Min/Max explanation
What is Min/Max?
MIN/MAX hours is a setting in the labor cockpit in PMI. It allows you to manually set a minimum and maximum number of hours to be scheduled each day of the week for your department. Exceptions can be added for holidays and fixed dates, ensuring flexibility for unique scheduling needs.
What is its purpose?
Setting Min/Max hours correctly allows the SMART forecast to suggest a more realistic distribution of daily hours. SMART will always forecast within the set Min/Max boundaries.
- Example of Minimum Hours: If there is a 24-hour reception desk, you always need at least one staff member working regardless of the number of guests staying. Therefore, the minimum daily staffing should be 24 hours.
- Example of Maximum Hours: If you have a maximum of two staff members working at the reception desk at any time, the maximum should be 48 hours
You can also set exceptions for holidays. For example:
- If the hotel is closed at Christmas, you can set Min/Max to 0 (zero), and SMART will not allocate any hours for those days.
How to adjust Min/Max settings?
Follow these steps to adjust Min/Max settings in the cockpit:
- Access the Settings: Open the Tools menu in the cockpit and select Min/Max Hours Per Day (see below).
- Default Settings: It will be applied to all periods unless exceptions are set for holidays or fixed dates.
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- To edit the hours, select the pen icon at the end of the row.
- To enable maximum hours, select the checkbox ‘Max Enable’.
- Input the required values for Min/Max and select Save/Update.
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- Adjust Holiday Hours:
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- Tick the box for the holiday you want to adjust.
- Click on the pen icon to edit the Min/Max hours.
- Hover over the holiday name to check the date range being referred to.
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- Copying Settings:
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- Use the settings wheel to copy Min/Max values from other periods:
- Default Settings: Copy from forecast, budget, or previous years.
- Holiday Settings: Copy from forecast, budget, other holidays, or previous years.
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Note
- Changes you make to Min/Max settings will affect the current year and future years, but not past years.
- Important: Adjustments to Min/Max hours are applied to the selected year globally and are not configured on a month-by-month basis. Ensure the correct year is selected before making changes
The Default settings will be applied to all periods, unless you have set an exception for a holiday. To edit the hours, select the pen icon at the end of the row. To enable maximum hours select the check box ‘Max Enable’. Input the required values and select ‘Save/Update’.
To adjust hours for a holiday, select the tick box, and click on the pen icon to edit the hours.
Hover over the holiday name to check the date range that is being referred to.
Select the settings wheel to copy min/max settings from others already set. In Default, you may copy from forecast/budget and other years. In Holidays, you may copy from forecast/budget, year and other holidays.
Troubleshooting tips
This section provides additional troubleshooting advice for readers experiencing specific issues. While it’s packed with useful insights, you may skip it if you’re not facing any related problems.
Why is the hours total different in the table and the graph?
The difference in hours comes down to the type of forecast being displayed:
- Management Forecast (Table): This is the forecast set manually by management, based on their expectations and strategic goals. It reflects planned hours to meet operational needs.
- SMART Forecast (Yellow Bar in Graph): Generated by PMI’s SMART system, this forecast uses machine learning and historical data to provide a dynamic suggestion. It factors in monthly productivity goals and current hotel activity.
The variation between these two forecasts highlights the difference between static planning (Management Forecast) and data-driven predictions (SMART Forecast). Use this insight to adjust plans as needed for better alignment with real-time performance and goals.
Understanding the Scheduled Horizon and Graph Lines
In legacy tables and schedules, the Scheduled Horizon is marked between the vertical red “Today” line and the vertical dashed green “Scheduled Horizon” line. Beyond the green line, users can manually input scheduled hours. If the schedule doesn’t extend that far, PMI can auto-generate a SMART forecast. In the Day-to-Day (labor graph) the Scheduled Horizon is displayed as a vertical dashed green line, while the “Today” date is shown as a vertical dotted black line.
Scheduled Horizon Misunderstanding
The Scheduled Horizon setting often leads to confusion. Adjusting it does not affect the import of hours from your Timekeeping System (TKS). It only determines how far into the future you can view data. If you’re missing data, the issue likely lies with TKS data or mapping settings, not the Scheduled Horizon. There are visual differences in the appearance of the Today and Scheduled Horizon lines, as described below:
Cockpit View:
- Day-to-day graph:
- Black dotted vertical line: represents today’s date (Today Line).
