Understanding Shift Templates and Scheduling: A Complete Guide

Learn how MangoOps’ powerful templating system works, including shift rule templates, time conditions, location-based rules, and schedule templates to automate shift creation and ensure proper staffing.

Overview

MangoOps provides a powerful, flexible scheduling system that uses templates to automate shift creation and staffing requirements. This guide explains how the different types of templates work together to create efficient, compliant schedules.

Table of Contents

1. Key Concepts
2. Shift Rule Templates
3. Time Conditions
4. Location-Based Rules
5. Schedule Templates
6. How Everything Works Together
7. Common Use Cases
8. Best Practices

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Key Concepts

Before diving into the details, let’s understand the main components:

Shift Rule Templates

Define WHO can work and HOW MANY people are needed for shifts. These control staffing requirements, role assignments, and location restrictions.

Schedule Templates

Define WHEN and WHERE shifts should be created. These create multiple shifts at once following a pattern (like a weekly schedule).

Time Conditions

Determine WHEN Shift Rule Templates apply based on days of the week and time ranges.

Location-Based Rules

Control WHERE templates apply and which employees can work at specific locations.

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Shift Rule Templates

What Are Shift Rule Templates?

Shift Rule Templates define the staffing requirements for your shifts. Think of them as “staffing recipes” that automatically ensure your shifts have the right people with the right skills.

Key Components

1. Staffing Requirements

• Minimum Total Staff: How many people minimum are needed
• Role Requirements: Specific roles needed (e.g., 2 Nurses, 1 Manager)
• Location Restrictions: Whether staff must be assigned to the specific location

2. Time Conditions

• Days of Week: Which days this template applies (Monday-Sunday)
• Time Range: What hours this template covers (e.g., 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
• Priority: When multiple templates could apply, which takes precedence

3. Location Assignment

• Templates are assigned to specific locations
• Only assigned templates can apply to shifts at that location

Example: Hospital Shift Rule Template

Template Name: "ICU Day Shift Requirements"
Time Conditions: Monday-Friday, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Minimum Staff: 4 people
Role Requirements:
  - 2 Registered Nurses
  - 1 Charge Nurse  
  - 1 Nursing Assistant
Location Restriction: Yes (only ICU-assigned staff)
Priority: 10

When a shift is created in the ICU from 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM on Tuesday, this template automatically applies because:

• ✅ Day matches (Tuesday is Monday-Friday)
• ✅ Time overlaps (8-6 PM overlaps with 7 AM-7 PM)
• ✅ Template is assigned to ICU location

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Time Conditions

How Time Matching Works

Time Conditions use overlap detection rather than exact matching. This means a template applies if there’s ANY overlap between the template’s time range and the shift’s time range.

Overlap Examples

Template Time Shift Time Applies? Reason 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM ✅ Yes Shift entirely within template 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM ✅ Yes 2-hour overlap (9-10 AM) 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM ✅ Yes 1-hour overlap (4-5 PM) 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM ❌ No No overlap

Day of Week Selection

Templates can apply to any combination of days:

• Weekdays Only: Monday-Friday
• Weekends Only: Saturday-Sunday
• Specific Days: Tuesday, Thursday only
• All Week: Monday-Sunday

Priority System

When multiple templates could apply to the same shift:

• Higher priority numbers win (Priority 10 beats Priority 5)
• Only the highest priority template is applied
• Use priorities for specific overrides (e.g., holiday templates)

Priority Example

Regular Template: Monday-Friday, 9-5 PM, Priority 5
Holiday Template: All days, 9-5 PM, Priority 10

On Christmas (Monday): Holiday template applies (higher priority)
On regular Tuesday: Regular template applies (only one matches)

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Location-Based Rules

Template Assignment to Locations

Before a Shift Rule Template can apply to shifts, it must be assigned to the location where the shift takes place.

