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Full Service Optimization entry
How-to guide

Run a Service Optimization pass for tomorrow's schedule

Trigger an optimization run that takes tomorrow's open appointments and your active workers, returns an optimized schedule, and posts it to the Dispatch Console for review.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated May 26, 2026

Trigger an optimization run that takes tomorrow's open appointments and your active workers, returns an optimized schedule, and posts it to the Dispatch Console for review.

  1. Open the Dispatch Console

    From the App Launcher, open Field Service. The Dispatch Console shows the gantt chart of every worker and every open appointment.

  2. Select the service territory

    Pick the service territory or group of territories to optimize. Filter to the date range (tomorrow).

  3. Trigger Resource Schedule Optimization

    Click Run Optimization. Salesforce takes the snapshot of appointments and workers and submits to the optimizer engine.

  4. Wait for completion

    The run typically takes 1 to 5 minutes for a 50-tech territory. A spinner shows progress. The Dispatch Console updates when the proposed schedule is ready.

  5. Review the proposed schedule

    Walk through the gantt chart. Check that each appointment has a worker, a start time, and a sensible travel sequence. Flag any anomalies.

  6. Release to workers

    Click Release Schedule. The appointments are committed to workers, customers receive confirmations, and the day's plan is locked in.

Key options
Optimization Horizonremember

Same-Day, In-Day, Resource Schedule (1-7 day), or Multi-Day. Each has different cost-of-change tolerance.

Objectiveremember

Minimize travel, maximize appointments, minimize overtime, maximize SLA compliance, or a weighted combination.

Routing Engineremember

Built-in Salesforce, Google Maps Distance Matrix, or Salesforce Maps.

Skill Matchremember

Required Skills on Work Type or Service Appointment that the optimizer respects when assigning workers.

Gotchas
  • Service Optimization needs accurate skills, schedules, and locations. Garbage in, garbage out; the optimizer is only as good as the data it reads from the platform.
  • Same-Day optimization can flip appointments in flight. Configure the cost-of-change weight high enough that the optimizer does not constantly reshuffle already-confirmed work.
  • Routing engine costs scale with API calls. Google Maps Distance Matrix charges per pair of points queried; a large optimization can run up cost if not configured.
  • Optimization runs are not free for very large territories. A 500-tech territory may take 10 minutes or more; schedule overnight runs for the next-day plan and same-day reruns for disruption recovery.

See the full Service Optimization entry

Service Optimization includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.