Catalogs
Updated: Feb 2
Goal: To build the foundational data structure that allows Blue Roster to match the right people to the right work based on departmental needs and individual skills.
The Catalogs section is the "Library" of your organization. It is where you define your workforce, your facility layout, and your production requirements. Setting up these catalogs accurately ensures that when a "Red Hole" appears in the Action Center, only qualified employees are suggested to fill it.
The Hierarchical Structure
To understand Catalogs, you must understand how they relate to one another. Think of it as a funnel:
Departments: The broad areas of your facility.
Places: Specific zones or lines within a department.
Jobs: Generic roles (e.g., "Forklift Driver").
Positions: The specific "X on the floor" (Job + Place).
Key Catalog Components
A. Users & Roles
Purpose: To register every person in the system.
Action: Enter the employee's name and company email.
Link: Assign them a Role (defined in the Roles section) to determine if they see the Admin or Employee view.
B. Skills
Purpose: To track certifications and abilities.
Action: Create a skill (e.g., "Level 2 Maintenance") and apply it to a User.
System Impact: When you create a Job, you specify which skills are required. The system will then prevent unskilled users from being assigned to those jobs.
C. Places & Positions
Place: A physical or logical location where work happens (e.g., "Line 1," "Warehouse A," or "Quality Lab").
Position: This is the most important unit in Blue Roster. It is created by combining a Job with a Place.
Example: If Line 1 (Place) needs 3 Machine Operators (Job), you create three distinct Positions: "Machine Operator 1 - Line 1," "Machine Operator 2 - Line 1," etc.
D. SKUs (Workload Units)
Purpose: To define the staffing "recipe" for a specific product or task.
Action: Create an SKU (e.g., "Vanilla Ice Cream Pints").
Configuration: Tell the system exactly which Positions must be staffed to run this SKU. One production line might require 5 people for one product, but 7 people for another; the SKU catalog handles this math for you.
Step-by-Step: Setting up a New Position
Follow these steps to add a new "spot" to your schedule:
Define the Place: Go to Catalogs > Places and ensure the location (e.g., "Line 4") exists.
Define the Job: Go to Catalogs > Jobs and ensure the generic role (e.g., "Packer") is listed with its required skills.
Create the Position: Go to Catalogs > Positions.
Combine: Select the Job and the Place.
Save: This position is now ready to be pulled into a Workload or assigned a person in the Action Center.
Pro-Tips for Catalog Management
Mirror Your ERP: Use the same naming conventions for Departments and SKUs that your Finance or HR systems use. This makes future data integration much smoother.
Generic vs. Specific: Keep Jobs generic (e.g., "Operator") but make Positions specific (e.g., "Operator - Line 1").
Client Priority: (Optional) Use the Client Catalog to tag specific SKUs. This allows you to prioritize staffing for high-importance customers like "Walmart" during labor shortages.
