Sanoplan User Manual (Version: 1.3)
System Overview
Sanoplan is a software solution from Sanoconsult Management Consulting, developed from many years of experience in hospital management and consulting projects. Our goal is to make duty scheduling in nursing more efficient and conflict-free, while also optimizing processes that are difficult to implement using conventional methods such as paper or Excel planning.
By leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Sanoplan simplifies duty scheduling, enables multi-week planning, and provides solutions for shift rotation, absence management, and time tracking. Special emphasis has been placed on simplifying processes and integrating intuitive operating concepts such as Drag & Drop, in order to minimize manual administrative effort.
Sanoconsult Management Consulting has been in existence for over 20 years. The Sanoplan duty roster was created based on experience in industrial management among others at Drägerwerk and in hospital management. Today, we use this knowledge to develop intelligent software solutions that reduce administrative effort and provide sustainable support to the healthcare sector.
Our focus is on well-designed and practice-oriented planning tools that enable structured and reliable organization, helping you concentrate on what truly matters—the people in care.
“Stressed by duty scheduling? Sanoplan saves time, stress, and money”
Register (Free Demo)
When you click on https://www.sanoplan.com/ or https://www.sanoplan.de click on the free trial, a window will appear. You need to register and enter your Name, your Email Address and the Company Name, and depending on your intended use, select the options Duty Roster, Vacation Planner and Time Tracking. Then click on “Submit”. Afterwards, you will receive an email with a link that you must click to log in.
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Log in
The second step is to log in with your login credentials (provided by the administrator). Simply enter your E-mail and your Password, and then click the Login button to access your Employee Scheduling and Time Tracking Software account.
Alternatively, use the link in the email to access your trial plan. For quick and permanent access, you can bookmark the opened website or save it as a desktop app.
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Reset password
If you have forgotten your password, click on “Forgot Password” to reset it.
Inactivity Notice
If the system does not respond, you may have been automatically logged out (after about 10 minutes of inactivity). Simply log in again with your provided password at the top left.
Log in again
The dialog box below appears when you log out and log back in. You can close it by clicking the “x” symbol or directly entering the Settings or access other options. Alternatively, you can select “Don’t show this again” so that this dialog box does not appear every time you log in.
Homepage for a new plan
After the first login with your credentials, this screen will appear. Here you can select the Language, enter the Names of the Employees, add the organization, for which you are using this planning software, and provide a Phone Number, in case there are any problems or questions.
After clicking on Save in the Open Duty Roster Form. You will see a small field with -x- in the upper right corner. Below, the employees you added during your first login will be displayed. Simply drag the names by Drag & Drop onto a shift. -x- means that the shift has been intentionally left open (e.g., on weekends or holidays).
Open Settings
Click on the top right Gear icon. Now you will see options for Employees, Shifts and other Settings.
Add shift
For example, enter “Room 2” in the first column row, enter “8:00” in the “Start” column, and enter 3 in the “Number” column (if 3 people are working in this shift). The “Number” column shows the total number of employees in this shift. Then click on the green Plus Sign (+) to save the shift. Here you can also find a video showing how to add shifts.
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Show list
Close the settings page with the “x” in the upper right corner of the screen. You should now see the Room 2 shift and the previously entered names. Now you can assign the shift to the employees by simply Drag & Drop dragging an employee into the shift. Here you can find the video link, showing how to assign shifts using Drag & Drop.
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Plan shifts
Of course, you will have many rows of shifts. Your goal should be to avoid leaving any dark gray fields empty. Dark gray means: “not scheduled.” Assign people to shifts by dragging a name from the employee list into a gray cell. It is not possible to edit days in the past (before yesterday). You can also drag an -x- into a shift to intentionally leave it open. You cannot assign shifts to employees on past dates; you can only assign shifts for yesterday or any future date.
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Mark absences
Just like assigning shifts using Drag & Drop, you can drag absent employees into the “Absent” layer based on the day they will be absent.
