RPL_UserGuide_v02.32

RosterPlanner

USER MANUAL

Edition : V2.32

Edition Date : 01/02/2012

Status : Released Version

Edition: 2.32 ATS DATA DESIGN, USER GUIDE Page: 2

Feb 2012

Commercial – in – Confidence

This document contains proprietary data of items, components, processes etc. developed or acquired at the private expense of ATS Data Design ApS and the document is restricted to be used only by LPS SR, š.p. under the terms of the Contract <contract no>. Neither said document nor said data shall be furnished, disclosed, copied or used by another person outside the conditions of the Contract <contract no> without a written approval of ATS Data Design ApS.

The Copyright of this document is vested in ATS Data Design ApS. This document may only be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form, or by any means electronically, mechanically, in copy, or otherwise, with the prior permission of ATS Data Design ApS.

LPS SR, š.p. is granted permission to reproduce this document, in whole or in part, for use only under the terms of the Contract <contract no>.


Feb 2012

DOCUMENT IDENTIFICATION AND STATUS

Title: User Guide

Version: V2.32

Date: 01/02/2012

Author Michael Silau / Finn Quist Andersen

AUTHORITY Approval

Integra A/S Name:

Signature:

Date:

Letové prevádzkové služby Slovenskej republiky, štátny podnik

Name:

Signature:

Date:


Feb 2012

DOCUMENT DISTRIBUTION

ORGANISATION COPIES

LPS SR, š.p. 2

Integra A/S 1

ATS Data Design ApS 2


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Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................ 9

2 OBJECTIVE ................................................................................ 9

3 DOCUMENT OVERVIEW ............................................................. 9

4 DOCUMENT CONVENTIONS ....................................................... 9

5 EPL IN BRIEF .......................................................................... 10

6 EPL ROSTERPLANNER ............................................................. 20

6.1 General Introduction to EPL RosterPlanner ................................................................................... 20

6.2 Roster Structure based on Endorsements ........................................................................................ 21

6.3 EuroPlanner System Configuration ................................................................................................. 22

7 INSTALLATION AND ADMINISTRATION .................................. 23

8 EPL ROSTERPLANNER GENERAL LAYOUT ................................ 24

8.1 Selecting a Period ............................................................................................................................. 25

8.2 The Toolbar ...................................................................................................................................... 26 8.2.1 Toolbar link ................................................................................................................................... 26 8.2.2 Online Info Tags: ........................................................................................................................... 27 8.2.3 RPL Standard Colours .................................................................................................................... 27

8.3 Getting started .................................................................................................................................. 29

9 CREATION FUNCTIONS ........................................................... 32

9.1 Roster Preparation ........................................................................................................................... 33

9.2 Staff & Headers ................................................................................................................................ 38

9.3 Basic Roster ...................................................................................................................................... 40 Manually using an individual matrix ....................................................................................................... 43 Fill in from Stored Shifts ........................................................................................................................ 44 Store these Shifts .................................................................................................................................... 44 Fill in Staffing ........................................................................................................................................ 44

9.4 Teams ............................................................................................................................................... 45

9.5 OJT ................................................................................................................................................... 47

9.6 Leave Requests ................................................................................................................................. 49


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9.7 Task Requests (AODs) ..................................................................................................................... 52

9.8 Part time ........................................................................................................................................... 54 9.8.1 Show Part Timers ........................................................................................................................... 55 9.8.2 Edit Part Timers ............................................................................................................................. 55

9.9 Rating ............................................................................................................................................... 58

9.10 Individual Shifts ............................................................................................................................... 60

9.11 Bidding ............................................................................................................................................. 62

9.12 MeetingPlanner ................................................................................................................................ 64

9.13 Sector Leaders .................................................................................................................................. 68

9.14 Pool Manager ................................................................................................................................... 70 9.14.1 Pool Distribution Options ........................................................................................................... 73 9.14.2 Coupled Shifts ........................................................................................................................... 74 9.14.3 Trace Function ........................................................................................................................... 78 9.14.4 Fairness ..................................................................................................................................... 81

10 CHECK FUNCTIONS ................................................................. 82

10.1 All Checks ......................................................................................................................................... 83

10.2 Check Leave + Task ......................................................................................................................... 85 10.2.1 Auto-fill ..................................................................................................................................... 85

10.3 Check Working Rules ...................................................................................................................... 88 10.3.1 Fixed weeks: .............................................................................................................................. 90 10.3.2 Floating weeks: .......................................................................................................................... 91

10.4 Check Conflicts ................................................................................................................................ 93

10.5 Check Combinations ........................................................................................................................ 96

10.6 Check Staffing .................................................................................................................................. 97

10.7 Check Rating .................................................................................................................................... 98

10.8 Check Status ..................................................................................................................................... 99 10.8.1 ESARR5 .................................................................................................................................... 99

10.9 Check Bidding ................................................................................................................................ 101

10.10 Check Supervisors ...................................................................................................................... 103

11 FUNCTIONALITIES & DATABASE ........................................... 110

11.1 Staff data ........................................................................................................................................ 111 11.1.1 Staff Balances .......................................................................................................................... 117

11.2 Staff Info Buttons ........................................................................................................................... 120 11.2.1 To activate a person ................................................................................................................. 121 11.2.2 To deactivate a person .............................................................................................................. 122 11.2.3 To Move a person .................................................................................................................... 123 11.2.4 To display Notes ...................................................................................................................... 125 11.2.5 EPL Photo Gallery ................................................................................................................... 126


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11.3 Shift types ....................................................................................................................................... 127 11.3.1 RPL Shift Code Principles ........................................................................................................ 128 11.3.2 Shift Definition ........................................................................................................................ 128 11.3.3 Shift Updating Functions .......................................................................................................... 130 11.3.4 Understanding EPL Shift Principles.......................................................................................... 131

11.4 Staffing Tables ................................................................................................................................ 132

11.5 Combination Tables ....................................................................................................................... 137 11.5.1 Editing Combinations............................................................................................................... 138 11.5.2 Multible Combinations Tables .................................................................................................. 138 11.5.3 Priority Levels ......................................................................................................................... 139

11.6 Leave Plan ...................................................................................................................................... 143 11.6.1 Quick Update ........................................................................................................................... 145

11.7 Task Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 146 11.7.1 Updating the TaskPlan ............................................................................................................. 147 11.7.2 More about RPL Taskplanning ................................................................................................. 149 11.7.3 The X-task Concept ................................................................................................................. 154 11.7.4 Reservation Tasks .................................................................................................................... 155

11.8 Bidding Plan and Biddings ............................................................................................................. 157

11.9 Status Plan ...................................................................................................................................... 161

11.10 Parameters ................................................................................................................................. 163 11.10.1 RPL Online Help ..................................................................................................................... 166 11.10.2 General Settings ....................................................................................................................... 167 11.10.3 System Parameters ................................................................................................................... 177 11.10.4 User Parameter Sets ................................................................................................................. 177 11.10.5 Special Days ............................................................................................................................ 180

11.11 The Manual Process ................................................................................................................... 181 11.11.1 Swopping of Shifts ................................................................................................................... 181 11.11.2 Please avoid ............................................................................................................................. 182 11.11.3 Short Keys ............................................................................................................................... 182

11.12 GoTo Functions and Navigation ................................................................................................ 185

11.13 Data Exchange............................................................................................................................ 187 11.13.1 Import of Biddings and Leave .................................................................................................. 188 11.13.2 Bidding – leave ........................................................................................................................ 189 11.13.3 Bidding + leave ........................................................................................................................ 189 11.13.4 EPL-mail principles ................................................................................................................. 189 11.13.5 EPL-mail (Data out) ................................................................................................................. 190 11.13.6 EPL-mail (Data in) ................................................................................................................... 192 11.13.7 EPL-mail and pool shifts .......................................................................................................... 195 11.13.8 Historic Data ............................................................................................................................ 196 11.13.9 Leave ....................................................................................................................................... 197 11.13.10 RPL Interlink ....................................................................................................................... 197 11.13.11 System Upgrade................................................................................................................... 201 11.13.12 Publishing of rosters ............................................................................................................ 202 11.13.13 Performed shifts in RosterPlanner ........................................................................................ 202 11.13.14 All Shifts ............................................................................................................................. 203 11.13.15 Transfer of roster data to payrole system or HR system......................................................... 203 11.13.16 Bidding Accepted ................................................................................................................ 203 11.13.17 Bidding Registered .............................................................................................................. 204 11.13.18 BreakPlanner ....................................................................................................................... 206 11.13.19 Leave .................................................................................................................................. 206 11.13.20 StatusChecker ...................................................................................................................... 207


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11.13.21 Synchronize ......................................................................................................................... 209 11.13.22 Tasks / AODs ...................................................................................................................... 209

11.14 Print Out .................................................................................................................................... 211

11.15 Protection ................................................................................................................................... 213

11.16 Replace Cycles ............................................................................................................................ 215

11.17 Show Button ............................................................................................................................... 216 11.17.1 Created Rosters ........................................................................................................................ 217 11.17.2 New Rosters ............................................................................................................................ 217 11.17.3 Delete Rosters .......................................................................................................................... 218 11.17.4 Overlap .................................................................................................................................... 221 11.17.5 Ratings .................................................................................................................................... 222 11.17.6 Show non-existing ................................................................................................................... 223 11.17.7 Hours per Year / Working Hours .............................................................................................. 224 11.17.8 Early/Late Counts .................................................................................................................... 225 11.17.9 Horizontal Counts .................................................................................................................... 227 11.17.10 Vertical Counts .................................................................................................................... 228 11.17.11 Week Numbers .................................................................................................................... 229 11.17.12 Registration of sickness........................................................................................................ 229 11.17.13 Staff Names ......................................................................................................................... 231 11.17.14 Pool Lines ........................................................................................................................... 232

11.18 On Screen Features .................................................................................................................... 234 11.18.1 Fairness Indicators ................................................................................................................... 234

11.19 Advanced Utilization of EuroPlanner ........................................................................................ 235 11.19.1 Example 1 – Manpower Planning ............................................................................................. 235 11.19.2 Example 2 – Task Planning ...................................................................................................... 236 11.19.3 Example 3 – Quality ................................................................................................................ 239 11.19.4 Example 4 – Simulation ........................................................................................................... 240 11.19.5 Example 5 – Sickness & Stand By ............................................................................................ 240 11.19.6 Example 6 – Various Statistics ................................................................................................. 242 11.19.7 Example 7 – Individual Rosters ................................................................................................ 243

11.20 Protection Levels ........................................................................................................................ 246

11.21 Error Handling........................................................................................................................... 247 11.21.1 Precautions .............................................................................................................................. 247 11.21.2 Application Errors .................................................................................................................... 247

12 RPL STATISTICS ................................................................... 250

13 RPL DATA CAPACITY ............................................................. 256


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1 Introduction

2 Objective This document is the reference manual for the EPL RosterPlanner Application.

The user manual is sufficiently detailed to enable a person with a basic knowledge of Windows-based software applications and rostering principles to operate the system with 10 days of training.

3 Document overview The complete EUROPLANNER® documentation consists of thirteen volumes:

1. EPL Leave & Bidding

2. EPL RosterPlanner

3. EPL DutySwap

4. EPL OJTPlanner

5. EPL StatusChecker

6. EPL CheckIn & Briefing

7. EPL BreakPlanner

8. EPL TrafficPlanner

9. EPL CoursePlanner

10. EPL Administration

11. EPL HR Interfaces

12. EPL Web Support Guide

13. EPL Installation Guide

4 Document Conventions

CTL+t Hold down the CTL key while pressing the “t”-key

ALT+Left Hold down the ALT key while pressing Arrow Left

Access path “Process / Basic Roster / Fill in from Stored Shifts / Execute” means: Press “Process”-button then select “Basic Roster”, then select “Fill in from stored Shifts” and finally press “Execute”.

Database In this document the term “Database” refers to all information stored as a basis for the EPL RosterPlanner, e.g. Shift Types, LeavePlan, Parameters, etc

AOD Absence of Duty. in this document referred to using the term “Task”

Select Left mouse click


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5 EPL in Brief

Bidding and Leave Planning are pre-planning modules. RosterPlanner is the application that creates ATC rosters. Staff Services handles the swap of shifts after publishing and contains the Staff Forum. Check-In makes Staff Check-In and keeps all published rosters. Check-In is also where the supervisor makes last minute changes and where registration of sickness takes place. StatusChecker

and OJT-Planner keep track of all ESARR5-ratings and match coaches with trainees. BreakPlanner allocates controllers onto correct working positions and optimises sector configuration according to staffing and traffic flow. Statistics are prints of any kind and transfers roster data to e.g. the payroll system and human resources software.

ATS Data Design

ATS Data Design develops and implements highly efficient, user friendly and flexible Shift Rostering Applications to ANS Providers for the benefit of both management and air traffic controllers.

Combined with our wide-ranging expertise in ATC environments, ATS Data Design uses modern programming tools and web-based user-interface to provide complete turnkey solutions to meet all customer requirements.

ATS Data Design provides tactical and strategic manpower planning service to 1,200 ATCO‟s and FDA‟s in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Croatia, Abu Dhabi and in Eurocontrol UAC, Maastricht.

EPL System Functionalities

The EPL Leave & Bidding uses Internet as a staff gateway for entering leave requests and

bidding. It exchanges data with the RPL RosterPlanner application, which handles creation of rosters, monitoring of resources, re-arranging of shifts, and provides the user with many easy tools to facilitate manual inputs. After publishing deadline of the final roster, data is exchanged with EPL Check-In, StatusChecker and BreakPlanner. In the OPS-room this part of the system manages all staff check-in, absence (due to sickness)


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updating, monitoring of valid ratings, planning of breaks, etc. After midnight all registration data is available for further processing in your payroll system.

Although containing powerful and advanced processes, the tool is highly user-friendly and is easily customized and integrated to national procedures.

EPL Support

ATS Data Design assists in all kind of basic roster definition, setting of parameters, data transfer, processing, printing, etc.

Online Web-support 24H.

Up-to-date software documentation.

EPL-workshops and training of super users.

EPL Leave & Bidding Functionalities

Internet Staff Bidding on any shift. Possibility to add a remark to biddings. Available shift types and setting of manual or automatic deadline are custom parameters.

Internet Leave Planning, including fixed days off. Three priority levels: High, medium, low. Available leave buffer per day and optional setting of open and closed periods. Remaining (or used) leave days for each person.

Possibility for staff to compose individual rosters.

Checking of contractual and governmental regulations. This custom setting prevents undesirable and illegal biddings.

Publishing of accepted leave, accepted biddings, etc. The customer may also decide to publish final rosters via EPL Check-In.


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EPL Roster Planning Functionalities

Automatic roster generation of pre-planned and distributed rosters. Set-up of basic shifts may be carried out automatically according to any kind of recurring pattern, e.g. 5 working days followed by 2 days off, or automatically generated set-up based on manually processed long term patterns (from e.g. Excel files or CSV-files).

Consideration of all public holidays and other specific days where staffing requires special attention.

Consideration of different set-up of ATC units and teams. Max 1,000 persons per unit, unlimited number of units)

Definition of required staffing. Carried out automatically according to fixed patterns or custom defined for any shift. Deviating staffing may be set for specific weekdays or days of the year.

Definition of up to 50 different shift types. Additional time balancing on shifts according to national or local regulations (breaks, evening and night allowances, etc)

Consideration of trainees in the same team (and roster) as full qualified controllers (coach-function).

Consideration of Internet leave planning. A database contains all leave data. Built-in easy monitoring and modification tools. Three priority levels available: High, medium, low.

Consideration of Task planning. A database contains all absence of duty (AOD) data. Built-in easy monitoring and modification tools. Three priority levels available: High, medium, low.

Pre-allocation of manpower resources (with or without staff names).

Consideration of staff doing any kind of part time work.

Consideration of all staff ratings (maximum 50 rating definitions). Handling of single- or multi-rated controllers, of supervisors, of team leaders, etc.


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Consideration of flexible or individual working practices according to shifts of shift patterns including governmental regulations or requirements at resting time and shift patterns.

Considering of Internet bidding and manual preferences. Three priority levels

available: High, medium, low.

Automatic, fair and fast distribution of shifts among staff. A pre-planned roster for 100 controllers takes less than 10 seconds, including calculations to which extend RPL is able to meet all requirements set. Result showing either lack of staff, balanced, or still free resources. This automatic distribution contains options for the staff planner to incorporate biddings and/or to match shifts to colleagues.

Checking of incoherence between rosters and database contents.

Checking of contractual and governmental regulations or requirements on e.g. resting time, staffing and shift patterns.

Checking of bidding fulfilment and balancing of biddings.

Checking of ESARR5 status requirements, proficiency license, medical validations,

etc.

Checking of the presence of supervisors, deputy supervisors and team leaders according to local procedures.

Checking of time account balances and limits.

Management and analysis of manpower resources. Short, medium and long term planning.

Built-in MeetingPlanner that calculates the best suited days for a meeting with participants from different teams.

Display and monitoring of actual working hours, number of shifts, ratings, biddings, sickness, staff data, fairness indicators, etc.

Handy tools to facilitate manual completion of rosters.

Generation of electronically rosters (Excel-files) that can be attached to e-mails.

OJT Planner tool for rostering of coaches, assessors and trainees.

Print and display of statistics for cost/benefit analyses. The program takes data using copy/paste from any Windows based software application. All data can be taken out for statistical purposes.

Automatic generation of reports.


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EPL Duty Swapping

ATC employees expect service tools such as Internet access, automatic email and SMS to be a natural part of a modern company. Staff satisfaction is really one of the keywords

today. The DutySwap module provides online service including „controllers‟ eBay‟, a web-based marketplace where operational shifts can be swapped. DutySwap transmits confirmation emails to all involved persons. The DutyClearing section displays the current swapping status for each controller.

OJT Planning

A complex task is allocation of OJT coaches to trainees. EuroPlanner provides a special feature for this by displaying the schedules of relevant coaches, including their current ESARR5 training validation. Simply clicking the system creates a matching trainee roster followed by an automatic email to the trainee, to his coach and, if required, to the supervisor and the academy administration.


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StatusChecker

StatusChecker is the publisher module on the Internet that contains published rosters. It also shows all swapped shifts together with a complete swap history, providing full documentation of all changes. License validation plays an important role in any ATC system. ESARR5 status requirements on endorsements are particularly complicated to adhere to. StatusChecker displays the current ESARR5 balance and shows an alert if the number of operational shifts is close to the minimum.


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EPL CheckIn

CheckIn is the day-based OPS-room presentation for supervisors. The module provides an overview of staff on sectors and in other ATC units such as TWR, Ground and Briefing. CheckIn is also where last minute changes are made and where registration of absence takes place. Coaches are displayed with their trainees. If a supervisor needs to call in extra staff, he clicks a button that instantly searches the central database and transmits an SMS message to the relevant controllers.


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EPL CoursePlanner

The CoursePlanner incorporates planning of certain activities on each shift like educations, courses, instructors, trainees, lessons, and which class rooms should be linked to this activity.

During the process you can monitor all available HR-resources with detailed load profiles displaying the usage percentages of staff, qualifications, simulators and class rooms. The CoursePlanner module supports ATC Training sections.


