How to Use Auto-Populate

Auto-populate automatically fills your rota with staff based on their availability, skills, and your configured rules. This saves hours of manual scheduling and ensures fair distribution of shifts.

When to Use Auto-Populate

Auto-populate is ideal when you have:

• Many unassigned shifts - Perfect for filling gaps quickly
• Complex availability patterns - When staff have varying schedules
• Skills-based requirements - When shifts need specific qualifications
• Fair distribution needs - To ensure equal workload distribution

How Auto-Populate Works

Auto-populate uses several factors to assign staff to shifts:

1. Availability

Only assigns staff who are available during the shift time. This includes:

• Personal availability settings
• Time off requests
• Other scheduled shifts
• Location restrictions

2. Skills Matching

Matches staff with the skills required for each shift:

• Required certifications
• Training qualifications
• Experience levels
• Specialized knowledge

3. Workload Balance

Distributes shifts fairly by considering:

• Current hours worked
• Recent shift assignments
• Preferred shift types
• Overtime limits

Setting Up Auto-Populate

Step 1: Configure Staff Availability

Before running auto-populate, ensure your staff have accurate availability settings:

Step 2: Define Shift Requirements

For each shift type, specify what's required:

Step 3: Configure Auto-Populate Rules

Set your preferences for how auto-populate should work:

Running Auto-Populate

Step 1: Access the Feature

Click the "Auto-Populate" button in your rota view. This opens the auto-populate configuration panel.

Step 2: Select Shifts

Choose which shifts to auto-populate:

• All unassigned shifts - Fill everything at once
• Selected shifts - Pick specific shifts to fill
• By date range - Fill shifts within a time period
• By shift type - Fill specific types of shifts

Step 3: Review and Confirm

Before applying, review the proposed assignments:

• Check that assignments make sense
• Verify skills match requirements
• Ensure fair distribution
• Look for any conflicts

Step 4: Apply Assignments

Click "Apply" to confirm the assignments. The system will:

• Assign staff to selected shifts
• Send notifications to affected staff
• Update availability calculations
• Log the auto-populate action

Advanced Auto-Populate Features

Custom Rules

Create specific rules for different scenarios:

Batch Processing

Process multiple rotas at once:

• Weekly rotas - Auto-populate entire weeks
• Monthly planning - Fill month-long schedules
• Department-specific - Handle different teams separately
• Location-based - Populate by venue or site

Monitoring and Adjusting

Review Results

After auto-populate, check:

• Assignment quality - Are assignments appropriate?
• Fairness - Is workload distributed evenly?
• Coverage - Are all shifts properly covered?
• Staff satisfaction - Any immediate concerns?

Manual Adjustments

You can always make manual changes after auto-populate:

• Swap assignments - Move staff between shifts
• Add exceptions - Handle special circumstances
• Override rules - Make exceptions when needed
• Fine-tune - Adjust for optimal results

Best Practices

Before Auto-Populate

• Update availability - Ensure staff availability is current
• Review skills - Verify all skills are properly recorded
• Set clear rules - Define your assignment priorities
• Communicate - Let staff know about the process

After Auto-Populate

• Review assignments - Check for any issues
• Get feedback - Ask staff about the results
• Adjust rules - Refine based on outcomes
• Document changes - Keep track of what works

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Getting Better Results

• Start small - Test with a few shifts first
• Iterate - Refine rules based on results
• Get input - Involve staff in rule development
• Monitor patterns - Learn from repeated issues