Stay on top of Octopodi updates with the Notification Center

Keep track of what Octopodi is processing without having to check every document individually. The Notification Center in SquidWeb Desktop brings your Octopodi updates together in one place, making it easier to spot completed tasks, identify items that need attention and follow up on processing issues.

All your notifications in one place

Click the bell icon in the top navigation bar to open the Notification Center.

Here, you can find notifications from different areas of Octopodi:

  • Receipts: Follow receipt processing and review items that need attention.
  • Invoices: Keep track of invoice creation and processing results.
  • Projects: Check updates and issues identified during project processing.
  • Bank: Access notifications related to bank statement processing.

Use the category filters to focus on a specific area, or select All to see everything in one view.

Focus on what needs attention

Not every notification requires the same action. Octopodi uses different statuses to help you understand what happened:

  • Created: The item was successfully created.
  • Needs review: The item requires your attention and may need to be checked or corrected.
  • Not created: Octopodi could not create the item, for example because a possible duplicate was detected.
  • Failed: Processing failed, and the notification provides information about the error.

Select Needs attention to focus on notifications that require follow-up.

Never miss an unread notification

Want to see what you haven’t checked yet?

Enable Unread only to display notifications you haven’t opened. Once you open a notification, it is automatically marked as read.

If there are no unread notifications, you’ll see the message You’re all caught up.

Get straight to the details

No need to search for the related document or project manually. Simply click a notification to open the corresponding item in SquidWeb.

Some notifications also include additional processing notes. Expand them using Show more notes to see details about what Octopodi identified, what could not be completed or what needs to be reviewed.

For example, a project notification might highlight positions without an assigned function or information that could not be added to the project.

Less searching, more control

The Notification Center gives you a convenient overview of Octopodi’s activity, helping you stay informed and quickly follow up on anything that needs your attention.

Open your Notification Center in SquidWeb Desktop and see what’s happening with Octopodi.

Daylight saving time and shift planning: how SquidWeb helps

Twice a year, the clocks change. For most people, it means adjusting to a new time. For event planners managing overnight shifts, it can mean an extra challenge: keeping schedules, worked hours and payroll data accurate.

When a shift crosses the daylight saving time transition, the difference between clock time and elapsed time can become important. Without the right system in place, handling these changes can create additional work for planners and complicate the process of recording working hours.

So, how can event teams manage the time change without adding unnecessary administrative work?

Why daylight saving time matters for shift planning

Daylight saving time affects the clocks, but its implications can extend into workforce planning and time recording.

When the clocks go forward in spring, an hour is skipped. When they go back in autumn, an hour occurs twice. This is particularly relevant for teams working overnight, where a shift may span the transition.

For event staffing companies and production teams, accurate time records matter. Planners need a reliable overview of scheduled shifts, while worked hours must be recorded correctly to support payroll processes.

The challenge is making sure the time change does not lead to confusion or unnecessary manual corrections.

What happens when an overnight shift crosses the time change?

Consider an event crew member working overnight when the clocks go back.

The shift may appear straightforward in the schedule, but the repeated hour means that clock times alone do not tell the whole story. The actual elapsed time and the way working hours are recorded need to be considered.

When the clocks go forward, the opposite happens: an hour of clock time is skipped.

These transitions make it important to distinguish between scheduled start and end times, elapsed time and the hours recorded for payroll.

How SquidWeb helps when the clocks change

SquidWeb helps keep shift schedules and worked hours accurate when daylight saving time changes.

By supporting accurate time handling, SquidWeb helps event planners maintain reliable crew planning and working-hour records without unnecessary manual adjustments.

This supports three important parts of workforce management:

1. Accurate shift schedules

Keep shift planning reliable when the clocks move forward or backward, including for teams working overnight.

2. Reliable worked-hour records

Accurate time handling helps ensure that recorded working hours reflect the relevant time transition.