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BreakPlanner Functionalities

Optional connection to Intranet/Internet.

Display of current staff (morning, afternoon, night) for any day.

Supervisor tool for planning and optimisation of open/closed sectors, breaks, shift lengths and required staff to match traffic load.

Automatic allocation of staff to working positions

Interface with ATCO time logging systems, ATC information systems, CFMU flight

plan database etc.

Supervisors use interactive SMS-communication to call in stand-by duties.

Display of shift historic data and staff comments

Automatic transfer of rosters to Outlook on PDA.

Controllers check-in using card readers and touch screens in the OPS-room.

Supervisor access with extended rights to update the database.

Last minute changes and registration of absence due to sickness, stand-by calls, etc.

Checking of contractual and governmental regulations.

Checking of ESARR5 status requirements, proficiency license, and medical validations with E-mail and/or SMS service to all staff.

Display of duty swapping and published rosters on the Intranet/Internet.

Electronical staff briefing, individual briefing, limited to sections, or to all persons. Three priority levels available: High, medium, low.

Automatic generation of reports, log-files, printed and online statistics.

Integration with payroll systems and/or HR systems.


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Contact information Integra A/S

Trørødvej 63B

DK 2950 Vedbaek

Denmark

Mr. Ole Michael Silau

Director Consultancy Services, MSc, Bcom

Procurement/Projects and Systems

Tel: +45 45 66 00 44

Mob: +45 22 66 61 20

[email protected]

www.integra.dk

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.integra.dk/


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6 EPL RosterPlanner

6.1 General Introduction to EPL RosterPlanner

The objective of the EPL RosterPlanner application is to enable staff planners at ATC control centres to generate rosters.

To create a roster you use the window shown below to store basic data into the database (e.g. staffing, shift types etc.), and based on this run various processes and checks.

The left part of the window lists Creation functions. The right side shows Check functions. The mid part of the window allows the user to enter which interval shall be affected by the functions. The Go to functions enable navigation within the database and parameters.


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The normal flow of producing a roster would include the following steps:

1. Staff Members for editing the sequence of staff or for entering new persons

2. Basic Shifts fills in shifts and fixed free days according to the team layout using the basic shift generator or takes them from already stored basic shifts.

3. Non-existent removes all shifts from non-existing persons used for team rosters

4. OJT (On Job Training) removes all shifts from persons considered as trainees

5. Leave Requests fills in all requests concerning leave

6. Task Requests fills in all requests concerning tasks

7. Part Time fills in all requests concerning persons doing part time

8. Rating re-arranges shifts according to the ratings of your staff (ensures correct person on correct sector)

9. Individual Shifts handles all shifts not acceptable to the person (some persons do not

take night shifts, etc)

10. Bidding re-arranges shifts according to the biddings

11. MeetingPlanner is used to find the best suited day for specific persons to join a meeting.

12. Sector Leaders assigns the sector leader role to qualified persons.

13. Pool Manager reorganises most of the shifts for you onto correct places, regarding

fairness, ratings, national labour laws, requirements on sequence, etc

The default sequence of the selected Creation Functions is top-down. In case you would consider your task requests more important than leave, this function should be executed first.

After every step you monitor the consequence. The top line provides you with a constant overview of your available staff (+ or -).

Then do your manual inputs trying to solve out where to put the remaining shifts in the pool. The program provides you with many easy tools. Two shifts change position if you double-click them, another key instantly points out the persons that need evening shifts, etc.

Finally use the check functions to highlight any shift that does not correspond with working rules, combination rules, agreements, staffing, rating, status requirements and bidding.

When the amount of highlighted shifts is acceptable - you’re through. . .

6.2 Roster Structure based on Endorsements Basically, RosterPlanner generates rosters that are linked to a specific ATC unit. You can run TWR controllers in one file, APP in a second file and ACC controllers in a third file. By this, several staff planners are able to work simultaneously. There are some advantages by processing e.g. FDA’s or Supervisors in a separate file,especially if this staff group is based on a basic roster that is quite different from the ATCO’s.

On the other hand, you may decide to run e.g TWR and APP in one file, or FDA’s and Briefing staff in one file, if their basic shift structure, working rules, definition of shift lenghts, requirements to print out, etc, are mainly identical. Since RPL is based on ratings, the application can handle several staff groups in one. Setting up staff qualifications (competencies) in RPL is just a matter of adding (or removing) the letter that codes for the corresponding endorsement or rating.

Typical Staff Groups

ACC Area Control

ADM Administration & Management

APP Approach

BRF Briefing


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COM Communication

FDA Flight Data

GND Ground

MIL Military

SUP Supervisor

TEC Technical

TRN Training

TWR Tower

Here is a roster example of APP + ACC + SUP in one roster:

6.3 EuroPlanner System Configuration The EuroPlanner software suite is highly modular and based on components that are 100% designed to meet the complex requirements in ATC environments. EPL modules can be combined in many ways. RosterPlanner and BreakPlanner are core modules and included in all sotware combinations.

APP controllers

ACC controllers

Supervisors


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7 Installation and Administration

Please refer to EPL Administration Guide for registration of new users, file structure and validation of users.

Please refer to EPL Technical Installation Guide for guidelines and requirements to hardware and setup of technical interfaces.


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8 EPL RosterPlanner General Layout Two function buttons contain all processes leaving optimum screen area to show the roster.

Pool Area

Roster

Staff

Counts

Ratings

Calendar

Two Buttons


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The top line shows your current free resources, i.e. the number of available shifts with respect to the required staffing and the pool shifts. The date line shows framed out Sundays,

national holidays and/or AIRAC days, which may require adjustments in staffing with a red frame. The bottom line shows created rosters, each covering 6 months. To the left there is a

button for each staff member to access info from the Staff data sheet and there is a dynamic counting of working hours with colour coding according to your parameter settings.

8.1 Selecting a Period Select the period on the date line or select it using the Process window. Any selected period is limited to the current roster; i.e. the processes are executable only on the roster you see.

The Show button takes a month as default. Select on the date line to set a custom period.

The Staff buttons take any period. RPL stores your recent setting.

The Statistics function takes any period. It uses the period setting from the Process window.


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8.2 The Toolbar The RPL toolbar provides direct access to 13 of the most used functions

Transfer selected shifts to pool

Reset all colours

Replace selected shifts with free (“F”) and transfer to pool

Change selected shifts to OJT and transfer to pool

Exchange shifts

Add to combinations

Automatic TaskPlanning

Statistical Information (custom graphics)

Highlight all available shifts

Add to BiddingPlan

Attention

Open/close pool

Start Pool Manager

8.2.1 Toolbar link

If several RPL-versions are open at a time, the toolbar can be connected only to one of them. To activate the toolbar to the current version go to Parameters, check the setting of Epl Path, then click Process / Go to / Initialize.


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8.2.2 Online Info Tags:

RPL provides info tags with pop-up information

. All messages are maintained in a database and can easily be changed:

8.2.3 RPL Standard Colours

RPL Standard Colours

Light yellow background Leave

Light blue background Task

Light green background Bidding

Red Priority 1

Yellow Priority 2


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Green Priority 3

Turqouise Shifts imported

White Custom data cells

Grey Cells/Areas reserved for RPL

Blue Navigation

Yellow Notice or data incoherence

Light red Data error

Orange Biddings (not fulfilled)

Green font Biddings (fulfilled)

Red tag Info

Red tag on Biddings Shift restricted due to bidding


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8.3 Getting started The set-up of a roster from the very beginning (from an RPL-program with no data filled) incorporates many of the parts described in this document. Here is a step-by-step checklist to lead you through the session:

1. Go to the EuroPlanner® Web Gateway Login site: http://<url of the EuroPlanner®WebPortal>

2. Enter username and password.

3. Click the “RosterPlanner”-button on the menu bar to see a file list

4. Start an RPL-Application: Open the RPL-file Eplxxx.xls from directory C:\EPL with preset password = “sim”

5. Depending on your macro security setting, the macros in RosterPlanner have to be activated. Click the “Options”-button and select “Enable this content”


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6. Then click the appropriate roster sheet:

If there are no rosters defined yet, click the RosterPlanner logo and create a new roster with “Go to Rosters”.

7. Press “Process” and “Go to” and “Staff Data”. Enter all data of relevant staff here. Any person used in any roster must be defined.

8. Press “Process” and “Go to” and “Shift Types”. Enter all data of relevant shifts here. Any shift used in any roster must be defined.

9. Press “Process” and “Go to” and “Parameters”. Many of the custom parameters are already filled in. Check that the setting of all data is correct and suited for your roster project (Basic roster, combinations, staffing, etc). Use the “Go to” button to navigate.

10. Arrange a staff sequence (the vertical column with staff initials). Maybe use a separate sheet where you may drag and drop cells. Enter “???” for non existing staff. Be sure the number of initials corresponds with your teams as set in Parameters.

11. Press “Process” and “Staff Members” and “Edit”, which opens the staff column on the left for editing. Copy the staff sequence and use Paste Special to insert it here.

12. Press “Process” and “Staff Members” and “Check”. RPL checks all initials and resets the staff column.


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13. Select an interval on the date line (e.g. a month) and press “Process”.

14. Continue with the 12 creation steps described in Creation Functions


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9 Creation Functions A roster is being created using up to 12 “building” steps. The result is a pre-planned roster, which may look like this:


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9.1 Roster Preparation If the roster does not yet exist, it must be created. New rosters can be created in three ways:

1.

Create a new roster sheet using the Show-button:

2.

Create a new roster sheet by clicking year identifier or the RosterPlanner logo:

3.

On the start sheet click the EUROPLANNER logo:

In this example rosters exist for 2012 and 2013. The current selected roster is 2012.


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Selecting a non-created line in the list will propose creation of the according roster:


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A new roster contains:

Corresponding dates (12 months)

Months marked with vertical yellow lines

Weekends marked with vertical black lines

National holidays (as filled in from the Parameters / Spc Days)

AIRAC-days (as filled in from the Parameters / Spc Days)

A default staff sequence and linked ratings corresponding to the previous roster

Fairness indicators = zero

Pool counter = zero

All days show balance = zero

Position

Use the mouse and drag the roster sheet onto correct place:

Colours

Excel allows you to apply colours to each roster (right click on the sheet and select Tab Colors)


Feb 2012

Roster Identifier

RPL assigns a default name to the roster comprising of three blocks:

ACC_CONTR_2012_operating

Staff Unit Name

The first block (must be 9 characters including underscore) is optional (here “ACC_CONTR”). Change the identifier by typing a new name:

Year

The second block classifies the year.

Staff Rating

The last block is either “operating” (view only rosters for active controllers) or “training” (view only rosters for trainees). Thus, you may create a parallel roster for training staff. RPL automatically assigns “operating” or “training” to roster names depending on your selected Staff rating.


Feb 2012

To delete an existing roster sheet

During roster and courseplanning simulations you may need to delete an existing roster completely. As courseplanning includes parallel linked data sheets, there is a need to remove some of those sheets also.

1. Click the RosterPlanner logo

2. Click “Delete”

3. There is a warning. Click “Yes”


Feb 2012

9.2 Staff & Headers

Staff Members

Type: Creation function

Summary: Allows editing of staff sequence

Access Process / Staff & Headers

Prerequisites Prepare an unbroken sequence of initials

Define all initials in Staff Data

Target Area Selected period on current roster

Limitations Max 1000 initials

Protection Level High

Related Functions: -

This process allows editing the sequence of staff on the left dedicating one person to each line.


Feb 2012

Click Edit to change the roster to edit mode that you can change the init sequence

or copy a complete new staff sequence into the roster. The init column turns white (editable):

Arrange a staff sequence (a vertical column with staff initials). Maybe use a separate sheet where you may drag and drop cells. Enter “???” for non existing staff. Be sure the number of initials corresponds with your teams as set in Parameters. Copy the staff sequence and use Paste Special to insert it in the white column.

Click Check to let RPL validate the sequence that there are no doubles, that all inits

have been defined in Staff Data, etc. When the check is complete, the init column is reset (green).

The sequence must be unbroken (which means no blank cells, use “??” or “???” instead on lines to prepare for future extensions). Use another Excel sheet to easily arrange initials using drag-and-draw and then copy/paste.

Your staff sequence must correspond with the basic roster pattern you intend to process. Using a 19x6 matrix requires 114 persons, etc.

You may use custom colours on inits (see Staff Data)


Feb 2012

9.3 Basic Roster

Basic Roster


Summary: Fills in the basic shift pattern

Access Process / Basic Roster

Prerequisites Define the Basic Roster matrix or recurring shift pattern

Define Staffing tables


Limitations Current roster

Max 128 shifts in cycles using recurring shift pattern

Max 1000 persons


This function fills in the basic shift pattern with options for number of teams and options to vary position of free days, etc.

Recurring Shift Patterns


Feb 2012

Suppose you wish the basic shift pattern to be generated using a recurring shift cycle. In this case go to Basic Roster and enter a shift sequence in the vertical column:

Here is a part of a recurring pattern example covering 56 shifts. Then go to Parameters and define according settings in the Cycles section:

No of shifts in recurring pattern is max 128 shifts.

Team Offset is a number that defines which team offset shall be used in the

recurring pattern. Offset = 7 means that if team 1 is on Basic shift 1 then team 2 will be on Basic shift 8. Team 3 will be on Basic shift 15, etc.

Generating Basic Shifts


Feb 2012

Go to Parameters and check that RPL is set to a Team-based 2 roster:

Then click Process / Basic Roster and select Fill in from Basic Roster. In the

dropdown list select on which day to start the recurring pattern

and RPL generates this pattern:


Feb 2012

If the basic roster is not positioned correctly or there are areas with no shifts filled in at all, you should check consistency of your parameters.

Check that the contents in the curring pattern corrsponds with:

the number of teams and persons each team (Parameters (List) Teams)

the number of shifts in recurring pattern (Parameters (List) Cycles)

Team Numbers

When basic shifts are filled in, team numbers are automatically displayed in left column.

Reset

During simulation sessions it can be useful to do a reset of a specific interval in order to fill in a quite new basic shift pattern. EPL displays a warning before you can proceed. Accept to perform a complete reset. EPL removes all roster data and all pool shifts.

Manually using an individual matrix

Produce any basic roster pattern on a separate Excel sheet and copy the pattern into RPL. Allways use paste Special. Be sure that the pattern is positioned correctly and that it contains correct daily available staff. After that you can keep the pattern by using “Store these Shifts”.

Basic shift pattern starts with N on team no 1, etc


Feb 2012

Fill in from Stored Shifts

Option for re-establishing an already stored basic shift layout. RPL takes the shift pattern out of the stored template.

Store these Shifts

RPL holds a parallel copy of each roster sheet.

When the basic shift pattern is acceptable, all shifts should be stored. The roster should have all basic shifts filled in.

Select a period (normally all 6 months), click Process / Basic Roster / Store these Shifts

RPL creates a copy of the roster as it looks right now and overwrites all existing data in the template. When processing e.g. the July roster, you may retrieve the exact original basic shifts out of the template. If a template was not available, the staff planner would spend a long time before the Start at Team and Start at Person

options were adjusted to correct overlap with the June roster.

Fill in Staffing

Option for filling in staffing requirements from the Staffing Tables into the pool. The top line instantly shows the consequence.

See Database Staffing Tables how to set up your requirements.


Feb 2012

9.4 Teams

Teams


Summary: Transfers shifts from non-existent persons to the pool

Access Process / Teams

Prerequisites Basic shifts filled in






Feb 2012

The function removes all shifts from non-existing persons (e.g. lines at the end of team 1). Any inital containing a “?” will have its operational shifts transferred to the pool. The result is deducted from the top line.


Feb 2012

9.5 OJT

OJT


Summary: Transfers shifts from trainees to the pool

Access Process / OJT

Prerequisites Enter correct ratings in Staff Data






Feb 2012

The OJT-function (On Job Training) removes all shifts from persons considered as trainees (like RCO and SCL in this example) and transfers all their operational shifts to the pool.

RPL adds a “j” as third character to all affected shifts (OJT). This way, you can use the same shift definitions for trainees as for controllers. Trainees have the same shift start time and shift end time (e.g. in RPL-CheckIn) as their coaches. When RPL calculates the top line, OJT shifts are ignored.

OJT-shifts are counted (in hours and statistics) but they are ignored by the Pool Manager and Creation Functions in general.

OJT-shifts should not be in the pool.

When a trainee achieves his license, the corresponding rating should be given by updating his line in Staff Data and maybe by manually removing the “j” for appropriate shifts in the current roster.

In some situations you need full qualified controllers to be temporarily on job training (e.g. lost validation for a certain time interval). By removing a person’s ratings for a limited time (maybe only for current month) RPL will change shifts like Mw Aw to Mwj Awj and transfer Mw and Aw to the pool. Similarly, trainees can be allocated to certain sectors by manually adding a “rating” to their shifts (shift Mwj indicates the trainee to do OJT on the west sector).


Feb 2012

9.6 Leave Requests

Leave Requests


Summary: Transfers shifts affected by requested leave periods to the pool

Access Process / Leave requests

Prerequisites Enter leave periods in the LeavePlan






Feb 2012

RPL fills in all requests concerning leave.

A small request-window shows the affected leave periods, when selecting the function. In this example 52 leave requests = 214 days in December were identified.

According to the priority setting, the leave days are inserted with red, yellow or green. All operational shifts are transferred to the pool. Red tags indicate comments.

Prio allows reducing the data lines in the window according to priority (1, 2 or 3). In

this case there are 31 requests with priority 2:


Feb 2012

Select All to see all requests again.

Indi (individual) allows you to select a single request. Here only the leave request for CHS is processed.


Feb 2012

9.7 Task Requests (AODs)

Task Requests


Summary: Transfers shifts affected by task periods to the pool

Access Process / Task Requests

Prerequisites Enter task periods in the TaskPlan





Principally the Task Requests process maches the functionality of Leave Requests process.


Feb 2012

RPL fills in all requests concerning tasks, also called AOD’s (absence of duty).

In this example 65 task requests = 584 days in April were identified.

All inserted task requests are blue. All operational shifts are transferred to the pool. Red tags show the comments.

The window shows any request that is related to the selected period.

Use Prio to reduce the data lines in the window according to priority (1, 2, 3 or X-tasks). Select All to see all requests again. Indi allows you to select a single request.


Feb 2012

9.8 Part time

Part Time


Summary: Transfers shifts affected by part timers to the pool

Access Process / Part Time

Prerequisites Enter part time in Staff Data

Enter corresponding part time percentages in Parameters

Define shift for part time in Parameters



Only possible to process on a whole month



RPL fills in all requests concerning persons working part time and transfers all operational shifts to the pool.

EuroPlanner contains a separate list with part timer data enabling a very detailed handling of persons with reduced working time (part timers). Use “Show” to view Staff Data according to a certain date. Use “Change” to add or delete part timers or to change their valid percentages.

Part Time is precise down to 1 day and allows multible entries on each person. This makes it possible to calculate even complex part time situations, like a person working 100% until MAR 31, then 50% until AUG 31, then 80% until NOV 5, and from FEB 10 again 100%. The current number of working hours are calculated automatically.

