> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://planmyrounds.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart: build your first roster

> Set up your PlanMyRounds organisation, add staff and shift templates, then build and publish your first clinical roster in a few guided steps.

This guide takes you from a fresh PlanMyRounds account to your first **published duty plan**. Plan on about **10 minutes**.

## Prerequisites

* A PlanMyRounds account ([sign up](https://planmyrounds.com/))
* **Admin** access to your organisation (only admins can create shifts and rosters)
* Your team of doctors added under **Users**
* An idea of the shift pattern you run (e.g. *Morning OPD 08:00–17:00, Night Cover 20:00–08:00*)

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add your team">
    Go to **Users** in the sidebar and invite the doctors who will be on duty. For each user set:

    * **Role** — admin or doctor
    * **Seniority** — senior or junior (used by the scheduler for senior-to-junior ratios)
    * **Department / pod** (optional) — makes team selection faster later

    <Tip>
      Add a few extra doctors as a buffer. It gives the engine room to balance workload fairly and absorb absences.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your custom shifts">
    Go to **Shifts** in the sidebar. PlanMyRounds ships with default shifts, but you'll usually want a few custom ones tailored to your department.

    Select **Create New Shift** and fill in:

    * **Shift Name** — e.g. *Morning OPD*, *Night ICU Cover*
    * **Start Time** and **End Time** (overnight shifts that cross midnight are handled automatically)
    * **Required Doctors** — minimum headcount per day
    * **Minimum Seniors Required** — seniority floor for the shift

    See [Creating shifts](/docs/shifts/creating-shifts) for recovery-time overrides and other options.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve any leave for the period">
    The scheduling engine only respects leave that is **Approved** before generation starts. Pending requests are ignored.

    Go to **Leave** and approve (or reject) any outstanding requests covering your roster dates. See [Approval workflow](/docs/leave/approval-workflow).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the duty plan wizard">
    Go to **Duty Plans** in the sidebar and select **Create New Plan**. The wizard walks you through four steps:

    1. **Period and details** — pick a Start Date and End Date (use the **Next Week** / **Next Month** quick buttons), and optionally name the plan (e.g. *Cardiology — June 2026*).
    2. **Shift configuration** — choose which shifts to include and how many doctors each one needs per day. Apply one pattern to every day, or use different patterns for weekends / specific weekdays.
    3. **Team selection** — pick the doctors for this plan. Filter by department or pod. A live **coverage check** warns you if you don't have enough doctors for the period.
    4. **Scheduling rules** — set max consecutive work days, minimum rest days per week, minimum rest hours between shifts, senior-to-junior ratios, and other constraints.

    See [Creating a roster](/docs/rosters/creating-a-roster) for full details on each step.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate">
    Select **Generate**. The engine runs in the background and usually produces a **Draft** roster within a minute. You're taken straight to the roster detail page.

    If generation **Fails**, it's usually not enough doctors, rules that are too tight, or too much approved leave in the period. Adjust inputs and retry.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and publish">
    Check coverage, workload distribution, and any flagged conflicts on the draft. When you're happy, select **Publish**.

    The roster goes live, becomes visible to the whole team, and a shareable link is available. See [Publishing a roster](/docs/rosters/publishing-a-roster).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Handle swaps and cover" icon="arrows-rotate" href="/docs/swaps/overview">
    Let doctors trade duties after the roster is published.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Edit a published roster" icon="pen-to-square" href="/docs/rosters/editing-a-published-roster">
    Make manual adjustments when real-world changes happen.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand the rules" icon="shield-halved" href="/docs/rosters/roster-constraints">
    Learn how work, rest, and fairness constraints shape the schedule.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How shifts work" icon="circle-info" href="/docs/shifts/overview">
    Default vs custom shifts, recovery times, and the shift library.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Need help? Email [support@planmyrounds.com](mailto:support@planmyrounds.com).
</Tip>