3. Smoother payroll processes

Reliable working-hour data supports downstream payroll processes and reduces the need for avoidable corrections.

Be prepared for both clock changes

Daylight saving time is not a once-a-year event. In countries that observe it, the clocks typically change twice a year.

In spring, clocks move forward. In autumn, they move back. Both transitions can affect overnight shifts, so it is worth keeping time changes in mind when planning events and reviewing working-hour records.

With SquidWeb helping to manage these transitions, planners can focus on coordinating their teams and delivering successful events rather than dealing with unnecessary time-related administration.

Keep your crew planning on track with SquidWeb

Accurate scheduling and working-hour records are essential for smooth event operations. Daylight saving time should not become an additional source of administrative complexity.

SquidWeb helps teams manage their crew schedules and worked hours when the clocks change, supporting more reliable workforce planning throughout the year.

Sign documents directly from email attachments

Signing a document doesn’t always have to mean downloading it, opening another application and going through several steps.

With SquidWeb, you can sign supported documents directly from an email attachment. When a document requires your signature, you can open the attachment from the email and sign it directly in SquidWeb.

You can either create your signature from scratch or use a signature you have already saved in your SquidWeb profile.

How it works

When you receive an email with a document attachment that can be signed in SquidWeb:

1. Open the email

Open the email containing the document attachment.

2. Open the attachment

Open the document directly from the email. SquidWeb will display the document and provide the available signing option.

3. Add your signature

You can choose between two options:

  • Create a new signature — draw your signature directly when signing the document.
  • Use your saved signature — select the signature you have previously saved in your SquidWeb profile.

4. Sign the document

Place your signature in the required location and complete the signing process.

That’s it — no need to download the document, sign it using another application and upload it again.

Save your signature for faster signing

If you regularly sign documents in SquidWeb, you can save your signature in your profile and reuse it whenever you need to sign another document.

This is especially useful when you need to sign several documents, as you don’t have to recreate your signature every time.

You can manage your saved signature from your SquidWeb Profile → Saved Signatures.

Why use it?

Signing directly from an email attachment can help you:

  • Save time by signing documents without downloading them first.
  • Keep your workflow in SquidWeb instead of switching between applications.
  • Reuse your saved signature for faster signing.
  • Sign documents wherever you are, without needing access to a separate PDF editor.

Whether you need to sign a single document or regularly handle documents as part of your daily workflow, signing directly from email keeps the process simple and efficient.

Tip: If you sign documents regularly, save your signature in your SquidWeb profile once and reuse it whenever you need it.

 

Share project instructions with Dynamic Info Notes

Clear communication is essential for every successful project. Project Dynamic Info Notes allow planners to share project-specific information directly through the SquidWeb Mobile App, ensuring that each recipient only sees the information relevant to their role.

Unlike project comments, these notes are designed for digital communication and are not included on confirmation documents, work orders, invoices or other printed reports.

Typical use cases

Project Dynamic Information Notes can be used to communicate information such as:

  • Dress code and PPE requirements
  • Meeting points and arrival instructions
  • Parking information
  • Last-minute schedule updates
  • Client-specific information
  • Crew Chief instructions
  • Internal reminders for planners

Multiple notes can be created for the same project, allowing information to be organized by topic or audience.

How to create a note

  1. Open the project.
  2. Navigate to Project Dynamic Information Notes.
  3. Click Add Note.
  4. Enter a title (optional).
  5. Select the recipients.
  6. Optionally select a specific crew.
  7. Choose the priority.
  8. Optionally select a card color.
  9. Enter the message.
  10. Save the note.

The note becomes immediately available in the Mobile App for the selected recipients.

Control who sees each note

Each note can be assigned to one or more recipient groups:

  • Crew
  • Crew Chief
  • Client
  • Planner

If required, a note can also be limited to a specific crew within the project.

This ensures that every user only receives information that is relevant to them.

Example

Title

Arrival Instructions

Recipients

Crew, Crew Chief

Priority

Important

Message

Please arrive 20 minutes before your shift.