Assignment Process

1. Create Shift Rule Template
2. Assign template to specific locations
3. Template can now apply to shifts at those locations

Location Restrictions (require_location Setting)

When enabled, this setting creates a location-specific staffing pool:

• ✅ Enabled: Only employees assigned to this location can work shifts here
• ❌ Disabled: Any employee in the business can work shifts here

Use Cases for Location Restrictions

Enable When:

• Specialized equipment requires training
• Security clearances needed for specific sites
• Local regulations require location-specific certification
• Different locations have different skill requirements

Disable When:

• Employees can work at any location
• You want maximum scheduling flexibility
• Locations have similar requirements

Location and Department Requirements

Your business can use requirements at different levels:

Location-Wide Requirements

• Templates assigned directly to locations
• Requirements apply to entire location
• Available for all businesses

Department-Specific Requirements (Optional)

• Available when “Location Departments” feature is enabled
• Templates can be assigned to specific departments within locations
• Provides more granular control for complex organizations
• Location-wide requirements still work alongside department-specific ones

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Schedule Templates

What Are Schedule Templates?

Schedule Templates create multiple shifts at once following a predefined pattern. Unlike Shift Rule Templates (which define staffing), Schedule Templates define the actual shift schedule.

Key Components

1. Shift Patterns

Each template contains multiple “shift templates” defining:

• Shift Name: What to call each shift
• Day Offset: Which day relative to schedule start (0=first day, 1=second day)
• Start/End Time: When the shift runs
• Description: Optional details about the shift

2. Industry-Specific Templates

Pre-built patterns for common industries:

• Healthcare: 24/7 coverage with day/night shifts
• Education: School day schedules with before/after programs
• Finance: Market hours with early/standard/late operations
• Standard Business: Traditional 9-5 schedules

Example: Healthcare Schedule Template

Template Name: "Hospital 24/7 Coverage"
Shift Pattern:
  Day 0 (Monday): 
    - Day Shift: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
    - Night Shift: 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM (next day)
  Day 1 (Tuesday):
    - Day Shift: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM  
    - Night Shift: 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM (next day)
  [continues for full week]

How Day Offsets Work

Day offsets are relative to your schedule’s start date:

Schedule Period: January 1-7, 2024 (Monday-Sunday)

• Day Offset 0: January 1 (Monday)
• Day Offset 1: January 2 (Tuesday)
• Day Offset 6: January 7 (Sunday)

This allows the same template to work regardless of when your schedule starts.

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How Everything Works Together

The Complete Workflow

1. Setup Phase

1. Create Shift Rule Templates defining staffing requirements
2. Assign templates to locations where they should apply
3. Create Schedule Templates defining shift patterns (optional)

2. Schedule Creation

1. Create a new schedule for a specific time period
2. Apply Schedule Template (if using) to create multiple shifts at once
3. OR manually create individual shifts

3. Automatic Rule Application

1. System finds applicable Shift Rule Templates for each shift based on:
   • Location assignment
   • Time condition overlap
   • Day of week matching
2. Highest priority template applies automatically
3. Staffing requirements set from template

4. Staff Assignment

1. Assign employees to shifts
2. System validates against template requirements:
   • Minimum staff count
   • Role requirements
   • Location restrictions
3. Coverage status updates automatically

Integration Example

Scenario: Hospital ICU needs coverage for a week

Step 1: Shift Rule Templates

ICU Day Shift: Mon-Fri 7AM-7PM, Priority 10
- 3 RNs, 1 Charge Nurse, 2 CNAs
- Location restriction: Yes

ICU Night Shift: Mon-Sun 7PM-7AM, Priority 10  
- 2 RNs, 1 Charge Nurse, 1 CNA
- Location restriction: Yes

Step 2: Schedule Template Application

Apply "Hospital 24/7 Coverage" template
Creates 14 shifts for the week:
- 7 day shifts (7AM-7PM)
- 7 night shifts (7PM-7AM)

