An unplaced stop is the most useful message a planner can send, and the one most likely to be treated as an error.
Why it matters
There are only two honest outcomes when work exceeds capacity: leave something out, or break a rule. Planners that never leave anything out are breaking rules silently — stretching a day, crossing a territory, assigning a technician who is not licensed for the job. The unplaced stop is the version where you get to decide.
How you notice it slipping
Unplaced stops are either ignored or rescued by hand every morning. Nobody records why each one could not be placed. The count rises week over week while the schedule still claims everything fits.
What to do
Read the reason, not just the count. A stop unplaced because of a licence is a staffing question. One unplaced because of a time window is a promise question. One unplaced because the day is full is a capacity question, and the only one that more routing can fix. Then decide deliberately: move it, relax the rule for this case, or add the capacity.