New: completely automated roster building

For many years we have had a range of self-rostering tools that allows roster participants to easily and efficiently contribute to the roster-building process: pick shifts or express preferences for shifts, and nominate blockout dates that they can’t do.

Now as part of Release 24 we have a new function that does the reverse: roster administrators can now use HosPortal’s automated roster-building tools without involving users in any way. Just work out the number of shifts each person needs to do (although we can even do that if you want), and hit go. Done. And you can employ all the flexibility that you are used to from self-rostering: Christmas Day is worth 4 weekdays? Each person needs to do a separate number of weekdays and weekends? We can cater for that, too.

When HosPortal builds the roster our system will use any rostering, conflict and over-working rules you have in place, consider any approved leave, and generate a draft roster in under a second. You can manually tweak the roster, review statistics and run any number of automated re-builds until you are happy. In case you are not happy enough already.

Over time we aim to improve the roster-building algorithm even further to cater for multiply-interlaced rosters, or preferred staffing patterns, or more complex rule sets. Keep an eye out for them…you’ll be looking for something to do anyway with all your new free time.

(*In case you are interested….the cover image was the result of trying to get generative AI text-to-image creators to make a relevant picture. Clearly those tools are not yet as suited to purpose as HosPortal’s rostering software).