I'm pretty new to programming and I'm looking for some advice on whether I can develop a program to help me create a monthly schedule for about 12-15 employees. My schedule varies quite a bit each month, with some fixed rules (like not scheduling someone for more than 3 shifts in a row and limiting weekend work) and some variables that change (like certain employees needing specific dates off). Is it possible to write a program that understands these rules and allows me to input the changing details to generate a schedule? If so, what are some places or resources where I could find someone to develop this for me?
4 Answers
Yes, totally! Someone can definitely implement this. The key will be defining what you need and how much you're willing to spend on it. It sounds like it would save you a lot of time, so it might be worth the investment!
For sure, this is definitely achievable. What you're looking for is basically a small scheduling engine with set rules. Lots of businesses face the same kind of scheduling issues and handle it with rules combined with availability data. Just make sure to clearly lay out all your rules—like maximum shifts, days off, and priority requests—because once that’s done, the actual programming part isn’t too complex. A developer could build a user-friendly interface to input the variables monthly and generate a schedule for you quite easily!
You could try platforms like Fiverr to find someone who can help. I did a quick search and noticed there are existing solutions out there specifically for small businesses at pretty reasonable prices, though they might not be perfect. Just keep in mind many tools are more about managing shifts rather than fully automating the scheduling based on rules.
I’ve looked into many scheduling programs, but they just seem like advanced calendars and don’t actually generate schedules based on input.
Absolutely! If you can clearly describe what you need, it can certainly be programmed. There are probably plenty of computer science students or freelancers out there who would love to tackle a project like this.
It's true, it does take a lot of my time each month, so I'm open to paying for something that works.