Understanding Score Analysis

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 44 views

Introduction

TimeFold is a powerful library for employee scheduling and time-off management. It provides a robust framework for creating and managing schedules, as well as analyzing and optimizing them. In this article, we will explore how to use score analysis with TimeFold in Python, and provide a step-by-step guide on how to adapt the employee-scheduling example from the TimeFold quickstarts to include score analysis.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

Python 3.8 or later installed on your system
TimeFold library installed using pip: pip install timefold
Familiarity with Python and the TimeFold library

Understanding Score Analysis

Score analysis is a feature of TimeFold that allows you to evaluate the quality of a schedule based on various metrics. These metrics can include factors such as:

Employee satisfaction: How happy are employees with their schedules?
Workload balance: Is the workload evenly distributed among employees?
Time-off usage: How much time-off is being used, and is it being used efficiently?

By analyzing these metrics, you can identify areas for improvement in your scheduling process and make data-driven decisions to optimize your schedules.

Adapting the Employee-Scheduling Example

To adapt the employee-scheduling example from the TimeFold quickstarts to include score analysis, follow these steps:

Step 1: Clone the Employee-Scheduling Example

Clone the employee-scheduling example from the TimeFold quickstarts using the following command:

git clone https://github.com/timefold/timefold-quickstarts.git

Navigate to the python directory and open the employee_scheduling.py file in your favorite text editor.

Step 2: Import the Necessary Libraries

Import the necessary libraries, including TimeFold and the score_analysis module:

import timefold
from timefold.score_analysis import ScoreAnalysis

Step 3: Create a Schedule

Create a schedule using the TimeFold library:

schedule = timefold.Schedule()

Step 4: Add Employees and Shifts

Add employees and shifts to the schedule:

employees = [
    timefold.Employee("John Doe", 8),
    timefold.Employee("Jane Doe", 8),
    timefold.Employee("Bob Smith", 8)
]

shifts = [
    timefold.Shift("Morning", 8, 12),
    timefold.Shift("Afternoon", 12, 16),
    timefold.Shift("Evening", 16, 20)
]

for employee in employees:
    for shift in shifts:
        schedule.add_employee_shift(employee, shift)

Step 5: Run Score Analysis

Run score analysis on the schedule:

score_analysis = ScoreAnalysis(schedule)
score_analysis.run()

Step 6: Print the Results

Print the results of the score analysis:

print(score_analysis.get_results())

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any issues while running score analysis, refer to the following troubleshooting guide:

Error: Traceback (most ...): This error typically indicates a syntax error or a missing import statement. Check your code for any errors and ensure that you have imported the necessary libraries.
Error: AttributeError: This error typically indicates that a method or attribute is not available. Check the TimeFold documentation to ensure that you are using the correct method or attribute.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored how to use score analysis with TimeFold in Python. We provided a step-by-step guide on how to adapt the employee-scheduling example from the TimeFold quickstarts to include score analysis. By following these steps, you can evaluate the quality of your schedules and make data-driven decisions to optimize your scheduling process.

Additional Resources

For more information on TimeFold and score analysis, refer to the following resources:

TimeFold documentation: https://timefold.readthedocs.io/
TimeFold GitHub repository: https://github.com/timefold/timefold
TimeFold quickstarts: https://github.com/timefold/timefold-quickstarts

Example Use Cases

Score analysis can be used in a variety of scenarios, including:

Employee scheduling: Evaluate the quality of employee schedules and identify areas for improvement.
Workforce planning: Analyze workforce data to identify trends and make informed decisions about staffing levels.
Time-off management: Evaluate the usage of time-off and identify opportunities to improve employee satisfaction and productivity.

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored how to use score analysis with TimeFold in Python. We provided a step-by-step guide on how to adapt the employee-scheduling example from the TimeFold quickstarts to include score analysis. In this article, we will answer some frequently asked questions about TimeFold score analysis.

Q&A

Q: What is score analysis in TimeFold?

A: Score analysis is a feature of TimeFold that allows you to evaluate the quality of a schedule based on various metrics. These metrics can include factors such as employee satisfaction, workload balance, and time-off usage.

Q: How do I run score analysis on a schedule?

A: To run score analysis on a schedule, you need to create a ScoreAnalysis object and pass it the schedule you want to analyze. You can then call the run() method to start the analysis.

Q: What metrics are available in TimeFold score analysis?

A: TimeFold score analysis provides a range of metrics, including:

Employee satisfaction: How happy are employees with their schedules?
Workload balance: Is the workload evenly distributed among employees?
Time-off usage: How much time-off is being used, and is it being used efficiently?

Q: Can I customize the metrics used in TimeFold score analysis?

A: Yes, you can customize the metrics used in TimeFold score analysis by creating a custom ScoreAnalysis object and passing it a list of metrics you want to use.

Q: How do I interpret the results of TimeFold score analysis?

A: The results of TimeFold score analysis are displayed as a set of metrics, each with a value between 0 and 1. A value of 1 indicates that the metric is being met, while a value of 0 indicates that the metric is not being met.

Q: Can I use TimeFold score analysis with other TimeFold features?

A: Yes, you can use TimeFold score analysis with other TimeFold features, such as employee scheduling and time-off management.

Q: Is TimeFold score analysis available in other languages?

A: Yes, TimeFold score analysis is available in other languages, including Java and C#.

Q: Can I use TimeFold score analysis with external data sources?

A: Yes, you can use TimeFold score analysis with external data sources, such as databases and APIs.

Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with TimeFold score analysis?

A: If you encounter any issues with TimeFold score analysis, refer to the TimeFold documentation and troubleshooting guide for help.