---
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title: Considerations for Defining Availability of Slots
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/ind/264-0-0/admin_advanced_therapy_management_considerations_for_defining_availability.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.admin_advanced_therapy_management_considerations_for_defining_availability.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: b791bc81711b4b3f318f6a78f01b4216163fe3b89baa5d532198d01b614ccab0
description: Get to know about the advantages and disadvantages of using time slots versus shifts to define the availability of appointment slots.
products:
  - Life Sciences
release: "264"
---
# Considerations for Defining Availability of Slots

Get to know about the advantages and disadvantages of using time slots versus shifts to define the availability of appointment slots.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition">
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            <p>Available in: Lightning Experience</p>
            <p style="margin-bottom:0;">Available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong> and <strong>Unlimited</strong> Editions with Health Cloud
              or Life Sciences Cloud</p>
          </td>

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There are two ways in which you can define availability for work types at a service territory: time slots and shifts. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods of defining availability.

## Time Slots

Time slots are created for service territories as a whole. All work types assigned to a service territory are performed in the same time slots.

Advantage: Time slots are active for a long period. For example, if a work type involves a vaccination drive with follow-up doses every 6 months, you can create time slots that last the entire period.

Disadvantage: Time slots are the same for all work types performed at a service territory. For example, if you have both apheresis and manufacturing being performed at the same hospital, their time slots are always at the same time.

## Shifts

Shifts are created for work types.

Advantage: You can define separate shifts for different work types. For example, even if apheresis and manufacturing are performed at the same hospital, they can have different slots based on their shifts.

Disadvantage: Shifts can’t be used for extended periods of time. Recurring shifts can help you define availability for up to 3 months, but not beyond that time period.