrictions on the Details tab, then they will see a red circle with a line through it next to those spaces. 
    • Any user can click on the red icon next to the space to see the number of people allowed/required for that space.

 

     Space Restrictions

    • If an admin has restricted certain resources or services to only be available in certain spaces, then the person creating an event will see a red circle with a line through it next to the resource and/or service that is space restricted.
    • Any user can click on the red icon to see which space(s) that resource and/or service is restricted to.

   

 

 

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