In the planning stage you can set options in RosterPlanner to handle part time intervals at different levels:

Consider part time as fixed related to specified days TaskPlan entry

Consider part time as a preference related to specified days

BiddingPlan entry

Consider part time as flexible within an interval Staff Data entry

Go to Staff Data, click either “Show” or “Change” in the top bar.


Feb 2012

9.8.1 Show Part Timers

The function displays all staff with a working percentage below 100%.

1. Select a specific date

2. Click Show

The two columns “Hours Year” and “Part Time” are updated to represent the staff situation on the selected date.

9.8.2 Edit Part Timers

The function makes it possible to add or to delete new staff according to working percentages.


Feb 2012

1. Select Init

2. Select a specific date

3. Select percentage

4. Click Add or Delete

Some situations require that you manage staff with several working percentages

being related to specific intervals (i.e. becoming valid on certain dates). Enter corresponding lines to specify any date where the person’s percentage changes. Default is 100%, meaning that anyone not listed is calculated by full time.

In this case ABO changed from 100% to 50% on 02 APR, then changed to 80% from 01 JUN, and to 30% valid from 01 JUL. At any time later than 01 JUL RosterPlanner considers ABO to be 30% part timer. To bring ABO back to 100% percent requires a new line (ABO 100% <valid from>).

There is no possibility to edit lines. If you need to apply changes, select a line, then use Delete followed by Add to enter new line.

Data is primarily sorted alphabetically, then by <Valid Date>.

RPL updates blue columns in Staff Data accordingly.

You can specify the according percentages linked to number of days in Parameters / Part Time:

In this case LER will be assigned 5 part time days on the best suited days within a month. Therefore the function may be used only if the period is set to a month.

Define which shift to use (here “Pf”) in Parameters. Also remember to define “P” as

Free in Shift Types.

Define limit for part time in Parameters. In this case RPL continues allocating Pf-days until the top line reaches -10. If RPL cannot allocate the required amount of part time days, there is a message displayed.

Part Timers Valid at Date

Blue Columns updated by

RosterPlanner


Feb 2012

. . . and set max number of working hours, i.e. the default number of hours to be

assigned to persons with 100%.

Click Valid date to display the part time situation on another date.

Part Time on specific days

If part time has to be granted on specific days, enter the request using TaskPlan like this:

Using the Part Time process would allow RPL to allocate Pf-days on the best suited days, whereas using a TaskPlan request would force RPL to allocate Pf-days on the specified period.


Feb 2012

9.9 Rating

Rating


Summary: Transfers shifts affected by inadequate rating to the pool including colleagues with the same shift

Access Process / Ratings

Prerequisites None





The Rating process takes all shifts not corresponding with the person’s rating to the pool. Here GTO got Ms-shift from the basic roster, but his ratings do not include him as a supervisor.


Feb 2012

After using the Rating process GTO’s shifts are converted to dotted and transferred to the pool.

The process also takes all shifts of the same kind to the pool. The reason is that in case just a few shifts are put on persons with no matching rating, there would be a need for re-distributing these shifts among the relevant persons. In order to get the other persons “into the loop” (available for another shift) RPL also includes colleagues.

They may obstruct the allocation of high rated shifts and in some situations the Pool Manager would need someone to swop with. For example a low rated shift would fit Ok on a high rated person, but it would fit even better on a low rated person, leaving the high rated person able to receive a high rated shift.


Feb 2012

9.10 Individual Shifts

Individual Shifts


Summary: Transfers shifts not corresponding with individual shifts from Staff Data to the pool

Access Process / Individual Shifts

Prerequisites Enter required shifts in Staff Data





The process removes all shifts considered as non-acceptable to the person. Suppose JTH does not accept night shifts maybe for medical reasons. RPL finds his night shifts and transfers them to the pool:


Feb 2012

Set criteria for individual shifts in Staff Data:

Here the entry for JTH indicates no night shifts (no “N” and no “n”). RM takes only early shifts (“M” or “m” or “d”), etc.


Feb 2012

9.11 Bidding

Bidding

Type: Creation Function

Summary: Transfers shifts not corresponding with bidding requests from the BiddingPlan to the pool

Access Process / Bidding

Prerequisites Enter bidding requests

Perform Check Bidding to highlight relevant shifts





After performing Check Bidding the roster may look like this:

The Bidding process finds all shift not coherent with the BiddingPlan and transfers them to the pool. Only operational shifts are affected.


Feb 2012

Here VLE’s Ae-shift is changed to A-dot.

By transferring all non-matching shifts to the pool RPL prepares for the Pool Manager to handle the re-arrangement of shifts according to the BiddingPlan.

Suppose VLE bids for an early shift. While his shift is Ae, the Pool Manager is unable to fulfil his wish (because it affects only dotted shifts). The Bidding process converts VLE’s shift to dotted that it becomes part of the shifts targeted by the Pool Manager.


Feb 2012

9.12 MeetingPlanner

MeetingPlanner


Summary: Finds the best suited days for a meeting and stores according data lines in TaskPlan

Access Process / MeetingPlanner

Prerequisites Enter participants in meeting groups in Parameters



Use MeetingPlanner to find best suited days for meetings that are relevant to persons from different teams. When you have determined the date for a meeting, RPL automatically creates according lines in the TaskPlan.

Step 1

Select within which interval you’re planning a meeting.

Step 2

Click Process / MeetingPlanner. At this first stage all roster lines collapse and RPL shows options for Groups and Participants:


Feb 2012

Step 3

Select Groups to be part in the meeting. Groups can be defined in Parameters / Meeting Groups:

As you click groups active, the corresponding participants are highlighted. You can

select e.g. two groups and manually add three more participants.

There are small counters above the lists that show total selected list items. Click on

the counter to reset the list. Hold the mouse over to see current selected participants.

In the roster RPL shows roster lines for these persons:


Feb 2012

Light green = Well suited day. Available shift

Dark green = Partly suited day. Operational shift

Yellow = Not suited day. Day occupied by task

Red = Not suited day. Day is free

and RPL dynamically calculates the best suited days (according to number of

green days):

Step 4

Determine which date to use for the meeting.

You can select date in two ways: Either choose one of the options or select a custom date as Selected Interval (one day only).

Then select which Task the meeting shall refer to. You can preset contents in this list in Parameters.

Finally press Execute

Options

Custom date


Feb 2012

There is a message:

and a summary:

Click OK to let RPL create all according TaskPlan lines with comment “Meeting (Mpl)” attached:

Step 6

Click “N” on the toolbar to exit from the MeetingPlanner and return to normal RPL

roster presentation.

LIZ 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

ABO 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

LER 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

SHJ 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

HSC 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

TOU 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

RBN 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

TGA 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

MBA 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):

PBR 23-11-2009 23-11-2009 Kduk 2 Meeting (Mpl):


Feb 2012

9.13 Sector Leaders

Sector Leaders


Summary: Assigning of sector leader status to certain qualified controllers.

Access Process / Sector Leaders

Prerequisites Prepared roster





The process targets certain controllers and assigns a sector leader status to the shift using “s” in chararcter position 3. Set required number and defininitions in RPL database (Parameters).


Feb 2012

In this case RPL will ensure that there is 1 “Mps”, 1 “Mts”, etc, on every day. All changed shifts are marked blue. In case the number differs from required setting, there will be a message on the date line.

Notice that sector leaders are different from supervisors. A supervisor is in charge

of a control center (ACC) or a tower (TWR) and he is typically defined by the rating letter “s” in character position 2 (e.g. “Ms”).

A sector leader is in charge of a smaller ATC unit, like west sectors, upper sectors,

or approch sectors and he is typically defined by also letter “s”, but in position 3 (e.g “Mps”). Therefore the letter “s” in position is a reserved letter (like the “j” is used to identify OJT shifts). A “Mps” shift is assigned to a person who’s rating includes “p” and “s”.

The sector leader function is normally used in larger ATC’s with supervisors in a separate roster. If you prepare rosters with supervisors and sector leaders, the supervisor rating must be changed to “S”.


Feb 2012

9.14 Pool Manager

Pool Manager


Summary: Distributes shifts from the pool onto correct person matching various criteria

Access Process / Pool Manager

Prerequisites Transfer shifts to the pool





The 11 creation steps take less than 10 seconds. The consequence can be monitored immediately on the top line. Every creation step gives a precise overview of your free resources (+ or -) so far.


Feb 2012

On Feb 5 there is balance in staffing. On Feb 6 there is a surplus of three controllers, meaning you could grant 3 more free days and still meet the staffing requirements.

The pool contains 604 shifts for the last step, to be processed by the Pool Manager. Here is an example after the pool manager processed the first 15 days:

There are 340 remaining shifts in the pool, which means the pool manager placed 264 shifts onto correct persons, building correct combinations, etc. The speed is approximately two shifts per second depending on your settings and your computer. Note that the top line did not change as RPL basically assumes the pool shifts can and will be placed and already incorporates this in the calculation.

The Pool Manger can be executed on the entire roster (maximum) or on 1 day only (minimum) or even on a single pool shift if you select it. You may of course execute the Pool Manager at any time (after each step or at the end of several steps).

By optimising the Pool Manager options the RosterPlanner can be tuned to build cycles that perfectly match your basic shift pattern. Here is an example where the Pool Manager positions more than 90 % of pool shifts:


Feb 2012

Tip

Use to transfer any shift combination you wish to optimise to the pool.

Use to transfer new combinations to the database.


Feb 2012

9.14.1 Pool Distribution Options

The Pool Manager reorganises most of the shifts for you into correct places, regarding fairness, ratings, national labour laws, requirements on sequence, etc. You have the option to set priorities to the Pool Manager to determine the sequence of shifts to be executed by the process (alphabetic, custom, random or none) and whether to take biddings of any kind or only some in consideration. While processing (and also every time a shift is changed manually in the roster), RPL calculates the relative number of that particular shift for all persons. If possible, a shift from the pool will be placed on the lowest ranked person. If not, then on the next lowest, etc.

Process Options

The distribution process may include All shifts in the pool

The option Biddings only processes only pool shifts that are bidded for. Suppose

someone bidded for an “m” shift and there are many pool shifts on this day, but only one “m”. Using the “Biddings only” option will ensure the “m” is not allocated to somebody else because the Pool Manager prior to processing shifts checks the BiddingPlan.

Trace function: See specific description of this feature.

Only allows you to specify which shifts shall be processed and which shifts shall be

affected. In Parameters section you can select between two options: Target only and Do not Target

Target only


Feb 2012

Select in left box which pool shifts shall be affected. The box is automatically filled with unique shifts from the pool depending on selected interval. A counter shows

the number of current selections.

Select in right box which dotted shifts you allow to be targeted on distribution of

shifts.

These features let you force the allocation of shifts onto certain positions. Using “Target only” it is In some situations possible to achieve an even more sophisticated allocation than the combination tables code for.

Do not Target

Go to Parameters and change the according setting to display options for complementary values. Here m is can be allocated to anything else than B, D and E. There may be situations where this setting is more suitable.

Include Options

The Pool Manager can be customised to match its distribution to Bidding; i.e. the

Pool Manager takes into consideration the contents of your BiddingPlan.

Colleague makes RPL consider colleaque matches from Staff Data.

There is an additional Combinations option enabling the staff planner to allow the

Pool Manager to disregard all criteria on combinations. In some cases it is Ok to create an unconventional shift combination, if the person asked for it. With the setting “All”, the Combinations field is fixed regarding to the basic principles of the RPL.

9.14.2 Coupled Shifts

activates a special feature that looks for certain sequences. Before the Coupled Shifts feature can be used, you have to set certain parameters


Feb 2012

1. Go to Parameters (List) and set Coupled Shifts = “on”

2. Go to Parameters / Coupled Shifts and enter shift combinations that shall be coupled

RPL ranks persons with allocated shifts higher than dotted shifts. As shown here, optimising the automatic distribution of shifts can be done by allocating e.g. “c” followed by “S”:

To detect coupled shifts RPL considers the shift before, here “c”, and checks if “cS” is listed as coupled shifts and

becomes


Feb 2012

Similarly, the shift after is considered, here “S”

becomes

Set the Coupled Shifts option in the Pool Manager

Comb Priority allows you to perform an allocation according to priority setting in the combinations table

Set to “All” to consider all cycles in the combination tables, set to “Prio 1” to consider only combinations markes as priority 1 (red sections), etc

Sorting Options

According to its basic principles it is obvious that Pool Manager is sensitive to which sequence you decided for the pool shifts. Some shifts are easier to allocate than other. RPL executes pool shifts one by one and it has no look ahead feature to detect what strategy to use in order to facilitate coming distributions. We recommend that you customise your preferred sequence using Pool Priorities. Here RPL considers Ns to be allocated first, then ns, etc:


Feb 2012

Use Alphabetical to sort the pool shifts by first letter.

If the sorting option Priority is selected, the pool shifts are organised according to the Pool Priorities (as set in Parameters / Pool Priorities).

Use Random to let RPL arrange the pool shifts in a new sequence.

Use None to keep your own pool sequence.


Feb 2012

9.14.3 Trace Function

The Trace function shows a distribution list for a selected pool shift, i.e. that a trace may give the answer to why a pool shift was not distributed.

Select a single shift in the pool that cannot be allocated and start the Pool Manager. Select the Trace feature and press Execute.

A small red info tag will appear on the shift. Hold the mouse above to display the results

In this case IB would be the first person to get the M-shift, WP the next, etc. The ranking is based on their individual M-percentages (how many M compared to the number of operational shifts). The rank is always calculated according to the


Feb 2012

operational shifts, meaning a person doing many office shifts (defined as Task) would not change his position in the row.

Go further down and check the target persons to see the reason for not allocating to them:

The Trace function puts an explanation on each person having an available (dotted) shift. Here RK is candidate number six. His cycle would be ?AAM in case, because the first shift is dotted followed by two A and then the calculated M. No such cycle is a valid A-combination.

CI is in focus as number three but the cycle would not match his individual shift pattern. Go to Staff Data and notice that he is protected against the M-shift and m-shift:


Feb 2012

In the next example the Pool Manager would attempt to put an “S” shift onto TH. If unable it tries onto HR, then on MJ, etc.

In this case the pool shift “S” would be allocated here if you added the “ASSm” combination.

Parameter settings for Trace

You can activate or deactivate trace messages. Go to Parameters / Display and select the option on/off.


Feb 2012

9.14.4 Fairness

RPL always uses its built-in fairness. There are some ways to see how RPL calculates these results.

Use the framed out shift-box on the left. Enter for example “N?” and press Enter. Blue indicators will show N-shift ranking (If no reaction, type “A?” + Enter and then “N?” + Enter again to start the calculation).

While running the distributing process, Pool Manager will operate according to this allocation strategy.

Another way would be to produce a statistic with counts of shifts set to relative, which compares each shift to the person’s total operational shifts (See Statistics).

Fairness pointers

RPL displays fairness pointers attached to each person. Here person 41 has a higher rank according to N-shifts than person 61.

Counted period is always one year (current year).

Notice that fairness pointers are not just a graphical display of simple counts. The pointers reflect the person’s rank in the staff group based on operational shifts.

In this example RPL would count the. total number of N-shifts in current year and then divide by total operational shifts x 100. Given this percentage, RPL calculates the rank of all staff and displays the rank graphically. As a result you may observe other pointers to change, while adding extra N-shifts on a line manually.. Likewise, the pointers may show a differnce, if you remove even another shift than N, because the number of operational shifts changed.


Feb 2012

10 Check Functions After the manual process you may wish to check that the roster complies with a wide variety of requirements:

Use All Checks to run through all check functions at a time.

Use Check Leave + Tasks to point out, when requests entered directly in the roster are missing in the TaskPlan. After they are highlighted, you may decide to let RPL transfer all the according data lines automatically. This way hundreds of data lines can be stored in seconds.

Use Check Working Rules to ensure that all shift combinations accommodate with

your national labour laws, i.e. that there is sufficient rest between shifts according to collective agreements, etc.

Use Check Conflicts to highlight where a person may be requested for two tasks

on the same day.

Use Check Combinations to view all shift sequences that do not match with the

corresponding A- or B-combination.

Use Check Staffing to let RPL run through each day checking that the roster meets

the required amount of staff. Differences are shown as plus/minus and which shift is missing (or too much) on the according days. This check also detects if the staff planner accidentally deletes or even changes a shift from its original characteristics (e.g. that a Mw is changed to a Me).

Use Check Rating to view all shifts that do not correspond with the person’s rating.

Use Check Status to let RPL check, who runs out of medical status or proficiency validation or even the ESARR5 requirements (see the Advanced Utilisation of RPL).

Use Check Biddings to view all shifts not corresponding (colour = orange) with the

person’s wishes in the BiddingPlan and already fulfilled wishes (font = green).

Use Check Supervisors to ensure correct staffing with persons rated as

supervisors (3 levels).


Feb 2012

10.1 All Checks

All Checks

Type: Check Function

Summary: All Checks runs through all check functions at a time

Access Process / All Checks

Prerequisites The Database must contain relevant information


Limitations None

Use the All Check function to perform a complete check of the roster. This is a multi-function using all check-routines: Check Leave + Tasks, Check Rest Intervals, Check Conflicts, etc, as listed in the window.

Each marked shift receives a comment with one (or more) text lines:

You can select which checks to incude. RPL stores your setting here as default.

Select to use the optional check window in Parameters:


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

10.2 Check Leave + Task

All Checks


Summary: Finds and highlights all shifts that are not part of the LeavePlan or the TaskPlan. These shifts may be automatically transferred to the Database.

Access Process / Combinations

Prerequisites The Database must contaion relevant information



Use the Check Leave + Task to point out, which requests entered directly in the roster are missing in the LeavePlan or TaskPlan. Here NGO got a leave period and JLA got two Inst-days entered manually. For some reason the Staff Planner forgot to store the inputs in the Database and RPL highlights them.

After they are marked, you may decide to let RPL transfer all the according data lines automatically using Autofill. This way hundreds of data lines can be stored in seconds.

10.2.1 Auto-fill


Feb 2012

Use Auto-fill to transfer all the according data lines into the LeavePlan and TaskPlan. RPL presents a message:

Select “Yes” to include transfer of leave periods. Select “No” to transfer only to TaskPlan.


Feb 2012

RPL adds two lines into the Database with the comment “EPL auto-updated”:

Next time you run Check Leave + Task, no shifts would be highlighted.


Feb 2012

10.3 Check Working Rules

Check Working Rules


Summary: Finds and highlights all shifts that are not coherent with national and local requirements

Access Process / Check Rest Intervals

Prerequisites A user parameter set must be defined



RPL holds a special set of customised parameters concerning requirements on working time, cycles, number of shifts, etc and how they are prioritized. These requirements are based on national legislation and local staff or union rules and agreements. All not-coherent shifts are highlighted.

Click Process, select a period and select Check Working Rules:

RPL highlights all shifts that do not match the working rules and attaches a text message with info of which rule (one or more) is not met.


Feb 2012

In this case two parameters concerning resting time for AKE are not met:


Feb 2012

A parameter set may look like this:

All user parameter settings can be adjusted. However, any entirely new parameter or a changed way of administrating an existing parameter would require RPL to be updated.

A perfectly tuned set of parameters protects a Service Provider against publishing rosters that could conflict with all valid civil aviation regulations.

