Migrating from Task Planner to Roster Planner: What You Need to Know

Roster Planner (formerly Task Planner) — Features, Pricing, and AlternativesRoster Planner (formerly Task Planner) is a workforce management tool designed to simplify shift scheduling, task allocation and team communication for small-to-medium businesses. It targets industries that rely on shift-based staffing — retail, hospitality, healthcare, cleaning services, and more — offering a cloud-based solution to replace spreadsheets, paper rosters, and ad hoc messaging. This article examines its core features, pricing structures, strengths and weaknesses, and practical alternatives to consider.

Core features

• Shift scheduling & roster creation
  Create recurring or one-off shifts using a visual calendar. The interface usually supports drag-and-drop shift placement, copying past rosters forward, and color-coding by role or location.

• Availability, time-off & leave management
  Employees can submit availability windows, request time off, and managers can approve or deny requests. Accrued leave balances and blackout dates are often supported.

• Task allocation & checklists
  Attach tasks or checklists to shifts so employees know expected duties. Task templates and completion tracking help ensure consistency across shifts.

• Employee communication & notifications
  In-app messaging, email and push notifications alert staff to shift offers, changes, or cancellations. Automated reminders reduce no-shows.

• Shift swapping & offers
  Employees can swap shifts or pick up open shifts subject to managerial approval. Auto-assign or manual approvals help maintain control.

• Payroll & timesheet integration
  Built-in timesheets capture clock-in/out times and approved hours. Exports or integrations to payroll systems simplify pay runs and reduce errors.

• Role-based access & multiple locations
  Permission levels (admin, manager, staff) and support for multiple sites or departments let organizations scale scheduling across locations.

• Reporting & analytics
  Reports on labor costs, hours worked, attendance, and overtime help managers optimize staffing and budget.

• Mobile apps & responsive web UI
  Dedicated iOS/Android apps or responsive web access allow scheduling and notifications on the go.

Typical user workflow

1. Set up business hours, roles and locations.
2. Invite employees and collect availability.
3. Build a roster using the calendar: assign roles, tasks and shifts.
4. Publish the roster; staff receive notifications and confirm availability.
5. Monitor attendance via timesheets; approve swaps or time-off requests.
6. Export hours and integrate with payroll.

Pricing overview

Pricing models vary between vendors; Roster Planner-style tools commonly use one of these approaches:

• Per-user/per-month subscription (e.g., \(2–\)8 per active user/month).
• Tiered plans with feature sets (Basic, Pro, Enterprise) where advanced features—payroll integrations, advanced reporting, API access—are in higher tiers.
• Flat-rate pricing for small teams or a minimum seat requirement for enterprise features.
• Free trials or free tiers with limited features for testing.

Exact numbers change frequently; check the vendor’s pricing page or contact sales for custom quotes, especially for multi-location or high-seat deployments.

Strengths

• Reduces administrative overhead vs spreadsheets and manual rostering.
• Improves communication and shift coverage with notifications and shift offers.
• Centralizes scheduling, tasks, and timekeeping in one place.
• Often faster to deploy and more affordable than full-scale HRIS or ERP modules.

Weaknesses / limitations

• Feature depth can vary — some vendors lack advanced labor forecasting or complex award/enterprise rules.
• Integrations with local payroll systems may be limited, requiring manual exports.
• Adoption friction: staff may resist change or need training.
• Costs scale with headcount; for very large teams, total subscription costs can rise significantly.

Security & data considerations

• Look for vendors with HTTPS, role-based access controls and regular backups.
• If you handle regulated employee data (healthcare, finance), verify compliance with relevant standards (e.g., GDPR, ISO certifications).
• Confirm how long data is retained and how exports/deletions are handled.

When to choose Roster Planner (formerly Task Planner)

• You run a shift-based operation with frequent schedule changes.
• You need simple, visual rostering with task attachments and swap capabilities.
• You want to move away from spreadsheets and ad hoc communication without buying a full HR suite.
• You need a mobile-friendly solution for frontline staff.

Alternatives to consider

Migration tips

• Export existing schedules, employee lists and shift templates from current systems or spreadsheets.
• Start with a pilot team to validate workflows and tweak permissions.
• Train managers and frontline staff on mobile/desktop apps; provide quick-reference guides.
• Configure payroll and attendance exports early to avoid end-of-cycle surprises.
• Keep the old system readable for 1–2 pay cycles until confidence in the new exports is established.

Final considerations

Roster Planner-style tools deliver fast wins by removing spreadsheet drudgery and improving shift visibility. Choose based on the complexity of your rostering rules, payroll integration needs, and the scale of your operation. Trial periods and pilot rollouts are the most reliable ways to confirm a provider fits your workflow and employee adoption patterns.

If you want, I can: compare two alternatives side-by-side with pricing estimates, draft an email template to notify staff of migration, or create a 30-day rollout checklist for a pilot. Which would help most?