Fixing Slow, Manual Shift Allocation with an Automated Skills-Based Assignment Engine

The Problem

A clinical diagnostics provider relied on manual processes to allocate shifts, requiring planners to cross-reference staff availability, skills, qualifications and geographic proximity one by one. Aggregating this information took excessive time and often led to suboptimal or inconsistent assignments. As demand grew, the manual approach created delays, fairness concerns and a significant administrative burden. The organisation needed a scalable, data-driven way to assign shifts quickly and accurately.

The Solution

One of our digital squads built a custom allocation algorithm within the organisation’s CRM and rota system. The engine automatically evaluated key data points—such as qualifications, skill level, compliance status, travel radius, availability and historical performance—to generate fair and optimised shift recommendations. Planners retained final approval but no longer needed to manually piece together information from multiple sources. The new workflow dramatically accelerated planning while ensuring staff were deployed appropriately and consistently.