Troubleshooting Pitch Schedule Issues in L2L

Last updated: September 8, 2026

Pitch schedule problems — such as duplicate pitches, gaps, incorrect time ranges, or pitches not splitting during changeovers — are among the most common issues reported in L2L. This article covers the most frequent causes and how to resolve them.

Duplicate Pitches

Duplicate pitches can occur for several reasons:

  • Overlapping shifts assigned to the same line: If two shifts (e.g., "Blue Day" and "Red Day") have overlapping working days and times and are both assigned to the same line, the system may populate the wrong shift or create duplicate entries. To fix this, either assign the line to only one schedule, or edit the shift configurations so they operate on completely separate, non-overlapping timeframes.

  • Pitches created manually or via API at different times: If a pitch was created at one point in time and another was added later (e.g., via an API call or manual entry), both may appear on the same schedule. Review the pitch creation timestamps to identify which pitch was added unexpectedly, and remove the duplicate.

  • Actuals submitted before the official start of the day: If production data is received before the scheduled start time, the system may create an extra pitch. To prevent this, add the relevant time slot to your pitch schedule template but keep it set to inactive. If actuals arrive for that period, the pitch will automatically activate and correctly capture the data.

Gaps in the Pitch Schedule

Gaps in pitches — where no pitch exists for a period of time — can prevent operators from starting work orders and may cause errors such as "job cannot be started outside of scheduled working hours." Common causes include:

  • "Order Based Line" setting is enabled: This setting is intended only for lines using the Operator Console. If it is enabled on lines using the Operator Portal, it can cause irregular pitch timing, gaps, and pitches that only show one hour at a time. To resolve this, go to the Line settings and disable the Order Based Line option for the affected line.

  • No pitch schedule loaded: If no pitch schedule template has been loaded for a line, the system falls back to the default pitch length configured in production settings (e.g., 60 minutes), which can result in unexpected pitch behavior. Ensure a pitch schedule template is loaded for each active line.

  • Pitch schedule template not assigned to the line: Even if a template exists, it must be assigned to the line. Check the line settings to confirm a template is assigned.

  • Pitches loaded as inactive: If pitches were loaded with the "inactive" flag, they will not function as expected. Review the pitch schedule and reload pitches as active if this was unintentional.

  • Gap between shift schedule and pitch template: If your pitch template covers more hours than your resource shift schedule (or vice versa), pitches may appear out of sequence or be attached to the wrong shift. It is best practice to have 100% of the day covered in both the pitch schedule template and the resource shift schedule. If certain hours are not normally worked, mark those pitches as inactive in the template. You can also use the "Add pitch to end of shift" feature to handle overtime without modifying the standard schedule.

  • Incorrect production start time: If the production start time is set to a day when no shifts are scheduled (e.g., Sunday when production starts Monday), pitches may appear out of sequence. Update the production start time to match the actual first working day of the week.

Pitches Not Splitting During Changeovers

When a changeover occurs, L2L should split the current pitch at the changeover timestamp. If pitches are not splitting correctly, consider the following:

  • No default changeover duration set on the product: If a product does not have a default changeover duration configured, the system may not split pitches correctly. Setting a default changeover duration — even a nominal value such as one minute — enables the Start Changeover and Finish Changeover buttons and helps the system handle pitch splitting accurately. You can update this in the product settings via the user interface, or export your products, set the duration, and re-import.

  • "Order Based Line" setting is enabled: As noted above, this setting can interfere with pitch splitting on lines using the Operator Portal. Disabling it often resolves changeover-related pitch issues.

  • Changeover duration showing as unexpectedly long (e.g., nearly 24 hours): This can cause the system to mishandle pitch splits. Review the build sequence for the affected order and verify the changeover duration is reasonable.

  • API-triggered changeovers creating extra pitches: If changeovers are triggered via API and the order_based_line setting was toggled on and then off, split pitches may be created as fragments, and subsequent API calls may generate new pitches from the template instead of splitting existing ones. Ensure the order_based_line setting is consistently configured and contact support if you see this edge case.

Pitch Schedule Template Best Practices

Following these guidelines will help prevent most pitch schedule issues:

  • Create a single pitch template that covers a full 24-hour period (e.g., 6:00 AM to 6:00 AM) rather than separate templates for each shift. Set it as the default template for the line.

  • Ensure your pitch template and resource shift schedule cover the same hours with no gaps. If certain hours are not normally worked, mark those pitches as inactive in the template rather than omitting them entirely.

  • Avoid overlapping shifts assigned to the same line.

  • Only enable Order Based Line on lines that exclusively use the Operator Console.

  • When you make changes to a template, delete the previously loaded pitches and reload the updated template for the changes to take effect.

  • For optimal scheduling, ensure your pitch schedule template covers the full day, including any potential overtime slots (which can be set to inactive by default).

Still Seeing Issues?

If you continue to experience pitch schedule problems after reviewing the above, please contact L2L Support and provide:

  • The specific site and production line(s) affected

  • The date and time range when the issue occurred

  • A description of the exact steps taken before the issue appeared (e.g., how changeovers are performed, whether pitches are loaded manually or via API)

  • Screenshots or a screen recording of the behavior

This information will help the support team investigate and resolve the issue more quickly.