# How do I build a draft schedule plan and commit it?

> Draft plans let you shape a whole scheduling scenario across the horizon without touching the live schedule. Add jobs to a draft, optionally text the customer to confirm dates, then Apply schedule — which approves the plan, writes every item to the real schedule, moves work orders to Assigned, and emails the crew.

- Product: WorkSkedge
- Section: Scheduling & Dispatch
- Canonical: https://workskedge.com/help/scheduling/build-and-commit-a-draft-schedule-plan
- Updated: 2026-08-29T21:34:24.305643+00:00
- Source: ADVANCED-SCHEDULING.md — Draft plans (scenarios), What a commit does, Draft plan vs Draft Schedule status, Who can do what
- Keywords: draft plan, schedule scenario, commit schedule, apply schedule, awaiting customer, conflict check

## Steps

1. Add a job to a draft from the grid, the unscheduled queue, or the available-crew panel
2. Review the draft panel: window, crew, conflicts, and totals
3. Fix any Conflict badges on clashing days
4. Optionally text the customer to approve the dates
5. Click Apply schedule to approve and write the plan to the live schedule
6. Resolve any items reported as conflicting at commit time

## The draft plan lifecycle

```
draft → awaiting customer → approved → committed (on the schedule)
```

Nothing in a draft touches the live schedule until you commit.

## Build a draft

Drafts are created by adding a job — there is no blank "new draft" form. Use **Add a job to this draft** from the grid, the unscheduled queue, or the available-crew panel. Each item is "this person, this work order, this day/time".

You never pick which draft a job goes to — the customer does. Adding a job routes it to that customer''s newest open draft, and starts one only when the customer has none. Names are derived automatically (`<Customer> — <date range>`); a scheduler can override with the pencil on the draft header, and clearing it restores the derived name.

## Confirm dates with the customer

**Text customer to approve dates** offers every unconfirmed day in one press, following your customer messaging settings (call-only customers raise a call request instead). **Awaiting customer** parks the plan while you confirm.

## Commit with Apply schedule

**Apply schedule** is the approval and the write in one action:

- Every touched work order moves from Ready, Draft Schedule, or On Hold to **Assigned** (and on to Active automatically if it starts today or earlier). Jobs already Active or later are left alone.
- Each touched work order sends **one** work-order-scheduled notification to the crew — one per work order per commit, not one per scheduled day.
- Every item is **re-checked for conflicts at commit time**. Items that now conflict are reported back and left uncommitted so you can fix them; committed items are marked written and are not re-applied if you commit again.
- Apply is blocked, with the reason stated, while any day has no crew.

Conflicts also surface while the plan is still a draft: clashing days get a Conflict badge with the reason on hover, and the count is summarised at the top of the panel.

## Draft plan vs the "Draft Schedule" work order status

| | Work order status Draft Schedule | Draft plan |
|---|---|---|
| Where crew is stored | Real assignment/schedule rows | Staging plan items only |
| Blocks the crew''s calendar | Yes — crew looks busy to everyone | No |
| Notifications | None until you publish | None until you commit |
| Multiple competing scenarios | No — one truth per work order | Yes |
| Customer approval loop | No | Yes (awaiting customer) |
| Spans many work orders | No | Yes |

Use **Save as draft** in the Schedule Wizard when you are confident about one job and want to hold the crew. Use a **draft plan** when you are shaping the whole horizon, comparing options, or waiting on a customer.

## Screenshots

- WorkSkedge Schedule Dashboard showing Ready for Scheduling, Draft Schedule Work Orders and Starting This Week panels: https://workskedge.com/api/public/help-image/app/schedule-dashboard.webp

## FAQ

### Do drafts block the crew's calendar?

No. Draft plan items are staging-only — the crew does not look busy to anyone until you commit. (The Draft Schedule work order status, by contrast, does block the calendar.)

### Why is Apply schedule greyed out?

It is blocked while any day in the plan has no crew assigned — the reason is stated on the button. Assign crew to every day first.

### What happens if something conflicts when I commit?

Every item is re-checked against the live schedule at commit time. Conflicting items are reported back and left uncommitted so you can fix them; everything else is written, and re-committing never double-writes.

### Who can create and commit draft plans?

Administrators, Managers, and Schedulers. Project Owners can open Advanced Scheduling but cannot add crew or commit plans.

### Can I have two draft plans for the same customer?

Yes — the second one for the same customer and window gets a (2) suffix. New jobs route to the customer's newest open draft.