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Mark reason
In the Absence layer, next to each absent employee, there is a square field. After clicking on this field, you can select the reason for the absence, as shown in the image.
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Add new employee
To add a new employee, open the gear menu and go to the Employees section. Fill in the details for name, workdays per week, working hours per week, vacation duration and assign password. Click the “+” button to add the employee—they will then appear in the list under Employees. Optionally, you can assign a password to employees for specific rights, such as web access or permission to edit. If you are using time tracking via RFID chip or QR code, the optional entry can also be added on this page.
Display employee duty roster
You can see which employee is assigned to which shift on which day. If you click on an employee’s name on the right side of the weekly schedule, it will highlight in the employee weekly schedule and display the duty roster for each day and shift.
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Function buttons:
By clicking on the “airplane” option, you will access the absence plan, where each color indicates the respective reason.To return to the homepage, click on the highlighted option.
With the clock button you access the time tracking, showing when an employee’s shift starts and ends, including details such as duration, break hours, working hours and overtime, which are calculated automatically. You can also manually add additional times (e.g., absences) by clicking the “+” button in the corresponding row. Everyone have to track their own time individually but supervisors can edit or correct the time of the employees, and when the one time is marked red, then the system cannot calculate the time worked. That is why it is marked red
Duty roster views
Week shift view
The standard view shows the shifts and start times on the left and the employees to be assigned on the right. It displays a one-week period, with the week’s start marked at the top left. You can navigate to the next or previous week by clicking the arrows next to the week’s start date.
There are three ways to plan shifts:
- Employee names can be dragged and dropped from the right column into the desired shift.
- You can see which employees are available on a given day by hovering your mouse over the corresponding date.
- By clicking the AI button (head icon next to the date), the AI generates a suggestion for that day.
- Since there are always special cases such as illnesses, there is an additional AI helper. You can access it by hovering your mouse over the shift to be filled. It will display on a black background which employees are present and trained for that shift on that day, and on a green background, which employees are trained and available (not yet scheduled). To assign a shift, click on the desired employee.
Employee week view
By clicking the button above, you can reverse the display and show the employee names on the left. The shifts will then appear on the right. In this case, to schedule, drag the shifts from the right onto the employee’s day.
Day view
If you are planning many shifts, it can be clearer to switch to the day view by clicking on the date. Then, for example, you can display the morning on the left, the afternoon on the right, and the absentees next to them, so that your shift list is only half as long.
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By clicking on the question mark, you can view the user manual or directly ask your question to the Artificial Intelligence.
By clicking on the gear icon, you can access the settings, for example edit shifts, set up basic weekly schedules (e.g. days off), enter company holidays and public holidays, change the language, and much more.
If you have any questions, you can use the envelope button to send an email with questions or suggestions to the support team.
You can print your weekly planner by clicking on the print option.
By clicking on Reports, you can access various reports.
Absent
In the Absent section, you can view the Monthly Report of absent employees. You can also print the report by clicking the print button at the top right.
Attendance
Protocol
The Protocol allows you to see who changed what and when.
4-week shift schedule
In the Reports section, access the 4-week shift schedule to view the duty rosters for the next four weeks. You can print the schedule using the Print button or close it by clicking the ‘×’ button.
4-week user schedule
In the Reports section, access the 4-week user schedule to view the employees’ schedules for the next four weeks. You can print the schedule using the Print-button, or close it by clicking the “×” button.
Overtime report
In the Reports section, access the Overtime Report to view employees’ overtime. You can return by clicking the “×” button.
Night Time Report
In the Reports section, access the Night Time Report to view employees’ night shifts. You can click on “i” for information about the night work report and return by clicking the “×” button.
Staff
Daily hours
If you do not grant employees completely flexible working hours, the “Daily Hours” button under Reports allows you to assign different target hours to employees each day, including start times, break times, return times, and total break duration. The total duration of the shift is calculated automatically and is compared with the employee’s weekly hours set in the settings according to their employment contract. A warning appears in red or yellow if the number of days does not match or if the weekly hours do not align. You can print the schedule using the print button or close it by clicking the “×” button.
