A reliable model for multi-location scheduling

Inqloop computes bookable time from location opening hours, staff shifts and date-specific exceptions. Start with the broadest constraint and work inward: the location must be open, the practitioner must have an effective shift, the service must fit the remaining time, and no existing appointment may conflict.

• Set the business timezone before entering hours; local calendar days depend on it.
• Maintain opening hours independently for each location.
• Create recurring weekly shifts for each staff and location combination.
• Use single-date shift overrides for planned exceptions rather than editing the recurring pattern.
• Add holiday hours or closures at the location level before customers can book those dates.

Do not schedule one practitioner at two locations merely because the shifts do not overlap. Include realistic travel and setup time between them. Keep the staff calendar as the shared record so an appointment created by reception, online booking or another location is checked against the same availability.

When a staff member stops taking new bookings at a location, hide them from the booking journey without deleting historical shifts or appointments. Historical records are needed to explain past bookings and reconcile activity.

• Choose each location and verify its address, timezone and opening hours.
• Check the first and last valid slot for several services of different durations.
• Create a booking, then confirm the same time cannot be booked again for that practitioner.
• Test a holiday closure and a one-day staff override.
• Reschedule across dates and verify the original appointment is excluded from its own conflict check.

Review the next several weeks for missing shifts, unexpected closures and appointments outside effective working time. Make local managers responsible for exceptions while keeping service, policy and reporting definitions consistent across the business. The goal is not identical hours everywhere; it is one dependable method for explaining why a particular slot is or is not available.