Import basics
CSV or XLSX for a roster import: which should you use?
CSV is a plain table; XLSX retains sheets and formulas. Choose the format that lets you verify your people, dates and statuses most reliably.
Read guide →Field notes / Guides
Better rosters start before the upload.
Plain-English guides for the people who prepare, check and share project rosters. Each one tackles a concrete import or release decision.
Latest field notes: import troubleshooting and workforce handoffs
- Select a historical roster date window without losing edge days
- Correct roster spreadsheet cells without changing the original file
- Check a port maintenance contractor mobilisation roster before release
- Prevent roster import data loss by preserving custom labels
- Test spreadsheet roster imports with privacy-safe synthetic data
- Why Publish stays disabled after a roster review edit
- Roster preview row counts are not a full completeness check
- Publish a seasonal harvest crew roster from an approved spreadsheet
- Why time-only roster cells need a daily status before import
- Map transposed roster fields using physical spreadsheet columns
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01 / Field notes
Prepare your spreadsheet
Import basics
Excel roster upload checklist for project teams
Prepare the source workbook first, then use the import preview to catch identity and date mistakes before anyone sees a published roster.
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Import basics
Keep leading zeroes in Excel employment numbers
An employment number is an identifier, not a quantity. Preserve it as text and compare the exported file with the original record.
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Import basics
Map transposed roster fields using physical spreadsheet columns
In a transposed matrix, worker identity follows the physical source column when a missing ID is assigned. Do not confuse that upload-local identity with a shift-list employee ID.
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Import basics
Select a historical roster date window without losing edge days
Historical dates can be selected when they exist in the file. Count both endpoints, stay within 140 days, and distinguish reviewing an old period from publishing it as current.
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Import basics
Why time-only roster cells need a daily status before import
A clock value alone does not describe a worker's rostered day. Resolve time-only cells with the roster owner rather than treating the importer as an hours calculator.
Read guide →02 / Field notes
Review with confidence
Review & quality
A 15-minute adversarial roster review exercise
Run a short red-team review with invented rows, an answer key and a clear stop-or-release decision.
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Review & quality
A roster confidence budget before you publish
Score the evidence behind a proposed release, stop for critical gaps and record what still needs a human decision.
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Review & quality
Build a shift-status key people can actually read
A status key prevents a short code from meaning different things to planners, importers and workers. Review unknown values instead of guessing.
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Review & quality
Check a port maintenance contractor mobilisation roster before release
A mobilisation roster communicates an approved plan; it does not certify site access or qualifications. Check contractor identities, travel labels and release scope before sharing.
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Review & quality
Correct roster spreadsheet cells without changing the original file
A targeted correction changes the upload's import interpretation, not the original workbook. Keep edits literal, check source coordinates, and verify a refreshed preview.
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Review & quality
Day-first dates in Australian Excel rosters
03/04 can mean 3 April or 4 March. Check the date axis, choose the intended order and inspect the preview before publishing.
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Review & quality
How to audit a late roster correction
An audit needs a timeline of what was approved, published and communicated, plus a clear record of uncertainty about what workers saw.
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Review & quality
How to resolve duplicate employment numbers in a roster
A repeated number is a decision for the roster owner, not a reason to merge two rows or guess which worker should be published.
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Review & quality
Mixed employer and location fields in a contractor roster
A correctly read shift can still point a worker to the wrong employer or work front. Sample each contractor and location before release.
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Review & quality
Prevent roster import data loss by preserving custom labels
A custom label should not disappear simply because it is unfamiliar. Confirm its cleaned text, understand blank controls, and reconcile the refreshed preview with the source.
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Review & quality
Roster preview row counts are not a full completeness check
The preview table is a bounded inspection sample, not the entire roster. Reconcile counts, exclusions and the selected date window against the approved source.
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Review & quality
Why Excel formula results matter when importing a roster
RosterField reads saved results; it does not calculate Excel formulas. Recalculate, save and check warnings before trusting a derived shift.
Read guide →03 / Field notes
Publish and communicate
Publishing & access
A publish-ready roster review for construction shutdowns
Shutdown crews change quickly. Review the actual workbook, the chosen date window and the version people will consult on site.
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Publishing & access
Communicating a changed roster release across shifts
Publishing a corrected roster makes a new reference available; it does not prove that every day, night or off-duty worker saw the change.
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Publishing & access
Contractor and subcontractor roster handoff before publication
A head contractor can publish a coherent project roster only after each subcontractor's handoff is reconciled with the agreed source and scope.
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Publishing & access
From an Excel roster to a shareable worker link
A shareable link is the output of a reviewed project publication, not a direct link to an unfiltered planning workbook.
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Publishing & access
From printed shift sheet to phone: a site field guide
Keep the familiar planning spreadsheet, test the worker journey and retire wall copies deliberately rather than overnight.
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Publishing & access
Multi-project roster links and QR code handoff
A QR code identifies a project route, not a worker. Label and test each project's published link before handing it to mobile crews.
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Publishing & access
Publish a seasonal harvest crew roster from an approved spreadsheet
Harvest roster publication is a communication step after planning. Check the approved crew sheet, preserve meaningful daily labels, and explain how workers find the release.
