To more accurately reflect existing employment histories, after the release of our update to the absences and part-time working models sections in the Resource Details, you must migrate existing data. This only applies to Meisterplan systems with resource information added prior to March 20th, 2023.

• What Has Changed
  • Part-Time Working Model
  • Absences
• Updating Your Existing Data
  • Full Migration of Existing Data
  • Alternatives and Their Limitations

What Has Changed

Prior to this update, in the Resource Details, there was only one section to account for absences and capacity. This means that absences caused by illness or vacation were displayed with a "0.00%" capacity.

To increase visibility and clarity, the Absences section has been split into two different sections: Part-Time Working Model and Absences. You must not maintain each resource's part-time calendar, but instead can now delete them to easily and accurately use the two sections.

Part-Time Working Model

This section reflects any deviation (temporary or permanent) from the calendar's default. This deviation is shown in either percentage or hours.

Use this section to reflect:

• A part-time contract
• Partial parental leave

If you do not migrate your data, all old entries on a resource's capacity and absences will be found in this section.

This section works based on the calendar set in the resource's details. If you delete part-time working calendars from your system, the resource will revert to your system's default calendar. Double check that the default calendar is in fact the correct calendar to assign to your resources.

Learn more in the article Resource Pool - Resources.

Absences

Use this section to show:

• Vacations
• Illness
• Full parental leave

These absences will always have a start and finish date, and these two dates can be defined as either half or full days. These two dates cannot overlap.

This section is independent of the the resource's calendar. 

Learn more in the article Resource Pool - Resources.

Updating Your Existing Data

If you delete part-time working calendars, this may conflict with data you have already entered. If you may need this existing data at some point in the future, we suggest you export the data now found in the Part-Time Working Model section and the General section. This will give you a full layout of changes based on the resource's original calendar before updating the calendars.

Data Migration is Not Time Sensitive!
You do not have to immediately migrate your data, and can plan your migration at your own pace. Apart from the changed Quick Imports, you can continue to work as before (see Alternative 2). When you would like to benefit from the new functionality, migrate your data at your own convenience.

Full Migration of Existing Data

With this solution, absences and capacity changes entered before the introduction of the Part-Time Working Model section will be migrated to the appropriate section. This will ensure the highest level of clarity of your resources' working histories as they currently exist in Meisterplan.

• Step 1: Download the information now found in the Part-Time Working Model section by going to Import & Export in the left sidebar. On the right side, select Part-Time Working Model and Resources, then hit Start Export.
  
• Step 2: Take the absences from this file and make a new file with the updated absences format (find this in the Quick Import template).
• Step 3: Upload this new file with absences into the updated Quick Import for Resource Absences.
  
• Step 4: Delete all part-time calendars from your Meisterplan system.  By doing so, all of the public holidays in these part-time calendars will be deleted. All resources will be automatically assigned to the default calendar.
• Step 5: Import resources that should be assigned to a different calendar than the default calendar using the Quick Import: Resources.
• Step 6: Double check that the public holidays in the default calendar, as well as all other used calendars are current and up to date. You can use our import for Public Holidays.
• Step 7: Adjust the original file to include the Part-Time Working Model and the start and finish dates of the part-time employment. For all full-time resources, import 100% Percentage of Full Time without a start or an end date. Keep in mind that this information will be treated as a deviation from the calendar assigned to the resource; for full-time resources, this will quickly delete previous absences from this table.
  
• Step 7: Upload this new second file with the Quick Import for Part-Time Working Models. 

Alternatives and Their Limitations

Alternative 1:

With this solution, absences and capacity changes entered before the introduction of the Part-Time Working Model section will be found in the Part-Time Working Model section. However, this change will prepare you to more easily account for part-time contracts in the future. This alternative allows you to accurately enter new data in their desired fields but will create a lack of transparency of your pre-existing capacity data.

• Step 1: Delete all part-time calendars from your Meisterplan system. All resources will be automatically assigned to the default calendar; this will also affect existing capacities that may have been based on other calendars. Additionally, all of the public holidays in these part-time calendars will be deleted.
• Step 2: Double check that the public holidays in the default calendar, as well as all other used calendars are current and up to date. You can use our import for Public Holidays.
• Step 3: Enter part-time models in the Part-Time Working Model section from now on, either manually or via import.
• Step 4: Enter vacations and absences in the Absences section from now on, either manually or via import.

If you choose this solution, your old capacity data will be shown inaccurately, as the calendar has retroactively changed. 

Alternative 2:

With this solution, old absences and capacity changes will still be found in the Part-Time Working Model section. This solution requires the least amount of effort in the short term. In the long term, you will have to continuously manually adjust resource's part-time working calendars, and the quick import for part-time working models will have to be based on these calendars. This requires much more maintenance and double-checking of data.  This solution is not recommended because it will create a lack of transparency.

• Step 1: Keep existing data as it is, do not adjust the resource's calendars.
• Step 2: Enter vacations and absences in the Absences section from now on, either manually or via import.