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In real-world training operations, schedules rarely stay perfect for long.
Short-term disruptions are part of daily life — an instructor may call in sick, a simulator may go down for maintenance, or a classroom might suddenly become unavailable.
What matters most is how quickly and safely you can react — without breaking qualification requirements, workload limits, or training continuity.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how XO Scheduler helps you manage these daily changes:
by automatically finding a qualified replacement when possible, and
by supporting manual intervention when capacity is tight.
📸 Disclaimer: Screenshots and videos may look slightly different from your XO Scheduler interface depending on your configuration.
🎥 Watch the Video
This tutorial includes a video walkthrough showing how to handle instructor sick leave in different scenarios — including automatic replacement and manual reassignment when no capacity is available.
🧭 Step-by-Step Guide
We’ll use two realistic examples:
a case where a replacement is available, and
a case where manual intervention is required.
1) Locate the Affected Class
In the bottom-left Classes section, locate the affected class.
Click the small arrow next to the class name to expand the days.
Select the affected day to reveal its topics and events.
2) Remove the Sick Instructor from Assigned Events
In the bottom-right Events section, double-click an event where the instructor is assigned
(for example, Briefing or Human Factors).
2. In the event window, go to Resources.
3. Find the instructor’s name and click the trash icon to remove them.
4. Click Save.
In our example, we are removing Emily Parker from the event.
4. Repeat this step for all affected events.
You’ll now see the class marked as “Partially Scheduled”, indicating an instructor is missing.
3) Mark the instructor as unavailable (sick leave)
Before we let the XO System run the Scheduling again to find another instructor, we have to make sure to mark the instructor as unavailable - otherwise the optimizer may assign them again.
In the top-right Resources section, select the instructor and the affected day.
Right-click → Create Event.
In the new event window:
Name: e.g.,
Sick Leave.Dates & Time: Specify the exact day and time (XO uses a 24/7 schedule; end-of-day is 11:59 PM).
Location: Choose the correct location.
Color: Pick a distinct color for sick leave.
Counts for Workload: Set according to your company’s policy. Some organizations count sick leave toward workload, while others do not. Choose Yes or No based on your rules
Click Save.
4) Re-run scheduling to find a replacement
Return to the affected class.
Right-click on the class → Schedule.
In the scheduling window, select Instructor as the resource to schedule.
Click Run Scheduling.
The Optimizer will search for a qualified instructor who is available and assign them to the class.
5) Automatic Replacement (When Capacity is Available)
If a qualified and available instructor exists:
The optimizer will automatically assign a substitute
All qualifications, work rules, rest times, and continuity rules are respected.
The class status returns to "Complete".
6) Manual Assignment (When no replacement is found)
In high-utilization scenarios (for example, heavily loaded fleets), the optimizer may not find a replacement.
In this case:
Filter the Resources list for external or third-party instructors.
Select a qualified instructor manually.
Assign them directly to the affected events.
This allows you to resolve last-minute issues even when internal capacity is exhausted.
7) Verify the Final Result
Confirm the class is marked as Complete
Review the Gantt chart and event details
Ensure all assignments respect qualifications and work rules
💡 Pro Tips
Always mark sick leave first: Otherwise, the optimizer may reassign the same instructor
Use presets: Consistent presets for sick leave improve speed and clarity
Check workload rules: Especially when assigning substitutes manually
Plan for peak periods: External instructors can be critical during high-load phases
🔗 Related Tutorials
Scheduling – Run the XO Optimizer – Learn how to schedule and re-schedule classes
Qualify Resources – Ensure instructors have the right qualifications for substitution
Work Rules – Make sure duty limits are considered for replacements
📌 Wrapping Up
Last-minute changes like sick calls are part of everyday training operations.
By marking instructors unavailable and using XO Scheduler’s optimizer — with manual fallback when needed — you can keep training running smoothly, safely, and efficiently.
This is exactly what the Dailies workflows are designed for:
handling the unexpected without losing control.