time intelligence® by

www.ximes.com

shiftplanassistant ©

Your creative tool for generating optimum shift rotas.

The [spa]-Workbook by ximes

© 2008all rights

reserved

ximes gmbh Hollandstraße 12/12A-1020 Vienna/Austriaweb www.ximes.comemail office@ximes.comphone +43 1 535 79 20-0fax +43 1 535 79 20-20

®time intelligenceTime as resource.

The most valuable resourceof our times is time itself Working time, free time, lifetime: time is the fundamental fabric

of our society. However, time needs not only to be organized well,

but also to be filled meaningfully. Family and friends, sports and

entertainment, relaxation and recreation have to be taken suffi-

ciently into consideration; working time requires us to be efficient,

well integrated and at the same time responsible for ourselves.

Within this complex framework of freely available time and

blocked time, life itself is happening. The task for those in charge

of organizing these time lines is therefore very demanding.

Employees as well as companies need to be satisfied regarding the

necessities of optimised working times.

ximes’ concept for enabling the transposition of economic

and personal interests into fair solutions is known as

Time Intelligence®. It is based on consulting services and soft-

ware tools to put these aims into practice.

Extensive consultationand tailored software-toolsFor years ximes has successfully been working as a consulting and

software company in the field of working time management. Our

know-how and our experience are directly reflected in our products.

As a company positioned on the cutting edge of social compe-

tence and information technology we take an interest in the

well-being for everybody involved in the process of balancing

working time organization, the economic benefit for the company,

and the work and life quality of employees. ximes offers three

software products for the practical completion of these tasks:

jtime intelligence solutions© – The intelligent universal tool

for forecasting and calculating workforce requirements and

controlling of required staffing levels

joperating hours assistant© – Optimum staffing levels

through optimum working times

jshift plan assistant© – The creative tool for flexible shift

rota generation

ximes was founded in 1997 as a spin-off of a researchproject at the university of

technology vienna. Fromthe very beginning the focusof the company was theintelligent integration ofmathematics/informaticsand social competence.

Practically speaking TimeIntelligence ® means the tar-geted analysis, steering andchecking of time.

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[spa]picture 1Working time management is a ongoing process. Theximes software tools can beused in various steps of thisprocess. Steps marked inblue are those supported bythe [spa].

The operating hoursassistant© and timeintelligence solutions©

are complementary softwaretools for other planningsteps.

analyse and optimiserequirements and processes

on-going adjustments to the rota

checking cover for demand and working times

record the actual as-is state compile a forecast

.develop and agree..on the frame rota.

define shifts and duties

calculatereserve requirements

.calculate workforce..requirements.

graphic: Planning steps in the time management process with [spa] support

planning steps in the time management process

Not a vicious circle, but productive circularity.Working time management is a focus area of the finely-balanced

field of economics. The list of requirements is extensive and

complicated – one of the requirements is the generation of

optimum frame shift rotas.

For better and simpler solutions you can use an advanced software

tool: the ximes shiftplanassistant© [spa]. With the [spa] –

now already available in the further enhanced version 6.5 – you

can create a new basis for the process in your company – to the

advantage of everybody involved.

The [spa] can help you in practice...j

... if you need to distribute people into groups of equal weekly

working hours: using frame rotas for homogenous groups.

j... if full-time and part-time employees need to be mixed or

certain qualifications need special considerations: using frame

rotas for complex groups.

j... if stand-by and on-call duties need to be taken into conside-

ration: using frame rotas including stand-by.

j... if you need to schedule a working time model which accounts

for cover or peak times: using frame rotas including reserve

such as stand-in personnel, cover within groups or f lexible reserve

shifts.

j... if the frame rota varies - you can combine two or more rotas:

using frame rotas for alternating (seasonal) requirements.

j... if a rota needs to be checked for legal requirements and

experiences and recommendations from working science:

using frame rotas with ergonomic and legal checks.

j... if you need to estimate how much a rota will cost: with frame

rotas that provide estimations of costs and individual salaries.

j... if you need checks for difficult areas and want to be provided

with suggested solutions when generating a rota by yourself:

using frame rotas as support for scheduling by yourself.

