Running a Broadcast

Learn about the process of running a Broadcast with each different Offer Method

This article walks through a few complete Broadcasting workflows from start to finish. It covers how different Broadcasting methods behave in practice and what to expect at each stage of the process.

Each examples uses scenarios to demonstrate how Broadcasting adapts to different rostering needs.

If you have not yet reviewed the Broadcasting Overview article, we recommend doing so first. It provides helpful context around Broadcasting methods and terminology used in this walkthrough.

To get started, let’s assume our Planner shows a single unfilled Shift:

• Date: Tuesday, 18 June

• Time: 7:00am – 3:00pm

• Required Resources: 3

Rather than assigning Resources immediately, we will use Broadcasting to fill the shift.

We will go through a Broadcast for each Offer Method & a also do an example run launched through the Find Resource Modal using the above Shift.

First In, Best Dressed

Configuring our Broadcast

To begin, and from the Optimiser, let's open the Broadcast modal and select the following inputs:

• Offer Method: First In, Best Dressed

• Offer Count: 8

• Manual Selection: Luca Milne

Manual Selection here is optional. We have selected a Resource (Luca Milne) in this case because we know that we want to send the offer to him.

• Expiration Window: 2 hours

• Send Notifications: Yes

You then click Done on the Broadcast modal and Confirm on the Optimiser.

Please note there are two stages of Confirmation required to initiate a Broadcast. This is because no changes are made to data in Maica until you click Confirm on the Optimiser modal. This means you if you configure a Broadcast, but then needed to undo it or make changes, you can up until the point of clicking Confirm on the Optimiser itself.

Running the Broadcast

Once you click Confirm, the Broadcast begins. This means:

• Luca Milne and the 7 next most suitable Resources receive a Shift offer in the Mobile App

• The Appointment is marked as having a Live Broadcast

You can identify and filter by Live Broadcasts by reopening the Optimiser and noticing a Blue Broadcast icon next to the record under the status. This icon will turn grey once they Broadcast window expires, which you can also filter by.

As responses come in, Maica processes them in real time:

1. The first Resource accepts → Confirmed

2. Luca Milne accepts → Confirmed

3. The third Resource accepts → Confirmed

In First In, Best Dressed, Resources are immediately set to Confirmed as they Accept an offer without any additional steps required from Rostering Staff. This will automatically add the Shift into their Planner.

Once the third Resource is confirmed:

• The Appointment is marked as Filled

• Any remaining Pending or Accepted offers are automatically withdrawn and will no longer be visible to Resources on the Mobile App.

Rostering Staff will still be able to see them on the Record as Withdrawn Resources and this can be used for Reporting purposes

Highest Scoring

Configuring our Broadcast

For the Highest Scoring Offer Method, we’ll use the same Shift:

• Tuesday, 18 June – 7:00am to 3:00pm

• Required Resources: 3

However this time let's set some Ranking Criteria for this run, as this may impact our Scoring Metrics.

For this example, let's say we add one criterion:

• Resource → Gender equals Woman

Now Resources who match the rule will receive a higher scoring contribution.

Remember, Resource Pool = Who is considered & Ranking Criteria = How well they score

To learn more about how Ranking Criteria works in Maica, click here.

In the Broadcast configuration modal, let's set:

• Offer Count: 10

• Offer Method: Highest Scoring

• Manual Selection: Empty

• Expiration Window: 2 hours

• Send Notifications: Yes

& then Broadcast.

Running the Broadcast

Now, as Resources respond:

• Accepted offers are tracked, but not confirmed immediately

• The Appointment remains Unfilled while responses are collected and until the Response Window expires.

Once the response window does end (or all responses are received), Maica evaluates the results and:

1. Reviews all Accepted offers

2. Ranks those Resources using their Optimisation Score based on Ranking Criteria defined above

3. Confirms the top 3 Resources

Any remaining Accepted offers are set to Withdrawn.

The Appointment is now marked as Filled.

Manual Selection

Configuring our Broadcast

Again, for Manual Selection, let's use the same Shift:

• Tuesday, 18 June – 7:00am to 3:00pm

• Required Resources: 3

From the Optimiser, this time select Manual as the Offer Method and use the same configuration as above.

Before we begin let's build a Resource Pool for this run, as we may only want a certain group of Resources to receive the offer.

Currently, let's assume we have 184 active Resources which we want to narrow down.

Open the Resource Pool and start applying filters to refine the group.

1. Select Resource Pool.

2. Click Add Criteria.

3. Choose a Field (e.g., Resource → Work Type).

4. Select an Operator (e.g., equals).

5. Select a Value (e.g., Full-Time).

After applying this first filter, our pool narrows from 184 → 126 Resources, and we now begin our Broadcast.

To learn more about how the Resource Pool works in Maica, click here.

Running our Broadcast

During the broadcast:

• Resources receive offers and can Accept or Decline, similar to other Offer Methods

• Accepted offers remain in Accepted (Pending Approval)

In this scenario, Resources will get an alert on the Mobile App that they have Accepted a Shift and now awaiting Managers Approval.

Let's say in this scenario that only 2 Resources accept the offer, when we Required 3.

As this is a Manual Run, we will need to go back into the Optimiser to view the outcome of and action the Broadcast. There are 2 different ways we can do this and assess the results:

1. In the Resources Column next to the Shift with updated Resource Statuses.

2. In the Shift Insights.

Both of the above options are further detailed here.

Still at this point no Resources are confirmed and the Shift remains Unfilled

After reviewing the Shift Insights, let's manually Confirm the 2 Accepted Resources.

Now, we still need 1 additional Resource to fully fill the Shift.

Rather than running the same Broadcast again, let's re-broadcast with slightly different parameters.

This time, we will:

• Expand the Resource pool to allow for Part-Time staff to also be included

• Change the Offer Method to First In, Best Dressed

Now we quickly have our final Acceptance, and the Shift is automatically Filled.

Re-broadcasting allows you to adjust your approach without starting over. You can change Offer Counts, Pools, and Methods, etc as needed.

It is important to note, especially for Manual Selection Broadcasts, that if you wish to review the results of your Broadcast you must reopen the Optimiser from within the same Period on the Planner that you first issued the offers.

Find Resource Manual Resource Selection

There is one final way we are able to Broadcast a Shift or Appointment, and this is directly through the Find Resource modal. Here, any of the above Methods can be used.

For some background on the Find Resource Modal, click here.

To do so, select a Shift from the Optimiser, and instead of opening the Broadcast Modal, open the Find Resource Manually Modal.

From here, you will be able to preselect any number of Resources you wish with a clear view of how they are ranked (in order of Optimisation Score) for that Shift, as shown below.

From here, you can select Broadcast in the bottom right to trigger the Broadcast Configuration Modal with the above 3 Resources preselected and the Offer Count defaulted to 3.

Now you are ready to configure the rest of your Broadcast.

This is a handy way to manually determine some or all of the Resources receiving an offer for any particular Shift with clear visibility of their Optimisation Score.