Home Wiki DE

FAQ — Features & Planning

Practice questions about AutoPilot, algorithm and team coordination.

Wiki > FAQ > Features & Planning

How does the algorithm work?

The algorithm optimizes across multiple criteria simultaneously, in this order:

  1. Hard constraints: Absences, ✗ ("Not available"), qualifications, departments, minimum rest time. No shift gets assigned that violates them.
  2. Wish and availability: ★ is clearly preferred, ✓ is regular, empty days come after explicitly set ones.
  3. Weekly hours: Target hours are respected as much as possible.
  4. Fair distribution: Popular and unpopular shifts are balanced across the team.

More on the availability system: Availability.

What's the difference between shift swap and shift handover?

Shift Swap

Two employees give up shifts to each other. Both sides give and take — hours stay roughly equal for both.

Shift Handover

One employee gives up a shift without getting anything back. A colleague picks it up and gets the hours.

Details: Shift Swap and Shift Handover.

What happens when someone reports sick?

Sick leave automatically triggers:

  1. All affected shifts are released for handover.
  2. Suitable colleagues (department, qualification, rest time OK) get a push.
  3. The first to tap "Pick up" gets the shift.
  4. If no one picks up, the admin sees the open shift on the dashboard and reassigns manually.

Can I plan without the AutoPilot?

Yes. The AutoPilot is optional. You can:

  • Fully manual: Create shifts yourself, assign manually — AutoPilot stays off.
  • Semi-automatic: Create shifts manually, but use the algorithm for assignment.
  • Fully automatic: AutoPilot handles adding, publishing and assignment.

How does the algorithm know who has which qualifications?

You define qualifications once (Departments & Qualifications) and assign them per employee. On a shift you specify the required qualifications. The algorithm only assigns matching employees.

What if my employees don't set availability?

They're treated as "neutral" — they can be assigned, but employees with ✓ or ★ are preferred. The algorithm still produces a plan. You'll get better results if your team sets availability.

Tip

Ask the team to save a default availability as a template (bookmark icon top right). Then availability is set with one click for every new week.

How do I see who worked how many hours?

In the Statistics area. Admins see all employees, employees see only themselves.

Can I change shifts after assignment?

Yes. The schedule is never frozen:

  • Reassigning manually, changing times, deleting or adding shifts — possible anytime.
  • Employees can hand over or swap shifts.
  • On sick leave or absence the system automatically rebalances.

What if the AutoPilot doesn't fit?

You can step in anytime — pause the AutoPilot, restart the cycle (caution, see AutoPilot) or adjust the configuration. On an inconsistent configuration, PlanFast shows a hint and a button "Fix AutoPilot".

Can I include employees without app access?

Yes, as placeholders. They appear in the schedule like regular employees and the AutoPilot plans them. Once they register later, PlanFast suggests merging — no duplicate records, no gaps in statistics.