Version 6.5 has been availa-ble since summer 2007; you can find all news on this update on page 21.

54

The eternal circularity.

[spa] provides answers

frequently answered

6

Asking the right questions to identify problemsA checklist of real practice questions offers a quick opportunity

to identify problem areas in your company and to find suitable

solutions:

jDo you need to increase or reduce your operating hours per

week?

jDo you want to optimise days off and distribute night shifts

more evenly?

jDo you want to react more efficiently to varying operations and

adjust the rota accordingly?

jDo you want a rota that can be adjusted to frame requirements

flexibly?

jDo increasing part-time contracts and individual preferences

make your life harder?

jDo you want a shift rota that complies with the latest work

science recommendations?

jDo you want to improve the quality of rotas you scheduled by

yourself, minimise conflicts and spend less effort on this type of

planning?

answers that lead to solutionsThe shift plan assistant 6.5 can help you to provide the correct

answers to these questions and to meet your targets:

jBetter frame rotas regarding costs and ergonomics

jMore options for generating and a better choice of rota variations

jInformed solutions as consequences are clearly displayed and

alternatives are found more easily

jHigher transparency through clearly generated and interactive

planning in groups

jQuicker generation

The [spa] carries out many of the daunting calculations you

need to improve your working time management. You can keep a

clear head to choose the optimum shift rota and concentrate on

your company.

The new version 6.5 allowsyou to change your shiftmodel easily using the treediagram of the rota explorer.

However, the [spa] does notonly carry out your calcula-tions for you, it also providesyou with a clear graphicalrepresentation of results,which offers a maximum of clarity and transparency,even for non-experts.

7

Questions, Answers.

picture 2The [spa] consists of threemain steps, which allowjumping back at any time.This enables you to react instantly if your first attempt does not provide you withthe desired solution or ifyour requirements change [spa]

defining:

selection of rotastructure

graphic: The [spa] 6.5 str ucture

checking:

designing:

Legal requirements

ErgonomicsCosts

First Class Scheduler FCS

with planningtechniques

View-Manager

shifts including reserve, stand-by,time factors

gross operating hours, staffing levels

target workinghours per week,personnel requirements

systematic distribution of duties to persons and groupsThe [spa] helps you with the definition of groups, calculates how many persons you need, shows theeffects of rounding up or down the weekly workinghours and respective over time, and gives you sugges-tions about how to organise the selected people intogroups to simplify the planning process. The First Class Scheduler will calculate all shiftsequences that fulfill your set criteria.

designingdefining

checking

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1. Step: definingFirst of all, central requirements for the shift rota have to be defined:

jWhich types of shifts need to be scheduled, including stand-by

duties, work stand-by and/or on-call duties

jat what frequency and on which days of the week to fulfill the

service requirements?

jWhat level of reserve needs to be accounted for and how?

jWhat is the target number for weekly working hours?

jHow many full-time equivalents are needed mathematically,

how high a number of persons needs to be selected, how do

these persons need to be organized into groups?

2. Step: designingPeople or groups are allocated to specific shift sequences. In doing

so legal requirements (e.g. maximum allowed working hours per

week, daily rest hours), ergonomic requirements (e.g. distribution

of time off), and economic aspects (e.g. management, costs) are

taken into consideration.

For homogenous groups the [spa] simplifies this task using its

First Class Scheduler module, which suggests optimised sequen-

ces of shifts according to your criteria.

Many complex requirements, such as seasonal variations or

qualification requirements can only be solved by splitting them

into various sub tasks. The View-manager is the right tool for

success! It allows you to define any sector of a shift rota, and

display and design it as required.

3. Step: checkingUp to this point you will have defined step by step your rota proper-

ties, which are all interlinked with and dependant on each other.

However, planning often requires jumping back to steps which are

already defined to adjust specific properties. Checking rotas will

jclarify which sketch is to be developed into which direction;

jallow you to select the best of the already available frame rotas.

Checking tools provide you with feedback for the central properties

of your rota or sketch.

Basic legal requirements areupdated on a regular basis.

