Our next–generation mobile app does virtually EVERYTHING that the standard WorkSchedule.Net v9 web application does and leaves the Version 8 mobile app in the dust! With the new mobile app, managers can create or change the schedule, administrate users, user roles, company settings, etc. Think of it as just another user interface for the same application but designed for your mobile device.
WE’VE REVAMPED THE ENTIRE USER INTERFACE!
Drag and Drop
Version 9 allows moving time blocks via drag and drop. Time blocks can be moved to other dates/days and rows (based on the current sort) to change category items or the assigned employee. Even diagonal and multiple time block moves are allowed!
View Up to a Year at a Time
Version 9 breaks free of the 8-week limitation of a view in the schedule! View up to 53 weeks at a time! In addition, Version 9 allows you to jump forward or backward years in a single jump, unlike Version 8 which restricts jumps to about 6 months at a time.
Enhanced, Less “Clingy” Selection of Time Blocks
Version 9 allows new, more user-friendly ways to select and deselect time blocks. You can draw a rectangle to select all time blocks in the rectangle. After completing most actions, and when clicking in white space, WorkSchedule.Net v9 automatically deselects everything so you can avoid accidentally changing time blocks that you did not realize were selected.
Easier Editing Multiple Time Blocks
Though Version 8 allowed multiple time block mass editing, Version 9 provides a streamlined, more user-friendly interface that is much more intuitive. Simply select multiple shifts and mass edit them in the pane below.
Filter What You Want
In Version 9 you can filter by any combination of employees or category items, instead of being restricted to viewing one employee or category item at a time.
Simplified Employee Availability
We have completely overhauled the Availability feature. We simplified it, allowing users to provide their availability and can create availability time blocks that recur on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis using recurrence like a standard online calendar. Users will no longer need to be concerned with the complications of understanding overriding weeks vs normal weeks. It’s simply one continuous calendar of availability.
In addition, each employee can individually choose whether to tell you when they are available, or alternatively, when they are not available. It’s no longer one choice for the whole organization.
Simplified Single Portal for Managers
If you play dual roles of both manager and employee, there’s no more toggling back and forth between your accounts as a manager and then as an employee. Now you can access your personal schedule, request your own time off, etc. from the same portal you use to schedule others.
Profile Pictures
Users can upload their favorite selfie as a profile pic. It will even show in the time blocks!
Color by Employee
Just like you can color by any category in Version 8, we extend that capability to color by assigned employee in Version 9!
SPEED AND LOCKING
The Need for Speed!
In the Version 9, page load times in the calendar areas are about 50% faster than Version 8 with a large number of time blocks in view.
Smarter Locking
Version 9 handles the “traffic cop” role better by allowing users to process their data more concurrently with other users. Auto-scheduler processing no longer locks the system as it does in Version 8, sometimes requiring off-hours processing for long auto-scheduling functions. The viewing of calendar areas now pauses other users for only a fraction of the short time it does in Version 8. This results in a faster system for everyone, even when users are all processing data at virtually the exact same moment!
ROLES AND VIEWS
Introducing Custom Roles
In Version 8 user permissions and options were maintained in the user records. Version 9 allows you to create custom “roles” which are each a permission set (a collection of permissions) that can be assigned to multiple users for easier maintenance of the user permissions by group.
Expanded Custom Views
In Version 8, you can save a collection of all your view settings, including your sort, filter, color scheme, column widths, etc., so that the next time you login you start with your preferred view settings.
But in Version 9 we expand this feature to allow more settings, the ability to share views, and the ability to switch between different views, even in the same login session!
OVERHAULED SECURITY
Stronger security
More stringent security requirements on password creation bring greater security in Version 9!
Single Sign On / MFA
Users can use Microsoft or Google accounts to login without having to use WorkSchedule.Net credentials. Using single sign on, users can also setup multi-factor authorization.
Trusted Devices
Users can stay logged in using trusted devices, removing the hassle of having to enter credentials each time the system is accessed.
Individual Credentials
In Version 9 we give control of login credentials to the users in Version 9 to self-manage. Now users create their own user ID and password after being invited with a very brief 3-step registration process. Administrators need not be concerned about creating, maintaining, nor distributing the credentials of each of their users.
NOTIFICATIONS
User Control of Notifications
Tired of users being spammed by irrelevant notifications? We fixed that. Users have full control over every notification type. Users can now choose the type of notification they want to receive and how they receive it (by email, SMS, or internal notifications).
True SMS
You no longer need to use an email address to send a text message (AKA “email to text”) . We have upgraded our technology to support direct SMS text messaging using your mobile phone number. Now notifications can go directly to the user’s phone if they opt in for SMS notifications.
UNDOCUMENTED FEATURES, NOW STANDARD
Time Off Cancellation
Time Off Cancellation was an undocumented feature in Version 8. In Version 9 it is fully available to all customers via a company setting. Employees who want to retract their approved time off due to a change of plans can request to cancel their time off, and managers can approve or decline the request.
Tentative Time Off Approval
We even included a Tentative Approval option in the event you are unsure if future dates will require more staff.
SWAP AND SIGN UP
Manager Approval for Sign Ups
In Version 9 you can require manager approval when employees request to sign up for open shifts or when employees request to swap shifts. Manager approval is only available for swaps in Version 8.
Multiple Shift Sign Ups
Unlike in Version 8, employees can request to sign up for multiple shifts in a single request as a package deal or opt for a single shift sign up in separate independent requests.
Streamlined “Trade Board”
In Version 9, employees can look to an organized inbox of trade requests linked from the Home page to pick up shifts. It is a much cleaner user interface than in Version 8.
Partial Sign Ups and Swaps (Coming soon)
Partial shift sign-ups and swaps are coming soon! In Version 8 only partial sign ups were supported. In Version 9 both sign ups and swaps will support partial shifts.
OTHER GREAT NEW FEATURES!
Local Time Translation
Version 9 allows on-the-fly local time translation, so each user can view the schedule or attendance record in their local time zone. This is a splendid feature if your employees work around the country or globe!
Category Parenting
Version 9 takes the customizability of Version 8 to the next level. You can create categories that exist as a subcategory under another category.
For example, you may have two Departments like Sales and Accounting. Certain tasks only apply to Sales and others only apply to Accounting. With category parenting, only available in Version 9, you can set up the proper relationships so that when adding or editing time blocks, only the relevant Tasks show once the Department is selected.
Category Types
Categories no longer have to be a pick list of items! You can now customize your own fields using category types. Create date, time, date/time, number, and text fields for time blocks.
Reactivate Users without Support
In Version 9 admins with proper permissions can re-activate previously deactivated users! You only pay for the licenses on the users that are active. So there’s no more need to contact support to “un-delete” users.
See the Full History of Every Time Block
In Version 8 you can see the last change to any time block. But Version 9 allows you to see the entire history of every time block change, from the time it was created until now! This includes what changed, who did it, and exactly when.
MOVING FORWARD!
Expect More Frequent, Smaller Updates
Version 9 is a “next generation” platform for WorkSchedule.Net , which is why a more involved migration process is needed. But future updates are expected to be both smaller and more frequent. Unlike recent years for Version 8 when our focus was on building Version 9, in the future Version 9 will be constantly enhanced based on feedback. We have no plans to overhaul the platform on this magnitude again, so future updates should require at most minimal, but typically no action on your part.
