Features and Functionality

Therota.com has been in use and constantly enhanced since 2004. Taking our cues from existing and prospective customers, we have developed a solution rich in functionality, able to take on the rostering requirements of workplaces of many sectors and sizes. The following gives an overview of key features. More specific information can be found in the User Guide.

Staff Website Access

Therota.com is a web-based rota system, enabling user/staff interaction to make for a productive workplace. In addition to standard website access, there is a mobile version of the program, ideal for phones and smaller tablet devices.

General rota staff can view rotas and leave charts, make leave requests, volunteer for open shifts, swap shifts with other staff, view and contribute to the notice board. All of these are subject to the access and security settings a rota administrator might set.

SMS/mobile phone interaction

Therota.com interacts comprehensively with SMS text messaging:

• Broadcasting of future rotas.
• Ad hoc messaging from the rota (individual or grouped by job title, location etc). Replies will be sent to the website, recorded and the originator notified.
• Shift invites and swapping (a simple SMS reply will update the rota).
• Automated shift reminders.

Streamlining rota creation

Therota.com features a comprehensive range of tools for automating the creation of rotas. Once set up these can be set to roll over indefinitely or until a given date. These include:

• Personal patterns
• Team rotations, ideal for 24/7 swing shifts.
• Weekly templates provide an optimised environment for doctor's surgeries and office workplaces with its support for split shifts.
• Randomised fulfillment.

Self-rostering

Once minimum staffing levels are set the administrator can open shifts to qualified volunteers. An email and SMS notification process is used. Specific staff can be given priority or personally invited to fill a shift.

Events Management

The Events Diary provides another means of filling a rota. For workplaces that manage events with ad hoc staffing this provides a fully-featured management area. A profile of shifts to be filled can be created. Then filled with staff as a later/secondary process. This works seemlessly with volunteering and invites, providing a full solution for events management working with casual staff.

Leave/Holiday Administration

A comprehensive set of leave functions are built into the program. Features include:

• Online leave requests, including half-days and request to cancel leave.
• Leave allowance in annual days and accrual, or by hours.
• Leave Groups with specified leave administrators means that things can be set up and managed in natural groupings.
• Casual/Contractor staff can state availability. Ideal for workplaces employing students or similar.

Lateness/Sickness

A range of functions enable lateness and sickness to be recorded, reviewed, reported and acted upon. This area leads on to shift adjustments, whereby hours for a shift can be adjusted prior to payroll.

Reporting

Reports are available throughout the website. A custom report engine enables administrators to create and save particular report designs and filters. The Activity Log records every action that changes data enabling the administrator to keep tabs on what has changed and by whom. A backup and restore function is also part of the program.

Sub-Shifts and Sub-Locations

The advanced version of therota.com offers a range of features enable staff shifts to be managed in terms of breaks management. Tools for call centres include an Erlang calculator and data store. Sub-locations are a useful feature for managing rotas where staff need to move locations during shifts, such as museums and libraries.

Skills

Ensure that working days have the requisite skills present such as key holder, first-aid, languages. A skills database not only stores the staff skills, it also handles details of certificates and expiry dates.

Notice Board/File Uploads

A fully integrated notice board enables administrators and staff to communicate better and, perhaps, to have some fun too. Common files and forms used for the workplace can be uploaded for ready access by all staff. This feature is greatly appreciated by our current users.

Customising your Rota

• Change our logo to that of your workplace.
• Set the colour scheme to anything you wish. Our clever colour-scheme tool will offer a colour scheme to match the uploaded logo.
• Point staff towards a subdomain of your workplace. i.e. rota.yourwebsite.com. (Additional charge).