Auto-Schedule and AI Suggestions

Overview

CrewHR includes AI-powered scheduling tools that can automatically generate employee schedules based on your coverage requirements, employee availability, and business rules.

Auto-Schedule Generator

The auto-scheduler creates shift assignments automatically during the draft creation process.

How It Works

1. Create a new draft in the Schedule Builder
2. Select your locations, date range, roles, and employees
3. Enable the constraint options:
   • Respect Time Off: Avoids scheduling employees with approved leave
   • Respect Schedule Patterns: Follows employees' assigned work patterns
   • Respect Availability: Honors employee availability windows
4. In the Coverage step, review and adjust your coverage requirements
5. Proceed to the Generation step
6. The AI generates shift assignments that satisfy your requirements

Reviewing Generated Schedules

After generation, review the draft:

• Check coverage metrics (filled vs. required slots)
• Look for any unfilled gaps
• Verify that employee assignments make sense
• Make manual adjustments as needed

The auto-scheduler does its best to fill all coverage requirements, but may leave some slots unfilled if there are not enough available employees.

AI Assistant

The AI assistant is a chat-based tool for scheduling and management questions.

Accessing the Assistant

Click the AI Assistant icon in the navigation (if enabled for your organization). This opens a full-screen chat interface.

What You Can Ask

• "Schedule 3 nurses for next Monday at the Downtown location"
• "Who is available to work this weekend?"
• "Show me the coverage gaps for next week"
• "How many hours has Sarah worked this month?"

The assistant understands natural language and can help with scheduling decisions, employee queries, and coverage analysis.

Enabling the AI Assistant

The AI assistant is configured in Settings > Integrations > AI Agent. An admin must enable it before it appears in the navigation.

Autopilot

Autopilot is an automated scheduling feature that can run on a recurring basis.

How Autopilot Works

When configured, autopilot automatically generates schedule drafts based on your coverage requirements and scheduling rules. It can run on a schedule (e.g., every week) and create drafts for upcoming periods.

Configuring Autopilot

1. Go to Settings > Autopilot
2. Enable autopilot for your organization
3. Configure per-location settings:
   • Which locations to auto-schedule
   • How far in advance to generate
   • Any specific constraints

Reviewing Autopilot Output

Autopilot creates draft schedules, not published ones. You still need to review and publish the generated drafts. If the autopilot encounters issues (like insufficient staff), it creates notifications to alert you.

Tips

• Set up coverage requirements first: The auto-scheduler relies on your coverage requirements to know what to fill
• Keep employee data current: Accurate availability, roles, and location assignments lead to better auto-scheduling results
• Review before publishing: Always review auto-generated schedules before publishing. The AI is a tool to save time, not a replacement for your judgment.
• Start with auto-schedule, then fine-tune: Let the AI handle the bulk assignment, then make manual adjustments for special cases