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The Draft Schedule Workflow

AdministratorsScheduling

Build, review, and publish schedules before staff sees them.


What Are Draft Appointments?

Drafts are appointments that:

  • Exist in the system
  • Are NOT visible to staff
  • Can be edited freely
  • Get published all at once

Why Use Drafts?

BenefitDescription
Plan aheadBuild next week's schedule without confusion
Review before publishingCatch conflicts and gaps
Batch changesMake adjustments before anyone sees
Coordinate coverageEnsure all shifts filled

Creating Draft Appointments

Method 1: Individual Drafts

  1. Create appointment normally
  2. Toggle Save as Draft
  3. Click Create

Method 2: Draft Mode Session

  1. Go to Schedule
  2. Click Enter Draft Mode
  3. All appointments you create are drafts
  4. Click Exit Draft Mode when done

Viewing Drafts

In Schedule View

Drafts appear with:

  • Dashed border
  • "Draft" badge
  • Different color (usually gray)

Filter by Status

  1. Go to Schedule
  2. Click Filters
  3. Toggle Show Drafts Only

Reviewing Drafts

Before publishing, check:

Coverage Review

  1. Go to ScheduleWeek View
  2. Look for:
    • Empty time slots
    • Clients without visits
    • Overloaded staff

Conflict Check

System automatically flags:

  • Double-booked staff
  • Overlapping client appointments
  • Outside working hours
  • Exceeds unit allocations

Workload Balance

  1. View Staff Summary
  2. See hours per team member
  3. Balance workload across team

Editing Drafts

Drafts can be freely edited:

Individual Edit

  1. Click on draft appointment
  2. Make changes
  3. Save

Bulk Edit

  1. Select multiple drafts
  2. Click Bulk Edit
  3. Change common fields:
    • Time
    • Team member
    • Service type
  4. Apply changes

Delete Drafts

  1. Select draft(s)
  2. Click Delete
  3. No notification sent (not published yet)

Publishing Drafts

When ready to make visible to staff:

Publish All Drafts

  1. Go to Schedule
  2. Click Review Drafts
  3. See summary:
    • Total drafts
    • Conflicts (if any)
    • Date range
  4. Click Publish All
  5. Confirm

Publish Selected

  1. Select specific drafts
  2. Click Publish Selected
  3. Only those become visible

Publish by Date Range

  1. Click Publish Drafts
  2. Choose date range
  3. Only drafts in range publish

What Happens When Published

ActionResult
Staff notificationPush notification of new schedule
Calendar updateAppointments appear in their app
Status changeDraft → Scheduled
Edit restrictionsNormal editing rules apply

Draft Schedule Workflow

Recommended weekly process:

Friday:
1. Enter Draft Mode
2. Create next week's appointments
3. Review for conflicts
4. Balance workloads

Monday Morning:
5. Final review
6. Publish all drafts
7. Staff sees new schedule

Unpublishing (Reverting)

Made a mistake? Within 1 hour:

  1. Go to Schedule
  2. Find published appointment
  3. Click Unpublish
  4. Returns to draft status

Note: Staff may have already seen it. Send message if needed.


Tips

  • Build drafts on Friday — Publish Monday morning
  • Review conflicts first — System shows warnings
  • Balance workloads — Check hours per staff
  • Communicate changes — Use announcements for schedule notes

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The Draft Schedule Workflow - CareCade Help Center | CareCade