You Asked, We Built It: Introducing 'Delay to Next Shift' in SnapAssign

[#1]

At Snapbytes, we're driven by your feedback. One of the most common questions we've heard from teams working across multiple timezones and shifts is: "What happens to a critical issue that's created when no one is available to take it?"

Until now, that issue might sit unassigned, waiting for someone to start their shift and manually pick it up. This creates a service gap, slows down response times, and can let important tasks fall through the cracks.

Today, we're thrilled to announce the solution you've been waiting for. Meet Delay to Next Shift, the powerful new SnapAssign feature that ensures no issue is ever left behind.

What is Delay to Next Shift?

Simply put, "Delay to Next Shift" is an intelligent safety net for your assignment rules. When an issue is created and SnapAssign finds that no team member is currently on shift or available, it doesn't just fail. Instead, it automatically schedules a retry for the beginning of the very next shift.

How It Works: A Smarter Assignment Cycle

The process is seamless, automated, and completely transparent.

1. The Trigger: An issue is created or transitioned, triggering an assignment rule. SnapAssign checks for available team members in the current shift.
2. The Flag: If no one is available and the "Delay to Next Shift" option is enabled, SnapAssign flags the issue and logs that an immediate assignment wasn't possible.
3. The Wait: The issue is intelligently held in a queue, scheduled for a re-attempt precisely when the next shift begins (respecting your team's timezone and calendars).
4. The Retry: At the start of the next shift, SnapAssign’s scheduler automatically runs the assignment process again for the flagged issue.
5. Success or Repeat: If a team member is now available, the issue is assigned. If not, the process repeats for the following shift, up to the maximum number of shifts in your team's rotation.

This creates a resilient, 24/7 assignment workflow that handles any scheduling gap with ease.

A Practical Example

Imagine you have a 3-shift support team:

• Shift 1: 08:00 – 16:00
• Shift 2: 16:00 – 00:00
• Shift 3: 00:00 – 08:00

A critical ticket arrives at 15:58. Everyone on Shift 1 is already tied up. Without this feature, the ticket might sit unassigned.

With "Delay to Next Shift" enabled, SnapAssign sees no one is free, flags the issue, and schedules a retry for 16:00. The moment Shift 2 begins, the assignment is automatically re-attempted and the ticket is routed to an available support engineer.

Full Transparency, No Guesswork

We believe automation should be powerful, not a black box. Every action taken by the "Delay to Next Shift" feature is recorded. You can see it all in the SnapAssign Activity Panel on the Jira issue itself. You’ll see entries like:

• "No assignable shift/member found. The issue is flagged for the next shift."
• A timestamp for when the retry is scheduled.
• The final, successful assignment log.

How to Enable It

Getting started is incredibly simple. When creating or editing an Assignment Rule, just tick the checkbox: ☑️ Delay assignment to next shift when no one is available

That's it. Your rule is now equipped to handle assignment gaps intelligently.

Smarter Scheduling is Here

This feature is designed to give you peace of mind. You can be confident that your team will never miss a beat, no matter when an issue arrives. It means smarter scheduling, fewer gaps in your workflow, and a more resilient, responsive team.