Rostering is where an NDIS provider's money is made or lost. A shift that's priced wrong, a worker paid under the wrong award classification, or a visit you can't prove happened all come back later as rejected claims, underpayments or audit findings. If you're comparing rostering software, these are the questions worth asking in a demo, beyond "does it have a calendar?"
1. Does it price shifts from the official NDIS catalogue?
Price limits come from the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and the Support Catalogue, which the NDIA updates regularly. Good software loads the official catalogue and applies the rate that was in force on the day the support was delivered, not today's rate. Ask how quickly price guide updates appear in the system and whether historical shifts are protected when a new version arrives.
Don't rely on a vendor's figures or a blog post for prices. Always check the current NDIA price guide.
2. Does it understand the SCHADS Award, or just store pay rates?
Most support workers are employed under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Award. Broken shifts, minimum engagements, overtime, sleepovers, allowances and public holidays all affect pay. Ask whether the system interprets the award from the actual times worked, or just multiplies hours by a rate. The second approach is where underpayments start.
3. Can you prove the visit happened?
Electronic visit verification (EVV), meaning clock-in and clock-out with location, gives you evidence that a support was delivered when and where it was claimed. Ask what happens when a worker forgets to clock in, how exceptions are flagged, and whether the evidence links to the shift and the invoice.
4. Does a shift flow through to a claim without re-keying?
Look for one record that moves from roster to timesheet, then invoice, then NDIA claim. Every time someone copies data between systems, there's another chance of an error. Ask to see the bulk claim file being produced, and ask what happens when a claim is rejected.
5. Does it match the right worker to the right participant?
Rostering isn't just filling gaps. Check whether the system takes worker qualifications, screening clearances, skills, participant preferences and travel distance into account, and whether it warns you before a clearance expires.
6. Is the carer app actually usable?
Support workers will use whatever is fastest on a phone. Check that the app works offline, shows the next shift clearly, and makes progress notes easy to write. A clunky app usually means fewer notes, and fewer notes means weaker audit evidence.
7. How is participant data protected?
Ask where data is hosted, how sensitive fields are encrypted, how one organisation's data is kept apart from another's, and what audit logging exists. Also ask what certifications the vendor actually holds, as opposed to the standards their controls are "aligned to". Those aren't the same thing, and a good vendor will tell you which applies.
8. Can you leave, and can you arrive?
Ask how you'd migrate in from your current system and how you'd export your data if you left. Lock-in is a real cost even if it never appears on a quote.
9. What does it really cost?
Compare the full price, including add-ons, per-user fees, SMS charges and setup. Check what's included at your number of participants and staff.
A note on where we stand
We build Rostery, so we have a view on these questions, and we wrote this checklist to work for any vendor. Take it into every demo, including ours.
— Rostery Team
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