• Wear black trousers and black shoes.
• Bring your ID card.
• Meet at the Crew Check-in Desk.
• Contact the Crew Chief if you expect to be late.

Best practices

To keep project communication clear and easy to follow:

  • Create separate notes for different topics instead of combining everything into one message.
  • Use the Important priority for information that requires immediate attention.
  • Use Card Colors to help users quickly identify important or related notes.
  • Keep titles short and descriptive so users can quickly understand the purpose of each note.

Good to know

  • Multiple Dynamic Information Notes can be created for the same project.
  • Notes can be assigned to one or more recipient groups.
  • Project Planners can edit, disable and delete Dynamic Information Notes directly from the Mobile App.
  • Inactive notes remain available for editing but are hidden from recipients.
  • Dynamic Information Notes are intended for digital communication only and are **never printed** on confirmation documents, work orders, invoices or reports.

Watch a short tutorial here:

Check VAT Number

Verifying a customer’s VAT number is an important step for businesses working with companies across Europe and the United Kingdom. SquidWeb lets you check VAT numbers directly from a Contact and keeps a record of the result for future reference.

Verify a VAT Number

Open the Contact and select Check VAT Number from the Contact details menu.

SquidWeb checks EU VAT numbers through the VAT Information Exchange System (VIES) and UK VAT numbers through HMRC’s Check a UK VAT number service.

For a UK VAT number, enter it with the GB prefix. You can also enter 9 or 12 digits without the prefix if the Contact’s country is set to United Kingdom.

Automatic documentation

When VIES or HMRC returns a definite result, SquidWeb records whether the VAT number is valid or invalid in the Contact’s Activities section. It also saves a confirmation PDF to Contact Documents.

There’s no need to download or archive the confirmation yourself. You can find the result and its document alongside the Contact’s other information.

Keep contact information organised

Keeping VAT checks with the Contact makes it easier to review previous results and find the related confirmation document, all in one place.

Please note: UK checks do not provide a consultation number in SquidWeb.

Watch the tutorial

Watch the video below to learn how to check a VAT number, review the result and find the confirmation document in SquidWeb.

 

 

Crew Modes

Managing attendance, working hours and project sign-offs can vary significantly from one company to another. Some organisations rely on Crew Chiefs, others give responsibility to clients, while some prefer fully self-managed workflows through the mobile app.

Rather than enforcing a single process, SquidWeb allows companies to configure how these responsibilities are handled by using flexible Crew Modes.

Each Crew Mode defines who is responsible for attendance tracking, working hours, check-ins, check-outs and sign-off processes throughout a project.

Configurable workflow settings

Crew Modes are not fixed workflows.

Each mode is built using configurable workflow settings that allow companies to adapt the system to their operational processes.

Depending on your requirements, you can configure parameters such as:

  • Who manages attendance (Crew, Crew Chief or Client)
  • Online or paper-based workflows
  • Hybrid online + paper workflows
  • Pre-call confirmation
  • PPE checks
  • Crew / Client / Planner sign-off permissions

Because these settings are fully configurable, companies can create workflows that match their existing operational procedures instead of adapting their processes to the software.

Example Crew Mode configurations

The following Crew Modes are example configurations included in SquidWeb.

Each one combines different workflow settings to support common operational scenarios.

Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Paper)

Short Name: CC-P

The Crew Chief manages crew attendance using paper-based workflows.

Characteristics:

  • Crew Chief managed
  • Paper workflow
  • No online attendance tracking

Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online + Paper)

Short Name: CC-O+P

The Crew Chief manages attendance online, while paper forms remain available as a backup.

Characteristics:

  • Crew Chief managed
  • Online workflow
  • Paper backup available

Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online)

Short Name: CC-O

The Crew Chief manages attendance completely online.

