Setting Up Locations

Learn how to create, organize, and configure locations in the Shifts platform to create an efficient hierarchical structure that matches your organization’s needs.

Overview

The Location Management features in Shifts help you establish your organization’s physical structure by creating, organizing, and configuring work locations. A well-designed location structure is essential for efficient schedule management, accurate attendance tracking, and proper access control. This article explains how to set up your locations, configure their properties, and organize them in a hierarchy that matches your business structure.

Understanding Location Structure

Before creating locations, it’s helpful to understand how they work in the system:

Location Hierarchy

Locations are organized in a parent-child relationship:

• Root Locations: Top-level locations (like corporate headquarters)
• Branch Locations: Intermediate locations (like regions or districts)
• Leaf Locations: End locations with no children (like individual stores or sites)

This creates a tree-like structure, allowing you to organize locations just like your actual business hierarchy.

Location Levels

Each location is assigned a level based on its position in the hierarchy:

• Level 0: Corporate/HQ (default top level)
• Level 1: Regions (geographical divisions)
• Level 2: Districts (groups of locations)
• Level 3: Individual locations (specific work sites)

These levels can be customized to match your organization’s terminology.

Accessing Location Management

To start setting up locations:

1. Log in with administrator credentials
2. Navigate to Admin > Location Management
3. Select Locations to view your current location structure

Creating a New Location

To add a new location to your system:

1. Navigate to Admin > Location Management > Locations
2. Click the Add New Location button
3. Fill in the location details:
   • Name: The location’s display name
   • Address Information: Street, city, state, zip, country
   • Contact Details: Phone number, email address
   • Parent Location: Select a parent if this is a child location
   • Location Level: Choose the appropriate hierarchical level
4. Click Save to create the location

Configuring Location Properties

Each location has various properties that you can configure:

Basic Information

• Name and Description: Identify the location
• Address: Full physical address for the location
• Status: Active or inactive
• Contact Information: Phone and email for the location

Financial Settings

• Monthly Labor Budget: Set budget limits for scheduling
• Cost Tracking: Enable financial tracking for shifts at this location
• Projected Costs: Set expected labor costs
• Actual Costs: Track real expenditures against projections

Scheduling Rules

• Shift Rule Templates: Assign templates that control scheduling rules
• Required Skills: Define skills needed at this location
• Role Requirements: Set minimum staffing by role type

Setting Up Location Hierarchy

To create an effective location structure:

1. Start with Top Levels: Create your highest-level locations first
2. Add Branches: Create intermediate locations and assign their parents
3. Add End Locations: Create individual work sites and assign them to branches
4. Verify Relationships: Review the hierarchy visualization to confirm structure

Example Hierarchy Structure

A retail chain might use this structure:

• Corporate HQ (Level 0)
  • Western Region (Level 1)
    • Northwest District (Level 2)
      • Seattle Store (Level 3)
      • Portland Store (Level 3)
    • Southwest District (Level 2)
      • Los Angeles Store (Level 3)
      • San Diego Store (Level 3)
  • Eastern Region (Level 1)
    • Northeast District (Level 2)
    • Southeast District (Level 2)

Configuring Location Security

Enhance location security with these features:

IP Restrictions

Limit access to specific network locations:

1. Navigate to the location’s Security tab
2. Click Add IP Range
3. Enter the allowed IP addresses or ranges
4. Select the enforcement level (Passive, Warning, or Strict)

Geofencing

Create a virtual boundary for time tracking:

1. Go to the location’s Geofence tab
2. Enter the location’s coordinates (latitude and longitude)
3. Set the allowed radius in meters
4. Enable geofence enforcement
5. Configure validation requirements for clock-in/out

Assigning Employees to Locations

Connect staff members to their work locations:

1. Navigate to Admin > User Management > User Assignments
2. Select the user you want to assign
3. Click Assign Locations
4. Select the appropriate locations
5. Set any location-specific roles or permissions
6. Click Save Assignments

Alternatively, assign multiple users to a location:

1. Navigate to the location’s details page
2. Select the Employees tab
3. Click Assign Employees
4. Select users from the list
5. Click Save Assignments

Managing Location Access

Control who can access and manage each location:

Manager Assignment

1. Navigate to the location’s Managers tab
2. Click Assign Managers
3. Select users with manager roles
4. Click Save Assignments

Access Permissions

By default, access follows these rules:

• Super Admins can access all locations
• Admins can access all locations for their business
• Managers can access their assigned locations and any child locations
• Staff can view only their assigned locations

Customizing Location Levels

Tailor location levels to match your organization’s structure:

1. Navigate to Admin > Location Management > Location Levels
2. Click Edit on an existing level or Add New Level
3. Customize the name and description
4. Adjust the hierarchy depth if needed
5. Click Save

Importing Multiple Locations

For businesses with many locations, use bulk import:

1. Navigate to Admin > Location Management > Import
2. Download the template CSV file
3. Fill in location details following the template format
4. Upload the completed CSV
5. Review and confirm the import

Best Practices

For optimal location management:

1. Plan Your Hierarchy: Map out your structure before creating locations
2. Use Consistent Naming: Establish a naming convention for consistency
3. Start Simple: Begin with a basic structure and add complexity as needed
4. Limit Depth: Keep your hierarchy to 3-4 levels for easier management
5. Regular Maintenance: Review and update your location structure periodically
6. Document Special Settings: Keep records of custom configuration by location
7. Test Geofencing: Verify geofence settings on-site before full deployment

Related Resources

• Location Settings
• Role Based Access
• Scheduling Rules
• User Assignment

This article should be updated when:

1. New location attributes or properties are added
2. Changes to the location hierarchy management
3. Updates to location security features
4. Changes to geofencing functionality
5. New location import/export capabilities
6. Updates to how locations relate to scheduling