10.3.1 Fixed weeks:

Using fixed weeks compared to floating weeks reduces the calculation of working hours.

In this example the green shift “E.” is part of one particular fixed week.


Feb 2012

The shift before the week starts (here N.) and the last shift (here also N.) may have partly influence on the result as night shifts can be defined across midnight.

RPL considers a night shift on a Sunday to count the hours before midnight to the previous week and the hours after midnight to the following week.

10.3.2 Floating weeks:

Selecting User Parameters with floating weeks has great impact on the calculation of working hours.

In this example the green shift “E.” is part of 7 floating weeks. Each week will have to be calculated individually.

That means, any allocating of a shift while using floating weeks includes calculating of working hours within an interval covering 13 days:

1 2


Feb 2012

If any of these 7 floating weeks exceeds maximum working hours, the shift cannot be positioned.


Feb 2012

10.4 Check Conflicts

Check Conflicts


Summary: Highlights all conflicts in the roster where a person has been allocated to e.g. a non-operational project and leave on the same day.

Access Process / Check Conflicts

Prerequisites Fill in data in TaskPlan and LeavePlan



The Check Conficts process is equal to the conflict check that can be performed in the Database (See also LeavePlan / Show & Check / Check Conflicts).

Here is a task with office days for AKE starting on JAN 9:


Feb 2012

If you enter a leave period for AKE that overlaps his task, the Check Conflicts process will find and highlight the complete period with a message:

Go to the Database and investigate the reason. A quick way is to put the cursor somewhere on the marked period and press CTL + t. There are “Conflict”-messages on the relevant lines. Hold the on the red tag to display the conflicting data.


Feb 2012

Notice that all conflicts should have been solved before creating rosters. At least

any conflict refering to the period you are about to create (including overlaping conflicts).

Marked conflicts in the Database (where RPL changes the Status field to “Conflict”) are NOT processed.

Unmarked conflicts in the Database (no Conflict message but still a divergence in data lines) does not prevent RPL from running, but you may loose data as the last processed data line overwrites the previous.

Tip

Tell RPL to ignore a data line by entering “?” in the Status field. Sometimes your Database contains lines awaiting e.g. a decision on a meeting. Put a question mark on them and remove it at any time to activate the lines again.


Feb 2012

10.5 Check Combinations

Check Combinations


Summary: Use Check Combinations to view all shift sequences that do not match with the corresponding A- or B-combination.

Access Process / Check Combinations

Prerequisites The Combinations Tables must contain relevant shift cycles



Use Check Combinations to highlight all occurences where a cycle does not match contents of the combinations tables. RPL marks cycles yellow and attaches a comment like “A-Combination not recognized, depending on the person’s rating (A or B).

Notice that some combinations are not recognized across your selected interval.

Tip:

If your combination tables do not contain data at all (because you prepare a completely new version), perform Check Combinations and use the marked cycles to determine which combinations should be in combination tables. Select the appropriate cycle, then click +C on the toolbar, and RPL stores the cycle as a valid combination. Remove al colours (click N on toolbar). Proceed until all most used cycles are stored.


Feb 2012

10.6 Check Staffing

Check Staffing


Summary: Use Check Staffing to check that the roster meets the required amount of staff.

Access Process / Check Staffing

Prerequisites The Staffing Table (and Custom Staffing) must contain relevant data (shifts per day)


Limitations Selected period on current roster


Related Functions:

Check Staffing counts all shifts for each day checking that the roster meets the required amount of staff as set in the Staffing Table. Differences are shown with red tags and comments. Staff minus = missing shifts, Staff plus = extra shifts.

This check also detects if the staff planner accidentally deletes or even changes a shift from its original characteristics (e.g. that a Mw is changed to a Me).

In this case one more “Mw” was expected on January 4:

Notice that RPL checks only the presence of shifts, not their correct position. Here, the Mw-shift is likely to be missing on JTH (who has no shift filled in), but even though, the reason for deviation of an Mw-shift may occur on other persons.

OJT-shifts are ignored.


Feb 2012

10.7 Check Rating

Check Rating


Summary: Use Check Rating to view all shifts that do not correspond with the person's rating.

Access Process / Check Rating

Prerequisites Enter ratings for each person in Staff Data



Check Rating matches all shifts with the person’s ratings as listed in Staff Data. Non-matching shifts are highlighted including red tags with comments. In this case JTH does not hold the “e-rating”.


Feb 2012

10.8 Check Status

Check Status


Summary: Use Check Status to highlight all incoherence with staff status qualifications as stated in StatusPlan

Access Process / Check Status

Prerequisites Enter relevant status data for each person in StatusPlan

Relevant settings in Parameters



Check Status performs a complete check of all persons according to status data, i.e. who runs out of medical status or proficiency validation or even the ESARR5 requirements. If the expiring date is within the selected inteval, RPL highlights the shift.

See also: StatusPlan

10.8.1 ESARR5

At the end of 2007 many EUROCONTROL member states will meet the requirements of ESARR5 status for air traffic controllers. RPL provides a function that instantly highlights if controllers run out of status.


Feb 2012

In this case, ABB has exactly 20 shifts over the past 3 months. However according to the future ESARR5 requirements his status validation may expire on the OCT 1, as the number of shifts over the past 5 months needs to be more than 20 per endorsement (here t = TWR and p = APP) and ABB has only 19.

Jokers are shifts with no sector indication (like Stand by and shifts where the Supervisor decides the sector when the controller arrives). Using the RPL and this information, the Supervisor would put ABB on TWR-shifts.

According to the colour coding, the supervisor will know who is “out of status”, who is close to run out of status, etc

Options

The Parameters section contains options for ESARR5 settings on which sectors should be considered as one endorsement:

and limits for status:


Feb 2012

10.9 Check Bidding

Check Bidding


Summary: Use Check Bidding to highlight all shifts that do not correspond with contents in the BiddingPlan

Access Process / Check Bidding

Prerequisites Enter relevant data in the BiddingPlan



Use Check Bidding to highlight all shifts that do not meet the requirements in BiddingPlan.

Bidding is not fulfilled

Bidding is fulfilled

See BiddingPlan for details.

Notice the difference between the Process Bidding (that transfers all non fulfilled biddings to the pool) and the Check Bidding (that only displays biddings).


Feb 2012

Check Biddings facilitates your manual work a lot. Shifts that are marked with green font (fulfilled) should not be changed. By pointing with the mouse on biddings you can easily see the reason (a comment is shown).

In parameters you can decide to keep the display of biddings even after clicking N on the toolbar:


Feb 2012

10.10 Check Supervisors

Check Supervisors


Summary: This function is a specific feature for Control Centres with more than one supervisor (Duty and deputy supervisors)

Access Process / Check Supervisors

Prerequisites Enter relevant data in Staf Data



The Supervisor Check function enables the Staff Planner to overview all supervisor shifts pointing out the days that do not meet the required staffing. The function shows the number and the shift type for all present or missing supervisors.

Objective

The objective of the Supervisor Check is based on the following rules:

The orange sup is the Duty supervisor (Center supervisor) and is responsible for the whole ops-room.

The need is one orange sup to cover the whole day, one on:

- A1 or A2

- AS or 2MS or 3MS

- 3M or 4M

- N1 or N2

The Duty supervisor can come from the three sector groups (Brussels, Deco or Hannover).

That's why on certain days you will find only one or even no orange Duty supervisor as they will be covered by the other sector groups.

Within the sector (f.i. Brussels) you also need a supervisor covering the whole day – unless there is a Duty Supervisor on that sector.

One on:

- A1 or A2

- AS or 2MS or 3MS

- 3M or 4M

- N1 or N2

-

Those can be covered by either an orange sup or a green sup.

The blue sup can only be used for N1 or N2.

EUROCONTROL shift set-up could be like this:

New Prev


Feb 2012

Use these steps to check Supervisors

Adjust all SUP-parameters

Open the SUP Roster and use Data Exchange to produce an Epl Mail

Open the current roster (e.g. Brussels Sectors) and use Data Exchange to import all shifts for the Duty Supervisors.

Use Check Supervisors to see days with too many (or too few) Supervisors.

Adjust the Supervisor shifts in the current roster to correct number by deleting (or inserting to the pool) until Check Supervisor leaves all days unmarked

Supervisor Ratings

All controllers are given for example rating “a” to separate them from trainees with no ratings.

Supervisor shift codes have been defined as

D = Duty Sup (Upper case Orange)

t = Team Sup (Lower case Green)

n = Night Sup (Lower case Blue)

The shifts AD, At, MD, mt, sD, etc are Supervisor shifts.

Use Show/Ratings to see colour coded ratings on the left.

In this case AK is a Duty-SUP (D-rated), PT is a team-SUP (t-rated), etc. All controllers are a-rated (active controllers).

LL is coloured grey due to part time.

Check Supervisors


Feb 2012

Use the Process/Check Supervisors to ensure that the number of present supervisors meets the required limit.

RPL detected an unbalanced number of supervisors on JAN 18. Within Sup Group 1 there is an AD present, within Sup Group 2 there is an Mt present. The reason for marking this day is a missing Supervisor in Sup Group 4 (night SUPs). After the Staff Planner enters one Nn or ND, etc. in the roster or in the pool the mark will disappear.

All supervisor shifts are highlighted as the process is executed. The shifts may also be highlighted at any time using Show/Other/Supervisors.

Custom Parameters

The ratings, colours and criteria can be set as custom parameters

Supervisor Roster File is the name of your current SUP Roster. The parameter is

to be used in coming enhancements.

Enter all supervisor ratings (like D and t and n) in Sup ratings.

Which rating = orange gives the colour for all shifts like MD, AD, SD, etc

Which rating to remain unaffected. The parameter sets the shifts of specific rated persons to remain unaffected. If set to “D”, all shifts on a D-rated person would be “unchangeable” by the program.

An orange Sup gets all ratings = “aDtn”, a green Sup gets “atn” and a blue Sup gets “an”

The supervisor shifts could be entered in the Basic Shift Table like this:


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

Go to Parameters/Supervisors to set shift criteria:

There are 4 groups, which means the “Check Supervisors” function performs 4 separate checks on each day. In this case RPL would look for “AD” or “aD” or “at” or “At” to be present. After that RPL looks for “MD” or “mD” etc.

Using RPL Data Exchange

Normally the Duty Supervisor Roster would be the first roster to be produced. Here is an example:

1. Open the RPL Sup Roster file

2. Select a period

3. Press “Process” and go to “Data Exchange”


Feb 2012

Select “Epl Mail” in the “Data out” section and press “Execute”

RPL transfers all shifts onto a separate Excel sheet with time-stamp = information of date/time and the name of the original file.

4. Give this sheet a name. Keep it open - but the RPL Sup Roster may now be closed.

5. Go to the current roster. Select a period then Press “Process” and go to “Data Exchange”. Now select “Epl Mail” in the “Data in” section and check that the data file is selected in the “From Source”. Press “Execute”


Feb 2012

RPL transfers all shifts from the data file to the rosters onto the corresponding persons (like the blue line on JH). RPL transfers only data onto corresponding persons. Any other staff in both files remains unaffected.


Feb 2012

11 Functionalities & Database The Database contains all basic data necessary for the creation of the roster. This chapter describes all the basic data necessary for the creation processes to run.

It is recommended that all RPL-applications and all RPL-related files are stored in a directory called “EPL” on your Intranet and a directory called “EPL Local” on a laptop computer. Normally RPL automatically recognizes file location from where the application was started, otherwise you can enter the path under Parameters.


Feb 2012

11.1 Staff data

Staff Data

Type: Database

Summary: Stores all staff related data

Access Process / Go to / Staff Data

Target Area All rosters

Limitations Year 1999 to 2025.

The Staff data sheet contains essential information about all persons. Any person used in a roster must be defined here with at least initials and a combination setting (A, B or A/B).

ID is transferred by RPL when synchronizing with EPL Web in Data Exchange

Team is filled in by RPL when clicking “Team” on the header. Staff Data is sorted according to the sequence in the roster you just came from. Team numbers are calculated according to setting of Number of Persons and Number of teams in Parameters. The string “02 N 04” means that the person is placed on team 2 and listed as number 4, etc.

Working Hours per year may vary because of part time employment. Column is

blue because values are handled specifically by clicking Show or Change in the header.

Part time percent effects the number of “Pf”-days (e.g. 80% gives 4 part time free

days per month, etc, according to a specific Part time table). The default allocation of Pf days is targeting days showing the highest number of staff available.


Feb 2012

Ratings

Ratings provide RPL with information of which person to be put on which sector (no rating means a trainee). Here you enter different ATC-qualifications as some controllers are certified only for a subset of operational positions.

You may apply colours to ratings by selecting the cell and click “Colors”

and apply colours to a rating. Select colours for “Cell” or “Font”. RPL will instantly change the colors of all matching ratings in Staff Data to the same formatting:

If you selected e.g. “an” all these ratings will change colour.

Go to the roster and switch the ratings off and on again with the new settings.


Feb 2012

It is also possible to use the same steps to apply colors to a certain person (initials). Here TNK and TJZ were changed to green with white font:

Go to the roster and press Process, Staff Members and Check Inits to display the change.

Rating colour codes

Use rating colour codes to overview staff with multible ratings:


Feb 2012

1. Go to Parameters / Display and set favourite rating colours

2. Check that “Display ratings with colour codes” = “yes”

3. Go to Staff Data, click “Update Colours” and wait until all colour codes are reset, follow progress on the status bar

4. Go to a roster and click Show ratings off and then on


Feb 2012

Individual shifts tells RPL which shifts to avoid using in the roster (Nn- means no

night shift allowed, M+ means only morning shifts, etc)

Matching colleague sets up two persons to match their shifts. Use Match Type to

decide the kind of match (1=all shifts, 2 = free days only, 3 = free days but opposite shifts).

Combination determines whether to search for combination rules for shift cycles in the A- or B-table (or AB = both).


Feb 2012

The Team column is blue (no custom entry). Press Team in the header to sort the

shift table according to the preset sequence in your roster. If there are more than one, the sequence is default taken from the roster you arrived from.

Info tags:

Staff data columns have short information tags

t

To create a new person

1. Enter new init

2. Fill in relevant data (Hours per year, part time, A/B as minimum)

3. Goto to a roster and activate the init

To delete a person

1. Select init data line and press Delete


Feb 2012

11.1.1 Staff Balances

RPL enables specific counting of shifts and individual balances. Each staff member has 24 optional balances. Go to Staff Data and update relevant balance columns:

Then go to Parameters / Balances and in relevant tables enter which shifts shall be added or subtracted. Select the balance to be “+” or “-“.

In this example all “c”-shifts and all shifts starting with “F” and all “Xp”-shifts are added in balance 1.

"C" means all C-shifts


Feb 2012

"C?" means all C-shifts with C as starting character

The results are calculated by RPL in separate columns in Statistics:

Go to Parameters / Statistics and Press “New Statistics” and Ok.

Click the “>>”-button until the balance section is visible.

RPL displays the value from Staff Data as plus and the value from Parameters as minus and calculates the difference:

Check that there is consistence between the selected interval and the current values in Staff balances. If the values in staff balances relate to the first 8 months, you should run a statistic for the remaining 4 months to complete values for a year.

Import Balances


Feb 2012

All Staff Balance data can be imported to RPL using Data Exchange.


Feb 2012

11.2 Staff Info Buttons

To see staff details click the appropriate init in the roster.

and RPL displays a standard staff info window:

Staff Info is data taken from Staff Data.

Team is calculated by RPL. Team “04 N 11” means that MCK is with team no 4 and

listed in that team as team member no 11.

Click the e-mail address to start MS Outlook and type a message.

It is possible to:

Staff info

Statistics

Update Statistics


Feb 2012

Select a specific interval by selecting on the roster date line before clicking the init.

RPL remembers your selection.

Change the interval in the window followed by clicking the “Update”-button.

Display a preset interval like Current Roster, Month, etc

You can take statistical data from the roster to count shifts and working hours:

Or you can take data from the LeavePlan, from TaskPlan or from BiddingPlan.

Click “Go To” to navigate to the acording position in the database. Clicking a shift

shows all linked basic data in Shift Types, clicking leave shows the corresponding data line in LeavePlan, etc.

Use Print to make a hard copy of the staff info window.

11.2.1 To activate a person

in a roster requires that the person is defined in Staff Data.

1. Click Show-button and check that Show Non-Existing is on. 2. Click on a free rosterline marked with “???” to see a list with non-active staff 3. Select which init to activate 4. Click “Yes”


Feb 2012

11.2.2 To deactivate a person

1. Click the appropriate init 2. Click “Deactivate” 3. Click “Yes”


Feb 2012

11.2.3 To Move a person

To move a person to another roster position


Feb 2012

1. Click the appropriate init 2. Click “Move” to see the current init-sequence 3. Select a position marked “???” 4. Click “Yes”


Feb 2012

11.2.4 To display Notes

RPL can display the notes as entered in Staff Data on each button. Go to Parameters (List) / Display section and set the according parameter:

Enter appropriate text in Staff Data Notes:

Click the Show-button and turn Ratings “off” and then “on” again to update all staff buttons with info-tags:


Feb 2012

11.2.5 EPL Photo Gallery

You can define the standard location of photo files in Parameters:

RPL looks for file formats .jpg and .bmp. Photos can be linked to staff by using initials or staff ID. Examples of file names: ABC.bmp, 00406307.jpg, etc


Feb 2012

11.3 Shift types

Shift Types

Type: Database

Summary: Stores all information related to shifts

Access Process / Go to / Shift Types


Limitations Lower and upper case characters, numbers, etc

The shift table defines basic information of the shift codes. RPL provides 10 additional time calculations for every shift enabling you to separately count time concerning night allowances, extra stand-by time, breaks, etc. Any shift used in a roster must be defined here.

Edit Line

Shift definitions


Feb 2012

11.3.1 RPL Shift Code Principles

Operational Shifts

RPL prescribes some general rules for operational shift codes. The first character position determines the time. The second character defines which sector the shift is designated to (could be w = “west” and e = “east”). The 3rd and 4th character is

optional except for a few reserved letters like j, s, x and c.

The first character position determines the time. The following characters are

optional.

Task Shifts

The first character determines the duration of a task shift. Characters 2 to 4 are

optional.

Free Shifts

The first character determines the duration of a free shift. Characters 2 to 4 are

optional.

11.3.2 Shift Definition

Change shift duration

Click Process / Shift Types

Select the appropriate shift and set the according options in the edit line below.

History

Shows all shift changes in the database. Select “Show All Shift Data” to display all database contents. Select “Show Shift Data valid on Date” to display which definitions are valid on a certain date.

Shifts

Any shift, lower or upper case letters can be used. Colours are updated automatically:


Feb 2012

Variable shift intervals / Valid from

Shifts can be defined with a specific duration that refers to a limited interval. Suppose the M-shift changes from 0600-1400 to 0615-1430. The effective date is 1st August 2012. Enter following lines:

A new line will overrule previous definitions. Durations have no expiring date, i.e. once entered they remain effective until changed. That means that all shifts must be defined at least once in the list.

