Understand positions and variants

Positions and position variants are the backbone of how Intermio organizes your scheduling. Understanding them correctly from the start saves you from confusion and rework as your team grows.

1. Navigate to the Positions page

From your workspace navigation, open the Positions page. This is where you define every role your venue needs to staff. If you are setting up for the first time, the page will be empty and ready for your first position.

Think of each position as a job category — Bartender, Server, Host, Kitchen, etc. These categories tell the schedule builder what kind of coverage your venue requires.

2. Create your first position

Click the create button to add a new position. Give it a clear, recognizable name that your team will understand instantly. Avoid abbreviations or internal codes — your employees will see these names in their schedules.

1. Click the add/create position button
2. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Bartender", "Server", "Host")
3. Set the color that will represent this position in the schedule builder
4. Save the position

3. Understand what position variants are

A position variant is a specific version of a position — for example, "Morning Bartender" and "Evening Bartender" are both variants of the "Bartender" position. Variants let you distinguish between different shift types or operational contexts without creating entirely separate positions.

This matters because your venue may need a bartender in the morning for prep and a different bartender in the evening for service. Both are bartenders, but the scheduling constraints, hours, and sometimes even the people qualified for each are different.

4. Create and manage variants

Open an existing position to see its variants. You can add new variants from the position detail view. Each variant can have its own name and scheduling characteristics while inheriting the parent position's color and category.

1. Open the position you want to add variants to
2. Look for the variants section in the position detail
3. Add a new variant with a descriptive name (e.g., "Morning", "Evening", "Closing")
4. Repeat for each distinct shift type you need for that position

5. Assign people to positions and variants

Once your positions and variants exist, you can assign team members to the positions they are qualified for. This tells the schedule builder which people can fill which slots, avoiding impossible assignments.

A person can be assigned to multiple positions — for example, someone who can work as both a Server and a Host. The scheduler will use these assignments as constraints when building optimal schedules.

6. How variants affect the schedule builder

In the schedule builder, variants appear as distinct assignable slots. When you drag a person onto a timeline or tap to assign a shift, you will see the specific variant — not just the parent position. This precision is what makes the final schedule accurate and useful.

If a variant is missing, the schedule builder cannot distinguish between different operational needs. For example, without Morning and Evening variants, the solver cannot know that you need separate coverage for each service period.

7. Practical examples for restaurants and bars

Here are real-world examples of how hospitality venues typically structure their positions and variants:

• Restaurant: Server (Morning, Afternoon, Evening), Bartender (Day, Night), Host, Kitchen (Prep, Line, Closing)
• Bar: Bartender (Opening, Peak, Closing), Barback, Door/Security, DJ
• Café: Barista (Morning, Afternoon), Server, Kitchen
• Hotel restaurant: Server (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner), Bartender (Pool, Lobby, Restaurant)

8. Tips for naming conventions

Consistent naming makes the schedule easier to read for everyone — managers reviewing coverage and employees checking their shifts. Establish a convention early and stick with it.

• Use the time of day for shift-based variants: "Morning", "Evening", "Night"
• Use the location for multi-area venues: "Pool Bar", "Main Restaurant"
• Keep names short but unambiguous — they appear in compact schedule views
• Avoid employee names in position/variant names (they are not tied to a single person)