I've got to think the software stuff beats paper, just in terms of it being easier to detect conflicts. I use Tangiers right now to make the schedule (~9 FT, 6 PT over 5 shifts at 1 site) and so far I've just used it with everyone set to "manual". It hasn't been worth my while to try and enter all their disparate (and crazy) preferences into Tangier to try and get an automatic schedule. Also, most of my docs have somewhere between 9 and 21 requested days off/month. The last time I tried automatic without significantly restrictive preferences it choked and died with 50 shifts left unfilled. I still haven't demo'ed SA, but I've heard good things about it from other schedulers., Shiftadmin versus our old way - all of us sitting in a room every three months and hashing out our schedule, I choose Shiftadmin, hands down. It's pretty good at keeping everyone's needs and quirks down as long as you take the time to input them before rolling the schedule., I have done schedules and was happy to see shiftadmin take it over. Doc 1 : Wants 48 hrs between flipping nights to days. Wants to do 3-5 straight nights. Wants to take vacation on the 1-5, 13-17, 23-27. He never wants to do single shifts. He works 18 dys a month Doc 2: wants 72 hrs between nights/days. Never wants to work more than 2 shifts at .