Behaviour / Behave Like

Enter which shift shall replace the current shift letter when RPL considers combinations. Suppose there are two morning shifts that are almost alike: M and Y. Their intervals vary 30 minutes only, which requires two shifts to be defined. Setting Y to behave like M allows RPL to refer to much fewer combinations. The combinations table needs only to contain cycles with M.

Use this feature to reduce the number of combinations considerably.

Be sure there are no circular references (that A behaves like B , B behaves like C, and C behaves like A) .

Start

Set time interval (format = tt:mm)

End

Set time interval (format = tt:mm)

Duration

Duration is recalculated automatically on entry. RPL will calculate working time according to duration on generating new statistics.

Shift Allowances

The Shift types table contains extra columns that enables you to perform specific calculations linked to shifts. As default headers are named: A-Time, B-time, ect. It is possible to enter custom time headers. Headers can be redefined in Parameters.

All defined time headers are included in statistics

Go to Shift Types and check your settings on A-time (first optional time column):


Feb 2012

Here EPL adds 6:30 hours to each N-shift when calculating working hours.

Optional Time columns can be used to calculate segments of a shift’s default working time like breaks, night or evening allowances, standby time, etc.

11.3.3 Shift Updating Functions


Feb 2012

Functions

Click Add to enter a new definition

Click Modify to make changes to an existing definition

Click Delete to remove the selected item

Click Go to Data Table (used for support purposes)

Click Close to exit

11.3.4 Understanding EPL Shift Principles

RPL always requires a shift to be defined before it can be used in any roster. There would be no logic in using shifts without declaring the way it should be interpreted. Similarly, it would be irrational to roster controllers without entering their ATC ratings. If you plan to use shift codes like A or As or Aws1, you firstly need to go to Shift Types and define the letter A. The shift A can be categorised as either Opr,

Task or Free.

Operational shits are related to ATC work. They would be shifts on a sector in

ACC or on a working position in TWR and they count working hours and must adhere to working rules. Operational status rely fully on the number of operational shifts or on the assigned working hours. You can remove all colours in a roster and use Show / Other / Operational shifts to highlight them.

Task shifts are working days, not necessarily in the OPS-room, but typically

office duties, courses, travels, etc. This means that task shifts count working hours and that RPL needs to handle them according to working rules, which again means they have to be part of cycles.

You can remove all colours in a roster and use Show / Other / Task shifts to highlight them. Whenever RPL builds cycles, a task shift is replaced by “?”, a joker shift. Therefore RPL can recognize even complicated cycles that contain many letters when checking the combinations.

If you highlight operational + task shifts, RPL shows all cycles in the roster. From this point the combination tables take over, telling RPL which cycles are allowed, which cycles should be mainly used, etc.

Free shifts are basically days “off station”. Mostly, free shifts count zero hours.

But some free days may count working hours, like vacation days and part time days, because you want to balance hours on a yearly basis. Or, because company reporting requires days in lieu to be calculated, or because of leave days earned and taken.

Free shifts tell RPL where a cycle starts and where it ends. You can remove all colours in a roster and use Show / Other / Free days to highlight them. RPL considers everything between the highlights as a cycle. Some working rules may apply to free days (minimum resting time between shifts, etc)


Feb 2012

11.4 Staffing Tables

Staffing Tables

Type: Database

Summary: Contains demand of staff

Access Process / Go to Staffing


Limitations 365 days/year, max 100 shifts

RPL supports differential staffing (i.e. demand of staff) using enhanced Staffing Tables.

The Staffing Tables handle all kinds of differential staffing requirements. Staffing is based on four tables. They are processed by RPL this order:

1. Day Table (individual staffing on e.g. APR 25)

2. Week Table (staffing in e.g. Week 23)

3. EC Tables (e.g. Mon to Sun in February)

4. RPL Standard Staffing Table (Mon to Sun)

RPL looks up staffing first in Table 1. If no data is filled in, it proceeds to Table 2, etc.

Day Table


Feb 2012

Enter staffing on specific days here. On some national holidays you may need a reduced staffing. On days with e.g. military exercises you may need higher staffng:

Week Table

Adjust staffing to certain weeks here:


Feb 2012

EC-Tables

These tables allow the user to set a specific staffing on each Tuesday in January, but another on Tuesdays in February, etc:

RPL Standard Staffing Table

The Standard Staffing Table contains staffing concerning only days of the week:

Calculation of Staffing

RPL’s basic principle is to look up staffing first in Table 1. If no data is filled in, it proceeds to Table 2, etc.

You should activate a certain kind of staffing just by filling in relevant data. Leaving lines blank would automatically lead RPL to the next table.

So, if no data information according to a particular day is found at all, RPL always takes the staffing out of the RPL Standard Table, which in that case must contain data.


Feb 2012

An example:

Suppose you have a special demand on APR 25 and NOV 14, but otherwise the EC Table would be valid.

1. Enter the required demand for the two special days (APR 25 and NOV 14) in the Day Table.

2. Check there is no data in the Week Table 3. Check that your EC Table contains correct data 4. The Standard Table may be left blank (as RPL in this case would always find

data in the EC Table before performing the last step). 5. Use Process / Basic Roster / Fill Staffing to update the roster

In case you later on need reduced staffing in the summer weeks 28 and 29, it is necessary to fill in data only in those two specific lines, as the Week Table overrules your EC Tables.

Enter required custom shifts on the top line (like Ys, Ms, etc). Maximum 2 characters.

Indication of additional staffing data

When RPL detects staffing data in the additional tables, yellow indicators will highlight. Here you entered a particular staffing requirement for Jan 18:

Use Reset Formats to restore the grid and colors.

The file names of the EC Staffing “H_JAN_MON.xls” are optional. RPL does not

use this text while calculating the valid line, but relies on the table structure.

Staffing data in

tables below


Feb 2012

Use Process / Check Staffing to check that the required number of shifts exists in

the roster or in the Pool.

RPL considers all operational shifts (i.e. defined as “Opr”) as valid for the check. It

will find a surplus of shift B, even if B is not part of the Staffing Table. So, RPL assumes that there is (or should be) a demand setting for any defined operational shift.

All trainee shifts (with “j” as third character) are ignored. A trainee can have M like his coach but he is not part of the staffing and therefore not counted in.

Validate your requirements instantly after you have used Fill Staffing by then executing Check Staffing (it should show balance on all days).

New Staffing option (OR/AND)

Go to Parameters / Miscellaneous and set the OR/AND option.

Set to OR if you want RPL to skip the next table, if staffing data is found. Useful if

you work with a standard staffing structure combined with a few exeptions (e.g. summer weeks and special days).

Set to AND if you want RPL to fill in staffing from all tables. Useful if you work with a precisely defined staffing structure based on several tables. Mostly the Fill Staffing function would be able to load the complete demand into the pool in one step.

Notice: To keep the overview you should make sure there is no overlapping staffing data in the tables. In case, the last processed table wins.


Feb 2012

11.5 Combination Tables

Combination Tables

Type: Database

Summary: Contains all valid cycles

Access Process / Go to Combinations


Limitations Max 2,000 combinations


Feb 2012

The Combination tables hold information to RPL, which shift cycles to create. While executing the Pool Manager looks up acceptable combinations here. The Staff Planner may optimise RPL by adding new combinations to the table as he detects them, or he may delete any non-acceptable combination. A table containing many combinations gives the Pool Manager equal possibilities to allocate shifts. On the contrary: The consequence of having a table containing only a few combinations may be that the Pool Manager leaves almost all shifts in the pool.

Epl does not need all combinations filled in – just a small number to make the process run. At the beginning enter only a few typical combinations. Be sure all letters are used at least once, otherwise Epl will not know how to handle them.

Try to enter only two cycles that are mostly used, like ”MMMA” and ”MMAA” as A-combinations. Run the Pool Manager on a couple of days in January and watch the result.

Enter every combination of acceptable cycles into the table. You can easily detect new cycles for the tables by using Check Combinations and then transferring the

yellow marked cycles with on the toolbar.

The entry: “MMMA” makes a valid combination. RPL will automatically substitute non-operational shifts to fit to the table as they are considered as jokers. This means that a cycle like Mw Mw Osim Ae would be Ok as it matches “MMMA”, with Osim as a joker. All dotted shifts are also considered as jokers (i.e. a cycle like Mw A. Mw Aw would also be valid). Notice that the sector ID (second character in a shift) is ignored as far as combinations are concerned.

11.5.1 Editing Combinations

Enter combinations manually or use the button on the RPL toolbar to add the

selected combination in the roster to the table.

Use Sort to arrange all combinations alphabetically. As RPL is working with upper

and lower case characters, all “m” are sorted before “M”, etc

Use Find A-doubles to detect and highlight non-unique combinations. RPL is able

to delete doubles as well in order to reduce the size of the table.

Notice that Excel offers build-in features that helps you in maintaining combinations Use Search to find certain lines, use Search and Replace to replace specific characters, use another sheet to create new combinations and copy them to RPL, etc

If you need to investigate the Combinations Table for specific matters, a quick way is to select all combinations (or some) and press CTL + F (windows search function, notice the setting of options). Type “????M?” and step through combinations that have M as character no. 5. Type “Y???M?” to find combinations starting with Y and M as no. 5, etc.

If the Basic Roster of Staffing Tables are changed, it consequently requires an update of the combinations.

The combinations should contain some variations to allow RPL to use its fairness feature. Sometimes situations occur where building a cycle with M-shifts in the beginning allow only combinations to proceed with another M. And the fourth shift is then restricted to an M again. But you seem to have some variations to prevent that.

11.5.2 Multible Combinations Tables

Some Staff Planners may wish to operate two (or more) Combinations Tables at the same time. In the beginning he would mainly use a limited table of combinations to achieve a rough distribution of shifts (so that everybody gets a quite normal cycle).


Feb 2012

Then a more fine-tuned Combinations Table. Finally, to force Epl to allocate the remaining pool shifts, he would use an almost complete table of combinations that gives some (inevitable) unnormal cycles. As it takes only seconds to replace the entire table with new data (copy/paste), you are able to change the way RPL works at any time.

An easy way is to keep additional Combinations Tables on a separate sheet. Then copy the relevant table into the A- or B-Combinations column. Use Copy and Paste Values. Be sure there are no old combinations left over, if the new table is smaller than the previous.

That way you could have many sets of combinations, each matching specific criteria.

11.5.3 Priority Levels

The combination tables are capable of handling 3 priority levels:

Change a combination to another priority by selecting it and press Red (priority 1), Yellow (priority 2) or Green (priority 3). White combinations (priority not yet

decided) are sorted last in row.

RPL considers combinations with priority 1 to be used before priority 2, etc.


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Feb 2012

Press Sort to sort both combination tables normally (alphabetical):

Press Sort Prio to sort combinations according to priority colours:

While sorting, RPL checks that User Parameter limitations are met. Any combination not in accordance with requirements is displayed with a red tag. :


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Here “xDN” does not comply with User Parameters settings a), d) and f).


Feb 2012

11.6 Leave Plan

LeavePlan

Type: Database

Summary: The LeavePlan contains all data concerning staff leave requests

Access Process / Go to / LeavePlan

Prerequisites Enter inits in Staff Data



Max leave req 2,000

After deadline all leave requests are imported from EPL Leave & Bidding into the RPL using the web import routine.

Data is stored in the ”LeavePlan”. An ”i” indicates staff Internet-requests. Blank indicates a manual input. Priority provides 3 levels (e.g. 1 = urgent, 2 = normal (default) and 3 = nice to have). The comment field shows comments transferred from the Internet or (if no ”i”) entered by the staff planner. Click on the headers to sort data. The transfer of 3,000 requests takes less than 1 minute. Here the LeavePlan contains 219 lines.

Use the buttons >> to toggle between LeavePlan, TaskPlan and BiddingPlan.


Feb 2012

Use Show & Check to see only requests concerning a certain period of e.g. 1

month and to check out conflicts between the LeavePlan and the TaskPlan, e.g. persons requested for a task on the same day as they bidded for leave. RPL marks all lines affected by the check and shows the kind of conflict.

Use Quick Update to enter lines automatically while selecting specific weeks, days or periods, that may be recurring.

Only initials defined in the Staff Data can be entered.

In the From and To cells you may enter 2-3-07 only or, for entries concerning

current year even 2-3. The cell automatically adjusts to the format 02-03-2007 (dd-mm-yyyy).

Enter the appropriate leave Type. This could be an operational shift if you wish to force certain shifts, for example an “M” shift, on someone on a specific day. In this way the BiddingPlan can be “overruled” by the staff planner.

Use one of 3 priority levels (1,2 or 3). By executing the process “Task Requests”

you then have the opportunity to insert e.g. only requests with priority-setting 2.

Enter a “?” in the status column to make RPL ignore the data line. In this way

several lines can be easily changed to a temporary “sleeping state” until you receive a final decision.

Tip

Select a leave day in the roster and use CTL + t to navigate directly to the corresponding line in the database.


Feb 2012

11.6.1 Quick Update

Use the Quick Update window to facilitate the input of data lines.

Switch between LeavePlan and TaskPlan.

Click date From followed by date To on the grey vertical bar and the period changes

accordingly. Since the “date to” and “date from” setting depends on your first and second click, you may use Reset to start all over again. The following click then

enters the “date to”.

Select Week No and press Find Days to change the period to a certain week


Feb 2012

11.7 Task Plan

TaskPlan

Type: Database

Summary: The TaskPlan holds all data concerning AOD requests

Access Process / Go to / TaskPlan




Max tasks 2,000

The TaskPlan holds all data regarding AODs, which are non-operational duties like

office or administrative shifts, refresher courses, simulator training, test of new system software, maternity leave, working groups, etc.

All staff required for a non-operational shift must be entered here.




Enter the appropriate shift Type. This could be an operational shift if you wish to force certain shifts, for example an “M” shift, on someone on a specific day. In this way the BiddingPlan can be “overruled” the staff planner.


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Thus, “M” entered in the BiddingPlan would make RPL try to allocate “M” and look for it being available in the pool (there is no influence on staffing). Whereas “M” entered in TaskPlan would definitely make RPL allocate this shift (and would increase staffing by one).

Use one of 3 priority levels (1,2 or 3). By executing the process “Task Requests” you then have the opportunity to insert e.g. only requests with priority-setting 2. Priorities also allows you to enter:

Accepted tasks from management by prio = 1

Confirmed tasks from administration by prio = 2

Initial tasks from all sections by prio = 3


several lines can be easily changed to a temporary “sleeping state” until the staff planner receives a final decision.

Use W/M to tell RPL how to handle free days in task requests. Enter W = Weekend

(RPL changes all weekend shifts to F) or M = Module (RPL keeps the persons free days according to his team). Note: This is the only way RPL would affect free days.

11.7.1 Updating the TaskPlan

The most significant and time-consuming job for the staff planner is to keep the data sheets updated. RPL has several routines to facilitate this job.

Lines may be entered manually

OR use Quick Update to enter lines automatically.

OR enter task shifts directly into the roster. Then, use Check Leave + Task and Auto-fill

OR use the automatic TaskPlanning feature to manipulate and to adjust your

task requests.

The window presents tasks concerning one person. Suppose you would solve the conflict between the selected periods, where “HS” is requested to office


Feb 2012

during his leave. Use the Split-function to split up the leave period with the task day. Just one click creates correct data lines. Press Info to show the basic principles of the Split-function

OR enter the requests direct in the roster and use RPL to point out where it detects missing task requests. After they are highlighted you may decide to let RPL transfer the according data lines automatically. This way hundreds of data lines can be stored in seconds.

The reason for storing leave, tasks and bidding on data sheets (LeavePlan and TaskPlan) is that RPL may help to detect and solve potential conflicts and that it makes it possible to create a roster from scratch (so you may wait until short before deadline). Data can be easily maintained, sorted, counted, printed out, etc. Furthermore it gives the possibility to run what-if-sessions well ahead of deadline to analyse the consequences of different settings. If shifts are entered direct into the roster you lose these advantages.

In case two persons would share the roster production, one could update the LeavePlan and TaskPlan and make sure there are no conflicts. The other person could then run the processes and do all manual inputs to complete the roster.

Storing data also enables you to use EPL RosterPlanner as a planning tool. You could delete all roster data, then process only leave requests for e.g. six months to publish a leave overview. Or you could delete all roster data, then process only task requests in order to produce documentation for a meeting concerning planning of resources.


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11.7.2 More about RPL Taskplanning

The RPL automatic Taskplanning function (TPL) is a highly advanced feature that enables the staff planner to “remote” update the TaskPlan. It supports complex splitting of periods and saves time when editing task lines.

Call the TPL-function from a roster by clicking “TPL” in the toolbar and the TPL-window appears:

Selecting data lines

All data lines in LeavePlan and TaskPlan that relate to the selected period are displayed in the window. These lines are copies from the database.

Because you would often decide to view data lines for a whole month and because the data lines concerning periods just before or just after current month should still be considered, RPL displays these periods in the window too.

By selecting one or more data lines and using the editing functions it is possible to let RPL update the database.

When a data line is selected its data appears in the green editing line below. If you

select more data lines, data from the last selected line is shown.

Selecting a period

Navigate to Database

Click to set month as default period

Click to display the Info-window

Click to expand to current month

Data lines from TaskPlan and LeavePlan

Editing line

Editing function buttons

Add to LeavePlan or to TaskPlan


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The default period refers to the selected days in the roster. Click <M> to expand

the period settingto the current month. Click „Current Month“ if you would prefer RPL to change the default period to current month.

Notice: That RPL shows only the relevant data lines according to your selected period. Check which period is valid in the roster if you miss data lines in the window.

Insert a Task

Enter the task manually into the roster and select the days:

Here 3 office days (O4) were entered. Then press „TPL“ and the data line is already filled in.

Priority is default set to 1. The edit data line is blue (colour for TaskPlan update) and the radio-button is already changed to point to the TaskPlan. The cursor is default ready to take your remarks entry: Enter some text:


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Press „Add“ and RPL stores this data line in the database:

The data line is instantly shown in the window and the editing line is ready to take a new input.

Update a Task

Select a task in the window and do your updates to Priority, Status, Weekend or Notes, then press „Update“. The cursor is default in the Notes field.


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Changes to the period or type is not possible (RPL displays a message). Such changes means basically that there is need for a new task. In this case use „Add“ to store a new data line followed by „Delete“ to remove the previous.

Using Split

Splitting tasks is a wellknown situation to all staff planners. Performing manual split in the database is a time consuming job. RPL facilitates these routines and minimizes errors with the split-function.

Press the „Info-button“ to display how RPL handles different situations where tasks overlap.

Generally RPL considers a new task to have higher priority than the existing. Also, a short task is presumed to be incorporated in a long task as indicated by the coloured lines above. If you are looking for another split result than the RPL default, select the low priority task with your first click and high priority task with your second (the last wins).


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LeavePlan or TaskPlan

The TPL-window has two radio-buttons enabling you to determine where to store new datalines. If you select some leave days (shift = C), RPL presumes you intend to use the LeavePlan as destination and the editing line turns yellow. If you select office days (shift = O), RPL points to the TaskPlan and turns blue.

Use the navigation buttons to go direct to the database. If you select a data line concerning leave, the leave-navigation will take you direct to the corresponding data line in LeavePlan.

Conflicts

TPL checks automatically any conflict in the database and consequently removes conflict messages after they are solved by e.g. using the Split-function.


