Smart Selection Filter

Learn about how the Smart Selection Filter works in Maica

What is the Smart Selection Filter?

The Smart Selection Filter is a tool designed to identify and rank the most suitable Participant(s), Resource(s), or Asset(s) for an Appointment based on a range of possible Attributes. It simplifies the roster selection process by comparing all available options to selected attributes and presenting them in an ordered list based on matches. This feature allows you to quickly and efficiently select the optimal fit for your Appointment.

Unlike the Resource Optimiser (which evaluates multiple Appointments at once), Smart Selection is a single-record, real-time matching tool designed to help end users pick the best candidate during scheduling.

What does the Smart Selection Filter do?

The Smart Selection Filter helps end users choose the most suitable:

• Participant(s)

• Resource(s)

• Asset(s)

for an Appointment or Shift by:

1. Filtering out anyone who fails key requirements

2. Scoring everyone who remains

3. Ranking them in order of suitability based on your selected Sort Criteria

It uses a simplified version of the Resource Optimiser, providing real-time scoring for a single selection.

Where do I find the Smart Selection Filter?

In Maica, you select Participant(s), Resource(s), and Asset(s) in the Basic Details stage of creating or managing an Appointment, it is here you will also find the Smart Selection Filter. On the right side of the selection search box, you will see a Filter symbol; simply click this Filter to open the Smart Selection Filter pop-up, as shown below.

This tool can also be accessed across Maica where Participant, Resource or Asset selectors are available

Smart Selection Filter Elements

Once you have clicked on the Filter icon, and Smart Selection Filter pop-up has been presented, you will notice a number of elements within the tool. These are described below:

Element	Description
Sort Order Toggle	This button allows you to switch the display order of the list between ascending and descending, letting you view the items from top to bottom or bottom to top based on the current sort criteria.
Score	Displays the calculated Matching Score (%) for each Resource. The score reflects how well the Resource meets the current Skills, Attributes, Availability, Workload, and Travel criteria (based on Matching Score weightings). The list is sorted by this score unless you change the Sort Criteria.
Sort Criteria Dropdown	Allows you to choose how the Resource list is ordered. Options include: Availability, Workload, Skills, Attributes, Travel, and Overall Matching Score. This determines which scoring or attribute value the table sorts by. These options are detailed below.
Ranking Criteria	Allows you to add additional scoring rules that influence how Resources are ranked. Ranking Criteria work the same as in the Optimiser: each rule consists of a Field, Operator, and Value, and Resources earn score if they match the defined rules.
Settings	Opens the Smart Selection Filter settings panel, allowing you to refine which Resources appear in the list. This includes options such as Only allocated Resources (show only Resources linked to the selected Participant) and Only matched Resources (hide Resources that do not match any selected Skills or Attributes). These settings affect the candidate list before scoring is applied.

Smart Selection Filter Dropdown Criteria Sections

The Dropdown Criteria Sections are only relevant when selecting a Resource(s). When selecting Participant(s) or Asset(s), your Score will be a number based purely on the number of matching Attributes.

When selecting a Resource(s), you can chose to order your list based on a number of additional criteria. These are further explained in the table below:

Category	Description
Skills	Measures how many of the required Skills a Resource has compared with the total Skills needed.
Availability	Checks whether the Resource has enough Available hours on the relevant day to cover the Appointment or Shift. Any existing usage or unavailability is subtracted from the daily limit, and the remaining time is compared against the requirement. The resulting score is weighted by the Availability percentage.
Workload	Evaluates weekly capacity by comparing the required minutes for the Appointment or Shift plus the Resource’s current scheduled hours against their weekly limit. The result is scaled by the Workload importance percentage.
Attributes	Counts how many requested Attributes a Resource satisfies (for example, gender, language, or experience).
Travel	Scores proximity by comparing the Resource’s distance to the Appointment location against the closest candidate. Resources co-located or nearest to the site receive the highest score, weighted by the Travel importance percentage.

How do I use the Smart Selection Filter?

To use the Smart Selection Filter, you only need to open it and select your Resource, Participant or Asset, as they will already be ranked by scores generated from your Global Settings and Appointment conditions!

However, we advise adding Ranking Criteria refine suitability. To do so,

To learn about the logic behind Ranking Criteria, click here.

1. Click Add Criteria.

2. A new filter row will appear where you can specify the Field, Operator, and Value.

3. Multiple criteria can be added to refine the criteria further.

Understanding Filter Components

Each criterion is made up of three components:

Component	Description
Field	Defines which field the Optimiser will evaluate. Fields are grouped under Resource or Skill objects. Examples include Resource → Work Type, Resource → Gender, or Skill → Certificate.
Operator	Determines how the value is compared to the field. Common operators include equals, not equal to, contains, and does not contain. The Operator value is refined depending on the selected Field.
Value	The specific value being matched against the field. This may be a picklist option, text entry, or date, depending on the selected field. For example, if Resource → Gender is chosen, available values might be Man or Woman.

Once done, click the ✓ button to apply your selected Criteria.

The candidate list will update automatically, with each row recalculated based on your filters and Smart Selection logic and new percentages presented.

You can click on a % score to see a more detailed breakdown of that score

The Smart Selection Filter uses the same scoring, ranking, and weighting logic as Maica’s Optimisation Engine to calculate scores.

For a detailed explanation of how scores are calculated (Availability, Workload, Skills, Attributes, Travel, and weighted scoring), refer to the Optimisation Engine Logic article.

How Smart Selection Differs for Resources, Participants, and Assets

The Smart Selection Filter adapts depending on the type of record you are selecting.

Resource Selection (Most Comprehensive)

When selecting a Resource, Smart Selection uses the full Matching Score logic, including:

• Skills

• Attributes

• Availability

• Workload

• Travel

• Ranking Criteria

Sort Criteria options include all categories, plus the Overall Matching Score, which uses the same weighting model as the Optimiser.

Participant Selection

When selecting a Participant, Smart Selection uses a simplified evaluation model:

• Only Attributes are used for scoring

• Skills, availability, workload, and travel do not apply

• Ranking Criteria can still be added, but only Attribute-based fields impact scoring

The Score column for Participants represents the number of matched Attributes.

Asset Selection

Asset matching also uses Attributes only. Examples include:

• Vehicle type

• Equipment category

• Capacity

• Location

Skills and capacity-based logic used for Resources do not apply. The Score column reflects matched Attribute count.

These available options are summarised in the table below:

Target Type	Skills	Attributes	Availability	Workload	Travel	Score Model
Resource	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	Overall Matching Score (weighted)
Participant	✖	✔	✖	✖	✖	Attribute match count
Asset	✖	✔	✖	✖	Optional (location-based)	Attribute match count