Checklists

Checklists help you standardize daily operations, maintain consistency across departments, and ensure routine tasks are completed on time. They're ideal for inspections, cleanings, maintenance routines, and shift handoffs.

In HelloShift, Checklists are created from Checklist Templates, which can be:

• Manually generated on-demand for specific rooms or tags

• Automatically scheduled on a recurring basis (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.)

Key Features

• Template-Based: Create reusable templates with predefined tasks

• Inspection Types: Mark templates as "Inspection" for pass/fail workflows

• Scheduling: Automate checklist generation on custom schedules

• Room/Tag Assignment: Generate individual checklists for specific rooms, equipment, or public spaces

• Batch Selection: Select All/Clear All for quick room selection

• History Tracking: View completed and incomplete checklists with filtering

• Library: Browse and copy pre-built templates from HelloShift's checklist library

• Print Support: Generate PDF versions for offline use

Getting Started

Accessing Checklists

Navigate to Staff > All Checklists from the main menu. You'll see two tabs:

• Templates: Your checklist templates with scheduling and creation options

• History: Completed and in-progress checklist results

Creating Checklist Templates

Option 1: Create from Scratch

1. Click + New button

2. Select Checklist or Inspection Checklist

3. Fill in the template form:

Template Fields:

Scheduling Options (when "Automatically schedule" is checked):

• Checklist will start at: Time of day tasks appear

• on day: Start date for scheduling

• and will stop appearing on day: End date (can be years in the future)

• According to the schedule: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or custom patterns

4. Click Create Checklist

Option 2: Copy from Library

Browse pre-built templates from HelloShift's checklist library:

1. Click + New > Browse Library

2. Review available templates organized by department

3. Click Copy to [Your Hotel Name] on any template

4. Edit the copied template to match your needs

Available Library Templates:

• AM Shift / PM Shift / Night Audit (Front Desk)

• Daily Room Cleaning / Checkout Deep Clean (Housekeeping)

• Room Inspection / Daily Property Walk (Inspection)

• Boiler Daily Log / Pool Daily Log / Weekly Equipment Check (Maintenance)

• Public Area Cleaning (Housekeeping)

Option 3: Clone an Existing Template

1. Go to a checklist template page

2. Click Actions > Clone

3. Edit the cloned template as needed

Scheduling Recurring Checklists

To automate checklist generation:

1. Open your checklist template

2. Click Actions > Edit (or check "Automatically schedule" when creating)

3. Configure the schedule:

   • Daily: Every day at the specified time

   • Weekly: Select specific days (Mon/Wed/Fri, etc.)

   • Monthly: On a specific day of the month

4. Set the time when checklists should appear

5. Save changes

How Recurring Works:

• Checklists automatically assign to the appropriate department

• They appear on staff task lists at the scheduled time

• Each occurrence creates a new checklist result that can be completed independently

Generating Checklists Manually

You can create checklists on-demand from any template.

From the Template Page

1. Navigate to the checklist template

2. Click + Create Now

3. In the creation modal:

   • Assign to: Select department or specific user

   • Apply to specific tags: Optionally select rooms/equipment

Selection Tools:

• Select All / Clear All: Quickly select or deselect all items in each section

• Selection Count: Shows "X selected" for each category (Room, Equipment, Public Space)

• Help text explains: "Select rooms or tags to create individual checklists for each. Leave empty to create one checklist for the assigned department."

4. Click Next: Review Selection →

5. Review your selection on the preview page:

• See all selected rooms/tags displayed as badges

• Review the checklist details (completion deadline, schedule, tasks)

• Button shows count: "Create 4 Checklists"

• Use ← Back to modify selection

• Click cancel to abort

6. Click Create X Checklists to generate

7. Success modal confirms creation:

• Shows count and type created

• Lists rooms/tags included

• Shows assignee

• Click OK to dismiss and create more, or navigate away

Completing Checklists

Once assigned, checklists appear on the staff member's or department's task wall.

Staff workflow:

1. Open the checklist from your task list

2. Check off tasks as they're completed

3. Add comments for clarity or escalation

4. Create follow-up tasks if issues are found

5. Mark the checklist as Complete

For Inspection checklists:

• Each task has Pass/Fail options instead of simple checkboxes

• Failed items can trigger automatic follow-up tasks

• Overall result shows Pass/Fail based on individual items

Reviewing Completed Checklists

History Tab

Navigate to Staff > Checklist > History to view all checklist results.

Filtering Options:

• Assignee: Filter by "Everyone" or specific staff member

• Status: All, Incomplete, Complete, Failed

• Date Range: Use calendar picker or duration presets

• Export: Click Excel to download results

History Columns:

Viewing Individual Results

Click any checklist name to view:

• All tasks and their completion status

• Comments added by staff

• Time stamps for each action

• For inspections: Pass/Fail status per item

Pausing Checklist Generation

If operations are paused or you're short-staffed:

1. Go to the checklist template

2. Click Actions > Turn Off

3. Status changes from "On" to "Off"

4. Toggle it back On when ready to resume

Clearing Incomplete Checklists

To remove clutter from old, unfinished checklists:

1. Open the checklist template page

2. Click Actions > Clear All Incomplete

3. Confirm deletion

4. All incomplete results for that template are removed

Printing Checklists

Generate PDF versions for offline use or paper trails:

1. Go to the checklist template

2. Click Actions > Print

3. A PDF is generated matching the mobile app format

4. Save or print as needed

Why Print?

• Share physical copies during shift handovers

• Keep paper records for compliance or audits

• Provide backup for staff without mobile devices

• Preview task layout before deployment

Common Use Cases

Best Practices

Template Design

• Keep task lists focused (5-15 items ideal)

• Use clear, action-oriented task names

• Group related tasks together

• Set realistic completion deadlines

Scheduling

• Schedule checklists to appear at shift start times

• Use "Monthly on day 1" for month-start routines

• Set end dates far in the future (e.g., 2030) for ongoing schedules

Room Selection

• Use Select All for property-wide inspections

• Create separate templates for different room types if tasks differ

• Use Equipment tags for non-room assets (HVAC, Boiler, etc.)

Monitoring

• Review History regularly to spot incomplete patterns

• Use Excel export for management reporting

• Clear old incomplete checklists monthly to reduce clutter

Troubleshooting

"Checklists aren't appearing automatically"

Cause: Schedule is turned off or misconfigured

Solution:

1. Check the template's Status is "On"

2. Verify the schedule dates include today

3. Confirm the start time hasn't passed for today

"Can't see Create Now button"

Cause: Insufficient permissions

Solution: Contact your admin to ensure you have checklist creation permissions for your role

"Too many incomplete checklists"

Cause: Old checklists accumulating

Solution:

1. Go to template page

2. Click Actions > Clear All Incomplete

3. Consider adjusting schedule frequency if staff can't keep up

"Checklist created for wrong rooms"

Cause: Room selection error during creation

Solution:

• Use the Review Selection step to verify before creating

• Check the selection count shows expected number

• Clear All and re-select if needed

Related Articles

• Template Tasks

• Creating Tasks with HelloShift

• Inventory Management

• Organizing Notes & Tasks