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11.7.3 The X-task Concept

Use X-tasks for requests that are not associated to specific days. Suppose “ABC” is

permitted to have 4 office days each month (no requirements to be put on certain days, just 4 days). The data line would be:

RPL allocates four “OO” days on the best suited days (according to surplus). If this is not possible, RPL shows a message. The limit (e.g. –5 on the +/- line) for the number of X-tasks to be accepted is a custom parameter.

If ABC requires his office days rostered as 1 each week, the following data lines should be entered instead:

Provided that “ABC” needs Sep 19 as a fixed office day and is otherwise flexible, the data lines would look like this:

Provided “ABC” needs 13 office days within a month, but limited to only workdays, the lines may be entered like this:

The first line changes all shifts to M. (M-dotted) and ensures free on all weekends (W). The second line tells RPL to change 13 of these days to “Omg”.

X-tasks are processed last in row compared to other tasks. Suppose you have entered two office days (Omg) on specific days and there is also an X-task line that codes for 5 Omg per month. In this case RPL allocates two specific days and adds three flexible days.

In the W/T column you can assign a “W” to X-tasks to avoid them being positioned on weekends.


Feb 2012

11.7.4 Reservation Tasks

In many respects it is necessary for the staff planner to enter task requests well before a person has been assigned to it. RPL allows you to enter a request with initials “???” or “??” and still have the task executed.

Reservation Tasks allow for easily pre-allocating unnamed blocks of resources. At a

a later stage, when you receive names (initials) of relevant staff, you simply substitute question marks with initials.

Suppose you need 3 controllers on re-education simulator from Sep 14 to Sep 25, but you are not yet in possession of the exact names. Enter this data line:

RPL will load Osim-shifts into the pool. Since the Pool Manager takes only operational shifts, a reservation task will remain in the pool. Consequently, the +/- line is reduced by one, which is exactly what you intended. When the name of the person is known, just go to the TaskPlan and change “???” to the corresponding initial. Now RPL allocates the request into the roster. If you’re already in the manual phase, you must manually swop the Osim-shifts to the person.

Notice that there is no influence on the +/- line whether

1. A reservation-task is in the pool or

2. The equivalent task is allocated to a specific person.

Reservation-tasks in the pool are equally balanced by dotted shifts on a roster line. When it is transferred to the roster, the demand (pool load) is replaced by less staff availability.

Reserved blocks of resources


Feb 2012

Tip

The default sorting of the pool is alphabetically. If you define reservation tasks with the first character position to be a number, they are arranged together in the pool.

Select a task in the roster and use CTL + t to navigate directly to the corresponding line in the database.


Feb 2012

11.8 Bidding Plan and Biddings

BiddingPlan

Type: Database

Summary: The BiddingPlan holds all data concerning staff wishes for a specific shifts.

Access Process / Go to / BiddingPlan

Prerequisites Enter shift sequences for buttons “Early, Late, Free, Any shift” in Parameters

Enter inits in Staff Data



Max biddings 2,000


Feb 2012

The web import routine stores all requests concerning bidding in the ”BiddingPlan”.

Preferences show the combination of shifts the person bidded for (here “Free” would be FHP, free, holiday and part time).

The BiddingPlan may be updated in three ways:

Automatic import from EPL Leave & Bidding System

Manually by editing a line

Manually by entering a bidding into the roster

Automatic import from EPL Leave & Bidding System

See Data Exchange.

Manually by editing a line

Lines can be stored manually (if a request comes in after Internet deadline expired). Enter data on any available lines.

Use Early, Late, Free, Any Shift to insert defined shift combinations. To change the

sequence of shifts entered by e.g. “Early” go to Parameters / Translation).

An orange “i” indicates an Internet-bidding.

Manually by entering the bidding into the roster

Select the appropriate shift in the roster. Click on RPL Tool bar and enter relevant data:





Feb 2012

Text is descriptive text

Use Preferences to determine which shifts could fulfil the bidding.

Priority level can be set to 1,2 or 3 (used for later RPL enhancements)


several lines can be easily changed to a temporary “sleeping state” until the staff planner receives a final decision.

Manually entering comments to shifts

The BiddingPlan can handle normal bidding requests (entered with a preference by staff) and comments to shifts (entered with no preference by the Staff Planner).

To enter a comment, select a shift, Click on RPL Tool bar, enter some text, leave the preference field blank, press OK:

The information is in each case stored in the BiddingPlan and shown in the roster with a red tag. Here is a comment line on PP in the BiddingPlan

and a normal bidding request line:

PP 20-01-2005 20-01-2005 Remember to confirm…

PP 26-01-2005 26-01-2005 Very important FHP 3 i

And here is the comment on PP in the roster


Feb 2012

A comment can be changed to a bidding request and v.v. by clicking +B again. You may enter even more comment lines concerning the same day. RPL will display all of them in the roster. (The BiddingPlan is capable of holding max 60,000 lines). Notice that you can easily move from a shift with a bidding or comment to the BiddingPlan using the short cut CTL + t (”t” actually means ”TaskPlan” because RPL starts searching in the TaskPlan, thereafter in the LeavePlan and finally searches the BiddingPlan).

Basically all red tags (including comments) are removed by clicking “N” on the toolbar. Until now the “N”- button cleared all kind of colors. Now RPL is able to maintain presentation of biddings and comments. To keep comments visible, the “Normal Setting” ahs been extended with 4 levels. Go to “Parameters - Display” and select the appropriate level:

0 = All

1 = All except biddings/comments

2 = Only selected month

3 = Only selected month except biddings/comments

Level 1 = "All except biddings"" means reset all colors to standard but still show biddings and comments, etc. In this way you always have updated info on the screen.

Individual Bidding

See Example 7 – Individual Rosters

Tip

Select a bidding in the roster and use CTL + t to navigate directly to the corresponding line in the database.


Feb 2012

11.9 Status Plan

StatusPlan

Type: Database

Summary: The StatusPlan holds all data concerning staff certificate validations

Access Process / Go to / StatusPlan




Max entries 500 persons

Enter all data concerning staff competence in the table.

The date is always the end of validation (expiry date).

Use Process / Check Status to see warnings in the roster on the expiring days.


Every year has a corresponding colour. The table automatically applies year standard colours to facilitate data overview.


Feb 2012

Calendar

Click Calendar for entering multible dates.

Select according Competence category, Date and click Enter.

In order to facilitate multible entries you can set change of cursor position after entry to: “Do not move” (default), “Move right” or “Move down”.

Selected Init

Competence

Expiry Date

Move Cursor after Entry


Feb 2012

11.10 Parameters

Parameters

Type: Database

Summary: Parameters holds all custom parameters

Access Process / Go to / Parameters

Prerequisites None


Limitations Individual

All setting of parameters in RPL is handled in this section. Enter all necessary values here to tune the RosterPlanner exactly to the requirements in your ATC-environment. White cells are definable. Some cells are limited to certain values.


Feb 2012

Custom Parameters

Use the parameters to customise RPL regarding special settings, such as time limit for an “early” shift, your limitations concerning working hours and to set the staffing limit for specific functions (e.g. that you do not accept RPL to give “part time free” when the top line shows less than minus two). Also the values of national requirements (working hours and the maximum period of duty, etc) are set here so they may easily be altered.

System Parameters

Various RPL offline settings that should not be changed.

Navigation in Parameters

Press Process / Go to and select Parameters:


Feb 2012

The Parameters section provides a sub-navigation for the database. Press Go To:

Select the appropriate sub-section.


Feb 2012

11.10.1 RPL Online Help

Many parameters are provided with information hints:

If online help info should not be visible, press Show / Reset.

Please report any online info that should be changed. All RPL-messages and online info is stored in an off line sheet (the language sheet) and easy to update:


Feb 2012

11.10.2 General Settings

General Settings

Primary Path to RPL-directory: Select from the list or type the path.

Secondary Path to RPL-directory: Type alternative RPL-directory here.

Path to EPL Photo Gallery: Select from the list

RPL Toolbar name: Enter the name of RPL toolbar.

Excel Version: In order to facilitate modifying, all online info, support messages,

error messages, dialogues, layout of windows, text in buttons, etc, are stored separately. RPL contains a special feature to change the language default setting. Set preferred language here (English is standard). Please advise ATS Data before using this feature.

All messages must be translated on the Language sheet.

Parameter Set: Select which set of working rules RPL shall refer to.

Windows Office version: Select Office 2003, 2007 or 2010


Feb 2012

Teams

Roster: RPL can perform rosters that are team based or non-team-based

Number of persons on each team: Enter team size. Use “Lines” to reset team

lines in all rosters.

Current limit of inits: Enter current max

Periods

Set all start and end times here.


Feb 2012

Cycles


Feb 2012

Shifts

Match to Colleague

Working Hours


Feb 2012

Supervisors

Defining standard colours to “N” on the toolbar


Feb 2012

There is a possibility to define the default colors when clicking “Normal” (“N” on toolbar)

In this case C = green, O = yellow, P = grey, Sick = red (all shifts with x as third character)

Set “N” (Normal) mode

Set which way RPL shall react when clicking "N" on the toolbar. "All except biddings" means

reset all colors to standard but still show biddings, etc:

0 = All

1 = All except biddings/comments

2 = Only selected month

3 = Only selected month except biddings/comment

Roster Standard Colours

Set “Roster Standard Colors to “on” or “off”.

Shift Standard Colour

Enter some shifts that should be default colored.

Use the button "Colors" to apply the color to the cell and, if preferred, also to the font. "OO" means all shifts starting with "OO" etc. "??x?" means color for shifts indicating sickness (3rd character = “x”) Notice that the contents of the table is case sensitive so you may set a specific color for “C” and another for “c”.

After clicking “N” the roster would look like this:


Feb 2012

It is only possible to use standard colors if "Normal Mode" is limited to a single month (i.e. Normal Mode parameter above is set to "2" or "3").

Display colours for max counts

Display shifts, ratings

Enter which shifts shall be default setting I dialogues.


Feb 2012

Miscellaneous:


Feb 2012

Weekend setting:

Use this parameter to define which days shall be considered as weekend. EPL will mark weekend days with frame.

European setting = 7 (Gregorian: Sat + Sun)

Emirates setting = 6 (Fri + Sat)

Arabic setting = 5 (Hijra: Thu + Fri)

Directories, URL


Feb 2012

CoursePlanner settings:


Feb 2012

11.10.3 System Parameters

System Parameters should not be changed by users.

11.10.4 User Parameter Sets

To facilitate the adaptation to national legislation RPL provides separate tables with definition of working rules called User Parameters Sets. Depending on which User parameter Set RPL refers to, you can activate different definitions of national working rules. ATS Data Design will deliver a User parameter Set that exactly matches the ATC environment in which RPL shall be used.


Feb 2012

Then click the “Go to”-button:


Feb 2012

and select User Parameter Set:

A parameter set consists of several rules. Rules can be enabled or disabled by clicking them on/off. In case you run RosterPlanner with simulation data you could disable some of the working rules because they may prevent some shifts from being allocated by the Pool Manager. When a rule is set to “off” the text is dimmed.

Rules have attached numbers that RPL refers to in certain messages.

The number in brackets are standard settings. If the parameter is changed, this number indicates the original value.

Values from the User Parameter Set are used in Check Working Rules, Pool Manager, Combination Tables, Statistical data, etc


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11.10.5 Special Days

RPL contains a table containing all relevant dates.

National Holidays

Significant Days

AIRAC Dates


Feb 2012

11.11 The Manual Process The remaining shifts in the pool are to be positioned manually. The program provides you with many easy tools. Two shifts change position if you double-click

them or you may highlight all available shifts to view possible destinations. Use the Trace-function to investigate why the pool manager did not place certain shifts onto

certain persons in order to facilitate detection of new combinations. Use the Fairness-feature on the left next to the staff buttons, which uses small green

pointers to show who deserves a specific shift (here n? meaning any kind of night shift should be put primarily on CG or on SLM or on SNM etc). This manual part can in some situations be complicated, especially during periods when you’re low of staff.

During a “normal” creation session there should be no need to make manual inputs. All shifts are generated using the Basic Roster process or extracted from the database (like leave and AODs) and thereafter kept in a closed circuit between the roster and the pool. A shift may be transferred to the pool several times. Only if shifts are accidentally deleted/changed, which the program will point out, a manual edit is necessary.

Shifts can be entered everywhere in the roster. If you enter a dotted shift into the roster the top line is increased by one – if you enter a shift in the pool the top line deducted by one.

11.11.1 Swopping of Shifts

Use double-click or “swop” on the toolbar to swop a single shift

Use “swop” on the toolbar to swop multiple shifts

Go to Parameters / Miscellaneous and set “Swop info to BiddingPlan” to e.g. 4.

When a row of 4 shifts (or more) is swopped, RPL automatically stores info in the BiddingPlan like this:

HS 25-01-2005 28-01-2005 swopped with CG

CG 25-01-2005 28-01-2005 swopped with HS

If the display level for “Normal” is 1 or 3 (as described in modification no. 7) RPL will show swop info in the roster after resetting the colors. Here HS swopped first with CG, then with SN and finally with ZS:


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11.11.2 Please avoid

Excel is sensible to deleting (or insertion) of cells. Please use the “Delete” key instead.

Do not use math operators like a dash “-“ or a “+” (which Excel interprets as minus and plus)

All custom parameters and custom tables are white and may be altered. All system parameters and areas are greyed out.

Generally, do not use drag and drop as RPL has no change to warn if e.g. shifts are moved across days, etc.

Avoid using Copy/Paste but always use Paste Special or Paste Values. Use Copy/Paste Special/ Values (ALT + e + s) and check that data was correctly positioned.

Most of the RPL-database is auto-validated (there will be a message if non-valid data is entered). The headers are protected and they cannot unintentionally be altered.

11.11.3 Short Keys

In many respects the keyboard is a faster and a much more ergonomic device than your mouse. Here are some key hints, however some of them may of course be familiar to you:

Facilitate scrolling by always resting your finger on PageUp and PageDown while considering solutions in stead of dragging the Windows scrollbar.

The most used short keys

CTL + C copy the selection

CTL + V paste the selection

CTL + Z undo the last action

However, use Copy followed by Copy Special/Values – it will be one of your most

frequently used short cut key combinations. Always use this Copy Special action (insert only text) when transferring data in the RPL to avoid inserting colours and overwriting names. On English keyboards the short cut is ALT + E + S + ArrowDown + ArrowDown.

Toggling

Toggle between RPL programs (Excel-files) using CTL + TAB

One of the most useful short cuts is to toggle between Windows applications (e.g. Word and Excel) using ALT + TAB


Feb 2012

Selecting

Press and hold Shift to select more items (in a row).

CTL+SHIFT+ArrowRight selects to the end of e.g. dates. CTL+SHIFT+ArrowDown selects to the end of e.g. data lines.

Press and hold CTL to select more items (separately)

If the cursor is somewhere inside a data area and you want to select the entire data block, use CTL + SH + asterisk

CTL + A selects all data

Navigating

Use ALT + Page Up/Down to quickly scroll the roster horizontally.

Jump to last cell in a row using CTL + ArrowDown

Use CTL + Home to go to upper left corner

Press ALT and the menu bar is highlighted on “Files”, then use the Arrows to find the item you’re looking for, then Enter to execute.

Other Windows Short Cuts

CTL + F starts the searching window. Step through the entry fields by TAB. (Space

toggles case sensitive search on/off)

Use F2 to edit or add to a cell without overwriting the contents.

CTL + mouse wheel enables you to zoom up and down

ALT + F4 closes any kind of active window in front of your roster.

The Windows Key

Notice the Windows key on your keyboard. It can be useful with these short cuts:

Windows key + D goes to desktop

Windows key + E starts Explorer

Windows key opens Start

Locating files

Again and again you search a specific file. Try using the only the keyboard. Here is an example:

1. Press Windows key + E to start Explorer

2. The cursor defaults on “My Computer”

3. Press arrow down to highlight the C-drive

4. Press arrow right to open folders

5. Press “e” to go directly to the EPL-folder

6. Press arrow right to open contents

7. Press TAB to step into the files section (SH TAB to go back)

8. Press “epl” to go to epl-files

9. Press arrow down to step to correct file

10. Press Enter to open

Internet

Use ALT + ArrowLeft to quickly step back to previous window. And, of course, ArrowRight to go forward.


Feb 2012

Excel counter and sum

Note that you have a build-in Excel facility on the status bar (bottom right on screen) showing sum, number of entries, etc. It is useful when counting data lines, when counting number of shifts within an area.

Right click on the result to get more options:

RPL Short Cuts:

Double-click or click = Exchange shifts

CTL + t goes directly to the according line in the database. If a “C” (leave day) is

selected it switches to the corresponding entry in the LeavePlan. If a Task is selected it finds the appropriate line in the TaskPlan. If the shift is not stored in the database, RPL goes to the top of TaskPlan.

CTL + i = moves the cursor vertically to the line with the specified initials. Useful in

rosters or in the database.


Feb 2012

11.12 GoTo Functions and Navigation These functions provide quick navigation between the parts of RPL

Click BiddingPlan, LeavePlan, StatusPlan and TaskPlan, etc to switch to the

according section.

Click Accounts (not yet installed).

Click Basic Roster to edit the recurring cycle

Click Combinations to go to tables describing allowed cycles

Click Data Exchange to let EPL RosterPlanner communicate with RPL Web.

Click Initialise to set up the configuration between the current RPL Program and the

toolbar (e.g. if another excel file is open and you return to RPL).

Click Log File to open RosterPlanner log file containing recent events (which processes were executed, etc)

Miscellaneous (not used currently)

Click Parameters to edit application settings

Click Print Out to print selected periods or any part of the database to connected

printers.

Click Protection to prevent selected periods from unforeseen changes. The

program will reject any input by the Clickr within periods containing already published rosters.

Click Replace Cycles to quickly replace certain cycles by new (altered) cycles

Click Shift Types to enter new shifts or change duration, etc

Click Staff Data to go to database section containing staff related data (inits, names,

ratings, etc)


Feb 2012

Click Staffing to make changes to the manning requirement on sectors

Click Statistics to perform new statistical counts

Navigation between rosters

All created rosters are on separate sheets. You may navigate to a specific roster in two ways:

Click the relevant roster sheet tab at the bottom of screen

Press Show / Rosters and click the relevant roster

Notice the Excel scrolling arrows:

In case a roster is not visible, right click on the arrows to get a list of valid sheets.


Feb 2012

11.13 Data Exchange

Data Exchange

Type: Interface

Summary: Handles all import and export of data

Access Process / Go to / Data Exchange

Prerequisites Open the import source file


Limitations None

RPL Data Exchange contains all interface facilities for importing or exporting data. Press Process / Go to and select Data Exchange:

There are three main categories:

Data in Which kind of data to import

Import files have to comply with certain RPL formats in order to be processed correctly.

Data out Which kind of data to export.

RPL exports data as text-files or excel-

Files


Feb 2012

From Source Which file to read from or write to.

All open excel-files are displayed in the list.

Internet Connection

online with the Internet = green, offline (selected state or no connection) = red

you use a LAN connection = green

you are connected via proxy server = green

you are connected via modem = green

Data Exchange to other EP- modules via Internet requires that you are online and that that your workstation is connected.

