Conflicting Events

How do we become aware of scheduling conflict with another ward in our building when we schedule an event?

The system will not allow you to schedule a conflicting event that uses the same rooms at the same time.

But if you switch to "week view" you'll see check boxes on the left that allow you to see all events scheduled in that building.

When you save the event the system will check the date, time, location, and rooms/equipmemt selected for conflicts with any other event already scheduled. If your event overlaps with another event for the same location, time, and any rooms/equipment as the other event, then your event will not be saved and a message with the name and contact information for the last person who edited the conflicting event will be displayed.

You can also check the calendar before you attempt to schedule an event for possible conflicts. Select "Week" view to see all events scheduled at the location you want to use for your event. Click "Hide all calendars" under the list of calendars in the "Subscribed Calendars" box to declutter the calendar. Select the location name (checkbox checked) in the "Locations" box. All other locations should be unchecked to declutter the displayed calendars. All events scheduled at the location selected in the "Locations" box will be displayed in this configuration. Additionally, you will be able to see restrictions (currently called reservations) that may also cause a conflict and prevent you from scheduling an event. Those restrictions will appear with a gray time title block and a white details block. All events will be colored.

For more information about scheduling events see the Calendar Help.

I'm also having this problem. Three Wards use the same building, but the individual schedulers can't see the other Ward's events. Several events have already been scheduled at the same time for different Wards. The reserve room function isn't working like it's supposed to (and I have reliable word that they are reserving rooms). Is there a way for schedulers to see other Ward schedules in the same building?

wxdruid wrote:Three Wards use the same building, but the individual schedulers can't see the other Ward's events.... Is there a way for schedulers to see other Ward schedules in the same building?

Yes, the two posts just before yours tried to explain how to use Week view to do this. For step-by-step instructions, see the "Check Location Availability" section in the help topic Scheduling Events.

wxdruid wrote:Several events have already been scheduled at the same time for different Wards. The reserve room function isn't working like it's supposed to (and I have reliable word that they are reserving rooms).

I really doubt that the system is allowing conflicting events; it's much more likely that there is a misunderstanding as to how to use the system.

If you think the system somehow allowed conflicting events, find the two reported events. Examine them carefully and make sure that:

• everyone is using events to schedule a room. Don't use reservations -- the fact that you mentioned "schedulers" and not "editors" makes me think that you have "building schedulers" who might be mistakenly using reservations, hoping they will book a room for you. That is not the way to do it; see "Reservations Versus Scheduled Events" in About Reservations. Instead, have individual calendar editors create actual events.
• Events actually select a room in an actual location (don't just use the "Other location" text field to type in a location).
• The reportedly conflicting events use the same room in the same location at the same time.

If you research that and find an actual conflict, report back with the details. And if you find out that they are not actually conflicting, please report back what you found -- your experience will most likely help others.

I can't see other wards schedules to determine how they are creating events.

wxdruid wrote:I can't see other wards schedules to determine how they are creating events.

Did you follow the instructions I linked to (in the "Check Location Availability" section in the help topic Scheduling Events)?

If you did follow those instructions, you should be able to see all events scheduled for your building, regardless of which ward scheduled the events (or even reservations). But if you can't see those events after faithfully following the instructions, then that is a clear indication that either the events simply do not exist, or that they are not scheduled for your building (meaning the event creator most likely specified an "Other Location" rather than choosing an actual building location and specifying a room in that building).

I am repeating what aebrown has written and what has already been posted in this thread. I think it is necessary to repeat to make sure there is understanding of what a reservation is, what an event is, and how to properly book a location/room(s).

The most common problem when apparent conflicts occur is that one of two things have happened. The first is the mistaken use of a reservation instead of an event to book the building or rooms. "Reservations" (more appropriately described as restrictions) do not book anything. A "reservation" merely sets aside the location/rooms for a particular unit. An organization in the unit with the "reservation" must create an event to book the location/room(s). Until the location/room(s) are booked, any calendar editor (in the unit for which the reservation has been made) can create an event using the location/room(s). The reservation will prevent editors not in the unit for which the reservation was made from booking the same location/room(s) during any portion of the reservation time block.

Building scheduler A can create a reservation for the First Ward. Then building scheduler B can create another reservation for the exact same location/room(s) and exact same time block for the Second Ward and there will be no conflict. This is by design. The system is functioning as intended. A problem occurs if building scheduler A or building scheduler B or both thinks the reservation they created books the building/room(s).

The second problem is when editors create events and do not identify a location in "Location". Instead they may select "Other Location" and then enter the name of the building in the text box. This does not book the location or anything at the location. The building location must actually be selected for "Location". Then either the "Entire Location" or rooms of the location must be selected to actually book the location or rooms at the location.

When an editor selects "Other Location" and enters the name of the location in the text box the event will not book the location or rooms at the location. The event will not appear on the calendar for anyone outside the ward. The event will appear for someone in Ward A but will not appear as a scheduled event for someone in Ward B, even a building scheduler who is in Ward B, even in Week view. It is not viewable by members of other wards because the event has not scheduled (booked) a location or rooms at a location.

wxdruid wrote:Several events have already been scheduled at the same time for different Wards. The reserve room function isn't working like it's supposed to (and I have reliable word that they are reserving rooms).

All this leads me to believe the different schedulers are creating reservations instead of events. Most likely because they don't have editor rights to the various ward calendars. This would be because building scheduler rights and editor rights are different. Building scheduler rights come from the stake and editor rights come from the ward. The Building Scheduler Calling is not a default editor.