Batch Mode Updates to Shifts & Tasks

 

This set of capabilities is intended for Office Staff and Event Chairpersons to make it easy to add, update, or delete a batch of recurring shifts and tasks (e.g. cafeteria helpers needed throughout the year). The purpose is to make it easier and faster to define events that have many recurring shifts throughout the year, compared to using the one-a-time tools.

 

With these features, you can:

  • Add New Shifts with Tasks: Create new recurring Shifts with Tasks included
  • Update Tasks: Update the Tasks in a set of recurring Shifts
  • Delete Shifts: Delete a range of existing Shifts with Tasks

Note: After creating or updating tasks with this batch mode tool, you can always go in to tweak the shifts and tasks using the normal set of Shift/Task tools for add/update/delete one-at-a-time processing.

 

Example Scenario (6 steps):

 

First, use the Standard event/shift/task tool (one-at-a-time)

  1. Create a New Event
    Create a new Event (e.g. Cafeteria Help 2013-2014) and provided the needed information. Leave the event in Draft Mode for now, till you’re finished.
  2. Define Tasks
    Define each of the Tasks that are needed for the newly created event (e.g. kitchen help, cashier).

Then, use the Batch-Mode shifts/tasks tool:

  1. Create Shifts with Tasks for the whole school year
    Using the Batch Mode tool, defining the start and end dates, how many of each task are needed for a shift, which days of the week the shifts will occur, etc. For cafeteria help, the shifts are likely M,T,W,Th,F. Other events may be every Tues, for example.
  2. Delete Shifts and Tasks for school vacations
    Using the Batch Mode tool, delete the shifts and tasks for Christmas vacation, Spring break, etc., providing the start and end dates of shifts to be deleted. This is an easy way to remove blocks of shifts with one request.

Finally, make any needed exception updates:

  1. Delete Shifts for specific exception days
    For example, no cafeteria helpers are needed on school days off for teacher-in-service days, etc. Both the one-at-a-time and the batch-mode tools work fine for this.
  2. Update the Tasks for specific exception days
    If needed, use the standard tool to update the tasks needed for a specific shift. For example, perhaps an extra volunteer is needed the 3rd Monday of every month. This can be done one-at-a-time for each of those special days.

    NOTE: If there are exceptions needed EVERY week (e.g. an extra helper every Thursday), the Batch Mode tool can be used to do that in one simple step.

All ready? Then you can go back into the Event edit tool and change the state to Published, so that your Event becomes visible for Parents to start signing up.

 

Additional Notes:

  • Deleting Shifts using the Batch Mode tool
    • By default, Shifts that contain Tasks that are already signed-up will not be allowed to be deleted. This is to ensure that you don’t accidentally wipe out sign-ups.
    • You can override this and request that Shifts and Tasks be deleted anyways, even if they are already signed up. Please use this option with caution as it cannot be undone.
  • Updating Existing Shifts and Tasks using the Batch Mode tool
    • You can update an existing set of recurring shifts for updates such as adding a new task each shift, or changing the number of workers needed each shift, or changing the times of tasks and/or shifts, etc.