Characteristics:

  • Crew Chief managed
  • Fully digital workflow
  • No paper forms required

Client + Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online)

Short Name: C/CC-O

Attendance can be managed collaboratively by the Client and Crew Chief.

Characteristics:

  • Client participation
  • Crew Chief participation
  • Fully digital workflow

Client, Check-In & Check-Out (Online)

Short Name: C-O

The Client is responsible for attendance management.

Characteristics:

  • Client managed
  • Fully digital workflow

Crew + Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online)

Short Name: Crew/CC-O

Crew members and the Crew Chief participate in attendance tracking.

Characteristics:

  • Crew self check-in
  • Crew Chief visibility
  • Geolocation support
  • Fully digital workflow

Crew Chief + Crew + Client, Check-In & Check-Out (Online)

Short Name: CC/Crew/C-O

Attendance management is shared between Crew Chief, crew members and the Client.

Characteristics:

  • Crew participation
  • Crew Chief participation
  • Client participation
  • Fully digital workflow

Crew Chief + Crew + Client, Self-Managed (Online, No Pre-Call)

Short Name: CC/Crew/C-O/NoPc

Crew members manage their own attendance and working hours through the mobile app.

Characteristics:

  • Crew self check-in
  • Crew self check-out
  • Working hours confirmation
  • No pre-call confirmation
  • Client sign-off available
  • Fully digital workflow

Crew Chief + Crew + Client, Self-Managed ETT (Online, No Pre-Call)

Short Name: CC/Crew/C-O/NoPc/NoPPE

A variation of Self-Managed designed for ETT workflows.

Characteristics:

  • Crew self check-in
  • Crew self check-out
  • Working hours confirmation
  • No pre-call confirmation
  • No PPE check
  • Client sign-off available
  • Fully digital workflow

 

Mode Short Name Who manages attendance? Online Paper Pre-Call PPE Check
Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Paper) CC-P Crew Chief No Yes Yes Yes
Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online + Paper) CC-O+P Crew Chief Yes Yes Yes Yes
Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online) CC-O Crew Chief Yes No Yes Yes
Client + Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online) C/CC-O Client + Crew Chief Yes No Yes Yes
Client, Check-In & Check-Out (Online) C-O Client Yes No Yes Yes
Crew + Crew Chief, Check-In & Check-Out (Online) Crew/CC-O Crew + Crew Chief Yes No Yes Yes
Crew + Crew Chief  + Client, Check-In & Check-Out (Online) CC/Crew/C-O Crew + Crew Chief + Client Yes No Yes Yes
Crew Chief + Crew + Client, Self-Managed (Online, No Pre-Call) CC/Crew/C-O/NoPc Crew + Crew Chief + Client Yes No No Yes
Crew Chief + Crew + Client, Self-Managed ETT (Online, No Pre-Call) CC/Crew/C-O/NoPc/NoPPE Crew + Crew Chief + Client Yes No No No

Flexible workflows for every operation

Every organisation manages workforce operations differently. That’s why SquidWeb’s Crew Modes are fully configurable rather than fixed.

By combining different workflow settings, companies can define who is responsible for attendance, working hours, sign-offs and operational processes while choosing between paper, digital or hybrid workflows.

Whether managing a small team or coordinating large-scale event operations, Crew Modes help ensure that the platform adapts to your business—not the other way around.

 

Crew Cancellation Request

Managing last-minute availability changes can be challenging, especially once a position has already been confirmed.

With the Crew Cancellation Request feature, crew members can request to be removed from a confirmed job directly from the mobile app, helping teams communicate changes faster and more transparently.

How it works

Once a crew member has been confirmed for a job, they can still request cancellation directly from the mobile app — as long as the configured time limit has not been exceeded and the required permission is enabled.

When a cancellation request is submitted:

  • A new ToDo is automatically created for the planner
  • A new activity is logged in the project (web app)
  • The office team is immediately informed and can review the request

This helps planners react quickly while keeping all communication connected to the project workflow.

