Let's take a look at the main features you'll use when scheduling in Stratus - Calendar, Sessions, Appointments, and the Scheduling Wizard.

Stratus Scheduling Features

Calendar 

The Stratus Calendar is the main way to view the individual schedules of your staff and resources. Each user and resource can have their own schedule in Stratus. Then, each appointment or session is booked on one or more of these individual schedules, depending which user(s) and/or resource(s) will be directly involved. The Calendar is also the home base for booking sessions and appointments with the Scheduling Wizard. See also: The Calendar

Individual schedules can be created for:

• John Doe (photographer)
• Mary Smith (assistant)
• Amanda Anderson (makeup artist)
• Jane Peterson (videographer)
• Camera room
• Presentation room 1
• Presentation room 2

Sessions 

Sessions are special in Stratus! Sessions are scheduled events that involve actually taking pictures. They are always linked to a specific client, can contain images, and are the starting point for most orders. To take full advantage of the client tracking and reporting features in Stratus, we recommend using sessions whenever possible! See also: Sessions and Appointments

Sessions include:

• School team photos
• Family portrait sessions
• Weddings

Appointments 

Appointments are used to schedule other types of events that may or may not involve a client. An appointment that involves a client is called a "linked appointment," and one that doesn't is considered "unlinked."

Linked appointments may be:

• Consultations
• Sales presentations
• Delivery appointments

Unlinked appointments include:

• Staff meetings
• Personal appointments

Scheduling Wizard

The Scheduling Wizard is a tool built right into Stratus that is designed to walk you through the booking process -- from finding or creating a client, to scheduling the session or appointment, to creating an invoice and accepting a payment. Any time you book something on the Stratus Calendar, you will use the Scheduling Wizard. See also: Using the Scheduling Wizard