This article outlines the updates and improvements made to the RotaPlanner platform during June 2026. These changes focus on enhancing the auto-scheduling engine, updating the user registration process, and refining the user interface.

Auto-Scheduling Improvements

• Balanced Shift Distribution: The automatic shift scheduler now applies rules to reward equal shift counts among staff members. This update supports a more balanced distribution of work hours across the team. A new table also displays this distribution breakdown, allowing users to verify how shifts are allocated.
• Faster Schedule Generation: System updates to the scheduling generator have reduced the time required to calculate and generate a schedule. The system now also measures and tracks the exact calculation time for each request.
• Visual Generation Steps: During the auto-population process, the platform now displays visual indicators showing the "thinking" and "question" steps of the generation engine. This provides visibility into the schedule-creation process. For more information on how this process works, see the guide on shift auto-population.
• Clearer Generation Errors: The scheduler now displays descriptive, public-facing error messages if the generation process fails or encounters conflicting constraints. This helps users identify why a schedule could not be completed.

Onboarding and Signup Updates

• Industry Classification: The signup form now includes an industry selection field. This allows new businesses to specify their industry sector during registration, which supports more accurate internal business metrics and reporting.

User Interface Refinements

• Playground Feedback Form: A new feedback form has been added to the public playground environment, enabling users to submit comments and suggestions directly while testing features.
• Temporary View Notifications: The main calendar interface now displays a clear alert banner when users are viewing a temporary rota. This is accompanied by updated cleanup rules to manage temporary data more effectively.
• Static Form Layouts: Several settings and data entry forms have been updated to a static layout structure, improving visual stability and making form completion more straightforward.