9

The structure.

screenshot 1 Definition of shifts:When defining shifts, fixed or probable shifts or duties (top section) are separated from on-call duties (bottom part).

screenshot 2 Definition of staffinglevels:From Monday to Friday the morning and afternoon shifts need to be staffed with 4 people each, stand-by,night shifts and weekends need to be staffed with 2 people each.

screenshot 3 Innovative reserve withflexible reserve shifts:When looking at the reservethe Utilisation columndisplays how many of thereserve duties that need to bescheduled are in fact actuallyused on average.

reserveshifts

stuffing levels

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Definition of shiftsThe first step allows you to define shifts or duties which need to be

worked. You can differentiate between “normal” shifts, stand-by

duties, work stand-by or on-call duties. Additionally, you can defi-

ne the average percentage of instances in which a shift will not be

utilised, as a deviation from 100% to consider requirements like e.g.

morning shift on Saturdays can be given off set at about 30 % of all

Saturdays. The [spa] will then check for peak situations (legal

requirements, ergonomics) and averages.

Defining of staffing levelsYou now define the net number of persons you need to work in

each shift. At this point you receive an instant calculation result

of how many full-time staff you need in order to attain the target

weekly working hours (e.g. 38 hours). Additionally, you will alrea-

dy be able to estimate how many days per week on average need to

be worked or can be given off.

reserveThe net workforce requirements per shift are increased by the

absentee figure for sick-leave, holidays etc. The [spa] calculates

how many duties per day need to be added to cover reserve require-

ments of e.g. 16,42 %. In this example a mathematical average of

1.64 people per day is needed to cover reserve requirements, for the

weekends 0.99 people will be sufficient. Both values are

calculated based on the average length of shifts.

It was decided that from Monday to Friday 2 people each will be

scheduled to cover reserve, which is exactly as long as the morning

and afternoon shifts. The default position for this reserve is the

morning shift, but within an agreed notice period the respective

employee is notified as to whether the shift in the current shift

rota will be used for a morning or afternoon shift or for night

shift stand-by.

The Utilisation in % column will now calculate how many

reserve shifts based on the selected length and frequency are used

on average.

At this point it is importantto define the net workforcerequirements. Replacementfor absence is added in thenext step.

11

Designing.

The absentee figure must bea known value; the [opa]can quickly help with thiscalculation.

screenshot 4Rota structure:You are provided with firstkey figures for the selectedrota structure – in this case 7 group combinations – forduties per week, frequencyor weekend work, etc.

rota structure

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rota structureIn this step the [spa] provides you with suggestions as on how many

people you can schedule in. The Pers. (employees) and Work hours

columns indicate how many employees are required to achieve a

given number of working hours.

One of the advantages of this tool is that it allows various

options for the formation of groups or teams to be displayed, the-

reby drastically simplifying the planning process. Classical groups

always work together and have the same days off. Group combina-

tions schedule various smaller groups per shift to cover the desired

total of workforce requirements. The combination of groups wor-

king together is variable. Oversized groups have a number of

employees which exceeds the required staffing level, but each day

another sub-group is given the day off to cover the desired total of

workforce requirements.

As the aim is a 38 hour week the option of a total of 14 people,

allocated into 7 groups (2-person teams) is selected.

At this point – the selectionof the plan structure - the[spa] opens up possibilitiesthat you never knew existed!

13

Designing.

screenshots 5-8Rota generation with the First Class Scheduler:The First Class Scheduler calculates all possible sequences that your restrictions fulfill (e.g. maximum number of successive working days). You can now filter the sequences by certain properties.

schedulerfirst class

14

Rota generation with the first class schedulerWith the exceptional First-Class-Scheduler © planning of shift

and duty rotas is made much easier. Simply said You can generate

rotas with a click of a button – FCS will lead you to a solution in

only four steps.

Within each step you select solutions from possible suggestions

which cover your requirements as close as possible. In the end you

are left with a number of frame rotas that can be loaded into the

workbench and can be compared to each other.

The central element of the planning is an efficient management

of restrictions which allows for simple tightening or loosening of

restrictions or requirements to find the (relatively) best possible

solutions. Each change will instantly prompt a notification of

possible solutions.

