Optimal pattern

The calculator sits at the top of the form for a new pattern: Manage Patterns → New → Optimal pattern · From position plan.

Calculating

1. Choose a position plan – the cards show all plans with period, positions and peak.
2. Pattern from and until – the period must lie within the position plan (Within the plan). If it overlaps an existing pattern, Rostify points this out: saving would not be possible later.
3. Calculation: Employee-friendly keeps work blocks short (ideally one hour at a time) and does not start night shifts before 22:00. Economical looks for the lowest number of staff hours.
4. Shift length: Normal or Long – with Long, Rostify prefers fewer but longer shifts.
5. Briefing: at the Start, at the End, Both (start or end) or None.
6. Click Calculate. The calculation runs on the server for no more than five minutes; the bar shows the progress.

You can leave the page in the meantime. The result stays stored in your browser and reappears the next time you open the page – with a notice if the position plan, rules or shifts have changed since. Recalculate then runs the calculation again.

The result

Optimal and existing shifts

Two cards compare:

• Optimal – with freely chosen shift times: the lowest staff hours per week.
• Existing shifts – using only the shifts your unit already has. If the result is just as good, it says as good as optimal; otherwise it shows the additional hours per week.

Notices above them state what was not used – for example shifts with an unsuitable start time, or positions without staffing demand such as briefing and break.

Figures

Figure	Meaning
Staff hours	hours per week
Shifts	shifts per week
Shift types	how many different shifts are needed
Heads Supervisor	supervisors per day
Ø shift length	average duration
Ø work block	average continuous time on position, with the share of longer blocks
Break share	share of breaks in the shift time
Lower bound	computed minimum with fractions of people – only with Economical
Rules checked	✓ or the number of violations
Uncovered	hours per week that cannot be covered, and why

Required shifts

The table lists each shift with its times, duration and required licences, the matching code from your shift list and the count per weekday and per week.

If the In shift list column says does not exist, your unit has no shift with this start and duration. Create it under Shifts – the Create under Shifts link takes you straight there. Back in the calculator, Rostify recognises the new shift.

Course of the day

For each weekday, the chart shows how many people are Working, in Briefing, on a Break, on a Lunch break or on a Sleep break at each time of day – against the line of Open positions. Night shifts run into the following day. The diamonds above the chart mark the shift start times.

Applying the result

1. Click Apply to pattern. If shifts are missing, Rostify first tells you how many: Create the missing shifts first.
2. The form below is now filled in. Check Name, Active From, Active Until and the week pattern.
3. Click Save pattern.

Discard deletes the result.

The rules

Rules at the top right shows the parameters used for the calculation:

Rule	Parameter
Shift length	day shift 8 to 12 h, night shift up to 12.5 h
Day shift	start 06:30 to 19:00, end by 24:00
Night shift	start 18:00 to 20:00, end 06:00 to 07:00, 4 h continuous sleep break, no briefing
Working time in a row	no more than 1.5 h; 2 h before a break of 1 h or more, or before the end of the shift; up to 4.5 h at night
Breaks	at least 27 % of the shift, shortest 30 min
Lunch break	from 6 h of duty, one hour between 10:30 and 17:00, within the first 7 h
Licenses	a position that requires a licence needs a shift with that licence
Existing shifts	are preferred if start and duration differ by no more than 30 min
Briefing	30 min
Standby	counts as working time
Supervisor	own positions only, break share 19 %, one daily chain 12 h day → 12 h night, as few heads as possible

The parameters are stored for your organisation; Rostify support sets up any deviations.