Using your web site to produce rotas (titled schedules on US region sites) not only helps you to communicate effectively with your members, it also helps you to avoid conflicting commitments and reduce time-consuming preparation.

This article shows you how to create a rota schedule and then send that rota out to the people involved.

Creating a Rota

• If you haven’t logged into the web site already, do so now. Click the Login link at the top of the home page and enter the login name and password as supplied.
• Once you have successfully logged in click the Web Office link at the top of the home page. The Web Office will be displayed shortly afterwards.
• Select a  user group folder associated with the rota duties. For example if you are creating a PA rota click on the PA group.
  Not sure what a group folder is? For more help see the Site Manager Tour.
• Select the Rotas tab to display the current list of rotas in this group.
  Rotas tab not available?  Contact your site administrator to request this permission.
• Click the  Add a rota to the groupname group task at the bottom of the work pane.
• Enter the details of the new rota selecting the calendar event you wish your rota schedule to begin from.
  Note:  enabling email reminders allows you to automatically send a reminder to each person on duty for a particular event.  The day they receive this email depends on their rota reminder settings (found in the my reminders area).
• Click the create rota button to complete the process.  A new blank rota will appear in the editing folder shortly afterwards.

Adding duties to your rota

Once you have created a new rota, you can add duties to it as follows:

• Step 1 – add the tasks - each task in your rota is represented by a column; you can add additional columns as follows:
  • Click the Add Column button in the top-left corner just above the rota (as illustrated below). 
  • Click the + button to the right-hand side of the current columns (as illustrated below).
    
    
    Within the Column details pop-up window enter the column title and description (if necessary) and click OK to add it to your rota. 

• Step 2 – Add the events - add the events from your calendar to the rota as follows:
  • Click the  Add Event button located in the top left-hand corner above the rota (as illustrated below).
  • Alternatively click on the Add Event + button located beneath the current events (as illustrated below).
    
    The events browser should pop-up shortly after clciking one of the add events buttons. Clcik on the events in your calendar to add them to your rota. Close the events browser when you have added all the events you wish to.
    
    
• Step 3 – add the people - each box in the rota now represents a task at an event.  You can add one (or more) people to that task as follows:
  • Move your cursor over the box/cell you wish to add someone to and click the left button on your mouse. The add user window should display immediately.
  • The 'Add a user' window will display the people in the group that your rota is located in. Left-click on each user to add them to the rota. You can also type the user's name in the box provided to filter the list of users in the group to help find the person quicker.
  • If you wish to add someone to the rota who isn't a member of the group select the Import other user button. The user browser will display shortly afterwards where you can search for and select the appropriate people, or add a whole group of people by selecting the appropriate group followed by the select whole group button. 
  • If necessary add comments specific to the task at this event by clicking the edit cell note button.
  • Continue to add people to the tasks for each event until the rota is complete.
    Note: In some cases you may be using the same team of people to do the same tasks at multiple events. You can save time assembling your rota by copying rows of people to another event. To copy an event to another row hover over the event column for the even you wish to copy and you will see icons displayed as illustrated below.
    
    Click the first button to copy a row of people and then click on the corresponding row that you wish to copy the people into and they will be copied. The second button will swap people from one row with another and the third button will delete the entire row.
  • At any point whilst creating your rota click Save to commit your changes. To exit the rota editor select Cancel.
•  Step 4 - Publish your rota
  • Now that your rota is complete you can make it available to everyone involved.
    
    If you are still editing your rota you can select the Published option in the publishing status drop-down list, or if you've exited your rota already click the  button next to the rota title in the intray to move it to the published folder.
    
    
• Step 5 – send copies of the rota – you can send copies of the rota to all participants using the most appropriate communication method as follows:
  • If you are currently editing the rota open it by clicking on the rota title.
  • Select the Properties tab within the rota editor.
  • Click the  Send copies of the rotaname rota to participants.
  • A list of recipients will be displayed; next to each name either send email  or printed copy will be ticked depending on the preferred correspondence method they have selected in my profile. Edit these preferences if necessary.
  • Compose an email to accompany details of the rota.
  • Click OK to send the emails.
  • An Adobe portable document (.pdf) will be created containing cover letters and copies of the rota for each of the participants receiving the information by post. Click on the document to display it in a new window or right-click and select save target as… to save it to your hard disk.