Even users with little experience in the generation of shift

rotas will usually find solutions quickly. No more than four steps

are required for the generation of a complete shift rota:

jIn the first step basic requirements are defined, e.g. how many

consecutive working days of days off are desired.

jThe second step provides you with suggestions for class solu-

tions. These class solutions provide information on the period

after which the rota starts repeating itself, the number of blocks

of working time, and the duration of each block of work.

jThe third step allows you to select a suggested distribution of

weekends and the suggested duration of blocks of work.

jThe last step suggests concrete shift rotas which can be stored

in the FCS clipboard and then be compared on the workbench.

15

Designing.

Should the FCS not showany solutions for a certaintask, you have saved a lot oftime: you now know thatthere is no possible solution!

screenshot 9 Workbench:The workbench consists of 3 levels: the top level, whichdisplays the frame rota, themiddle level, which allowsyou to check if the desiredstaffing levels are met, andthe bottom level whichdisplays the most importantcalculation for employees.

screenshot 10View Manager:The view manager allows you to define which employeesprovide Qualification_1 orQualification_2. The work-bench allows you to quicklycheck if all qualificationrequirements for each dayand each shift are covered.

work benchview manager

Rota generation on the workbenchwith and without the view managerThe Workbench is the centre of the design of your shift rota.

A series of functions, control mechanisms and checking tools help

you with the generation of a suitable rota. Should you want to

change any frame requirements during the planning process, e.g.

change the length of certain shift types, you can at any time jump

into other branches of the tree diagram from the workbench to

add to or correct previously defined settings.

The existing rota will automatically be adjusted in accordance

with the changes. The workbench consists of three tables:

jthe shift rota,

jinformation on staffing levels in the various shifts and

jproperties of the shift rota regarding employees (working time

per week, distribution of shifts, ...).

The view manager allows quick and clear access to sub-areas of the

shift rota. You can quickly define various different views and

switch between them.

The main advantage of the Workbench is its clarity,which by consequence optimizes the simplicity of planning shift rotas.

17

Designing.

16

screenshot 11 Check setup:This picture shows setupoptions for checks of Sundayrest in Germany.

costslegal requirements

ergonomics

18

checks for legal requirements, ergonomics and costsThe parameters for checks for legal requirements can easily be

adjusted to your collective agreements or company specific agree-

ments by changing the default values that are in accordance with

country-specific working time regulations.

The worksheet Summary offers a good overview on whether or

not legal requirements (daily rest time, daily working time, Sunday

rest, weekend and weekly rest) are fulfilled. Details and graphical

evaluations can be found on the specific check sheets.

You will be able to decide whether you want to re-use the rota

and therefore run it through a cyclical check (this will also check

the roll-over at the end and start of the rota), or whether you want

to validate your rota in a date-related run with the calendar-based

check (but potentially not be able to evaluate properties that relate

to the successive rota sheet).

Ergonomics checks allow you to check the rota for items such as

distribution of working time and time off, especially time off

at weekends, and the distribution of unfavourable working times

(evening and night shifts, weekend work, work on public holidays

…). The display of the position of shifts per person enables you to

discuss possibilities for sleeping and options for using time off.

The cost module calculates wages per employee and per group, as

well as total costs of the rota. These calculations are based on fixed

hourly wages, money and time supplements.

The checks promptly showthe fairness in rotas; you can for example checkwho will be working onpublic holidays how oftenwith one click.

The graphical evaluationallows you to find legal violations quickly, and todeal with them.

19

Checking.

[spa] expands your options

enhancedfunktionality

20 21

New in version 6.5

Now available: [spa] 6.5There’s a new version available since summer 2007: shift plan

assistant 6.5 . Going hand in hand with the update of [opa] it

contains not only a whole range of software improvements but

also some brand new features and extension.

Saving in the xml-formatTo guarantee the forward compatibility of the software, files are

saved in the XML-format. This feature enables you to open and

handle files of forthcoming SPA-Versions with your [spa] 6.5.

Furthermore the shift-plan files created by [spa] 6.5 are easier to

read by other programs.

More options for stand-by dutiesFor each stand-by duty it’s possible to define individual working-

time limits (differentiation between weekdays, how many hours

can be maximal normal working time, …). Stand-by duties can be

excluded from the shortening of daily rest periods.

