Watchbill: Alternative Analysis

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Table of Contents

• 1. Overview
  • 1.1. Context
  • 1.2. Approach
• 2. Investigation
  • 2.1. Problem Space
  • 2.2. Issues
  • 2.3. Factors and weights
• 3. Candidates
  • 3.1. As-Is
  • 3.2. Brownbear
  • 3.3. New Project
• 4. Results and Recommendation

1. Overview

1.1. Context

Assume operation behind a somewhat porous firewall. Data is not limited, personal-identification, or otherwise noteworthy. Security mainly needed to control authorization to edit. Should be possible to shift to fully secured communications for both read-only and edit in future.

Assume a packaged solution is desired, backed by a stable, mature development team. Or that the solution is so simple that it can be run for years at a time with a vanilla Linux-Apache installation.

1.2. Approach

• Survey the problem space
• Identify and investigate issues which can drive discriminating factors
• Define factors, weights, and ordering function
• Identify candidates
• Score candidates
• Compute ordering
• As needed do sensitivity analysis and revisit factors, weights, function, or scores.
• Make recommendation, with risks anbd risk abatement analysis.

2. Investigation

2.1. Problem Space

Web Search using "watchbill", "duty roster", "shift roster","employee scheduling".

• http://www.combat.ws/S4/MILTERMS/MT-W.HTM

  WATCH BILL :
      posted schedule of duty assignments performed within each section
      or crew, department or division, on a rotating basis, with the
      addition of punishment tours. See WATCH, EVOLUTION, SHIT LIST;
      compare DUTY ROSTER.
  

• http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA304264

  Analysis of the problem space. I particularly like the SNIVEL report for requesting time off :-).

• http://www.brownbearsw.com/freecal/pages/public_list.html

  Examples, demonstrating that web-based in practical and powerful.

• http://www.everettsoftware.com/Roster.html

• http://www.dutyman.biz/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

• http://www.download32.com/duty-roster-software.html

  Rosters for real estate agents, soccer coaches, and pilots worried about crew rest limits. Often done for a local printout instead of web-based.

• http://shareme.com/details/schedulepro-express.html

• http://www.filetransit.com/topfile.php?name=Linux_Employee_Scheduling

• http://linux.wareseeker.com/free-employee-scheduling/

Findings: The general idea is well-recognized. Making special software (vs using a spreadsheet) is considered useful enough that it has been done repeatedly. It is simple enough that it has repeatedly been done a shareware. It is typically not done for web and geographically dispersed communities, though the brownbear examples show it is readily done.

2.2. Issues

2.3. Factors and weights

See spreadsheet (ods, html)

3. Candidates

3.1. As-Is

Currently using MS Excel spreadsheets, printed at LD office and posted there or copied and handed out when volunteers arrive to collect dorrbelling packets.

3.2. Brownbear

This is provided as a web-based service. http://www.brownbearsw.com/freecal/pages/public_list.html Doesn't appear that the software can be installed elsewhere.

3.3. New Project

Develop a new web-based project.

4. Results and Recommendation

See spreadsheet (ods, html)

Develop new project.