Shift templates

Learn how to use shift templates for the fastest and simplest way to create your schedule week on week

C
Written by Celayix Support
Updated over a week ago

Shift templates allow you to save a selection of shifts which can be pasted and repeated in the future for any period within the future. This tool is very useful for those who expect to have static schedules that require minimal change.

Shift Templates in Schedule Xpress

In this article, we're going explore the following for Shift Templates in Schedule Xpress:

Create a best-fit schedule

Creating your Shift template

Selecting your Shift template

Applying your Shift template

Shift templates in Settings


Create a best-fit schedule

If you're looking to create a Shift template, then your first step is to create a schedule that best fits the needs of your company and its employees.

Although we'd recommend doing this by the week as it gives you a more focused view, you can create a template for up to a month.

Creating your schedule in Schedule in Schedule Xpress

Once your best-fit schedule has been created, you can look at creating a template.


Creating a shift template in your Schedule

Now that your schedule is in place, let's look at the steps to creating your Shift template.

Highlighting your shifts

First, you'll need to highlight all the shifts that you want to be associated with the Shift template.

You can use the Select all shifts to highlight all the shifts that can be seen in your Schedule, or use the 3 dots selector to highlight specific columns or rows. Alternatively, you can check the shifts one by one or drag to select a range of shifts.

Selecting your shifts in Schedule in Schedule Xpress

Once the shifts are highlighted, click Shift Tools > Create shift template.

Create shift template in Shift Tools in Schedule Xpress

Create shift template

There are two ways that a template can be created.

The first option is the simplest. From the Schedule, you can click Shift Tools > Create shift template.

Create shift template in Shift Tools in Schedule Xpress

Alternatively, you can go to your Settings > Branch features > Shift templates > Create template.

Note: This is a second option to create a Shift template. Rather than creating shift in your Schedule and highlighting them to create a template, you'll add shifts to build this Shift template.

Create templates in Shift templates in Settings in Schedule Xpress

So, let's look at how you can use the first option to create a template straight from your Schedule.

Name and Description for your shift template

The next step is to Name your template and give it a Description.

For the Description, we recommend writing the start day. For example, Sunday start. This is to ensure you click the correct Apply template from when pasting the template.

Naming your Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Choose date range for shift template

Before applying a Shift template, you should locate the date range you're looking to paste the template in to.

Note: If there's no shifts, you can press the Apply shift template in the center of the screen. It's also important to note that even if there are shifts, you can still paste the template.

Always check your date range before applying a Shift template

For example, if your template runs from Sunday through to Saturday, you'll need to ensure that the Apply template from is set to the date of Sunday.

Important: If you don't choose the correct day to start the template on, it will be default paste into the first day in your date range.

Choosing a date to Apply template from in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Select your shift template

If you know the name of your Shift template, you can type it in the search bar.

Selecting your Shift template in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Alternatively, you can scroll to find it in the list.

Check marking your Shift template in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Before applying the Shift template, ensure you checkmark it.

Check marking your Shift template in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Show more

You can use the Show more and Show less options to expand and collapse the Shift template data. When expanded, the data will show:

  • Number of scheduled hours

  • Number of shift records

  • How many days the schedule spans across

  • When the template was last modified and who by

Show more and Show less for a Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Now let's look at Applying your Shift template.


Applying your shift template

Once you press Apply, you'll noticed that your Schedule is pasted in. The next step is to Save your template. But before you save, you'll need to know more about Apply template from, and how you can make temporary or permanent changes to your templates.

Applying your Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Apply template from

The Apply template from is fundamental in the placement of your schedule in the given date period.

Note: It will always default to the starting date of the current date range shown on your screen. For example, if you're showing the week from Sunday 3rd September - Saturday 9th September, then the default day to paste your template will be the first day of your work week (Sunday).

However, if your template Description is listed as anything other than your week start day, you'll need to choose the relevant day of the week in the Apply template from. For a Monday start, you'd choose 09/04/2023.

Making temporary changes to your template in Schedule

If you want to make temporary changes in your schedule, you can add, update, or delete the shifts once you've pasted them in.

Making permanent changes to your template in Schedule

If you want to make permanent changes to a template, you can either modify your template in Shift templates in Settings, or, make adjustment to shifts in your Schedule, highlight them, and rewrite over the existing template.

Once highlighted, you can go to Create shift template, and name it the exact same as the previous. It will offer you the option to save over the existing template.

Overwriting an existing Shift template

Saving your template

Press on the Save disk to paste your template. The template will then be pasted in.

Saving your template to Schedule in Schedule Xpress

Warnings and Errors

If your template contains a lot of shifts, it's likely that you'll receive warnings and errors.

Warnings and Errors for shifts when pasting template in Schedule Xpress

We recommend that you use your Dynamic Filters as the best way to handle them.


Apply & Repeat

You also have the option to Apply & Repeat.

Apply & Repeat in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

The Paste copies section allows you to paste copies for shifts using the employee or setting the shifts to Open.

The Repeat section allows you to repeat shifts in the template the same day or every number of days, based on the parameters you set.

Apply & Repeat in Apply shift template in Schedule Xpress

Your saved shift template

You'll now see that your Shift template has been pasted.

Your pasted Shift template in Schedule Xpress

Let's now look at how you can edit that template.


Shift templates in Settings

You can view and edit Shift templates by going to Settings > Branch features > Shift templates.

Shift templates in Settings in Branch features in Schedule Xpress

Inside the Shift templates module, you can Modify, Create, Clone and Delete a Shift template.

Modifying a template

Once you've created a Shift template, you can make amendments at any time through modifying your template. You can select the template you want to modify, and click Modify template to either add a shift, update a shift or delete a shift.

Modify template in Settings in Shift templates in Schedule Xpress

Create, Clone and Delete a template

You also have options to Create a template, Clone a template or Delete a template.

Create a template, Clone a template and Delete a template in Settings in Shift templates in Schedule Xpress

You can create a template by adding shifts to build it. You can also Clone or Delete an existing template.

For more information on shift templates, please Contact Support now!

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