Navigating the Planner Section: A Forecasting Tool for Staffing

Navigating the Planner Section: A Forecasting Tool for Staffing

The Planner tab in Smart Rota section is a valuable feature that allows you to project and manage staffing levels for the upcoming six months. It offers a comprehensive view of staffing, allowing you to plan ahead effectively. Here's how you can make the most of this section:

1. Selecting Parameters:
At the heart of the Planner section is the dropdown menu, where you can choose from various parameters. These options help tailor the data you want to see:





Headcount FTE: This view provides an overview of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) headcounts for the upcoming six months. FTE is a measure of staffing that accounts for the total number of hours worked, indicating staffing levels in terms of full-time positions. In other words: Shift FTE is the ratio between shift length in use and a shift length reference. If the shift FTE reference is set to 8 hrs, then a 8 hrs shift = FTE 1; a 10 hours shift is FTE 1.25; a 12 hours shift is FTE 1.50. One hour is FTE 0.125.

Headcount Shift: If you prefer to see staffing levels in terms of shifts, this view is for you. It displays the sum of shifts required to meet the staffing needs for the next six months.

Variance Holiday FTE vs FTE needs: This view compares the FTE staffing levels specifically for holidays against Business Requirements (BR) needs. It's a useful way to assess how many holidays are left.

Variance Holiday FTE vs Minimal Shift Required: Here, you can evaluate the variance in FTE staffing for holidays compared to the minimal shift requirements. This view helps in determining whether you have the right level of staffing against holiday slots.

Depending on your configuration and settings, Minimal Shift Required per day may differ from the Business Requirement (BR) true count (equivalent to Shift FTE).

2. Filtering by Working location:
Depending on your configuration, you may have several working location within the same site

3. Filtering by Position or Grade:
To focus on specific groups within your workforce, you can further refine your view by selecting a position or grade. This feature allows you to tailor the results to a certain category of employees, making your planning more precise.

4. Contains skill - ANY and ALL:

Contain skills Any means the logical function OR; All means the logical function AND.

Search with Any

Skill A; Skill B
Returns all staff that have one or the other.

Search with All

Skill A; Skill B
Returns all staff that have both skills.

"Count xHrs": If you want to include overtime hours in your projections, simply tick this box. It's a useful option to account for extra hours beyond regular schedules.

5. Colour Coding:
The Planner section uses colour coding to provide at-a-glance insights into staffing levels.






Here's what each colour signifies:

Red (Understaffed): Red indicates a shortage of staff. This is a clear visual cue that adjustments are needed to meet staffing requirements for the next six months.

Green (Overstaffed): Green signals that you have an excess of staff. This could be an opportunity to optimize costs or adjust schedules for greater efficiency.

White (On Target): White represents a balanced staffing level, indicating that you're meeting your staffing needs as planned.

By using color-coded visuals, you can quickly identify areas where action is required, where there's room for optimization, and where you're right on track.


In summary, the Planner section is a powerful tool for long-term staffing forecasting and planning. Whether you're focusing on FTE, shifts or holiday allocation, this section empowers you to make informed decisions about your staffing strategy for the next six months. If you have any questions or require assistance in using this feature, our support team is available to help you get the most out of the Planner.

Updated on: 11/12/2023