Company-controlled time limits

The feature includes a company setting that defines how long before job start a cancellation request is allowed.

This gives companies more control over operational flexibility and helps prevent late changes too close to the shift start.

Example:

  • Cancellation requests allowed until 24 hours before job start
  • After the limit is reached, the request option is no longer available in the app

Permission setting:

In order for crew members to see the “Request to be removed” option in the mobile app, the corresponding company role permission must be enabled.

Under:

Company Role → Mobile Project Vacancies → Request Remove

the setting must be configured as: OWN

This allows crew members to request removal only from their own confirmed jobs.

If the permission is not enabled, the cancellation request option will not be visible in the mobile app.

Better coordination when plans change

The Crew Cancellation Request feature helps reduce manual communication, improves transparency between crew and office, and keeps operational workflows up to date when availability changes unexpectedly.

 

Crew item status

Managing crew availability, confirmations and assignment changes can quickly become complex during live productions and event planning. Crew members respond at different times, planners adjust schedules, replacements may be needed, and project requirements can change throughout the workflow.

Without a clear overview, teams often end up relying on spreadsheets, phone calls, emails or messaging apps to keep track of crew updates — making coordination slower and more difficult.

SquidWeb helps planners and coordinators keep everything organised with a real-time crew status system directly integrated into each project.

Booking status overview for every crew member

Each crew assignment can display a specific status depending on the current workflow stage, making it easier to instantly understand the situation of every crew member involved in a project.

These booking workflow statuses help planners instantly understand the assignment stage of every crew item inside a project.

Statuses can change automatically through workflow automation, planner actions, client interactions or crew member responses.

S͟t͟a͟n͟d͟a͟r͟d͟ ͟p͟r͟o͟j͟e͟c͟t͟ ͟c͟r͟e͟w͟ ͟i͟t͟e͟m͟ ͟s͟t͟a͟t͟u͟s͟e͟s

  • Design — crew item is still in planning and not yet visible to the client
  • Requested — a request has been sent to the crew member for confirmation through the mobile app
  • SpareToFix — special request status used when a crew member was previously confirmed as spare crew and is later requested for an active assignment
  • Confirmed — assignment confirmed directly by the planner
  • ConfirmedWeb — assignment confirmed by the crew member through the mobile app
  • Has Changed — assignment details changed after the last confirmation
  • Has been cancelled — assignment has been cancelled

S͟t͟a͟t͟u͟s͟e͟s͟ ͟g͟e͟n͟e͟r͟a͟t͟e͟d͟ ͟b͟y͟ ͟a͟u͟t͟o͟m͟a͟t͟i͟o͟n

  • Suggested — crew member suggested automatically by the automation process

S͟t͟a͟t͟u͟s͟e͟s͟ ͟t͟r͟i͟g͟g͟e͟r͟e͟d͟ ͟b͟y͟ ͟c͟l͟i͟e͟n͟t͟ ͟a͟c͟t͟i͟o͟n͟s

  • Client Added — project crew item added directly by the client through the mobile app
  • ClientRequest — client requested a specific crew member through the mobile app
  • PlannerRequest — planner requested a specific crew member through the mobile app

S͟t͟a͟t͟u͟s͟e͟s͟ ͟t͟r͟i͟g͟g͟e͟r͟e͟d͟ ͟b͟y͟ ͟c͟r͟e͟w͟ ͟m͟e͟m͟b͟e͟r͟ ͟a͟c͟t͟i͟o͟n͟s

  • CrewRequest — crew member requested to join a specific project crew item

Because every status is clearly visible inside the project overview, planners can react faster and reduce the need for manual follow-ups.

Color indicators and real-time updates make it easier to quickly identify booking progress and operational activity directly from the planning overview.

Activity status overview for every crew member

Once crew assignments move beyond the booking workflow, SquidWeb also supports operational activity tracking directly inside the planning workflow.

These activity statuses help planners and clients monitor the real-time operational progress of crew members during live productions and event operations.

