Operating Schedules

Section	Detail
Navigation	`Admin → Routing → Operating Schedules`
Alt Navigation	`Menu → Orchestration → Routing → Operating Schedules`
Required Permission	`Routing > Schedule > Add, Edit, View, Delete`
Module Context	Part of Routing & Architect in Genesys Cloud
Purpose	Control when routing flows run based on date, time, or event

✅ Verified against Genesys Cloud Resource Center — March 2026

Overview

Operating schedules determine how Genesys Cloud manages routing for inbound and outbound interactions based on time and events. They are used to support business hours, after-hours support, holidays, recurring events, maintenance windows, and special situations.

Architect uses operating schedules to determine which flow to execute — for example, routing callers to a live queue during open hours and to voicemail during closed hours.

⚠️ Naming note: The official Genesys Cloud term is Operating Schedules (not just "Schedules"). This distinction matters in the UI navigation and exam contexts.

Evaluation Order (Exam Critical)

When Genesys Cloud evaluates a schedule group, it checks conditions in this specific order:

Emergency (only if Emergency routing is activated)
        ↓
Holiday
        ↓
Closed
        ↓
Open

⚠️ Emergency is not part of the base evaluation order. It is a separate override that fires first only when Emergency routing has been actively turned on. The default hierarchy without Emergency active is: Holiday → Closed → Open.

⚠️ Default fallback: If no schedule in the group matches the current date/time, Closed is the default path in Architect's Evaluate Schedule Group action.

Key Concepts

Topic	Explanation
Operating Schedule	A time-based object defining when a particular routing condition is active
Operating Schedule Group	Groups multiple schedules into a single routing definition with Open, Closed, and Holiday categories
Emergency Group	A separate object that adds emergency override behavior — activates/deactivates independently
Recurrence	Schedules can be one-time or repeating (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or custom iCal rule)
All Day	Runs the schedule for the full duration of the selected date(s) — no start/end time needed
Multi-Day Span	Use the "This occurrence spans multiple days" checkbox to configure a schedule that runs across consecutive days
Division	Controls which administrators can manage the schedule — every schedule must belong to a division (default: Home)
Copy Schedule	Existing schedules can be copied to create modified versions quickly
Usage Tracking	You can view which schedule groups and call flows any schedule is associated with

Task	Steps
View Operating Schedules	`Admin → Routing → Operating Schedules` or `Menu → Orchestration → Routing → Operating Schedules`
Create a Schedule	Operating Schedules page → Add Schedule
View Schedule Groups	Operating Schedules page → Schedule Groups tab or `Menu → Orchestration → Routing → Operating Schedule Groups`
Copy a Schedule	Operating Schedules list → More (⋮) → Copy
View Schedule Usage	Operating Schedules list → click schedule name → view associated groups and flows
Use in Architect	`Architect → Open Flow → Add Evaluate Schedule Group action`

Configuration Fields

Field	Description	Example
Schedule Name	Unique name identifying the schedule	`US_Support_BusinessHours`
Division	Administrative ownership — restricts which admins can manage it	Home
Single Day / Multi-Day	Single day sets one date; multi-day uses "This occurrence spans multiple days" checkbox	Multi-day
From / To	Start and end date/time for multi-day schedules	2026-01-01 08:00 → 2026-12-31 18:00
All Day	Runs for the full duration of selected date(s) — no time range needed	Disabled
Recurrence	How often the schedule repeats	Weekly
iCal Rule	Advanced recurrence rule for custom patterns	`FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=MO,TU,WE,TH,FR`

Creating an Operating Schedule

Navigate to Admin → Routing → Operating Schedules or Menu → Orchestration → Routing → Operating Schedules

Click Add Schedule

Enter a unique name for the schedule

Select the Division (default: Home)

In the "When does the schedule first occur and repeat?" section:
- For a single-day schedule: set the date and time
- For a multi-day schedule: check "This occurrence spans multiple days" → set From and To dates/times

To run continuously all day, click All Day

Set recurrence in the "How often does this schedule repeat?" field

Configure recurrence details (days, end conditions, etc.)

Click Save

Recurrence Types

Type	Description	Example
Does not repeat	One-time event	`July_4_Closure`
Daily	Repeats every day or every N days	`After_Hours_Daily`
Weekly	Repeats on selected days each week	`Mon_Fri_BusinessHours`
Monthly	Repeats on a specific day each month	`First_Monday_Maintenance`
Yearly	Repeats on the same date each year	`Christmas_Holiday`
Custom (iCal)	Advanced rule using iCal RRULE syntax	`FREQ=WEEKLY;BYDAY=MO,TU,WE,TH,FR`

Operating Schedule Groups

Schedule groups combine multiple operating schedules into a single routing definition. Each schedule in a group is assigned a type:

Type	Purpose
Open Hours	Active during business hours — must have at least one open schedule
Closed Hours	Active during off-hours or non-business periods
Holiday	Active on designated holiday dates

Schedule groups also have a time zone setting that determines how all schedules in the group are evaluated. This accounts for daylight saving time automatically.

⚠️ A schedule group must contain at least one Open schedule to function correctly.

