Overview

What is a Resource Group?

In the context of Sched, a "Resource Group" is a collection of resources that are managed together as a single entity. Resource groups allow you to organize similar or related resources, making it easier to manage their availability, bookings, and overall scheduling. This is particularly useful when you have multiple resources that need to be coordinated or when offering a set of resources that clients can choose from.

Key Components of a Resource Group

A resource group typically involves several key attributes:

1. Name: The name of the resource group, which identifies the group, such as "Conference Rooms" or "Team A's Resources."

2. Description: A detailed description of the resource group, providing additional context or information about the group’s purpose or the types of resources it includes.

3. Resources: The individual resources that belong to the group. These could be rooms, people, equipment, or any other resources that are managed collectively.

4. Group Availability: The combined availability of all resources within the group. This can be managed centrally, allowing you to adjust the overall availability of the group rather than managing each resource individually.

5. Booking Rules: Specific rules that apply to the entire resource group, such as prioritizing certain resources within the group or setting conditions for booking.

Resource Group Lifecycle

The lifecycle of a resource group typically includes the following stages:

1. Creation: A resource group is created by selecting and grouping together individual resources. This makes it easier to manage related resources in a coordinated manner.

2. Management: Resource groups are managed by adjusting the group’s availability, modifying the resources included in the group, or updating the group’s booking rules.

3. Booking: Users can book any of the resources within a group, or the system can automatically assign a resource based on availability and booking rules. This is particularly useful in scenarios where the specific resource does not matter as long as the resource group is available.

4. Modification: Resource groups can be modified at any time. This includes adding or removing resources, updating availability, or changing booking rules.

5. Deactivation or Deletion: If a resource group is no longer needed, it can be deactivated or deleted, making the resources in the group available for individual management or other groupings.

API Operations Related to Resource Groups

The Sched API provides several operations related to resource groups:

1. Create Resource Group (POST /resource-groups):

   • This endpoint allows users to create a new resource group by specifying its name, description, and the resources to include.
   • Example Payload:
     JSON

     {
         "name": "Conference Rooms",
         "description": "All available conference rooms in the main office.",
         "resources": ["uuid-resource1", "uuid-resource2", "uuid-resource3"]
     }
     

2. Get Resource Group (GET /resource-groups/{resource_group_id}):

   • Retrieve the details of a specific resource group using its unique identifier.
   • Response Example:
     JSON

     {
         "resource_group_id": "uuid",
         "name": "Conference Rooms",
         "description": "All available conference rooms in the main office.",
         "resources": [
             {
                 "resource_id": "uuid-resource1",
                 "name": "Room A",
                 "description": "Large conference room with video conferencing."
             },
             {
                 "resource_id": "uuid-resource2",
                 "name": "Room B",
                 "description": "Medium conference room with projector."
             }
         ]
     }
     

3. Update Resource Group (PUT /resource-groups/{resource_group_id}):

   • Allows modification of an existing resource group. This could include updating the group’s description, adding or removing resources, or changing booking rules.
   • Example Payload:
     JSON

     {
         "description": "Updated description for the group.",
         "resources": ["uuid-resource1", "uuid-resource4"]  // Adding or removing resources
     }
     

4. Delete Resource Group (DELETE /resource-groups/{resource_group_id}):

   • This operation deletes an existing resource group from the system, disbanding the group and making the resources available for other groupings or individual management.

Use Cases for Resource Groups

Resource groups can be used in various scenarios, including but not limited to:

• Corporate: Grouping all meeting rooms together, allowing users to book any available room within the group.
• Healthcare: Grouping healthcare providers by specialization, enabling patients to book an appointment with any available provider in a specific specialty.
• Education: Grouping classrooms or labs by building or floor, simplifying the scheduling process for students and staff.
• Services: Grouping service providers who offer similar services, allowing clients to book any available provider from the group.

Conclusion

Resource groups in Sched are a powerful tool for managing collections of resources efficiently. By grouping related resources, you can streamline the booking process, ensure optimal utilization, and maintain flexibility in how resources are allocated. Whether managing a few resources or hundreds, resource groups provide the organization and control needed to keep everything running smoothly.

Next Steps

• Explore the API Endpoints: Delve into the API documentation to discover the various operations you can perform on resource groups.
• Start Creating Resource Groups: Use the API to create and manage resource groups, making it easier to handle multiple resources in a coordinated way.