Introduction to the Administrator Application
Updated: Feb 2
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Blue Roster Administrator Application, focusing on system management and setup features.
Blue Roster is a digital management tool designed to coordinate organizational workloads with employee scheduling. The Administrator application serves as the central hub for defining organizational structures, managing user roles, and setting up production requirements.
Getting Started
Initial Login and Navigation
System Access: Access the admin portal via your company-specific web link (e.g., companyname.blroster.com).
Password Setup: On your first visit, enter your company email and select "Forgot my password" to receive a reset link via email. Click here for more details.
Interface Overview:
Main Menu: Navigation items are located on the left-hand side.
Collapsible Sidebar: Click the left arrow or X at the bottom of the menu to increase screen space; use the hamburger menu at the top left to expand it again.
User Settings: Click your avatar (top right) to change the language (English, Spanish, French), toggle between Dark and Light themes, or log out.
Notification Center: The bell icon at the top right displays alerts for messages, overtime responses, and time-off requests.
[Insert Screenshot of the main dashboard highlighting the Sidebar, Notification Bell, and User Avatar]
Core Administrative Features
1. Roles and Permissions
The Roles section allows you to customize access levels within the organization.
Create/Edit Roles: Define specific permissions for different staff tiers, such as supervisors, managers, or team leads.
System Access: Determine whether a role has access to the Admin Application, the Employee Application, or both.
2. Organizational Catalogs
The Catalogs menu is where vital structural data is stored.
Users: Manage all user information and assign them specific roles and departments.
Departments: Build a structure that reflects your company's HRIS or financial systems for accurate reporting.
Skills: Define the skills required for specific jobs and apply them to users to ensure proper staffing.
Places and Positions: Define specific work areas (Places) and combine them with generic Jobs to create a specific Position (an "X on the floor").
SKUs: Define workloads or production tasks, specifying which positions are required to staff that particular item.
Clients: (Optional) Use this to prioritize workloads based on specific client demands.
3. Schedule Catalogues
This section defines the base working patterns for the company.
Base Models: Set up rotating day-on/day-off patterns and shift lengths (e.g., 8, 10, or 12 hours).
Shifts: Define unique start times and durations for all work periods in the facility.
Patterns and Schedules: Combine models and shifts to create rotations, establishing the first day of the work week for payroll purposes.
4. Workload and Action Center
These sections handle daily operations and real-time adjustments.
Workload: Create production plans by selecting SKUs, locations, and timeframes; these can be saved as Templates or uploaded via CSV.
Gantt Views: Use the Projection Gantt to view future employee assignments and the Production Gantt to see planned department workloads.
Action Center: The "Live View" for daily staffing.
Identify Holes: Red indicators show unstaffed positions.
Manual Assignment: Click a hole to assign an available employee (turns green for overtime).
Overtime Opportunities: Create yellow markers to allow employees to volunteer for open shifts via their app.
Best Practices
Feedback: Use the Feedback button at the bottom left to send suggestions or issues directly to the development team.
Standardization: When setting up Departments and SKUs, mimic your existing ERP or HR systems to simplify future integrations.
Efficiency: Use CSV uploads for complex workloads to avoid manual data entry errors.
Troubleshooting
Missing Confirmation Emails: If a password reset email does not arrive, check the Spam folder.
Holes in the Schedule: If a "Red Hole" appears in the Action Center, it indicates a position is unstaffed due to a vacancy or approved time off that must be addressed.
Glossary
Position: A specific job performed at a specific place (e.g., "Machine Operator on Line 1").
SKU: A stock-keeping unit or a defined set of tasks/workload requiring specific staffing.
Hole: A staffing gap in the Action Center that needs to be filled by an assignment or an overtime opportunity.
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