Architecture: Schedule Group Evaluation

Customer Interaction Arrives
           ↓
Call Route or Architect Flow
           ↓
Evaluate Schedule Group action
           ↓
Emergency active? ──→ Yes ──→ Emergency path
           ↓ No
Holiday match? ────→ Yes ──→ Holiday path
           ↓ No
Closed match? ─────→ Yes ──→ Closed path
           ↓ No
Open ──────────────────────→ Open path

Real Flow Scenarios

Scenario 1 — Business Hours Menu

Caller Enters Flow → Evaluate Schedule Group → Open
→ Play Welcome Prompt → IVR Menu → Route to Queue

Scenario 2 — After-Hours Voicemail

Caller Enters Flow → Evaluate Schedule Group → Closed
→ Play Closed Prompt → Route to Voicemail

Scenario 3 — Holiday Transfer

Caller Enters Flow → Evaluate Schedule Group → Holiday
→ Play Holiday Prompt → Transfer to External Number

Scenario 4 — Emergency Override

Caller Enters Flow → Evaluate Schedule Group → Emergency (activated)
→ Play Emergency Prompt → Disconnect

Schedule Group Design Example

Schedule: US_Support_BusinessHours  (Open, Mon–Fri 08:00–18:00, weekly)
Schedule: US_Support_Christmas      (Holiday, Dec 25, yearly)
Schedule: US_Support_Closed         (Closed, all remaining times)
          ↓
Schedule Group: US_Support_Main_SG  (Time zone: America/New_York)
          ↓
Open      → Business hours IVR and queue
Closed    → Voicemail routing
Holiday   → External after-hours provider
Emergency → Emergency prompt + disconnect (via Emergency Group)

Screenshots

Best Practices

Practice	Reason
Use the official term "Operating Schedules"	Matches UI and avoids confusion with WFM scheduling
Use clear, descriptive names	Easier to manage and troubleshoot routing logic
Separate business hours and holiday schedules	Provides flexibility without rebuilding open schedule logic
Always use schedule groups for production routing	Simplifies open/closed/holiday branching in one object
Set the correct time zone on the group	Prevents incorrect routing due to UTC or DST mismatches
Test all branches before go-live	Ensures each path (open/closed/holiday/emergency) routes correctly
Review holiday schedules annually	Keeps routing accurate as holidays change year to year
Use the Copy feature for similar schedules	Speeds up creation without starting from scratch
Check schedule usage before deleting	Avoid breaking flows that reference the schedule

Naming Convention

Resource	Pattern	Example
Business Hours Schedule	`<Region>_<Dept>_BusinessHours`	`US_Support_BusinessHours`
Holiday Schedule	`<Region>_<Dept>_<Holiday>`	`US_Support_Christmas`
Maintenance Schedule	`<Region>_<Dept>_Maintenance`	`US_Support_MaintenanceWindow`
Schedule Group	`<Region>_<Dept>_SG`	`US_Support_Main_SG`

Security Considerations

Control	Description
Division Assignment	Limits which admins can view, edit, or delete a schedule
Permission-based access	`Routing > Schedule > Add, Edit, View, Delete` controls all schedule management
External transfer verification	Confirm approved numbers before using them in holiday or emergency branches
Test before production	Misconfigured schedules can silently misroute customers

Limitations & Constraints

Constraint	Description
Division required	Every schedule must belong to a division — cannot be division-less
Open schedule required	A schedule group must have at least one Open Hours schedule
Emergency is separate	Emergency routing uses Emergency Groups, not schedule types — must be separately activated
Default fallback is Closed	If no schedule matches the current time, Architect defaults to the Closed path
Time zone on group, not schedule	Individual schedules don't have time zones — the time zone is set at the schedule group level

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Resolution
Flow always routes Closed	Time zone mismatch or no active Open schedule	Verify schedule times and schedule group time zone
Holiday path never triggers	Holiday schedule not assigned to group	Add holiday schedule to the schedule group
Emergency path does not fire	Emergency group not activated	Verify emergency group is active and connected to the flow or call route
Recurring schedule not firing	Recurrence settings incorrect	Review repeating event settings and end conditions
External transfer not reached	Holiday branch misconfigured	Check Architect holiday branch action and verify external number
Schedule group unavailable in Architect	Permission or division visibility issue	Confirm `Routing > Schedule > View` permission and division access
Schedule won't delete	Schedule is in use by a group or call route	Remove the schedule from all groups and routes first

Exam Cheat Sheet

Question	Answer
What is an Operating Schedule?	A time-based object that controls when routing or flow logic is active
What permission is required?	`Routing > Schedule > Add, Edit, View, Delete`
What are the navigation paths?	`Admin → Routing → Operating Schedules` or `Menu → Orchestration → Routing → Operating Schedules`
What is the base evaluation order?	Holiday → Closed → Open
Where does Emergency fit in?	Evaluated first, but only when Emergency routing is actively turned on
What is the default fallback if nothing matches?	Closed
What is a Schedule Group?	A grouping of Open, Closed, and Holiday schedules with a shared time zone
Does a schedule group need an Open schedule?	Yes — at least one Open schedule is required
Where is the time zone set?	On the Schedule Group, not on individual schedules
Can schedules be copied?	Yes — use More (⋮) → Copy to duplicate and modify
What recurrence types are supported?	Does not repeat, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Yearly, Custom (iCal)
What does "All Day" do?	Runs the schedule for the entire selected day — no start/end time

Chapter Placement

❌ Operating Schedules does NOT belong in the Platform Operations chapter.

It belongs in the Routing & Architect chapter — alongside Call Routing, Emergency Groups, Schedule Groups, and Architect flows. Platform Operations covers platform-level administration (OAuth, SSO, Authorized Apps, API Usage). Operating Schedules is a routing configuration topic that directly controls call flow behavior and caller experience.