In addition, permanently fixed working hours can also be assigned, for example, if flexible hours are not allowed or if, for instance, a trainee cannot be present on certain days due to vocational school. You set this by double-clicking on the corresponding time, which will then be marked in brown in the time tracking and is therefore easy to identify in the Daily Hours list. These times are automatically transferred to the duty roster, vacation planner, and time tracking.
Error time tracking
The Error Time Tracking function provides detailed information about errors marked in red in the time tracking. You can print the errors using the print button or close the window by clicking the “×” button.
Red dots
Red dots are always warning indicators.
A red dot on the airplane button indicates unprocessed vacation requests.
A red dot in the time tracking indicates which employees have incorrect entries.
A red dot in the employee column on the right side of the duty roster indicates which employee has been assigned work beyond their planned weekly hours.
RFID
Here is an article: Time Tracking RFID | Time Tracking with Transponder
Funnel Option
With the Funnel Option, you can specifically filter and display former employees.
“?” Symbol in the Employees Section
In the Employees section, click on the “?” symbol to open a guide on how to add, access, and manage employee contracts, as well as change employee permissions in the Employees section.
Shift times
Open the settings via the gear icon in the upper right corner. Then click on ‘Shift times’ on the left. You will see a list of all scheduled shifts and, to the right, the option to set start and end times for each shift per day. Once the start time of the shift has been entered, the times will be displayed in the duty roster.
Add company holidays
You can add company holidays by clicking on the “Company Holidays” option, selecting the desired dates, and clicking “Add” to register the holiday.
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Add public holidays
You can add public holidays by clicking on the “Public Holidays” option, selecting the date and name, checking “Yearly” if it is a recurring holiday, and clicking the “+” button to add the holiday.
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Import Calendar
Import your calendar from the directory where it is saved by clicking the “Import” button.
Change language
By clicking on “Languages” in the Settings section, a dropdown menu will appear on the screen where you can select your preferred language.
Change Date Format
By clicking on “Date Format” in the Settings section, a dropdown menu will appear on the screen where you can select the desired format.
Show substitutes
By clicking the “Show substitutes” box, you can view the “Substitute 1” and “Substitute 2” fields in the yearly and weekly schedule.
Show weekends
By clicking the “Show weekends” box, you can view the weekend fields (e.g., Saturday, Sunday) in the weekly schedule.
Double shifts
By clicking the “Double Shift” box, you can assign employees a double shift.
Splitview
By clicking the “Splitview” box, employees in shifts with the same name are displayed side by side (reducing the height of the shift schedule); Otherwise, employees are shown compactly one below the other.
Time edit by user
By clicking on “Time Edit by User” you can allow employees to edit their working hours.
AI Automation
Sanoplan’s AI takes about 1–2 weeks to learn your team’s preferences. After that, it can help you assign the best employees to the right shifts!
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How to install the Mobile App
Open the following page in a browser of their choice on their cell phone:
https://www.sanoplan.com/sanoplan/mobile.html. An input mask will open in which a code and password are requested.
The supervisor/administrator of the work schedule can find the code after logging in under Settings=>Employees. The code that must be given to the employee is located at the top right of the page that opens, above the password column.
The code that must be given to the employee is located at the top right of the page that opens, above the password column. In addition, the employee needs a password, which you can set in the column below (please choose a long password with at least one number and one special character).
The employee must enter this information on their mobile phone to open their page.
To avoid having to enter this information every time, they can go to the settings on their mobile phone and save the page as an app by selecting “Add to home screen.” The next time they open this app, they will not need to enter a password and the duty roster will be immediately visible.
Here is the mobile view,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Sanoplan and how can it help my clinic?
Sanoplan is a powerful clinic planning software that helps simplify staff scheduling, manage employees’ time tracking, and automate your planning process. It is designed for small and medium-sized clinics, Outpatient facilities, and nursing homes looking to increase efficiency. Our system saves you significant time and money while boosting employee satisfaction.
