Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mean by "preference based" scheduling? How is it different from self-scheduling?
Each employee is walked through an easy guide to determine, for example, what days of the week they prefer to work, how many days on or off in a row they prefer, and their willingness to work different types of shifts. They can update their preferences at any time and have full visibility into how popular their preference choices are, which helps manage expectations. When a schedule is built, they'll also see how well it matched their preferences. Unlike self-scheduling, they are not being asked to build their own schedule, which then must be balanced by a manager, often a source of friction. Balance Scheduler takes the load off everyone.
How automatic is Balance Scheduler?
Once you've set up your unit or organizational requirements (staffing levels, certifications, shift types, etc.) and your staff roster has been input, you can get started. Your staff will be notified to update their preferences, then you simply need to push the "Create Schedule" button and wait a few seconds for it to build your schedule.
How does Balance Scheduler handle events like swaps and call-offs?
Balance Scheduler will display the best fit replacement (based on preferences and requirements) for employees who want to swap shifts. Managers get that same insight when filling a short-notice hole in the schedule. They'll see who can be added with the least amount of disruption to both personal preferences and the overall schedule.
What does installation and integration look like?
Installation of Balance Scheduler as a standalone scheduling application can be done in under 24 hours. We will work with your IT team to connect to any desired systems that have open APIs to push or pull needed data, such as patient census or time and attendance systems. These all depend on how you want your workflows to operate.
How secure is Balance Scheduler?
Seeing how many hacks have taken place in healthcare IT recently, we have confidently built Balance Scheduler as a cloud-based application, hosted in AWS. It does not store HIPAA, EHR, or financial data. Our team boasts decades of experience in cybersecurity protection for Fortune 100 companies. Your data is as important to us as your patients and clients are to you!
We're not sure we're ready to try something so new just yet. How do we get there?
Moving to innovative technologies can be difficult in large organizations. With you, we'll chart a course to your future vision that is secure and focused on your employees, meeting them where they are right now. We've helped some of the most risk-averse and "old school" organizations move comfortably to the future--we can do the same for you!