Build a roster template

Steps

The screenshots show a demonstration organisation with made-up names. Your own screens show your organisation's details. Select a screenshot to open it full size.

1. Go to SIL/Smart Rostering > More roster actions > Select shifts

   1 In the left menu, choose SIL/Smart Rostering. The Roster Workspace opens.

   2 In Site, choose the site. The field is called Site/Client if your organisation rosters clients without a site, as in the picture. Move to the roster period you want to copy from.

   3 Choose More roster actions, the three dots at the right of the toolbar, then Select shifts. A bar appears that says Selecting shifts to snapshot into a pattern.

   Tick each shift you want in the template, or choose Select all to tick every shift in the period. Then choose Create pattern. The button shows how many shifts you have ticked.

   Warning: The button at the top right of the roster says Disable Smart Rostering when the site uses Smart Rostering, and Enable Smart Rostering when it does not. Disable Smart Rostering takes effect straight away, so choose it only if you mean to stop Smart Rostering for the site. Enable Smart Rostering opens the site's settings.

   Note: Select shifts appears only when you may manage Smart Rostering, the site has no template yet and the period has shifts. If it is greyed out, Smart Rostering is off for the site: hover over it and it says Enable Smart Rostering for this site before selecting shifts.

   

2. Name the template and choose where it starts

   The Create Smart Rostering pattern window opens.

   1 In Pattern name, type a name.

   2 In Automation starts from roster period, choose the first period BondiByte should build by itself. It builds that period and every period after it. Periods that are already fully built are not listed.

   3 Tick Save as reusable template if you want to keep the pattern for later, then type a Reusable template name.

   4 Choose Create pattern. A message says the pattern is active and ready to run from the next valid roster period.

   Important: If some steps for the start period you chose are already due, the window warns that BondiByte may start work straight away. Choose a later period if you are not ready.

   Note: All the shifts in a template must come from the same roster period. If the list of periods is empty, the window says to create the next roster period for the site first.

3. Go to Configuration > Rostering rules > Templates

   In the left menu, choose Configuration, then the Rostering rules card, then the Templates tab.

   1 In Site, choose the site.

   2 In Template, choose the pattern. Each entry shows its name, its status, Active for site when it is the template in use, and its number of shifts.

   Note: A Manager sees Configuration open straight on the Rostering rules page, with only the Overview, Sites and Templates tabs. Go straight to the Templates tab.

   

4. Read the template

   1 The tag and name at the top show the template and its status, for example ACTIVE.

   2 Apply to next roster is explained in the last step.

   3 The facts show the Site, the Shift count, the Pattern cycle (Fortnightly or Monthly), when it was Created and the Next roster period.

   4 The Pattern board shows the repeating shifts. It has no calendar dates. Week 1, Week 2 and any later weeks repeat in each new roster period, and each day is labelled Pattern day 1, 2 and so on.

   

5. Turn on editing

   1 Choose Edit template. The button changes to Done editing and the board says Editing mode: use the pencil on a shift card to change the template.

   2 Choose Add shift on a day to add a shift to that day. A shift named New pattern shift from 09:00 to 17:00 for one staff member is added at once, and you then change it with the pencil.

   3 Choose the pencil on a shift card to change that shift.

   Warning: Add shift saves straight away. You do not need to choose a Save button, and nothing asks you to confirm.

   

6. Change a shift

   A panel opens at the right with a Template shift details section. The times you set here are used when BondiByte creates future shifts for the site. Choose Close at the top of the panel to leave it without changing anything.

   1 Change the Title if you want a different name for the shifts BondiByte creates.

   2 In Pattern day, choose the week and day, for example Week 1 - Monday.

   3 In Required staff, enter how many people the shift needs, from 1 to 200.

   4 In Start time, choose the start.

   5 In End time, choose the end. End day then says Same day or Next day by itself.

   6 Add Notes if you need them.

   Fields in step 6

   Field	What it means
   Sleepover shifts	A sleepover shift shows Sleepover segments instead of a start and end time, with First support starts and First support ends, and Last support starts and Last support ends. The time between them is the sleep.
   Client invoice line items	Optional. Lower in the panel you can choose the agreement line items used when client invoices are made for the shift.

   

7. Save the shift, or remove it

   1 Choose Remove shift to take the shift out of the template. BondiByte asks Remove shift from template? and explains that future roster periods will not include it.

   2 Choose Cancel to close the panel without saving.

   3 Choose Save shift to keep your changes. A message confirms Saved and the shift name. When you have finished, choose Done editing.

   

8. Apply the template to the next roster, if you need to

   BondiByte normally creates each roster period's shifts from the template on its planned date. Apply to next roster does it now for the next roster period. It works only before BondiByte has built that period.

   1 Choose Apply to next roster with the dates shown on the button.

   2 In the window Apply template to next roster?, choose Apply template.

   3 A message tells you how many shifts were created.

   Note: If the button is greyed out, the line under it explains why, for example This pattern can only be applied before automation runs for that roster. The page also says No future roster period is available when the next period does not exist yet.

What happens next

Once a site has an active template, BondiByte uses it to create the shifts of each later roster period, on the timing set in the organisation settings.

Once the pattern is active, Repeat this shift in the Add shift window is greyed out for the site and says Managed by the site's active Smart Rostering pattern. To add or remove one shift later, open that shift on the roster. Its Automation pattern section offers Add shift to future batch or Remove from future batches.

To keep a particular person on a recurring shift, use the padlock beside their name on the roster. See Assign and publish from Smart Rostering.

Next, check the site on the Readiness tab. See Check readiness.

Important notes

Good practice

• Build the template from a typical roster period and tick only the shifts that should repeat.
• Choose Automation starts from roster period carefully. If steps for that period are already due, the window warns you that work may be processed straight away, so pick a later period if you want time to check the template first.
• After you create the template, open it on the Templates tab and read the Pattern board before you rely on it. Check the days, times and number of staff on each shift.

Troubleshooting