📅 Building a Schedule using NX Shifts

NX Shifts makes it easy to create employee schedules that match your business needs. This powerful tool allows you to build schedules by dragging and dropping employees into shifts, comparing your labor costs to expected sales, and ensuring you always have the right coverage throughout the day.

Before you begin

To use NX Shifts, you'll need the following permissions enabled on your account:

• View Schedules

• Create Schedules

Note: If you don't see the Shifts option in your menu, contact your account administrator to request access.

NX Shifts is available on both web and mobile platforms. This guide focuses primarily on the web interface, but most features work the same way on mobile devices. 📱

Understanding the Shifts Interface

When you open NX Shifts, you'll see your weekly schedule view. This interface is designed to give you a bird's-eye view of your operation.

• Week Navigator: Switch between different weeks to view or edit future schedules.

• Daily View: Each day column shows scheduled shifts, forecasted sales, and labor percentages.

• Employee List: A roster of all available employees you can assign to shifts.

• Schedule Grid: The main workspace where you drag, drop, and adjust shifts.

Creating Your First Schedule

1. Select the Week

Use the Week Navigator at the top of the screen to choose which week you want to schedule. You can schedule several weeks in advance to stay ahead of the game.

2. Add a Shift

Click the + Add Shift button or click directly on a specific time slot in the schedule grid. A dialog will appear where you can configure the shift details:

• Day: Which day of the week.

• Start/End Time: The duration of the shift.

• Position: The role needed (Server, Cook, Host, etc.).

• Break Time: Duration of unpaid break (optional).

3. Assign an Employee

Once the shift slot is created, you need to fill it.

• Drag and Drop: Drag an employee from the list on the left onto the shift block.

• Click to Assign: Click the shift and select an employee from the dropdown menu.

💡 Pro Tip: Employees are color-coded by their primary position. This makes it easy to quickly identify who is qualified for which shifts at a glance.

Using Sales Forecasting 📈

NX Shifts automatically calculates expected sales for each day based on your historical data. This intelligence helps you schedule the right number of employees.

Understanding the Forecast

Each day in your schedule header displays critical metrics:

Reading Labor Percentages

The labor percentage indicator changes color to help you gauge efficiency:

• 🟢 Green (15-25%): Optimal labor efficiency.

• 🟡 Yellow (25-30%): Slightly high – consider adjusting.

• 🔴 Red (30%+): Too high – you may be overstaffed.

Note: The forecasting system uses a weighted average of your last 4 weeks of sales data, prioritizing recent trends. Holidays are automatically factored in!

Analyzing Coverage

The coverage analysis tool visualizes your staffing levels against the forecasted demand curve.

• Understaffed (Red): Risk of poor service; not enough staff for the volume.

• Adequate (Green): Staffing matches expected needs perfectly.

• Overstaffed (Orange): Risk of high labor costs; more staff than necessary.

💡 Pro Tip: Click on any hour in the coverage timeline to see exactly which employees are scheduled and get suggestions for adjustments.

Advanced Scheduling Features 🚀

Save time with these power user features:

• Template Schedules: Save commonly used shifts and reuse them.

• Conflict Detection: Get warnings if you double-book an employee.

• Availability Tracking: See which employees are available or have requested time off.

Copying a Previous Week

Don't reinvent the wheel. If next week looks like last week, copy it!

1. Click the Down Arrow on the right of the Add Shift button in the top right corner.

2. Select Copy From...

3. Pick the previous schedule you wish to copy.

Publishing Your Schedule

Your schedule remains a draft until you publish it.

1. Review your schedule for conflicts or coverage gaps.

2. Click the Publish Schedule button.

3. Choose whether to send notifications to employees.

4. Click Confirm & Publish.

Learn more about NX Shifts:

• NX Shifts > Schedule Config
• NX Shifts > Schedule Builder
• Managing Your Shift in POS with NX Shifts

If you encounter any issues or have further questions, please contact your NX Support Partner for assistance.