- Green dashed vertical line: marks the end of the Scheduled Horizon.
- Cockpit Table:
- Horizontal red line: indicates today.
- Horizontal green line: shows the end of the Scheduled Horizon.
Schedule View:
- Vertical red line: represents today’s date (Today Line).
- Vertical green dashed line: shows the end of the Scheduled Horizon.
Links:
Providing context for better insights
Issue: Users ask broad questions like “Where is my data?” or “What do these figures tell you about my productivity?”without providing sufficient context or visual input.
If you're unsure why specific data or insights aren't displaying as expected, ensure your query includes enough context. You can also use the Query Library, which offers premade queries tailored to common needs—screenshots are automatically added when required for these queries.
For custom queries, consider taking a screenshot of the relevant data or view by clicking the camera icon. Providing clear context or visuals helps the AI analyze your data more effectively and deliver accurate responses.
Modifying “Other hours” via Data upload center
Yes, "Other Hours" can be modified using the Data upload center in PMI. However, understanding the difference between "Other hours" and "TKS hours" is crucial:
- TKS Hours: These are hours imported directly from your external Timekeeping System (TKS). They represent scheduled or actual hours recorded externally and synced with PMI. These hours cannot be edited directly in PMI.
- Other Hours: These are manually added hours or hours not imported via TKS, such as outsourced labor or specific tasks. These can be adjusted directly in PMI, including through the Data Upload Center.
Steps to Modify "Other Hours"
- Go to the Data Upload Center in PMI.
- Select the appropriate template for labor data upload.
- Input the correct department, date, and "Other Hours" values.
- Upload the file and verify changes in the Labor Cockpit.
For more details, refer to the Daily Routines in Labor Cockpit guide.
Low SMART Hours?
If your cockpit displays unexpectedly low SMART hours, the most common cause is that the Productivity forecast is set too high.
Why This Happens:
- The SMART forecast is calculated by dividing the primary cost driver forecast by the Productivity forecast. When the Productivity forecast is inflated, the resulting SMART hours decrease.
What to Do:
- Review the Productivity Forecast: Check that the forecast value accurately reflects realistic performance targets.
- Adjust and Recalculate: Modify the forecast if necessary and recalculate the SMART hours to see the updated totals.
For more detailed steps, refer to our SMART cockpit guide.
Key Notes for Adjusting Min/Max Settings
- Effect of Changes: Changes to Min/Max settings will impact the current year and all future years but will not apply to past years.
- Global Application: Adjustments to Min/Max hours are applied globally to the selected year, not on a month-by-month basis. Always ensure the correct year is selected before making changes.
Incorrect codes in TKS
Make sure the correct codes have been used in your TKS. If the hours are still not correct after the next import, there may be an error in the mapping – please contact your controller who will make the necessary changes.
Inability to edit data for a specific period
A "frozen" screen issue could be related to period locking. This would result in an inability to make any modifications to schedules, reports, or other entries for a specific period.
- Check the Period Locking Settings: This issue is often related to the period locking feature in the PMI system. When a period is locked, it prevents any changes from being made for that time frame. Check the period locking settings for the specific month to see if it has been mistakenly set to close.
- Unlock the Period: If the period for the specific month is locked, you will need to unlock it. This can be done by accessing the period locking settings in the PMI system. Double click on the padlock icon for the specific month to unlock the period. Note that you may need administrative rights to do this.
- Contact PMI Support: If the issue persists even after unlocking the period, or if you are unable to unlock the period due to lack of permissions, contact the PMI support team for further assistance.
Adjusting decimal precision in the labor cockpit table
If you're having trouble manually entering decimal precision in the cockpit table, please review the settings in the Tools menu:
- Open Tools Menu: In the PMI Labor Cockpit, navigate to the Tools menu 1 .
- Access Settings: Click on "Settings" within the Tools menu 1 .
- Change Decimal Precision: Find the option for setting the number of decimals for hours. Adjust to your preference.
- Save Changes: Confirm and save your changes.
- Check Changes: Return to the Labor Cockpit to ensure your changes have been applied correctly.
If the issues persist, consider reaching out to PMI support for further assistance.