Operational activity indicators make it easier to instantly identify whether crew members have completed important workflow steps such as:

  • Yellow indicator — Pre-call complete

  • Green indicator — Check-in completed

  • Grey indicator — Check-out completed

Because these activity updates are visible directly inside the planning calendar and project overview, planners can quickly identify pending arrivals, missing check-ins or completed assignments without relying on separate calls or manual follow-ups.

These activity indicators are visible directly inside the planning calendar and mobile workflows, helping planners maintain a live operational overview across active projects.

Faster coordination during live operations

Crew planning is constantly evolving, especially in fast-moving event and production environments. Last-minute changes, cancellations or additional staffing requests can happen at any moment.

With real-time status updates, teams can quickly see when:

  • crew members accept or decline jobs
  • schedules or assignments change
  • additional crew is required
  • replacements need to be organised
  • confirmations are still pending
  • clients request specific crew members
  • crew members proactively request assignments

This creates a more transparent and structured workflow for planners and coordinators while helping reduce communication delays across the team.

Connected web and mobile workflows

Statuses are synchronised between the SquidWeb web platform and mobile app, allowing planners, clients and crew members to stay aligned throughout the entire project lifecycle.

Crew members can receive requests and manage assignments directly from the mobile app, while planners maintain a live overview of every update inside the web platform.

Operational activity indicators such as pre-calls, check-ins and check-outs are also synchronised between the web platform, planning calendar and mobile workflows, helping planners and clients maintain real-time visibility across active projects.

A clearer overview for complex crew planning

By centralising crew statuses directly inside the project workflow, SquidWeb helps teams reduce confusion, improve visibility and coordinate staffing more efficiently.

Whether managing small teams or large-scale productions, real-time crew statuses make it easier to keep projects organised from planning to execution.

Side panels

Working with complex projects often means navigating between different layers of information, from overall project details to specific crews and individual items. This can quickly become time-consuming and harder to manage.

How it works

As you interact with the project, the side panel responds in real time:

  • Selecting the project shows the side panel in Project mode, displaying project-level sections
  • Selecting a crew group switches the side panel to Crew mode, focusing on crew-related panels (e.g. Crew optimizer)
  • Selecting a crew item switches the side panel to Crew item mode, where the content adapts depending on the item:
    • Empty item → shows the Crew optimizer
    • Filled item → shows the Crew profile and related details

There’s no need to manually switch between views — the interface adjusts instantly to your context.

With the Side Panel View Modes, SquidWeb simplifies this process by adapting the panel automatically based on your selection.

More control when you need it

In addition to the automatic behavior, you can also manage the panel manually through the menu:

  • Fold all panels to get a cleaner and more focused view
  • Filter the content by view mode (Project, Crew, Crew Item, etc.)

This combination gives you both flexibility and control, depending on how you prefer to work.

The side panel helps you:

  • Spend less time searching for information
  • Stay focused on the task at hand
  • Navigate complex projects more efficiently
  • Keep your workspace clean and structured

 

AI Project Banners

You can now create a visual banner for each project directly in SquidWeb.

This helps planners quickly recognize projects and adds visual context to project information.

Project banners can be generated using AI or uploaded manually.

How to create a project banner

  1. Open a project in the Web App

  2. Go to the project information section

  3. Click on the banner area

  4. Choose:

    • Generate with AI, or

    • Upload your own image

If you generate a banner with AI, SquidWeb uses the available project information (project name, dates, location) to create a contextual image.

Where the banner appears

Once created, the banner is displayed:

  • In the project information section in the Web App

  • In the mobile app project view for planners

  • In the mobile view for clients

This provides a consistent visual reference across devices.

Why use project banners

Adding a banner helps:

  • Quickly recognize projects

  • Improve visual organization

  • Add context to project information

  • Reduce confusion in large project lists

Project banners are optional but recommended, especially when managing multiple projects at the same time.