Sona Reviews

“Flexible rota import and integration

Pros

I love that it can take our different rota formats and pull them right into the system. They keep working as usual, but are now much easier for the management team to access. It works consistently for the whole organization, even with different teams doing things their own way. I also like that we can easily ask for screens to show more or less detail. Best of all, the support team is always quick to help and never makes you feel like you're asking a silly question.

Cons

Initially pulling together our data was challenging, because you are starting from a blank slate. I would like to see a user management module added soon since, like any organisation, it would make everyday team administration much simpler and reduce the time spent on routine roster tasks across departments.

“Centralised, efficient roster management

Pros

Within our organisation, this solution has given us significantly better control and oversight of our rosters, removing the reliance on messy paper schedules covered in handwritten swap notes that used to dominate the noticeboards and cause confusion, now everything is centralised and much cleaner. Monthly rotas are generated from templates in just a few minutes which genuinely reduces administrative burden and frees up time for other priorities. Managers can publish available shifts via the platform so that staff receive immediate notifications on the app, eliminating the need for numerous phone calls to find cover and saving an enormous amount of manager time. Colleagues can check their shifts from anywhere at any time and because they are increasingly opting into advertised availabilities themselves we have already cut down on using costly agency workers and the elevated fees that come with them. I also value the 'Wellbeing' feature, where team members check in to tell us how they are feeling, because ensuring our people are happy in their roles is a priority for us, this functionality helps us monitor morale and we are hopeful it will lead to improved retention.

Cons

We currently don't have the ability to directly access or manage our staff details ourselves, as this tool handles staff management on our behalf, although they tend to process requests quickly, surrendering that direct control is not ideal. I am, however, aware that a 'Users Management' feature is expected to be released soon and I anticipate that once it is available it should largely resolve this limitation.

“Easy to navigate, minimal complexity

Pros

From our perspective, the software feels easy to navigate and avoids unnecessary complexity. We are able to manage and report on the items we require without the system becoming overwhelming for team members who use it daily. I appreciate that teams can provide feedback about how their shifts went and their wellbeing at work which prompts useful responses.

Cons

No issues! We are presently in the implementation phase. Thus far, I am impressed with this product.

“Real-time updates improve scheduling

Pros

In my experience, this tool is remarkably easy to navigate and feels inherently simple which makes it much easier for our team to pick up the workflow and follow how information propagates through the system, the single most valuable aspect for us has been the real-time update capability, since both frontline staff and management are immediately notified whenever anything changes. For staff, push notifications alert them to available shifts or any modifications to shifts they have been assigned, while managers receive instant notices when shifts are claimed or cancelled and this constant two-way visibility has enabled us to manage required cover with far greater accuracy. As a result, we can trust this platform to reflect who is actually working and to highlight where gaps remain that need filling and staff members themselves report feeling more empowered over their schedules because they can select shifts, choose preferred locations and cancel when absolutely necessary. Because people can pick what suits their lives and other commitments, we have observed a marked decrease in last-minute cancellations which has improved continuity of care and planning. Additionally, the team have been responsive to our suggestions and concerns, consistently explaining the reasoning behind behaviors in the product, communicating progress when they are addressing issues and showing a genuine willingness to listen to and act on the feedback we bring forward.

Cons

Whenever we point out an issue or something we think could be better, the team doesn't get defensive. They actually listen, work with us and often turn our suggestions into real improvements and new features. They regularly ask for our opinion and genuinely consider what we say. Because of this, most of the drawbacks we mention get fixed quickly, and it feels much more like a partnership than just a typical vendor relationship.

“simple and reliable functionality

Pros

I find the platform's functionality remarkably easy to navigate, offering simple and reliable features that work well for both front-end and back-end usage.

Cons

At first I struggled to upload shifts in the exact way we needed them but the team has worked closely with us to address and resolve that issue.

“Significantly reduces rota management hours

Pros

Using it has significantly cut the number of hours our team dedicates to rota management, freeing up time, I find that creating and assigning shifts is much more easy now and because staff can choose when to open the app and accept available shifts, they have greater control over when they engage with work.

Cons

Because staff sometimes see open shifts and opt not to accept them, I'm frequently left making multiple phone calls to secure cover at the last minute, I recognise that this behaviour stems from the nature of our service rather than any shortcoming of this tool but it still forces us to undertake time-consuming follow-ups.

“a huge time-saver for staff availability

Pros

The biggest win for me is how much time it saves. It completely eliminates the back-and-forth of asking staff about their availability and waiting for replies. Now, the responsibility is on them to select their preferred shifts, and I just collect the results.

Cons

The main area for improvement is in building the rota itself. It's inefficient for our rolling schedules because we can't apply a shift pattern to multiple dates at once. The current 'copy' function is a start, but a feature that let us assign an employee to a shift and then apply it across a selected range of dates would make the process much smoother and faster.

“Friendly interface for quick adjustments

Pros

I appreciate the friendly interface because I can navigate quickly and make adjustments with ease which lets me complete tasks without friction.

Cons

It took us a while to reach a point where the software ran smoothly and suited our needs, as we needed time to tune it before it worked well for our team.

“easy for staff to manage shifts

Pros

From my experience, I find the system exceptionally easy for staff to navigate and because everyone can clearly see which shifts they're scheduled for, they can easily volunteer for overtime when needed, it has also been invaluable in keeping our rotas current and in quickly bringing on the additional staff we genuinely required.

Cons

I have no complaints.