Is Sanoplan suitable for our staff planning needs?
Our software was developed with nurses and medical assistants for outpatient clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes that need to schedule 15 or more employees, but it works just as well for other organizations. Sanoplan is ideal for complex staffing requirements and for those seeking an automated solution to record and plan employee working hours. Our clients want to move away from manual processes and spreadsheets and are looking for a simple, efficient solution.
How does time tracking work?
Our software provides efficient and flexible time tracking. Employees can clock in and out using various methods such as RFID, QR codes, and a mobile app. Sanoplan then automatically calculates the hours worked, including overtime, and provides the necessary data for creating timesheets and employee hour reports. All of this data helps you manage your staff and resources more effectively.
How can I use RFID for time tracking?
Here is an article: Time Tracking RFID | Time Tracking with Transponder
How does automatic shift scheduling work?
Our automated shift scheduling tools are designed to save time. Sanoplan uses advanced algorithms and AI-powered self-learning to create shift schedules based on staff availability and the clinic’s requirements. This allows you to generate optimized schedules with minimal effort. The system takes all your inputs into account and then proposes a plan tailored to your needs. Simply click the AI icon.
Is it possible to record vacations and absences in Sanoplan?
Yes, our system helps you easily record your employees’ vacations and absences. Sanoplan allows you to create a schedule that takes all leave requests into account. Our software ensures that every leave request is recorded and generates a plan based on this data, so you no longer have to spend time on manual vacation calculations.
How can I add times to shifts if the shifts have different start and end times on each day of the week?
Open the settings via the gear icon in the upper right corner. Then click on ‘Shift times’ on the left. You will see a list of all scheduled shifts and, to the right, the option to set start and end times for each shift per day. Once the start time of the shift has been entered, the times will be displayed in the duty roster. It may be useful not to enter all shift times. Especially if more than one person is working in this shift, it can be advantageous and save space to only assign times to one of the shifts.
How can I move names?
In the duty roster, you can drag and drop names from the right-hand employee column into one of the shifts. You can also move names vertically, i.e., from one shift to another on the same day. And you can also drag and drop a name down into the absence area, which will then set the employee to sick, as this is the normal short-term absence. You can change the absence category by clicking on the small colored box in the lower absence area. A list of different absence categories will open, from which you can select one.
Please note: You cannot change shifts in the past before yesterday.
Why do you need the base plan?
The base plan defines the default settings that never change, except in exceptional cases. This could be a shift that is never staffed, e.g., if no one works on Friday afternoons. In this case, it is advisable to drag the ‘-x-’ into the corresponding shift in the base plan. Similarly, if, for example, the same person always does the accounting, you can drag the corresponding name to the corresponding shift in the base plan. The current duty roster is then always filled in with this default, unless the person in question is on vacation or absent. You can then still drag a substitute or other name to the corresponding shift in the duty roster or ask the artificial intelligence to do so.
If employees receive time off from their employer on their birthday or other days, how can I record this?
This is not relevant for the duty roster, but it is very important for time recording, as you are granting the employee paid leave for some reason. In this case, the employee can record their time as usual (clock in/out) and you then add the paid leave to the time recording. To do this, go to time tracking, double-click on the start or end time of the day in question, and a window with three green options will open. Click on “Enter additional time” and then enter the start and end times to be taken into account; these will then be counted as working time.
I need to retroactively recognize the working hours of someone who was absent with permission and therefore did not clock in. What can I do?
If hours are to be counted even though they were not clocked in, the following option is available: Double-click on the empty end time for the corresponding date. A small pop-up window with three selection fields will open. Click on “Count all scheduled hours even if not worked” on the green background. Then all target hours will be counted as worked and the line will be marked in green to indicate the special situation. ATTENTION: If you also enter times in the line, these will be counted as overtime (in addition to target hours). This is for special situations when someone has worked particularly long hours.
