Whanganui Radiography Department Embraces AI Rostering

The Whanganui radiography department is revolutionising its rostering system by adopting RosterLab, a leading provider of automated rostering software with specialist expertise in healthcare.

Whanganui Radiography aims to use this innovative technology to solve the classic problem that most medical departments still face today: heavy administrative burdens on rostering and clinical safety.

Manual Rostering and Lost Clinical Time

The department had a dedicated radiographer using Excel every month to create the roster. It was a time-consuming process, and they wished to utilize their highly trained skills for patient care instead.

A Self-Rostering Research Project Sparks Change

The collaboration between RosterLab and the Whanganui radiography department began with a self-rostering research project led by Unitech.

During the study, the department simulated two rosters to evaluate if self-rostering could provide greater fairness and autonomy for staff. As a result, it was clear that the self-rostering method successfully met a high level of shift preferences, especially prioritised requests, while fulfilling union requirements and staffing levels for the department to operate. The RosterLab system enables staff to have a say in the shifts they’re allocated, fostering a sense of work-life balance and autonomy.

Moving Forward with Confidence

Following the study, the Department of Medical Imaging has decided to adopt RosterLab as their new rostering solution.

Mike Petersen, the Associate Clinical Manager of Radiography, shared his excitement about this development: “I’m super excited to finally get started with RosterLab! Ever since our self-rostering study, I’ve been eagerly waiting for the day we can use RosterLab to generate our work rosters. We love the fairness it brings and how much time it saves.”

Fairer Rosters, Better Outcomes

Whanganui’s shift towards intelligent rostering reflects a broader movement across healthcare to reduce admin time, support wellbeing, and improve staffing outcomes.

By streamlining complex rostering demands and honouring staff preferences, tools like RosterLab’s digital scheduling solution help departments focus more on patients and less on paperwork- ultimately creating better outcomes for everyone involved.