Purpose Statement

The Event Types display feature allows administrators to customize which event categories appear on the Shift Board, enabling better visibility and control over scheduling information. This feature helps departments focus on relevant event types while reducing visual clutter, making it easier for supervisors and administrators to manage personnel assignments and track scheduling activities efficiently.

Background Information

The Shift Board is a central scheduling tool in First Due that displays various personnel events including shifts, time off, training, details, and other departmental activities. However, not all event types are relevant to every department's daily operations. The Event Types display configuration allows administrators to customize which event categories appear on the Shift Board, ensuring that scheduling staff see only the information they need. This customization improves workflow efficiency by reducing unnecessary information and helps supervisors quickly identify available personnel and scheduling conflicts. Common use cases include departments that want to hide administrative events from daily shift planning or agencies that need to focus primarily on operational shift assignments and emergency response availability.

Required Permissions

To configure Event Types display settings, users must have:

• Access Scheduling
• Access Setup

Video

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Access Scheduling Setup

Navigate to Scheduling Setup from the main navigation menu. This will open the Scheduling configuration panel where various scheduling system settings can be managed.
 

Step 2: Add Event Types to Display

To add an event type that you want visible on the Shift Board:

1. Click on the event type selector box
2. Select the desired event type from the dropdown list
3. The selected event type will now appear on the Shift Board for all users
    

You can add multiple event types by repeating this process for each category you want to display.
 

Step 3: Remove Event Types from Display

To remove an event type that you no longer want visible on the Shift Board:

1. Locate the event type in the current display list
2. Click the X button next to the event type name
3. The event type will be removed from the Shift Board display immediately

Note: Removing an event type from the display does not delete the events themselves - it only hides them from the Shift Board view. The underlying event data remains intact in the system.

Step 4: Save Your Configuration
 

When you have finished adding or removing event types, click the Save button to apply your changes. The Shift Board will immediately update to reflect the new event type display configuration for all users.
 

Best Practices

Do:

• Review your department's most commonly used event types before configuring the display
• Consult with supervisors to determine which event types are essential for daily operations
• Keep the event type list focused on operational needs to reduce visual clutter
• Periodically review and update the event type display as your department's needs change
• Document which event types are hidden and why, for future reference and training purposes

Don't:

• Hide event types without consulting staff who rely on the Shift Board daily
• Make changes during peak scheduling periods without notifying affected users

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

• Hiding time-off events that affect shift coverage calculations
• Removing event types that are used for compliance reporting or staffing requirements
• Configuring the display without understanding how hidden events may still impact scheduling rules and automation

Troubleshooting & FAQs

1. Q: If I remove an event type from the display, will it delete existing events of that type? 
   
1. A: No. Removing an event type from the Shift Board display only hides it from view. All existing events remain in the system and are still tracked for reporting, compliance, and scheduling calculations. They simply won't be visible on the Shift Board.
   
2. Q: Can individual users customize which event types they see, or is this a system-wide setting? 
   
1. A: This is a system-wide setting that applies to all users viewing the Shift Board. Individual users cannot override these display preferences.
   
3. Q: Can I restore a removed event type later? 
   
1. A: Absolutely. Simply follow the same process to add it back to the display list. All historical events of that type will reappear on the Shift Board.
   
4. Q: What happens if I save without making any changes? 
   
1. A: Nothing will change. The Save button applies the current configuration, so if no modifications were made, the Shift Board will continue displaying the same event types as before.