RosterLab says its rostering technology has cut the time spent producing and managing rosters for medical radiation technologists (MRTs) at Middlemore Hospital by about 100 hours a month.
The University of Auckland spin-out said producing and managing rosters had previously taken the Middlemore MRT team about 120 hours a month, falling to less than 20 hours using its technology.
The result comes as RosterLab prepares to roll out its technology more widely through a pilot with Health NZ’s HealthX programme.
The pilot includes MRT services at Counties Manukau, Waikato, Starship and Waitematā.
RosterLab was founded following research by Dr Isaac Cleland during his PhD at the University of Auckland, working with Associate Professor Andrew Mason and Dr Michael O’Sullivan.
His research investigated how mathematical optimisation could be used to automatically build complex hospital rosters, taking into account requirements including staffing numbers, skill mix, leave, fatigue, employment agreements and staff preferences.
The research was undertaken in collaboration with the former Waikato District Health Board, with Waikato now one of the services taking part in the HealthX pilot.
RosterLab co-founder Daniel Ge said reducing administrative work was only one aspect of improving rostering.
“What has stood out most is how much clinicians and roster coordinators care about getting this right,” Mr Ge said.
“Rostering affects people’s day-to-day lives, their weekends, their recovery time, their family commitments and their sense of fairness at work.”
RosterLab also said its deployment at Royal Perth Hospital had expanded since the technology was introduced in the hospital’s Acute Medical Unit and Intensive Care Unit in 2025.
After its first year, Royal Perth expanded the platform to another eight departments.
RosterLab also lists Monash Health, Sydney Children’s Hospital and Singapore’s SingHealth among its healthcare customers.
The HealthX deployment remains an initial pilot, with its impact across the participating New Zealand services yet to be evaluated.
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