Basic vs Advanced Scheduler

This guide provides a high-level overview of the Basic and Advanced Scheduler modules. The Basic Scheduler is designed for teams with consistent weekly shifts and minimal changes, offering a simple, rules-based approach without workflow automation or conflict alerts. In contrast, the Advanced Scheduler supports more complex staffing needs by using skills, cost centers, and workload templates to automate scheduling and manage shift coverage dynamically. The sections below outline the core setup tasks required for each module. Continue reading to learn more.

Basic Scheduler Overview

The Basic Scheduler uses Daily Rules and/or Work Schedule Profiles to define shift start/end times, and the days employees are scheduled to work. It's best suited for employees with consistent weekly shifts, minimal one-off changes, and those who don’t need to swap, drop, or request coverage from peers. This is a straightforward scheduling setup that does not include a schedule posting workflow, meaning employees will see their shifts as soon as they are assigned. Additionally, it won’t alert you if a shift conflicts with a team member's availability or preferences. However, you can still view this information by selecting the shift and choosing "Manage Shift." There is also an option for manual shift assignment using the Basic Scheduler, allowing managers to assign shifts directly without relying on automation.

Manager View – Basic Scheduling 

Employee View – Basic Scheduling

Advanced Scheduler Overview

The Advanced Scheduler leverages Skills, Scheduled Cost Centers, and Scheduler Profile assignments to define what, where, and how often an employee is eligible to work. All users who need access to the Advanced Scheduling module must have these three assignments configured. Managers will also create Workload Templates to guide the system in determining daily coverage requirements and establish minimum coverage levels. Any additional shifts needed can be added manually through the schedules page when building out the schedule.

Once the assignments and Workload Templates are set up, the auto-assign tool can be used. This tool considers assignments, employee availability/preferences, time-off requests, and other input factors to automatically assign shifts. Managers will have the option to modify assignments by managing or reassigning shifts as needed. If any shifts violate the defined rules, the system will alert the manager of the constraint violation and prompt them to correct it before posting the schedule.

After schedules are posted, employees will have several options to manage their shifts, including:

-Request to Swap Shifts

-Request for Coverage

-Picking up Open Shifts (only available if management has made the shifts visible)

Manager View – Advanced Scheduling

Employee View – Advanced Scheduling 

Advanced Scheduler:

Assign at least one Skill, Scheduled Cost Center, and Scheduler Profile to every team member.

Build out at least one Workload Template per scheduling location.

Basic Scheduler:

Provide a list of Daily Rules (shift start and end times) used throughout the week. These rules will also be available in the drop-down menu when assigning shifts through the schedule roster.

For example, if two employees are working the same 8:00AM – 4:30PM shift, only one 8:00AM – 4:30PM Daily Rule needs to be created. This rule can then be assigned to multiple Work Schedule Profiles or to several employees on the schedule roster.

Provide a list of Work Schedule Profiles to be created from the Daily Rules (optional).

Work Schedule Profiles are ideal for employees with consistent weekly shifts and minimal one-off changes. These profiles can be assigned to multiple team members who work the same schedule.

For example, a generic Work Schedule Profile could be created for all employees in Cultivation who work Monday – Friday, 8:00AM – 4:30PM. Once the Work Schedule Profile is set up, we can generate schedules based on that profile. This allows for scheduling on a weekly, monthly, or even yearly basis, with the flexibility to make one-off changes as needed.