Step 3: Automatic Rule Application

• Day shifts → ICU Day Shift template applies
• Night shifts → ICU Night Shift template applies
• Each shift gets appropriate staffing requirements

Step 4: Staff Assignment

• Assign ICU-qualified nurses to shifts
• System validates role requirements are met
• Coverage status shows green when fully staffed

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Common Use Cases

Healthcare Facilities

Challenge: 24/7 coverage with different staffing needs for day/night

Solution:

• Schedule Template: “Hospital 24/7 Coverage” creates day/night shifts
• Shift Rule Templates:
  • Day template: Higher staffing for busier hours
  • Night template: Reduced staffing with senior coverage
  • Weekend template: Modified requirements

Retail Stores

Challenge: Different locations need different staffing levels

Solution:

• Location-specific templates: Flagship store vs. small location
• Time-based templates: Rush hours vs. slow periods
• Schedule Templates: Standard retail week pattern

Educational Institutions

Challenge: Complex schedules with multiple programs

Solution:

• Schedule Template: “School Day” creates regular class periods
• Department-based templates: Different requirements for classrooms vs. labs
• Time conditions: Before/after school programs

Corporate Offices

Challenge: Flexible scheduling with minimum coverage

Solution:

• Schedule Template: “Standard Business Hours”
• Shift Rule Templates: Minimum reception coverage
• Location restrictions: Disabled for maximum flexibility

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Best Practices

Template Design

Start Simple

• Begin with basic templates covering your main shifts
• Add complexity gradually as you understand the system
• Test templates with a small schedule first

Use Clear Names

• “ICU Day Shift Requirements” vs. “Template 1”
• Include location and time in the name when helpful
• Use consistent naming conventions

Set Appropriate Priorities

• Regular templates: Priority 1-5
• Special circumstances: Priority 6-8
• Emergency/holiday overrides: Priority 9-10

Time Conditions

Use Overlap Wisely

• Templates don’t need exact time matches
• Broader time ranges can cover multiple shift types
• Consider shift variations when setting ranges

Plan for Edge Cases

• Overnight shifts spanning midnight
• Weekend coverage needs
• Holiday schedule variations

Location Management

Location Restrictions

• Enable when compliance or safety requires it
• Disable for maximum scheduling flexibility
• Document your decision rationale

Template Assignment

• Assign templates to all relevant locations
• Review assignments when adding new locations
• Clean up unused template assignments

Testing and Validation

Test Before Go-Live

• Create test schedules to verify template behavior
• Check all time condition combinations
• Validate staffing requirement calculations

Monitor and Adjust

• Review coverage reports regularly
• Adjust templates based on real-world needs
• Update priorities if wrong templates are applying

Training and Documentation

Document Your Setup

• Keep a record of which templates apply where
• Document any special business rules
• Note seasonal or periodic adjustments needed

Train Your Team

• Ensure schedulers understand template behavior
• Train managers on coverage validation
• Provide reference guides for common scenarios

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Template Not Applying

Check:

• Is template assigned to the shift’s location?
• Do time conditions overlap with shift time?
• Is template active and not overridden by higher priority?

Wrong Staffing Requirements

Check:

• Which template is applying (check priority)
• Are time conditions too broad/narrow?
• Is the correct template assigned to location?

Coverage Not Calculating Correctly

Check:

• Are employees assigned to the location (if required)?
• Do assigned staff have the required roles?
• Are there prohibited role pairings?

Schedule Template Creating Wrong Shifts

Check:

• Day offsets match intended pattern
• Time zones are configured correctly
• Location assignments are correct

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Getting Help

If you need assistance with template setup or have questions about your specific use case:

1. Contact Support: Our team can help design templates for your needs
2. Request Training: We offer training sessions on advanced template features
3. Documentation: Check our knowledge base for additional guides
4. Community: Join our user community for tips and best practices

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This guide covers the core concepts of MangoOps’ templating system. For specific implementation questions or advanced use cases, please contact our support team.