Scheduler Configuration

The process of configuring the Scheduler is comprised of:

Labor Levels

You need define labor levels to enforce your scheduling and budget. For example, you may have a department structure like CNA Day, CNA Evening and CNA Night, but from a budgetary viewpoint, all CNA departments fall under the CNA budget. You would define a labor level above the department level, such as “Budget Group” or “Division” that would act as an "umbrella" over one or more departments.

Budget

The budget defines the number of schedules created based on the day of week, the shift, and the labor levels. For example, your CNA budget for Unit 1 for weekdays in the Day shift is seven shifts. The Scheduler is “budget controlled,” because the budget level controls the number of schedules created.

Scheduler Periods

Defines a start and end date for each of your scheduler periods. Typically, this is from 1 week to 8 weeks in length.

Employee Schedule Pattern

Define when the employee works on a regular basis. This is also known as the Master Schedule. The schedule pattern can be a single or multi-week pattern and allows you to define the day of the week, the week number, the shift, and the labor level placement.

Planned Absences

Planned days off are entered as soon as they are known. This eliminates manual changes to your schedules. When the schedules are built, the employee is not assigned a schedule if they are in a planned absence. Instead, they are given a placeholder in lieu of the schedule.

Replacements

As a schedule moves between employees and the available pool, history is maintained. This allows the software to be able to display replacement information.

Building Schedules

Builds the schedules for the selected scheduler period and selected budgetary labor levels. The schedules are assigned to the employees who have a matching schedule pattern. Schedules that remain unassigned are available to assign manually.

Available Schedules

After the schedules are built, those schedules that remain unassigned are known as the available schedules, because they are available to be assigned to employees.

Scheduler Grid

Displays the schedules for each employee within the scheduler period. The grid uses color and text to provide information about where and when an employee is working. The scheduler grid includes schedule totals and available schedules. Move schedules between employees, between an employee and the available pool, and between the available pool and an employee. Filter, sort, and search the information displayed in the grid.

Reporting

Use reports throughout the scheduling process. Examples of reports include:

• Pinpoint where the employee's schedule patterns do not match the employee's shift level.

• Show where budgetary hours and schedule hours are not aligned.

• Highlight where schedule patterns exceed budget and therefore would leave some employees unscheduled although their schedule pattern defines them as working.

• Display the schedule pattern projected as a master schedule considering employee status and planned absences.

• Give employees a one-page calendar view of their schedules.

• Post monthly schedule reports, so that employees can see when they are working.

• Replacement and daily staffing reports.

• Placeholder reports.

• Employee contact information such as a phone list.