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James Rodgers1 avatar image
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OnRelease process flow initiated by a patient release or break/off shift event?

I have staff at registration desks using a "dummy" process to keep them there. A patient acquires the staff (preempt), does the registration process time then releases the staff. The timetable down behavior for staff makes them go on breaks to a break room and sends them off shift to their reset position. I need to modify the OnRelease process flow (which I have installed) to have the staff return to their assigned desk when they come off a break or come back from being off shift. As such I need to detect whether the OnRelease process flow is being fired by an off shift/break event, and instruct them to return to their assigned desk. How can this be accomplished? @Matthew Gillespie

Also open to alternative approaches. Thanks!

FlexSim 20.1.2
flexsim 20.1.2staff
onrelease.jpg (88.9 KiB)
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Matthew Gillespie avatar image Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ commented ·

@James Rodgers Can you attach a sample model of your situation?

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James Rodgers1 avatar image James Rodgers1 Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ commented ·
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Matthew Gillespie avatar image Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ James Rodgers1 commented ·

@James Rodgers Sorry. Can you upload it again? It's not working for me when I click on the attachment.

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Matthew Gillespie avatar image
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Matthew Gillespie answered James Rodgers1 commented

Here's how I would model this.

NewFlow.fsm

I put most of the staff back on the default Staff flow, but then made a new RegistrationStaff flow to control RegistrationStaff1-4. The main purpose of this flow is to change the staff's on idle behavior. Instead of returning to their reset position when idle, now the registration staff will return to their desk when idle.

This way you don't need to make a super long process for the registration staff and you don't have to bother with them getting preempted over and over. You also don't need to worry about who or what is releasing them. The only check I make is, if they're idle, I check if they're at their desk and send them there if they're not.


1592599234258.png (25.1 KiB)
newflow.fsm (483.4 KiB)
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James Rodgers1 avatar image James Rodgers1 commented ·

Thanks Matthew, this solution is a lot more elegant than my original approach. However, the issue still persists when registration staff comes back from being off shift overnight. If you run the model long enough for staff to go off shift at 5pm then come back in the following morning at 8am, Some of the staff return to their desks, some don't. This is what prompted my original question. As you can see in the picture a staff member's desk has a patient sitting at it being registered, but the staff member is at their reset position (seated, typing). The picture is from 8:00:52 AM on the second day. @Matthew Gillespie


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Matthew Gillespie avatar image Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ James Rodgers1 commented ·

OK, so what's happening is that you have patients waiting in line at 8 AM on the next day who immediately acquire the staff before they can walk back to their desks. The Staff flow is purposely designed to let this sort of thing happen - that way the staff doesn't do a lot of unnecessary walking back to their reset position. The default logic has a breathe activity that lets other things acquire the staff before the staff checks to see if it's idle and then sends the staff back to their reset position.

NewFlow2.fsm

We just need to update the logic so that it checks if the staff is at their desk immediately after being released.

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newflow2.fsm (483.3 KiB)
1592850213956.png (36.2 KiB)
James Rodgers1 avatar image James Rodgers1 commented ·

Thanks Matthew. I can seem to download the file (403 error). Would you mind emailing it to me? [email protected] @Matthew Gillespie

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James Rodgers1 avatar image James Rodgers1 commented ·

Hi Matt. I have run into further problems with this issue. I added four more registrars to the mix. I added them to the objects using the instanced process flow. The first four work but the second group do not. When they come on shift (at 9AM) the go to their desks. They take a first patient but when released, they return to their reset positions. If a second patient gets them, they "sit" in their reset position. Am I missing some step to get the second group of four registrars to act like the first four? Model attached. Mass Inoculation Facility 20200708_16.fsmThanks. @Matthew Gillespie

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Matthew Gillespie avatar image Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ James Rodgers1 commented ·

@James Rodgers

The new staff are attached to both the original Staff flow and the new Registration Staff flow. You should remove them from the Staff flow. You can do this in the Process Flow Properties panel of Quick Properties.

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James Rodgers1 avatar image James Rodgers1 Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ commented ·

Ugh. Forgot about that. Thanks again Matthew. @Matthew Gillespie

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Matthew Gillespie avatar image Matthew Gillespie ♦♦ James Rodgers1 commented ·
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