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- How many agents and shifts can I schedule?
FTSS can schedule up to 150 agents into up to 10 different shifts per day of the week or month. Each shift can have either 1 or 2 agents scheduled, so you can actually schedule up to 20 agents per day.
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- How are agent scheduling preferences handled?
You can enter 3 types of "permanent" preferences for any agent:
- Restrictions are shifts when the agent is never scheduled
- Requirements are shifts when the agent is always scheduled
- Limits are a cap on the number of monthly assignments for a given agent.
These "permanent" preferences remain in effect unless changed or overriden by temporary preferences.
Temporary preferences are preferences that only apply for the current month being scheduled and override any permanent preferences. For example, an agent going on vacation could be restricted from all shifts during the absence.
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- How does the program deal with holidays?
The program provides a screen to enter the "holiday shifts" for any days in the month where the shift schedule is different from the "weekly shifts" that are normally assigned. All holiday shifts (and temporary preferences as well) are discarded when you begin working on the following month's schedule.
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- What scheduling options does the program support?
FTSS supports a variety of scheduling options in order to accommodate the needs of different offices. Each of the following options may be set individually:
• Do/don't allow agents to be scheduled on successive days
• If allow successive days, do/don't allow agents to be scheduled on both weekend days
• If allow successive days, do/don't allow agents to be scheduled on the last shift of one day and the first shift of the next day
• Do/don't schedule weekend days separately (before scheduling other shifts)
• Do/don't schedule last shifts separately (before scheduling other shifts)
• Schedule randomly or serially
• If serially, schedule shift-by-shift or day-by-day
• If scheduling two agents per shift, schedule 2nd agent separately (after all 1st agents are scheduled) or alternately (both 1st and 2nd agents in a shift, then the next shift)
• Allow computer to select which agent to begin scheduling with, or user selects, or continue from last time schedule was produced
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- How good are the schedules your program generates?
The quality or "goodness" of our schedules is a subjective matter and depends on many factors, including, most importantly, the scheduling parameters you set when using the program. Our objective is to get you 95% of the way to the schedule that would satisfy you. Then we offer several features to enable you to fix the remaining 5%:
(1) We have an "equalize" function that seeks to balance types of shifts among agents. If some agents have too many weekend shifts, for example, and others have too few, you can equalize on weekend shifts and, if possible, the program will automatically switch shifts for better weekend balance. Equalize can be applied to weekend shifts, last shift, agent # (primary or secondary), day of the week, or shift number. Equalize allows you to optimize what is most important to you (though other categories of shifts may suffer as a result).
(2) The program allows you to change shift assignments from the keyboard. You can easily replace one agent by another in any shift or swap the agents in any two selected shifts. You will be warned about any violation of the scheduling rules this would cause, but you can override the rules if you wish. With this feature, you can make the final few adjustments to achieve the schedule you want.
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- Can I store information about the agents such as addresses and phone numbers?
Yes. "Directory" functions were added with the release of Version 2. Essentially they provide a very simple but flexible agent-oriented database with up to 13 user-customizable fields per agent. Uses could include storing agent phone numbers and addresses and then publishing the office directory, or keeping track of agent license renewal dates and status. Each field can be renamed and/or rearranged by the user, and reports can use all or a selected subset of the data fields.
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- How can I schedule for multiple offices?
CottonSoft, Inc. requires a license for each location where scheduling is performed. However, you can perform scheduling at one location for multiple locations.
If your office has one or more remote locations, such as a kiosk in a mall, you can schedule for all of them from the same group of users. If there are just two locations, FTSS can be set up to print separate schedules for each location. (Individual agent assignment lists will show all their assignments at each location.) If there are more than two locations, they will all be shown on a single, composite schedule.
If you need to schedule for multiple locations, each with a separate group of agents, all you need to do is create separate data files for each location. Then you can produce the schedule for each location by using its data file each month.
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- How can I learn to use the program and what support is offered?
The program comes with a printed user manual and a sample data file on which you can practice. Each screen is supported by context-sensitive help – whenever you select Help from the menu (or use the F1 function key) you are presented with information describing how to use the screen you are currently viewing. Finally, you can submit questions and problems by fax, e-mail, or phone, and we will walk you through any difficulties over the phone if that is what is required.
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- What operating systems do you support?
FTSS installs and runs under all Microsoft Windows® operating systems from 95 thru Windows 8. [Support for Windows 3.1 has been withdrawn.] We expect to maintain compatibility with all new Microsoft operating systems.
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- Is the software only useful for Real Estate offices?
NO!! Our scheduling software can be used by any office or business that needs to schedule people to weekly assignments during the month. We have the ability to change the word "Agent" used throughout the software to some other term (such as "Nurse") that applies to your staff.
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- How often are updates released?
Updates are released whenever necessary to provide new features requested by customers or to correct latent problems that have been identified and fixed. For the last several years we have released a major new version about once a year. Minor releases are not formally announced. You can order individual updates at any time or subscribe to receive them all as they are released.
Notice of new updates will be posted on this web site as well as being sent by postcard. The current version is 2.1n, released 2014.
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- What's new in the latest version of the software?
Version 2.1, released in March 2004, is our first 32-bit version and provides full compatibility with all Windows operating systems from 95 thru Windows 8. This version includes all the features of prior versions, plus support for long file names, automatic linking to the Help file, and the ability to print reports to the full version of Adobe Acrobat®. You can also export and paste the calendar into an application such as Excel where you can do additional formatting such as adding color.
Version 2.0 of FTSS includes an entirely new Agency Directory function that enables you to enter and retain a wide variety of agent information such as address, phone numbers, license renewal date, and fields of your choice. Fields can be renamed, rearranged and included or excluded individually from printed directories and reports. Use this function to produce your office phone directory!
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- Can I have the software sent to me by e-mail or download?
We have no capability for automatic download and prefer not to email the software except in an emergency. The full version of the program is distributed on a CD (about 5 MB to email) while an update (program only, without supporting libraries) is about 1 MB. If you want your software sent this way, be sure to provide us with your e-mail address. We also suggest you phone our office at 239-596-3337 to ensure we understand your needs.
Click here to order online.
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- Do you offer sample or trial versions?
We do not offer sample or trial versions because we do not want to cripple the software or omit key functions when users evaluate it. In view of our unconditional, 60-day money-back guarantee, we do not believe that trial versions are necessary. Order our software, try it for up to 60 days, and if you are unhappy with it for any reason, return it for a full refund (less shipping and handling). We only ask that you call us for a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) so that we may have an opportunity to answer any questions and possibly solve any problems that have interfered with your satisfactory use of the software.
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