New checks with advanced informationNumerous new possibilities for checks enable you refine your

analysis. There are for example new checks on 12-hour shifts

(allowed number of 12-hour shifts in a row). Additionally more

detailed information about the results of the checks can be seen

in the view “commentaries” on certain check-sheets.

Any more details?If you want to find out more about any details concerning

[spa] 6.5, take a look at our product history for the software on

the ximes website.

Just follow the path products/SPA/product history

To get more informationabout operating hoursassistant 3.5 please orderor download the new work-book via www.ximes.com

ximes operates intelligently

plus safetyusability

22

At a glance overviewAll ximes products stand out through their user-friendly design

and good graphical display of planning steps and results.

Working safelyWorking time calculations are complex. Professional tools provide

additional know-how to the planning process – many mistakes

can therefore be avoided.

Extensive functionalityximes works with companies in many different sectors and gene-

rally very different tasks. Functions that have proven useful in

consultations are regularly integrated into our software products.

automatic updatesSoftware has to be stable and work reliably, but it also has to incor-

porate the latest knowledge. ximes therefore offers various models

of how to receive software updates. The ximes team would like to

keep you informed.

support directly from our authors However, should you have questions or should problems arise

we offer direct support to enable you to continue working.

ximes sees great value inlong-term employees. Thisalso allows the company toguarantee competent contactpoints for our customers if you need professional support.

By the way: all data createdby ximes software products[opa], [spa] and [tis]can also be used in any of theother ximes applications.

23

Modern functionality.

[spa] helps to produce

24

industrialevolution

The industry needs new models Those who want to be successful on a long-term basis in the pro-

duction industry sector are constantly challenged in these times of

global competition. Companies do their utmost to optimise produc-

tion-technical possibilities and workforce scheduling regarding

jdemand orientation,

jflexibility,

jincreasing productivity and

jcost reduction.

Modern companies can only achieve this with highly qualified

employees, who are motivated and capable of regular learning,

so that the company can develop.

Most varying shift models can be found in plants and production

sites due to different production processes and working areas.

Additionally, the planning of internal service providers is becoming

more and more important. The spectrum extends from simple

two-shift models to fully continuous employment.

Shift planners have to consider numerous aspects in their

increasingly complex task, e.g.

jchanges in operating and working times,

jplanning of seasonal working time,

jincreasing flexibility and of course

jcosts.

More and more companies operating in the production sector

are therefore banking on the future-oriented consultation

and modern software solutions of ximes.

To cover all aspects ximesalso offers training in Working time management.

25

Branches.

[spa] provides orientation

customerorientation

26

Providing the best servicefor the customer Consequent customer orientation is the key to success in the service

sector. This success depends on employees who will only provide

outstanding service if they are highly motivated. The aims of

personnel planning are therefore

jbiggest possible flexibility and customer orientation,

jsatisfied and well qualified employees and

jreduction of costs.

Cuts in wages and additional duties for employees quickly bring

service companies to a fall – even if growing personnel costs and

tougher competition force for savings. Targeted personnel

scheduling however offers a solution which works in the favour

of employees as well as companies.

Targeted personnel planning under consideration of employees’

requirements will secure corporate success. Personnel planners of

service companies have to consider various aspects in their tasks, e.g.

jdefinition of service levels and band widths (minimum/

maximum staffing levels),

jdistribution of full- and part-time employees,

jfair shift distribution even during unfavorable times,

jtimes for primary and further training,

jrequirements for qualifications,

jcustomer behaviour or

jmeans of quality control.

Frame rotas help to reduce planning efforts and generally stabilise

the scheduling process, and allow for a fair and optimal distribu-

tion of workforce from a work science perspective. In many cases

they also increase flexibility.

Target oriented planning ofemployee schedules providesoptimum customer care aswell as minimum possiblecosts.

27

Branches.

[spa] helps to stay healthy

health

28

Committed to best healthWork with people requires especially high flexibility as well as

great personal dedication from employees in the social and health

services sector. They often work when others have days off.

They always have to provide 100% of their service, as small mistakes

may have grave consequences. At the same, time pressure from

competitors increases and budgets shrink. Therefore the aims of

companies and institutions in that area must be

jconstant improvement of the quality of services,

joptimum balance of workforce requirements and personnel

scheduling,

joptimum qualification of employees and of course

jreduction of costs.

