Substitute Or Casual Dispatch System

The Substitute/Casual Dispatch System lets you easily dispatch a wide variety of employees from substitute teachers, to casual support/clerical employees, to casual grounds/maintenance employees. Substitutes/Casuals replacing absent employees as well as substitutes/casuals needed for extra help Not replacing absent employees can Both be dispatched. The dispatch entry screen is versatile enough to let you enter both absences and corresponding dispatches, record each replacement employee you have phoned, as well as log any refusals with their corresponding refusal reason and comment. The system will, at the touch of a key find the best qualified employee to fill the position indicated based on four search criteria: subject(s) taught (or occupation), subject level, location type, and location area. The search algorithm is defined by you so you can make the search as general or specific as you wish. Defining an ordered list of preferred or undesired employees within the district or specific location is possible as well as defining the algorithm such that all employees will have equal opportunity to work. The dispatch system will also prevent you from dispatching one employee for more than one assignment at the same time. You can enter the days employees are not available so that the search algorithm will ignore these employees during the times they are unavailable.

The substitute/casual dispatch system can be used with/without the computerized search algorithm. Choosing NOT to use the search algorithm means that you have to determine the best qualified replacement employee based on the REPLACEMENT Employee Availability Report as opposed to having the computer make that determination for you.

Which ever way you choose to use the system, you must set up some databases before accessing the Dispatch Entry screen. These databases are listed below. Refer to the documentation under the corresponding menu options for further information on how to create these database items.

Position codes are needed to identify what position the dispatched employee is to be working at. The location identifies where the dispatch is. Refusal codes are used to indicate why employees refused the opportunity of working. Subject, subject level, area, and location type codes are used in the search algorithm to find the best qualified replacement employee.

After creating the databases, you must complete the Substitute/Casual Dispatch Parameters Profile. This profile contains critical information necessary by the dispatching system. Refer to the manual documentation under this menu option for further information.

The Search Parameter Profile should be filled in before using the dispatching system.

Each employee you want to dispatch must be entered into the system through Employee Additions. To utilize the computerized search algorithm, you must ensure that each employee has a substitute/casual preference record. Only employees with an active substitute/casual preference records will be included in the automated search. Even if you are not using the search algorithm it is a good idea to create a preference record for each employee you want to dispatch as the subject, level, location type, and area information entered here will likely be very valuable to you in determining what employees to dispatch. Refer to documentation in the manual for further information.

In order for the dispatch search to find the best qualified replacement employee based on any/all of the four search criteria (subject, level, location type, and area), the system needs a way to match substitute/casual preferences to permanent (regular) employee search criteria. In this way, a teacher teaching secondary level math can be replaced by a substitute teacher capable of teaching elementary math. Similarly, a school secretary can be replaced by a casual employee capable of the same skills as the absent employee. Search criteria is added to permanent employees through Permanent Employee Search Criteria Additions. Up to five requested replacement employees can also be added to each regular employee on this screen. Refer to documentation under this menu option for further information on this subject. Optionally, subjects and levels can be entered onto to regular employees in the assignment system. Where the search criteria come from is determined by field Use Assignments to Pick Up Criteria in the Dispatch Search Parameter Profile. Refer to the documentation on this profile for more information.

If you intend to use the search algorithm and plan on dividing the search into any of the six available phases, go into the Search Phase Menu and build these phase lists. Refer to the manual documentation under this menu sequence for more information on search phases.

The final item to set up if using the computerized search facility is the Search Order Definition Profile. This profile determines what search phases and search criteria to use in determining the best qualified dispatch employee(s). Refer to the manual documentation under this menu sequence for more information on customizing the search algorithm.

NOTE:  Each time you add or change a substitute/casual preference record the system maintains search indexes which drastically speed up the search time. While these indexes are automatically maintained each time you go into the add or change screen, it is remotely possible for these indexes to become corrupted in the event of an abnormal exit from the preference maintenance screen. Such an abnormal exit could be caused by a system crash or power failure. To ensure these indexes are always correct, periodically (weekly or monthly) run the Search Index Rebuild Process which will correct any problems should they exist.

The Substitute/Casual Dispatch Menu gives you access to all modules that control substitute and casual dispatching. Valuable data entry screens, processing modules, and reports have been designed to make the dispatching of employees as efficient as possible.