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Publishing & access
Publishing a FIFO swing roster from an Excel workbook
Keep the established FIFO planning workbook, but check travel, swing boundaries and the roster version workers will actually consult.
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Publishing & access
Rehearse a last-minute roster handover before sharing
A short rehearsal exposes handover gaps before a late roster change becomes a confusing message on site.
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Publishing & access
Roster release sign-off checklist for project managers
A sign-off is a named release decision with visible exceptions and follow-up, not a tick beside a successful file upload.
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Publishing & access
Sharing worker rosters: project links, privacy and changes
A QR code makes a roster easy to find, not automatically private. Publish only appropriate fields and tell people when a new version matters.
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Publishing & access
Stop circulating outdated roster versions
A good file name is not enough. Agree who releases the roster, check the preview and tell workers where the current version lives.
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Publishing & access
When worker and supervisor rosters disagree: a playbook
Treat a roster dispute as an evidence and communication problem, not a contest over whose screenshot looks newer.
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Publishing & access
Why Publish stays disabled after a roster review edit
Editing a review control does not update its existing preview. Refresh the result, resolve the stated blockers, and check whether publication is available in your context.
Read guide →04 / Field notes
Choose the right workflow
Product fit
Australian rostering software or Excel roster publishing?
The right tool depends on the job: build and manage shifts in software, or review and publish a roster your team already plans in Excel.
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Product fit
CSV import versus editing shifts in scheduling software
Importing a CSV transfers an already-made decision for review; editing a scheduler changes the plan itself. Decide which system owns each step.
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Product fit
Deputy scheduling vs publishing an existing Excel project roster
Deputy addresses decisions about shifts, availability and costs. RosterField addresses the later job of checking and publishing an existing project spreadsheet.
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Product fit
Employment Hero employee app or a link to the finished Excel roster?
Staff access follows the source of the roster: an app for its managed shifts, or a project link for a reviewed spreadsheet publication.
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Product fit
Employment Hero HR workflows and a separately prepared project spreadsheet
A team can manage people processes and still prepare a project roster in a workbook. Give each owner a clear hand-off and verify the release copy.
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Product fit
Employment Hero rostering or publishing an approved Excel project roster?
Shift creation and project roster publication are different jobs. Identify where the approved plan lives before choosing how workers will see it.
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Product fit
Enter shifts into a generator or review the spreadsheet you already have?
Recreating approved shifts and checking a prepared workbook have different risks. Test a realistic change and make the planning owner explicit.
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Product fit
Excel roster final: publish it or enter the shifts into Deputy?
Final approval is a decision about the source roster, not proof that every worker has the right version. Select the distribution workflow your team can verify.
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Product fit
Keep your spreadsheet workflow or schedule manually in the cloud?
Changing where shifts are planned is a process decision. If a spreadsheet remains the approved source, make its review and publication explicit.
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Product fit
Roster creation, review and publication: three different jobs
Creating shifts answers who should work; review checks whether the saved plan was read correctly; publication chooses which checked version workers see.
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Product fit
Roster Generator by RosterShare or an existing Excel roster?
A shift generator starts with entering a schedule; spreadsheet publication starts with a finished plan. Choose the stage your project needs help with.
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Product fit
RosterElf free roster builder or publish the Excel roster you already have?
Free roster creation can be useful when there is no finished plan. If a checked Excel file already exists, examine the work between approval and distribution instead.
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Product fit
RosterElf roster templates vs an already-approved Excel workbook
A template accelerates planning the next roster; an approved workbook is evidence of a specific plan. Learn how to choose without redoing a completed approval.
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Product fit
RosterElf scheduling or publishing an existing Excel roster?
A scheduling problem and a publication problem call for different workflows. Identify which part of the roster process actually needs changing before choosing a tool.
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Product fit
RosterLab free scheduling or publishing an existing Excel roster?
A free scheduling tool can be useful when shifts still need to be planned. A finished spreadsheet has a different problem: safe review and release.
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Product fit
RosterLab mobile app or a name-search project roster link?
A worker mobile app and a shareable project link answer different access needs. Check the roster source, privacy model and update process first.
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Product fit
RosterShare share links and PDF or a current project roster version?
Sharing a roster and managing which release is current are separate decisions. Test what happens after the plan changes and an old copy circulates.
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Product fit
Test spreadsheet roster imports with privacy-safe synthetic data
Use invented names, identifiers and operational details to test import behaviour. The demo is temporary and cannot publish, but uploading is still server-side processing.
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Product fit
Using Deputy while keeping a separate Excel project roster
Two rosters can serve different audiences, but they need explicit owners and a reconciliation step. This guide does not assume a product integration.
Read guide →A useful distinction
Planning shifts and publishing a roster are different jobs.
Many rostering platforms help teams plan shifts, manage timesheets or fill vacant roles. RosterField concentrates on a narrower problem: taking an existing spreadsheet through an explicit review and publishing the version workers should consult. Use the guides to decide whether that workflow fits your organisation.
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