Institutions in the social and health services sector can only

achieve this with motivated employees. Therefore, the sometimes

differing interests of companies/institutions, employees and

customers all have to be considered.

Customer orientation, employee satisfaction and economic factors

are all criteria of good shift planning. Predefinitions given by

employment contracts, laws and collective agreements as well as

wage issues have to be taken into the account. Additional

requirements result from aspects such as

jscheduling part-time employees,

jduties at unfavourable times,

jduty and employee meetings as well as transition times,

jcontinuity in care personnel/support teams,

jaims of quality management,

jshared shifts,

jrequirements for qualifications, or

jreduction of planning efforts and conflicts.

Especially due to the complexity of requirements for the active

steering of shifts, more and more companies in the social and health

services sector are taking advantage of tailored ximes software

products.

Minimisation and fair distribution of unfavourableshift times are particularlyimportant factors for thesuccessful motivation ofemployees.

For many years ximes hasspecialised in recognisingconflicts of interests and in moderating them con-structively in the course ofconsultancy engagements. This is further reflected bythe fact that the majority ofassignments undertaken byximes consist of solution-finding projects carried outin collaboration with teamscomposed of representativesof both management andemployee groups.

29

Branches.

photo 1|2 Conception shift planassistantUniv.Doz. DI Dr. Johannes Gärtner and DI Sabine Wahl

A network[spa] was not built in a day nor is it the result of a f lash of

genious. Software development is teamwork. Many people

contribute to our [spa], a tool, worked on, since the end

of the 1990s.

An essential inf low of information and wishes coming from

users and practical experiences in consulting projects help

to constantly improve the product.

To maintain this f low of information, all users are more than

welcome to participate in this enhancement process using the

website wiki.ximes.com. Also practical hints and support are

addressed via this site. Take a look by yourself!

®time intelligence

30

Competence plus networkingximes offers software and consulting services regarding workforce

issues. Our clients profit either by buying our self-developed

software or from our competent specialist- and process-

consulting services. ximes-consultants work on issues relating to

the topic of workforce on a daily basis, for clients in a wide variety

of industries. They apply ximes-software as a tool to successfully

tackle a diverse set of challenges.

Our high specialisation and use of the tested combination

of software and consulting services give us a particularly unique,

specialised knowledge in the area of workforce/working hours

management. This permits us to support cutting-edge enterprises

on their path to a successful future.

ximes was founded in Vienna in 1997 by Johannes Gärtner and

Sabine Wahl and is working with partners in Germany, the

Netherlands, Great Britain and Scandinavia. ximes also has a

subsidiary in Erlangen/Deutschland.

jUniv. Doz. DI Dr. Johannes Gärtner Management

Education: Studies of Computer Science and Information

Technology at the university of linz; Doctoral Studies at

the university of technology vienna; Certified Corporate

Consultant; Postdoctoral Lecture Qualification in the field of

Software in Consulting Certified instructor of Information

Management.

Experience: Software Development; extensive corporate

consultation; university lecturer at the university of techno-

logy vienna; board Member of the working time society

jDI Sabine Wahl Management

Education: Computer Science and Information Technology

Studies at the university of linz;MBA Webster

Experience: Software Development; training in Adult

Education; researcher at the university of technology vienna

The aim of my work is to find intelligent solutions forproblems and questions in thefield of working time and tomake them available for companies. Ideally employersas well as employees will see a positive result with thosesolutions.

31

People behind [spa].

Our competence lies in thecombination of consultation knowledge and mathematical-technical know-how.Finding a tailored workingtime model for a company isan exciting challenge.

shiftplanassistant ©

Your creative tool for generating optimum shift rotas.

The [spa]-Workbook by ximes

Introduction: Time as resource

The productive circularity of working time management

Questions and answers

The structure of the [spa]

[spa] Designing

[spa] Checking

New in version 6.0

Modern functionality

Industrial evolution: [spa] in the industry

Customer orientation: [spa] in branches of the service sector industry

Dedication: [spa] in social and health services

People behind [spa]

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