11.13.1 Import of Biddings and Leave

If your parameters are set correctly, RPL makes it possible to transfer thousands of biddings and leave requests via the Internet. These requests are instantly ready to be processed in the roster. The target period is flexible, so you may transfer data for e.g. two days or for several months.

Normally, you would transfer leave requests two times a year. In addition, according to your company policy, you could decide to transfer biddings each month. The options settings make it possible to separate bidding data from leave data.

After the import there will be a transfer message

RPL is capable of automatically deleting leave and bidding requests in order to avoid the presence of identical data lines in your database. RPL, however, does not delete requests with attached comments, because you may have added these comments after import deadline.

In order to establish a flexible way of connecting to EPL Leave & Bidding there are certain parameters, which should be set correctly:

Go to Parameters and set Use Internet access to “yes”. Normally, the RPL modules are using Internet as interface. Alternatively, it is possible to interface by


Feb 2012

using file transfer in case you wish to work on a local work station. Please advise ATS Data design if you intend to use a manual interface.

The URL for Data Exchange Bidding is the current web address to be used. Enter

your favorite URL’s in the list and then select which one to use as connection:

Before you start import of data from EPL Leave & Bidding, please check

that you entered the correct web address

that you are online with the Internet

that you selected correct period in EPL RosterPlanner

11.13.2 Bidding – leave

RPL imports data from a bidding file, but ignores data concerning leave. Use this function if you intend to extract only bidding data from a file that also contains leave days. Data is stored in the BiddingPlan with “I”-marking

11.13.3 Bidding + leave

RPL imports data from a bidding file and includes leave days. Data is stored in the BiddingPlan and LeavePlan.

11.13.4 EPL-mail principles

The “Epl Mail” function handles


Feb 2012

Distribution of roster information

Exchange of roster data between RPL users.

The function can be used to easily create a separate data sheet that can be attached to E-mail. If the receiving person has installed an RPL application, the roster data can be imported and processed further.

EPL Mails are useful for distributing published rosters to staff, because you want to send only roster data and not the whole application.

11.13.5 EPL-mail (Data out)

Select a period and go to data Exchange.

Select “Epl Mail” in the “Data out” section

Press “Execute”

Select with or without colours and the translate option


Feb 2012

Select either With Colours to print the roster as displayed on your screen or No Colours to print in black/white.

Select Translate Shift Codes if RPL shall replace certain shifts by shift codes as

defined in Parameters / Translation.

You can include Staff Names and Staff Ratings. Select Pool to include all pool

shifts at the bottom of an Epl Mail file..


Feb 2012

RPL transfers all shifts onto a separate Excel sheet with time-stamp (date/time) and with information of the name of the original file.

Press Save as and give this sheet a name, then attach it to an E-mail.

11.13.6 EPL-mail (Data in)

Select a period and go to data Exchange.

Select “Epl Mail” in the “Data in” section

Select in From Source which file to take data from (the file must be open)

Press “Execute”

EPL Mail in colours

EPL Mail in black/white


Feb 2012

An option message according pool shifts is presented

RPL imports roster data. Notice that previous roster data for this period is overwritten.


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

11.13.7 EPL-mail and pool shifts

If the selected period contains pool shifts, they are included in RPL Mail:

If you import RPL Mails containing pool shifts, the pool in the receiving file is updated accordingly.

EPL Mail with pool shifts


Feb 2012

11.13.8 Historic Data

There is a possibility for ATS Data Design to load historic data into the RPL. In order to process the input automatically the import data should be in this format <init> <tab> <date> <tab> <shift type>:

AB 1072006 m

AB 2072006 M

AB 3072006 F

AB 5072006 m

AB 4072006 F

AB 6072006 M

AB 7072006 N

AB 8072006 n

AB 9072006 F

AB 10072006 e

AB 11072006 E

AB 12072006 N

AB 13072006 n

AB 14072006 F


Feb 2012

11.13.9 Leave

RPL imports leave data. Data is stored in the LeavePlan.

Check the according settings in Parameters:

Use Internet Access: Set to “yes” to import leave data via the Internet. Set to “no”

to import leave data from a separate data file. This file must be open and selected as Source.

URL for Data Exchange Bidding: Set URL for Internet connection

11.13.10 RPL Interlink

RPL Data Exchange contains a complete Interlink function that takes data from either a specific RPL-application file (open) or from custom pre-defined files (open or not open).

Go to “Data Exchange” and select “EPL Interlink”. The “Data In” list expands with additional options: Rosters, Leave, Tasks, etc. Select one or more of these options.

The “From Source” list holds all open file names. Select which file to take data from or click the “Pre-defined Files” to let RPL open custom defined files and search them for corresponding data to transfer and automatically close the file again.

Go to Parameters and set the pre-defined files:


Feb 2012

In this case RPL would search the standard directory (normally C:\Epl) for a file name that matches “epl150sup” and open the highest extension number found and then transfer data. Provided there are several files named “epl150sup” like epl150sup004, epl150sup005 and a epl150sup008, RPL would open the most recent version, which would be the extension 008. This allows you to store many files in the RPL-directory, but still only take data out of the latest version.

After opening the file RPL looks for corresponding staff by comparing all inits in the opened file (in this case epl150sup008) with the staff in your active file.

To take data from a SUP-file into an ATCO-file:

If your active file is a Brussels version (like epl201bru001) and you interlink to a supervisor file (like epl150sup008), RPL would normally find corresponding inits for JH, KH; AK etc, and transfer their data.

To take data from an ATCO-file into an SUP-file:

In the opposite situation your active file would be a supervisor file (like epl150sup008) and you interlink to the ATCO-files by setting 3 kinds of pre-defined files

RPL would open the latest version for Brussels and find corresponding inits for JH, KH; AK, etc. Then it would open the latest version for Hannover and find some other corresponding inits, then open the latest version for Deco to find the rest, etc


Feb 2012

More about RPL Interlink:

The difference between RPL Mail and RPL interlink is basically that RPL Mail produces a new file (= new Excel sheet) limited to carrying only roster data, whereas RPL Interlink automatically opens several files and copies any staff related data between RPL-applications located on a network server.

RPL is capable of opening files even if another user is modifying the file. Data is then taken from the last saved version.

As RPL Interlink cannot be cancelled (there is no “undo”), a warning is shown before starting.

The period, to which RPL Interlink shall refer when transferring roster data, is selected by pressing “Process” and setting the “Selected Interval” as usual. If you wish to transfer roster data for e.g. 12 months, RPL Interlink must be executed twice. All changed shifts are marked blue:

When comparing staff, RPL looks in the roster staff sequence (the inits on the left of the roster) and not in Staff Data. This means that you may always have staff defined that is no longer in the roster: If a person “AB” is in the roster, RPL Interlink would transfer all his Task Data – if “AB” is only defined in Staff Data, RPL Interlink would transfer no of his Task Data.

New roster data - of course - overwrites existing roster data. But RPL Interlink adds only new data lines with data like leave, task, bidding and status. Suppose “AB” in the active file has got 4 leave requsts and 2 requests in the file to transfer from. RPL Interlink would check if the 2 requests match any of the 4. If only one matches, it would add the other request and “AB” now has 5 requests. This makes it possible to


Feb 2012

collect data from several files and prevents double entries. Finally the user would run a Conflict Check to see if the added request would overlap some of the previous 4.

The time it takes to use RPL Interlink depends on your computer and the network connection. Normally you should be able to make a full update within 10 to 20 seconds.

When completed, RPL Interlink shows a message:

The message contains the result of the RPL Interlink execution. If you perform an Interlink with the same data twice, the second run would always show no changes.


Feb 2012

11.13.11 System Upgrade

This function is used by ATS Data Design when transferring data from one RPL version to another.


Feb 2012

11.13.12 Publishing of rosters

RosterPlanner can publish rosters on EPL StatusChecker or EPL BreakPlanner. When a roster for a specific month is finished, the Staff Planning Office would use Data Exchange to publish roster data:

You may decide to re-publish a roster on StatusCheker after some changes have been included. Again, Data Exchange is used and the new roster overwrites the previous roster on the Internet. An update takes only a few seconds.

11.13.13 Performed shifts in RosterPlanner

RosterPlanner may also be used to keep details of the actual performed shifts. In that case there would be two file versions:

The first file includes the published roster and is created some weeks in advance by the Staff Planning Office.

The second file is the current version including all changes of shifts, normally entered by the supervisor. This file would contain exact roster data every day at midnight.

Data Exchange can be used to transfer data to your payrole system from any of these files. Thus, evening allowances and statistics may be calculated either based on published rosters or on actual rosters.


Feb 2012

11.13.14 All Shifts

RPL exports all shifts in selected period onto a separate TAB separated text file (code = P5)

LKH 01042010 M.**P5

LKH 02042010 M.**P5

LKH 03042010 F***P5

LKH 04042010 Fm**P5

LKH 05042010 M.**P5

LKH 06042010 M.**P5

LKH 07042010 M.**P5

LKH 08042010 N.**P5

LKH 09042010 n.**P5

LKH 10042010 F***P5

ABU 01042010 M.**P5

ABU 02042010 M.**P5

ABU 03042010 F***P5

ABU 04042010 Fm**P5

ABU 05042010 M.**P5

ABU 06042010 M.**P5

ABU 07042010 M.**P5

ABU 08042010 N.**P5

ABU 09042010 n.**P5

ABU 10042010 Fh**P5

11.13.15 Transfer of roster data to payrole system or HR system

Use Data Exchange All Shifts to export data. This function is very flexible and can be extended and adjusted to process data and formats as required by other data systems.

11.13.16 Bidding Accepted

RPL exports all accepted biddings in selected period onto a separate excel sheet (code = P8).

RPL considers accepted biddings to be the green marked shifts in the roster. Before the export is performed, RPL automatically runs Check Bidding to determine whether biddings are fulfilled:


Feb 2012

11.13.17 Bidding Registered

RPL exports all registrered biddings (as found in the BiddingPlan) in selected period onto a separate excel sheet (code = P7)

RPL automatically runs Check Bidding to identify biddings in the roster.


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

11.13.18 BreakPlanner

RosterPlanner transfers data to EPL BreakPlanner (See Data Exchange to StatusChecker).

11.13.19 Leave

RPL exports all leave days in selected period onto a separate excel sheet (code = P4)

In case you wish to transfer only certain leave shifts, press Go to Parameters / Leave & task Codes and enter which kind of leave days to export.

By setting only “C” in the table as shown above, and selecting “No” in the following window, RPL exports only shifts which are exactly “C” (but ignores all associated “Fc” and “FC”).

By selecting “Yes”, RPL exports all shifts related to leave (including all associated “Fc” and “FC”).


Feb 2012

RPL exports all leave days onto a separate sheet:

11.13.20 StatusChecker

EPL RosterPlanner uses Data Exchange to interface to EPL StatusChecker as roster data requires a certain format to be accepted by the StatusChecker’s import function.

Suppose you have completed and published a roster for February and you intend to transfer roster data to the StatusChecker. First, go to Data Exchange

then select StatusChecker


Feb 2012

After a few seconds RPL creates the STC import file:

The File is identified by name: BPL_import_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS

Directory is the EPL standard directory as set in Parameters

The file format is *.txt (Tab-delimited) and looks like this

The file is instantly ready to be loaded into the StatusChecker.


Feb 2012

11.13.21 Synchronize

Use this function to synchronize basic RPL data (like Staff Data, license expiry dates, etc) with EPL Web modules.

11.13.22 Tasks / AODs

RPL exports all task days in selected period onto a separate excel sheet (code = P4).

It is possible either to export all shifts or to generate a limited export of specific tasks. Sometimes you wish to transfer only certain tasks (like e.g. simulator and instruction) to the Internet. All future AODs would be published on the Bidding system. Thus, controllers can make no bidding on a reserved shift.

Go to Parameters / Leave & Task Codes and enter which kind of task days to export.

Select “Yes” for all shifts or “No” for exporting according to table.

RPL transfers data onto a separate sheet:


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

11.14 Print Out

Print Out

Type: Function

Summary: Printing of current roster

Access Process / Go to / Print Out

Prerequisites Roster data filled in


Limitations None



Use the function to send rosters to a specific printer.

RPL is capable of producing an automatic print layout with all staff on standard A4 format. Prints can be black/white or full colour. You can print rosters in normal EPL colours (blue background), or you can highlight certain shifts or leave periods and then print. Depending on your printer connection RPL supports A3 format.

Go to Parameters / Miscellaneous and set the appropriate options to “yes” or “no” to include staff names or ratings.


Feb 2012

Select your printer destination and click Execute


Feb 2012

11.15 Protection

Protection

Type: Function

Summary: Protects published rosters

Access Process / Go to / Protection

Prerequisites A published roster


Limitations None

When rosters are complete and published there should be no more changes to the cells. In order to prevent rosterdata from being accidentally changed, you can use the Protection function.

1. Select an interval on the date line

2. Click Process / Go to / Protection

3. Select Closed

A closed roster is displayed with a red line below the date line. Rosterdata cannot

be changed.

You can open only certain weeks:


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

11.16 Replace Cycles

Replace Cycles

Type: Function

Summary: Finds (and replaces) custom sequences

Access Process / Go to / Replace Cycles

Prerequisites None


Limitations None

Related Functions: Show Custom Sequences

Use the function Replace Cycles to highlight and maybe also replace custom cycles. Normally, using Excel you are able to find any roster shift combination in one cell. Finding certain cycles like Mw Aw Aw Mw in several cells and maybe replacing this sequence with Me Ae Ae Me, would be difficult.

Type the shifts in to look for:

And click Find Next, Replace or Find All, Replace All. Notice that the entries are

case sensitive.


Feb 2012

11.17 Show Button The second of the two main buttons, “Show”, contains additional functions. Since rosters with more than 100 persons become complicated to overview it is essential to have efficient tools to support your planning. The difference between the two main buttons is principally that the Process-button allows you to alter rosters, database, parameter settings, etc, whereas the Show-button makes it possible to view the roster from different angles using colours and information tags, and it offers various features for customising your set-up.


Feb 2012

11.17.1 Created Rosters

Use Go to Rosters to quickly navigate between created rosters.

RPL is capable of displaying rosters until 2025.

11.17.2 New Rosters

If a non-existing roster is selected, the RPL will propose to create it.

Press Yes and RPL creates a new roster including:

An interval of 6 months

A calendar with national holidays and AIRAC dates

Marked weekends (vertical black lines) and months (vertical yellow lines)

Pool contents = 0

Preset staff. RPL assumes you wish to continue with the staff sequence used in the previous roster. If the roster just before the current roster exists,


Feb 2012

RPL copies the staff sequence from there and loads data into the new roster. Then, when coming to the next step, Process / Staff Members and Check Inits, the sequence is already filled in.

11.17.3 Delete Rosters

Click Delete to remove the current roster completely. All roster data will be lost. RPL displays a message:

Use the Identifier to provide your rosters with an appropriate name (must be 7 characters).

Use Staff Rating to switch between rosters dedicated to operational staff or

trainees.


Feb 2012

Use Reset to reset all colours plus team lines, weekend lines, etc.

Use Black/White printing to change from colour printing to black and white printouts.

Use Shift Types to highlight any pre-defined shift with one of four available colours (first character only).

Click Whole roster to mark shifts also outside the current month.

The number of marked shifts is displayed in the status line below the roster

Use Partial to highlight any custom-defined shift (like all shifts with second character

= “w”).


Feb 2012

Use Other to highlight all B-combinations, all late shifts, all leave, all operational

shifts, etc.

Use Custom Sequences to highlight any custom-defined combination of shifts (you

may wish to view all “nFO” combinations to check who ends with a night shift and starts office with only one day off).


Feb 2012

Go to Parameters / Custom Sequences and set which shift sequences you prefer in the list:

11.17.4 Overlap

Use Overlap to view the previous week of your current roster to leverage the transition from one roster to another. The last week from the previous roster will be displayed on the left side of the screen. Overlap is not possible together with display of Hours count.


Feb 2012

11.17.5 Ratings

Use Ratings to see staff combination choice and their ratings. Set colours on your

ratings under Parameters. There are two ways of displaying ratings:

Rating Text only shows combination code A, B or AB and the rating characters in

colours

Rating Colour Coding shows combination code A, B or AB and ratings with colour

codes


Feb 2012

Set which way to display and colours to use in Parameters

11.17.6 Show non-existing

Use Show non-existing to see all roster lines for non-existing persons or to minimise these lines.


Feb 2012

11.17.7 Hours per Year / Working Hours

Use Hours per Year to show summarised annual working hours on the left side of

the screen. The result is colour coded to display persons that differ from user-defined limitations (as set in Parameters). Click “Hours” to refresh results.

Red = Too much

Orange = Above limit

No colour = Ok

Light blue = Below limit

Click the small “T” to toggle between displaying hours in T = Totals or D = Differences (compared to year/month in Staff Data):


Feb 2012

11.17.8 Early/Late Counts

RPL contains a feature to display counts of all early and all late shifts within a certain interval.

Click Show and select “Hours per Year”

Go to Parameters and define which shifts shall be counted:


Feb 2012

Select Interval for Working Hours

In order to change the interval for counting of working hours, rightclick on “Hours”, wait for the updating and a window is displayed:

Calculation of Working Hours

There are three ways of calculating working hours: In Statistics, in the current roster, and individually for a single person.

1. Statistics


Feb 2012

2. Roster

3. Person

11.17.9 Horizontal Counts

Use Horizontal Counts to count any kind of shift horizontally for all persons


Feb 2012

Here “M” shifts are counted (dynamic update - always for a calendar year).

RPL contains 25 custom settings of color presentation for horizontal counts. Go to Parameters and then to the “Counted Shifts Max table”. Enter limits and use the “Colors” button to apply cell and font color.

“C? > 35” would count all shifts starting with “C” and change color if the number of leave days exceeds 35 days.

“??x?” > 10 would highlight the counts of sickness days with a specific color.

“N?” < 2 would indicate if a person has less than 2 night shifts.

Here is a count of leave days with the limit set to 35:

11.17.10 Vertical Counts

Use Vertical Counts to count any kind of shift vertically for all days

Press Show and set Vertical Counts on. An extra line appears above the dates:


Feb 2012

Type any shift combination in the green box and press Enter. Results are calculated instantly. You may type only “M” to count all occurences in the roster with a starting “M”.

In this case we check that an “Ms” is present every day.

Notice: This function counts only roster contents (pool contents are ignored)

11.17.11 Week Numbers

Use Week No. to display current week numbers on the date line.

11.17.12 Registration of sickness

RPL considers all shifts with an “x” in the third character position to be staff registered as sick. RPL highlights all sickness days (red). All stand-by shifts with a “c” in the third character position are also displayed (green):


Feb 2012

Here FEL is registered as sick and NOV is on duty in stead.


Feb 2012

11.17.13 Staff Names

Use Show Staff Names to display names left of the roster:


Feb 2012

11.17.14 Pool Lines

sets the default number of visible lines in the pool. Options are: 0 to 15 lines, 16 is automatic (RPL adjusts the pool area according to the highest number of pool shifts), from 20 to 100 which is the maximum.