The employee forgot to record his second afternoon shift. What can I do?
Answer: You can manually add times in the time tracking system. Since only one shift is recorded for the day in question, you cannot enter the additional times in this row, but need to create a new row for the day. To do this, double-click on the recorded end time for the day in question, which will open a small window. At the bottom, you will see “Enter additional time” on a green background. This will create a new line that is pre-filled with 12:00 to 12:00 (so that no time is added if the time is not further edited). You can adjust these times to the desired times.
How can I set up the cell phone so that the employee can see their work schedule and enter times?
Since access for your employee is created individually for them, access and a password must be set up. Your employee must therefore open the following page in a browser of their choice on their cell phone:
https://www.sanoplan.com/sanoplan/mobile.html.
An input mask will open in which a code and password are requested. The supervisor/administrator of the work schedule can find the code after logging in under Settings=>Employees. The code that must be given to the employee is located at the top right of the page that opens, above the password column. In addition, the employee needs a password, which you can set in the column below (please choose a long password with at least one number and one special character). The employee must enter this information on their mobile phone to open their page. To avoid having to enter this information every time, they can go to the settings on their mobile phone (usually 3 dots in the top right corner of the browser) and save the page as an app by selecting “Add to home screen.” The next time they open this app, they will not need to enter a password and the duty roster will be immediately visible.
How much does Sanoplan cost and what payment options are available?
Sanoplan offers a simple pricing plan. We charge a low monthly fee for each active user. Before that, you have the opportunity to test our system thoroughly for one month for free – of course, we will support you during this period. For more information about our prices and payment options, see Sanoplan Pricing: Shift Planning, Vacation Planning, Time Tracking
How can I use the software?
Start your free trial right away by clicking on the website and explore all the features of Sanoplan. We are confident that you will be impressed.
Questions from nurses and practice managers
What does my schedule look like for the entire week?
You can view your schedule on the homepage of your Sanoplan account. You can edit it by logging into your account. To see your personal 4-week schedule, click on Reports => 4-Week User Schedule.
How many days off do I have?
The days off can be determined based on the overall weekly staff schedule and viewed in the “Absences” section below. Alternatively, you can open the vacation plan and check the desired dates.
How can I plan my vacation without affecting the staff schedule?
Vacation planning is important, but with Sanoplan everything runs smoothly and easily. Simply click on the airplane icon to open the vacation planner. Left-click on a specific date to see all the available options for submitting a request, then click on the option that interests you. Above and below your row, you can also view the schedules of other employees.
For example, if you want to request an extended vacation, left-click on a specific date to select the red “Vacation Requested” tag. For a longer vacation, click and drag the red field to cover as many days as you wish to request.
How many shifts do I have until my first day off?
You can view your shifts for the entire week on the Sanoplan homepage. Alternatively, log in and click at the top right on Reports => 4-Week User Schedule, or switch the view to the employee view using the horizontal arrow.
Who will be working with me during my shifts?
View the current schedule and select the day. Everyone listed above or below your name is in the same shift. If you are looking for a specific person, you can click and hold their name in the right column. The name will then start blinking in all the shifts in which it appears.
How can I check my overtime hours?
Click on the top clock icon to open time tracking, select your name from the list on the right (if it’s not already selected), and you will see your time records for the past weeks, including overtime.
How do I manage my breaks?
Log in with your name and click on the top clock icon to open time tracking. Breaks can be managed by pressing the “BEGIN” button to start your break and the “END” button when your break is over. If you are using RFID, QR code, or your mobile phone, open the corresponding application and clock your break as described above.
Is there an app that allows me to access my schedule?
Yes, with your supervisor’s approval, you can track your time via the app and view your upcoming shifts on your phone.
How can I view my used and unused vacation days as well as my sick days?
Ask your supervisor to show you the data.
Can I create my own schedule?
Yes, you can, as long as your supervisor allows it. You will need your unique passcode to drag your name into the desired shift.
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