Overtime is often treated as a staffing line item. That misses the real operating effect. When one list spills deep into the evening, tomorrow's schedule inherits the fatigue, prep compression, and start-time slippage.
What overtime actually damages
- Staff willingness to stretch into late-day add-ons
- Predictability for surgeons running tightly planned clinics after lists
- Case confidence for patients who were told a morning slot was dependable
- The next day's first-case reliability
That is why ORS AI treats overtime risk as a planning variable, not a post-facto report. When the system can see that a case sequence is likely to cause evening spillage, it can propose a better sequence earlier in the day.