Depending on your zoom setting, the pool area may cover the entire screen. . . Select a smaller number of pool lines to see the roster again.


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

11.18 On Screen Features

11.18.1 Fairness Indicators

RPL shows dynamic fairness indicators on staff

Here HAS and KNI need “M” shifts according to the count entry upper left (M?). Fairness indicators are based upon counts for 1 calendar year. Use M? = Any kind of M, but use MD to count exact MD shifts (case sensitive).

Fairness is based on counts compared to number of operational shifts = shift percentage. This result is ranked within the staff group and finally displayed. Hence, persons with few shifts can be weighed against persons with many. Because of the ranking principle you may observe that changing shifts on one person can influence other indicators. RPL shows the staff rank, not absolute counts.


Feb 2012

11.19 Advanced Utilization of EuroPlanner This section shows various examples of advanced set-up of the application. Parts of them are build-in functions.

It is important to point out a few limitations of RPL:

1. The program does not calculate any kind of salary, but it counts all kinds of shifts (units) and it interfaces with your payroll system.

2. Write access cannot be given to more than one person at the same time per file. But RPL handles separate ATC units as APP in one file, ACC in another, etc.

3. The program cannot handle for instance M1 and M2 as two different shifts, but runs them if they are renamed M and m.

11.19.1 Example 1 – Manpower Planning

Problem: Our company has difficulties in foreseeing periods well ahead with lack of staff.

Solution: RPL has a top line showing the current additional staff or lack of staff.

In this example the staff planner still has considerable resources in June and August, but the roster is close to minimum level in July (due to summer leave). A couple of days show lack of staff (minus 2 controllers)

In case you need 5 controllers on a 2 weeks course, the only possibility would be in June or September.

-5

0

5

10

15

20

Ma

y

Ma

y

Ma

y

Ma

y

Ma

y

Ma

y

Ma

y

Ju

ne

Ju

ne

Ju

ne

Ju

ne

Ju

ne

Ju

ne

Ju

ly

Ju

ly

Ju

ly

Ju

ly

Ju

ly

Ju

ly

Au

g

Au

g

Au

g

Au

g

Au

g

Au

g

Se

p

Se

p

Se

p

Se

p

Se

p

Se

p

Staff Staff Capacity


Feb 2012

11.19.2 Example 2 – Task Planning

Problem: Our roster gets more complicated as controllers are taken out of duty for re-education, test of new system software, special training, ESARR5 status check, maternity leave, working groups, etc. How can we overview all these arrangements and make sure no days are missing?

Solution: RPL works with Tasks. All information is being stored in a database. You have many features to facilitate editing and maintenance of your tasks. The basic advantage is that data is stored only once.

The next advantage is that you can print all tasks concerning a selected period, like this:

OR you could use RPL to process a roster with only tasks filled in – like this:


Feb 2012

In case you are called to a meeting concerning staff resources, these prints easily show the requested amounts, and it shows whether the staff planning office is in possession of correct information.


Feb 2012

OR use the RPL to collect all requests concerning leave and task days for controllers who are partly employed in the administration. Here is an example with the RPL set to show all persons e.g. in the technical department

This way all staff connected to the administration will be in a file, which is compatible with the files in your Roster Office. It’ s a ”multi-user system” where staff can enter their requests until deadline.

Leave

Office Meeting

Office


Feb 2012

11.19.3 Example 3 – Quality

Problem: The quality of our published rosters does not reach the acquired level. We use too much time checking that shifts match the controller’s ratings, that the shifts meet requirements for resting time and that all days have sufficient staffing.

Solution: Provided that the parameters are set correctly, RPL will generate a perfect roster. Normally the program fills in 90 % and a quality target of 100% is met. However in order to complete the roster the staff planner rearranges the remaining 10% of the shifts manually.

RPL will instantly highlight any shift that does not correspond with the shift expected by the program (considering resting time staffing, ratings, task requests, etc.) and it will indicate the reason – like this:

Here the staff planner put morning shifts on sector East (Me) on a person only rated for the West-sector (w).

This means that you can publish a roster that is maybe not 100% correct, but you know exactly which discrepancies you accepted.

ESARR5

At the end of 2007 many EUROCONTROL member states will meet the requirements of ESARR5 status for air traffic controllers. RPL provides a function that instantly highlights if controllers run out of status.

In this case, ABB has exactly 20 shifts over the past 3 months. However according to the future ESARR5 requirements his status validation may expire on the OCT 1, as the number of shifts over the past 5 months needs to be more than 20 per endorsement (here t = TWR and p = APP) and ABB has only 19.

Jokers are shifts with no sector indication (like Stand by and shifts where the Supervisor decides the sector when the controller arrives). Using the RPL and this information, the Supervisor would put ABB on TWR-shifts.


Feb 2012

According to the colour coding, the supervisor will know who is “out of status”, who is close to run out of status, etc.

11.19.4 Example 4 – Simulation

Problem: We have difficulty in foreseeing the impact of changes in staffing if we decide to merge 2 sectors including staff and their shifts. Or if we decide to introduce a new shift, to introduce new combinations of shifts, or new tasks that may take quite many controllers out of traffic, etc.

Solution: The RPL uses flexible parameters that easily allow ”what-if-sessions”. Run a roster simulation on almost any change (many or just a few). The consequence and the cost/benefit of your changes on staff resources will be visible within seconds using the statistical functions and the plus/minus top line.

You can decide to have a project group analyzing the impact of introducing new roster standards or the consequence of changing the working rules.

Or you can perform advanced planning of resources even years ahead. Such simulations of course include many uncertain factors. Differential sessions can be performed using these steps:

1 Simulate expected retirement by deactivating appropriate staff lines

2 Simulate expected check out of trainees by defining persons like T1, T2, T3, etc in Staff Data and activate them on relevant teams.

3 Simulate expected leave by copying real LeavePlan lines for one year. Then use Excel search & replace to make a fast change all year numeric values. The purpose is to simulate a random but realistic leave pattern.

4 Enter some realistic leave periods for T1, T2, T3, etc (nobody is available a full year)

5 Perform the same steps for Task requests

6 Simulate your future setup of sectors in BreakPlanner and use this feedback to define by relevant new shifts in Shift Types and in the Staffing table

Notice that one of the basic principles in the EuroPlanner modular System is to perform roster production by planning forwards (from Bidding to RosterPlanner to StatusChecker . . . and finally to BreakPlanner. Whereas the optimising of resources is performed backwards. Use the Trafficplanner and BreakPlanner to optimise your sector configurations and simulate which shift pattern (and maybe rating competencies) would accomplish this setup. Evaluate on these shifts according to start and end times and use them to optimise your roster planning by setting up a simulation in RosterPlanner. Then analyse the +/- line to identify non-balanced periods (surplus or shortage), where the planning of leave and tasks could match such requirements in the future.

All simulations can be saved separately for analysing purposes. RPL-files concerning analysis would have specific file names and probably be located in a special folder. By this, such activities can run parallel to and with no influence on your daily roster production.

.

11.19.5 Example 5 – Sickness & Stand By

Problem: We use too much manpower for the registration and calculation of actual shifts compared to planned shifts (sickness, the use of standby, evening/night allowance, etc)


Feb 2012

Solution: RPL statistics allows you to enhance efficiency considerably. At the beginning of every shift the Supervisor puts ”x” on controllers being sick and ”c” on controllers called in to replace them (stand by). When statistics are executed it looks like this:

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec

Sickness

Stand by

DaysRegistration of Sickness and Stand By (in days)

2004


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11.19.6 Example 6 – Various Statistics

11.19.7

0

50

100

150

200

250

jan f eb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec

DaysLeave Days & Task Days

2004

Leave

Tasks


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Example 7 – Individual Rosters

There are different approaches to the implementation of individual rosters. Here are some examples:

1. Publish individual shift lines

Publish some more or less fixed cycles to choose between using EPL Leave & Bidding. When the controllers have selected their preferred line, copy these sequences into the roster. Some cycles contain a couple of unpopular shifts, but also some extra free days to compensate, etc. The Staff Planner finally completes the roster.

2. Free Bidding.

EPL Leave & Bidding is designed to handle individual rosters. Controllers enter their individual requests using the Web interface. Normally staff only enter specific biddings here, but there are no limits to the number of biddings. Thousands of biddings or complete roster lines could easily be imported at deadline. They are instantly executable after import and RPL secures that shifts are correctly allocated. You may decide whether to have the free days fixed or flexible.

EPL Leave & Bidding can be expanded to prevent any illegal combination of shifts. Controllers select via basic options, whether they prefer to create all 30 days, only their free days, only forward or backward rotating, etc. Counters instantly show number of free days (used and left) and number of working hours, etc, that must be reached (or not exceeded). Entering a bidding on a certain day immediately reduces shift options for the following day.

Each bidding increases the controller’s working hours for the current month and, at the same time, it decreases the number of bidding possibilities for the days before and after (as they must match the allowed combinations).

To simplify this step you could allow only “Shift” or “No shift” options. With this setup it is not possible to select specific shifts, only dotted (like M.). Later, the Staff Planning Office will decide which shift shall replace the M.

All future AODs can be presented (preset) in EPL Leave & Bidding. Thus, controllers can make no bidding on a shift already reserved for e.g. office.

Free Bidding is handled automatically, so for the Staff Planner this is the optimal way to solve problems. However, a company policy with precise procedures regarding fairness and how to cope with lack or surplus of staff would perhaps be even more complicated incorporate in EPL Leave & Bidding, than to use the RPL Pool Manager function.


Feb 2012

Free bidding simulation

1.

The first step may be to realize that individual rosters require two modules (Leave & Bidding & RosterPlanner). Bidding is the top layer, visible for controllers, which creates roster lines.

RosterPlanner is the layer below, visible for Staff Planners, with a much more detailed presentation of these roster lines. The roster lines are available in this layer after some agreed deadline.

A simulation on the Bidding part would involve setting up an advanced Bidding module (like Epl-Bidding) and ask 100 controllers to test it only for simulation purposes (because we want to collect realistic data). But hardly a feasible way to go right now.

In stead, we could simulate that we have passed deadline and received 100 roster lines.

Normally, the basic roster pattern is nicely arranged and looks like this with team no 1 starting their cycle on the 1st, team no 2 on the 2nd, etc.

But, with an individual roster we would expect to see a mixed pattern like:


Feb 2012

AA decided to start with a free day, AB prefers two shifts and then free days (to get this result perform a random sort on rows)

2.

But some controllers would prefer to have non-conventional cycles like:

AA decided to start with 3 shifts followed by 1 free, then 2 shifts followed by 1 free, etc (to get this result perform a random sort on columns).

Still, everybody has 12 to 13 free during the month, as we expect. The Bidding system will secure that each person meets this required amount of free days (provided it is company policy - otherwise there would be some limit after e.g. 3 months).

And still, the roster complies with the availability each day (number of dotted shifts). This also controlled by the Bidding system. So, a worst case where everybody decided free on the same day, is not possible.


Feb 2012

3.

From here the next question is, what shift type was chosen. In case we have all 27 shifts defined, only some of them are active on a particular day.

Again, the Bidding system would prevent controllers from choosing other than defined shifts. So with correct shift definitions included the roster could look like:

The Bidding system checks that cycles comply with the working rules.

For staff planners this may seem to be the ideal work setup. The Bidding system handles most of their job. The RosterPlanner module is being reduced to generating statistics. But preparing data for bidding could take some time. Conflicts have to be solved in advance, how to cope with late incoming task requests. Individual rosters in some way prevent management to make preplanning, analysis, what-it-sessions, because it is difficult to predict which roster will be generated.

Other comments:

Last person may end up with very few shifts. What to do if they all break the rules. What to do if remaining shifts cannot balance monthly hours correctly.

What to do if remaining shifts cannot meet a person’s wishes. Should bidding requests then be transferred to RosterPlanner.

Many persons are happy with standard cycles. Some persons prefer non-standard cycles and therefore force others to do the same.

Controllers are sensible to teams and colleagues especially on N-shifts. An individual roster could mean new staff combinations (social groups) on N-shift.

11.20 Protection Levels

EPL RosterPlanner is based on Excel files which may be protected by several security levels. The customer may decide to make use of the following precautions:

EPL RosterPlanner User/PC Registration.


Feb 2012

All EPL RosterPlanner files are restricted to be opened only by registered/authorized users on registered PC’s (staff and hardware on your advice).

Excel File Protection

All EPL RosterPlanner files should be provided with read/write access pass codes (code on your advice)

EPL RosterPlanner Processing

The main RPL-function buttons can be provided with user access rights.

Directory Access

All RPL-files should be stored in a directory allowing only management and roster experts with permission to open them.

Data Export on publishing

Roster experts should decide only to export data to external users as text-files or as PDF-Files. RPL contains a specific feature, Epl-Mail, allowing roster experts to exchange roster data as attachments to e-mails.

11.21 Error Handling

11.21.1 Precautions

It takes only a few seconds to save your file. If used frequently, a worst case situation affects only data input from e.g. the previous 30 min.

Re-number your RPL file for example once a day.

11.21.2 Application Errors

In case of application code errors, the RPL is aborted and all program-execution is immediately stopped. Should the error occur a second time, please login on the ATS Data web site and enter a description with name of routine, parameter settings, etc.

Other useful ways to recover

1. Reset the RPL to Normal by clicking . This will reset all colours and restore your roster area, perform a sorting of the pool shifts, etc.

2. Put the cursor into the roster and try once more.

3. Use Show/Reset to restore team lines and weekend lines, etc

4. Use Process/Initialize to reset the toolbar links

5. Verify that you defined all shifts and all staff (mandatory in RPL)

6. Try, if possible, to minimise the performed task by running only one process at

a time.

7. Check the selected period. Try only one week.

8. Did you enter O (the letter) in stead of 0 (zero)?

9. Did you enter a space in stead of blank? Use Show/Other/Spaces to find the

exact position?

10. Did you enter correct upper or lower case letters?

11. Did you use colon in stead of semicolon?


Feb 2012

12. Did you enter a – (minus) or + (plus)?

13. Use the TaskPlan/Show & Check/Check Input Errors to find data lines with non-valid entries.

14. Use the TaskPlan/Show & Check/Check Conflicts to search data lines with mutual conflicts.

15. If RPL is aborted during runtime by pressing ESC some variables may not be

properly set. Try using the Normal button, Reset or Initialize.

16. In case you’re not able to recover at all, i.e. frozen screen try to press a screen

shot, the “PRT SC” key and use MS Paint to save the screenshot or try “Save As” and change the file name.

Speed

If your RPL-version seems to run slow, do any of the following:

1. Be sure there is only one RPL running at a time (RPL can handle more files Ok, but as a user you easily loose track of your changes, if they are mixed up. The toolbar is only connected to one of them. Several opened programs may slow down the speed.

2. Close all other applications that are not needed.

3. Try to press Save As (and increase the number from e.g. 002 to 003). This makes Excel adjust buffers and re-allocate disk space. Then close the file (and Excel) and open file again.

Test of speed

Go to Parameters and execute a speed test

Press “Test of Speed” and check the result.

Internet Connections

1. Check that you entered the correct web address in Parameters 2. Check that you are online with the Internet 3. Check that the web address login has been passed 4. Some applications use internal time out. If your connection is slow, you may be

stopped by a time out


Feb 2012

5. Company firewalls may prevent certain data transfer requests to pass into your network or prevent some queries to pass out


Feb 2012

12 RPL Statistics

Protection

Type: Function

Summary: Statistical overview

Access Process / Go to / Statistic 1

Prerequisites Filled in roster data

Target Area Selected interval in Process

Limitations None

EPL RosterPlanner produces various statistical prints.

Press Process

Select an interval

Click Statistics 1.

Click New Statistics to erase previous data and perform new counts.


Feb 2012

Use statistics to perform analysis on various roster intervals, determine which parameters should be altered. Optimal print size is A3. Select specific results from statistics and then use the built-in Excel graphical tool to display data of interest, certain trends, etc. You can include a screen dump from RPL (Fn + Prt Sc on the keyboard) and paste it into an email.

General Layout

Statistical data is displayed in 4 sections:

Section 1 Count of all defined shifts

This section counts all defined shifts (according to Shift Types Table), i.e. by first character.

The sequence in Statistics is always set according to the way staff is arranged in Staff Data. If you wish to change from alphabetical to team-sorted, then go to Staff Data and change the sequence there.

RPL automatically shows columns with data and hides empty columns.

Select Absolute (normal counts) or Relative (counts relative to the number of

operational shifts).

1 Count of all defined shifts and working hours

2 Count of custom

defined shifts (fixed)

3 Sum of columns (flexible)

4 Balances

Average & Totals

Interval


Feb 2012

Relative statistics allow you to compare persons with many operational shifts to persons with just a few. Some columns are closed when RPL shows relative values (as it is not relevant to calculate task shifts and free shifts). Only operational shifts are calculated. Use Colour Diff to see exact fairness results.

Select “Include Team Lines” to display teams (if Staff Data sorting is also set to

teams)

Press >> to see more statistics (operational shifts, working hours, differences

(between counts and working hours set in Staff Data), employment (according to Staff Data). Part timers are bold.

Notice that RPL always calculates the number (in units) in respect of defined shifts including hours (in units). These statistics are source data for further calculation in your payroll system.

Select “Colour Diff” to mark deviation from average. Reset colours again by clicking N on the toolbar.

Orange colour is more than 50 % from average

Yellow colour is more than 25 % from average

50 % 25 %

Relative counts

Relative average of ”M” is 21


Feb 2012

Working Hours

Count working hours according to shift start and end time. Remaining hours are counted according to values set in Staff Data:

Additional time calculations

RPL generates a section for additional time as defined in Shift Types. You can enter custom time definitions and also their values:

Working Hours

Working Hours per

Year

Working Hours per

month


Feb 2012

Section 2 Custom defined shifts (fixed)

In this section you can count specific shift codes (more than one character). Enter which shift to count in the header. It is possible to use “M?” to count all shifts with starting character “M”. You can narrow counts to “Workdays”, to “weekends”, etc.

Section 3 Custom counts (flexible)

Enter sum of columns in this section.

1. Click Reset All to remove all previous data.

2. Position the cursor in the column where results shall be shown.

3. Click “Sum” to specify which columns to calculate together. Click “a”, followed by “+”, followed by “A”, etc. Your custom defined shifts are at the bottom of list. The current formula is displayed.

4. When finished, click “Ok

Enter a specific shift

or a variable shift

Set criteria


Feb 2012


Feb 2012

13 RPL Data Capacity

RosterPlanner

ATC units (files) Unlimited

Staff capacity Max. 1,000 persons per file

Roster calendar limits From 1999 to 2030

National holidays and special days Max. 500 defined days

Pool capacity Max. 1,000 shifts per day

Shift definitions Max. 60 definitions

Sector ratings Max. 60 definitions

Part time Max. 100 percentages

LeavePlan Max. 2,000 requests

TaskPlan Max. 2,000 requests

BiddingPlan Max. 2,000 requests

StatusPlan Max. 2,000 data lines

Combinations Max. 2,000 A and 2.000 B

Basic Shift generator Max. 128 shifts per recurring cycle

Balances Max 25

All limits stated can be extended on notification.

RPL_UserGuide_v02.32

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