Getting Started

Jobs

This is simple. Just enter any job titles for you and your staff.

Hint: Avoid entering very long names as this could make some pages and printouts untidy. For example Senior Conference Manager would be better as Snr Conf Mgr. The program uses IDs and lookup tables throughout, meaning that if you need to revise a name, it will take immediate effect on all relevant data.

Another hint: A job title cannot be deleted if it occurs in a future shift, and that may apply to existing sample data.

(Time required 5 minutes maximum)

Further reading: Job Titles

Locations

Even if you all work in the same office, you still need to have a location. After all, everybody is somewhere! Additionally, you might want to set up a location called 'Working from Home'(WFH) if your staff ever work from home. Generally, a location is a workplace rather than a particular room. For example, a Kitchen Porter's location is Restaurant, it's obvious from his job title that he'll be in the kitchen.

(Time required 5 minutes maximum)

see also: Locations

Shift Names

You'll notice that this is slightly more complex than Jobs and Locations.

theRota uses coded shifts. It means that for every possible start and finish time you need to set up a distinct shift name. Try to consider every possible variation - for example, if somebody normally finishes at 5pm but sometimes works later you need to add an overtime shift e.g. 5-7pm. Most of our subscribers have lots of shifts defined.

For each shift you can define hour many normal and premium hours are awarded for it. This will be reflected in payroll calculations. e.g. if a shift is 9am-5:30pm do you deduct the lunch time? Is that shift worth 8 or 8.5 hours?

There are other useful features here, but they are best left until you have developed your first rota.

(Time required: 10 minutes maximum)

Further reading: Shift Names

You will notice there are a lot of fields for staff details. Only the underlined fields are compulsory - First Name, Last Name, User Name, Password, Starting Date.

• Notice the default job, location and shift. The person can do others, this represents their most likely assignments. You'll set up their other allowable assignments later.
• Set the staff who are likely to do any admin or data entry to user level 1!

You will probably find it quicker to upload your staff list from an Excel file. At the bottom of the Staff List page you'll find the Staff Upload section. Go there and get the Excel file. Fill that file with your staff and upload it.

(Time required: 20 minutes approx)

Further Reading: Staff

Now you're ready to complete an important step - combining all your previous data entry. For each staff member tick all the boxes for Jobs, Locations and Shifts that they are able or qualified to do.

You may have noticed the working parameters before, as they show in a different way in jobs, locations and shifts, where you can confirm which staff can do them. This is the same thing, it just takes it from a different direction.

(Time required: 10 minutes approx)

Further Reading: Working Parameters

This is the first optional area, although most subscribers take advantage of this useful feature. This is where you set up the minimum staffing you require, specific to each normal day of the week, each job, location and shift time. Think about your current rota and enter the details. You'll soon get the hang of how to complete the page. (For special days such as public holidays we have alternative levels which you can explore at a later point.)

Once you've set up the minimums, theRota can start to interact with you. It can now highlight unfilled positions in your future calendar and offer you the chance to fill them by suggesting suitable staff, based on the working parameters you've set. You see how it all links together now?

(Time required: 10 minutes approx)

Further Reading: Minimums by Shift

Day View

Click on any day in the calendar and you'll come to the Day View.

The Day View groups the staff according to status - Working, Available, Resting and Leave/Sick/Not Available. Additionally it shows the unfilled positions. Chances are, if you enter the min by shift information that you'll see some unfilled.

Filling a unfilled post

Click on the unfilled shift details, and you'll get a popup box. In the popup box the staff that are able and qualified to fill that shift are shown in a dropdown, available (i.e. unassigned) first, and then the resting staff.

Assigning a person

Clicking on a person's name brings up a popup box where you change the person's shift or working status.

Further Reading: Day View

Quick Fill

This method is similar to Day View, but is more suitable if you have several of the same post to fill. For example, if you require lots of bar staff, security staff etc.

Filling unfilled posts

Click on Fill alongside the post you want to fill. Only the staff qualified for that job, location and shift are now offered. Simply tick the boxes of the staff you want to assign.

Multiple Assignments

Set a shift combination in the Fill This area, and again, only qualified staff will be offered to you. Tick the boxes and Update.

Further Reading: Quick Fill

Day Graph

Day Graph gives you exactly that. You can also edit from here. Just hit the edit links and you'll get a popup for editing the shift.

Week View

This is a versatile page and is favoured by the smaller workplaces (i.e. less than 30). The shift editing features are similar to those you've seen. Click on a person's shift or an unfilled shift and it brings up a popup box for editing.

Additionally, you can make repeated shifts for the same person. For example, if somebody works Monday to Friday, click on Monday and select to do the same for the following 4 days. On this same popup you can also swap shifts between staff.

The unfilled assignment works the same way as the Day View.

Further Reading: Week View

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