They say a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s exactly why ShiftWizard clients love our library of pictures or, as we call them, icons. In ShiftWizard, icons are eye-catching images that quickly communicate information, such as assignments or scheduling preferences. We like to think of it as intuitive scheduling shorthand.
Picture It
One of our most widely-used icons identifies staff who have marked themselves “available” for a particular date. Staff will place the green check mark icon on a day (or a range of days) to indicate they are available to pick up hours and should be contacted first for last-minute shortages.
A few other popular icons are:
Do Not Call
Shift Swap
Assignment
Available
Education
PTO Approved
Icons aren’t just great visual cues; they can also hold other valuable information. The number of hours associated with a task or assignment, for example, can be captured in the configuration of the icon. Also, related notes can be detailed during the placement of the icon.
Icons can also be configured to identify an event with an associated pay code, such as PTO. With integration to your Time & Attendance solution, icon mapping gives managers visibility to financial data as it relates to scheduling decisions. One ShiftWizard client, for example, uses custom icons tied to new COVID pay codes from their payroll solution, allowing them to create cleaner payroll processes.
The Power of Icons
Icons are visually impactful and help guide good scheduling decisions; however, their true power lies in reporting. All icons are trackable and reportable with ShiftWizard. This means managers can report on events, like floated staff, on call, and late arrivals, as well as tasks and assignments, like COVID visitor screening duties or a training class. If the icon has been configured to capture any associated hours as mentioned above, those hours are reportable as well. Our Event Report can be filtered by date, icon name, and/or staff name, giving quick access to the exact information you need.
Another powerful icon reporting tool is our Flex Log. The Flex Log is a chronological view of past events to determine “who’s next”. Managers use this tool to provide consistency and unbiased fairness when flexing nurses. Rather than guessing whose turn it is to float or call off, the Flex Log will tell you.
Custom to You
ShiftWizard provides a default set of icons and details on usage best practices however, icon libraries are entirely configurable. While we currently offer 100s of icons, custom icons can be developed and added to match your scheduling needs. Additionally, each department manager can control access and visibility of every icon to ensure staff can only use and see what is relevant to their role.
What Do You See?
The flexibility and power of ShiftWizard icons present almost endless ways to enhance your scheduling process. Can you see how a custom icon could solve your unique scheduling challenge? Contact us at hello@shiftwizard.com to learn more.
Related Resources You’ll Like to Read:
Communication Without Frustration
What Do You Mean You “Didn’t Get the Memo”?
[Case Study] Better Communication with ShiftWizard
[NEW] Solution Guide to Balancing Nurse Workload
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