Poppi actions (AI)
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Poppi is Pilla's AI assistant that can perform automated actions related to shifts. These actions run on schedules or in response to events and can be enabled or disabled per organisation. Each action can be turned on or off individually, and scheduled actions allow you to choose what time they run.
Accessing Poppi shift actions
Poppi shift actions are configured from the web app by managers and admins.
- Go to the Shifts tab
- Tap the tab icon again when it becomes the blue menu button
- Select Poppi shift actions
- The Poppi shift actions drawer opens
The drawer has tabs at the top to filter actions by who they affect:
- Everyone -- actions that affect all staff members
- Managers -- actions that only managers and admins receive
- Admins -- actions that only admins receive
Each action shows a No/Yes toggle. When set to Yes, scheduled actions also show a time picker so you can choose when they run. Some actions have additional configuration options that appear when enabled.
Clock-in reminder (before)
Sends a push notification to the user 5 minutes before their shift starts, reminding them to clock in.
Who receives it: Everyone
When it runs: Automatically, 5 minutes before each shift start time
Example: A staff member has a shift starting at 09:00. At 08:55, they receive a push notification reminding them their shift is about to start.
Clock-in reminder (after)
Sends a push notification to the user 5 minutes after their shift has started if they have not yet clocked in.
Who receives it: Everyone
When it runs: Automatically, 5 minutes after each shift start time (only if the user has not clocked in)
Example: A staff member has a shift starting at 09:00. At 09:05, if they still have not clocked in, they receive a push notification reminding them to clock in.
Clock-out reminder (before)
Sends a push notification to the user 5 minutes before their shift ends, reminding them to clock out.
Who receives it: Everyone
When it runs: Automatically, 5 minutes before each shift end time
Example: A staff member has a shift ending at 17:00. At 16:55, they receive a push notification reminding them their shift is about to end.
Clock-out reminder (after)
Sends a push notification to the user 5 minutes after their shift has ended if they have not yet clocked out.
Who receives it: Everyone
When it runs: Automatically, 5 minutes after each shift end time (only if the user has not clocked out)
Example: A staff member has a shift ending at 17:00. At 17:05, if they still have not clocked out, they receive a push notification reminding them to clock out.
Fatigue flags
Alerts managers when staff members have been working an excessive number of consecutive days, helping to prevent burnout and ensure compliance with working time regulations.
Who receives it: Managers
When it runs: Daily at 08:00 by default (configurable)
How it works: Poppi checks each team member's shift history and identifies anyone who has worked many days in a row without a day off.
Example message:
Hey, the below people have worked for many days in a row.
- Sarah Johnson: 8 consecutive days
- James Wilson: 7 consecutive days
Understaffing warnings
Warns managers when upcoming days have significantly fewer scheduled hours than usual, helping them identify and fill gaps before they cause problems.
Who receives it: Managers
When it runs: Daily at 08:00 by default (configurable)
How it works: Poppi compares each upcoming day's scheduled hours against the historical average for that day of the week. An alert is sent when scheduled hours fall below the average by the configured threshold percentage.
Example message:
Hey there, I have some these user hours alerts for you. These people haven't been scheduled for their usual amount of hours.
- Monday: 24 hours scheduled vs 40 hours average (40% below)
- Wednesday: 16 hours scheduled vs 32 hours average (50% below)
Options: The alert threshold defaults to 30%. Poppi compares each upcoming day's scheduled hours against the historical average for that day of the week. An alert is sent when scheduled hours fall below the average by this percentage.
Overtime alerts
Alerts managers when team members are approaching their weekly contracted hours limit, helping to manage overtime costs and compliance.
Who receives it: Managers
When it runs: Daily at 18:00 by default (configurable)
How it works: Poppi tracks each team member's total hours worked this week against their contracted hours. An alert is sent when a member reaches the configured threshold percentage of their limit.
Example message:
Hey there, I have some these overtime alerts for you. These people are approaching their weekly hours.
- Emma Brown: 36 of 40 hours (90%)
- Tom Davies: 38 of 40 hours (95%)
Options: The alert threshold defaults to 80%. Poppi tracks each team member's total hours worked this week against their contracted hours. An alert is sent when a member reaches this percentage of their limit.
Late clock-in patterns
Reports to managers on a weekly basis about team members who have a pattern of clocking in late, helping to identify recurring punctuality issues.
Who receives it: Managers
When it runs: Weekly on Monday at 09:00 by default (configurable)
How it works: Poppi analyses shift data from the last 12 weeks and identifies users who have a recurring pattern of late clock-ins.
Example message:
Hey I found these late clock-in patterns while looking at shifts from the last 12 weeks.
- Alex Turner: Late 8 out of 24 shifts (33%), average 12 minutes late
- Rachel Green: Late 6 out of 20 shifts (30%), average 8 minutes late
Leave clash warnings
Messages managers when a new leave entry is added that overlaps with existing leave for other team members on the same day, helping to prevent staffing gaps.
Who receives it: Managers
When it runs: Automatically, whenever leave is added that clashes with existing leave
Example: A manager adds annual leave for Sarah on 15th March. Tom already has leave booked for the same day. Poppi sends a message to the manager warning them about the clash so they can decide whether to approve both.
Shift cost alerts
Alerts admins when upcoming shift costs are unusually high compared to recent weeks, helping to manage budgets and control labour costs.
Who receives it: Admins only
When it runs: Daily at 18:00 by default (configurable)
How it works: Poppi compares each upcoming week's scheduled shift costs against the 4-week rolling average. An alert is sent when a week exceeds the average by the configured threshold percentage.
Example message:
Hey there, I have some these shift cost alerts for you.
- Next week's estimated cost: £12,400 vs 4-week average: £9,800 (27% above average)
Options: The alert threshold defaults to 20%. Poppi compares each upcoming week's scheduled shift costs against the 4-week rolling average. An alert is sent when a week exceeds the average by this percentage.
Saving changes
Tap Save in the top-right corner of the drawer header. The drawer closes immediately and your changes are saved in the background. A confirmation message appears once saved.