With cluster, Mesh AI allows you to group a series of shifts and assign them to the same team member.
While determining your team's regularly occurring shifts, using Mesh AI's template, you can group shifts that need to be assigned to the same member (clusters) in certain intervals (periods of time). Mesh autoscheduler will then add these clusters to the rules it needs to prioritize to create the best possible schedule. See examples below.
There are three important elements to consider while creating a cluster of shifts:
At which interval does a cluster need to change? The cluster interval is defined by the date-range during which a member will do all the clustered shifts, as well as the rate at which the cluster is handed off to a new member. For clusters that change weekly (in most cases), the interval is set to 7 days (see examples below).
What is the most recent start date of a cluster interval? The most recent start date of a cluster interval determines when the cluster is re-assigned to a new member. If a member needs to do all the shifts in a week, starting on Mondays, the cluster start date is set to the most recent Monday. If the interval is greater and/or lower than 7 days, the cluster start date is set to the most recent start date.
Which shifts are included in a cluster? All the template shifts included in a cluster will be assigned to the same member. (Note: these shifts can also be set independently, as administrators remain in full control of their team schedules).
Examples:
The same team member is on-call for an entire week (7-day cluster).
The member who is on-call on Fridays should also be on-call on Sundays (7-day cluster).
There is a nurse shift every day, and members who are assigned these shifts must work in three-day rotations (3-day cluster).
A member who is on an on-call shift should also be assigned a second call shift the following day (2-day cluster).
