In all fields, the process of scheduling employees involves an exorbitant amount of coordination, collaboration and reconciliation. In simple terms: a great deal of moving parts are involved in efficient scheduling. Here is a quick outline of how scheduling software can help you master this task.
Coverage, overage & alerts: Coordinating staff
Coordinating scheduling, filling slots, covering empty shifts (all while ensuring you aren’t booking staff for unnecessary overtime hours) can be a full-time job. Workforce management software like TrackTik allows you to see overtime hours coming before they happen, which gives you the room to make adjustments and protect your budget. Managing overtime issues before they become a problem can be the difference between a profitable or non-profitable month.
Good workforce management software will give you the necessary warnings and notices. This is important as the regulations, requirements and hours by post may vary and need to be brought to your attention in a timely manner, not after errors or compromises have occurred. TrackTik’s advanced scheduling tools can help you control overtime expenses.
You will be able to view the impact of overtime and holiday scenarios. You can also see vacant shifts, unconfirmed shifts, the attendance watch, the proposal queue for shift offerings and a dashboard for shift notes.
Attendance, appraisals and objective data: Collaboration made easy
Having a way to evaluate your employees or contract staff is of utmost importance to mastering your KPIs and SLAs. Your customers count on you to manage and maintain service standards. This can be difficult to do if you don’t have processes that are integrated and automated. Oftentimes, it requires the collaboration of several departments and processes that seemingly have no way of being reconciled. It can lead to situations in which security managers find it hard to know whether an officer has checked in for a shift.
Receive ‘no-show’ alerts in real-time; see who is clocked in, on-site or what posts need filling in real-time so you can take proactive measures to address any issues. TrackTik’s scheduling software not only delivers real-time alerts, but also collects objective data making it easier to evaluate performance and service quality so you can make better management decisions in the future.
With advanced scheduling data, you’ll be capable of exporting payroll-ready data that combines the efforts of HR and scheduling managers: streamlining interdepartmental processes. Every party will have access to the same information, eliminating human error or rework.
Advanced scheduling operations supported by the right software will give you a holistic view of operational strengths and weaknesses that gives you the capacity to make data-driven decisions across appropriate areas of your frontline and back-office functions.
Reconciliation: Questions answered
Will I have to constantly change parameters each scheduling period?
Definitely not. Once you set up certain scheduling parameters and requirements for recurring shifts, the work is done and processes can be automated from there!
How do I notify guards about shift changes?
That one is easy: by emailing your guards. Using a backend “shift board,” you can find the necessary shift information and notify your guards about shift offerings through SMS. This is also a great way to communicate effectively and in real-time with your officers.
I’m concerned about inputting data. Am I really saving time?
While there is an up-front investment, you’ll reap the rewards with greater efficiency and less time spent on manual data entry across your operations:
- Facilitate paperless reporting for frontline staff
- Easily run your payrun to have payroll ready data
- Enjoy integrations with your accounting software
- Gain global viewpoint of scheduling information across all sites and zones.
Great, so my scheduling has been streamlined. How does that help the rest of my processes?
The thing about advanced scheduling software is that it is designed to be easily integrated with your other operational functions. Share data, export analytics and connect your operations to facilitate attendance monitoring, invoicing and business intelligence, breaking down silos.
Conclusion
Advanced scheduling is one gear in a larger machine that must work in tandem with your other back-office functions. From no-shows, to shift coverage to overtime, you need an optimal way to manage resources that eradicates silos and facilitates data flows. Don’t forget too that high-performing scheduling software allows for a range of options to suit your needs. Empower all levels of your operations with comprehensive information that helps your people do their jobs better.
Advanced scheduling software checklist:
- Full HR profile view
- Dynamic tiles or dashboard view for quick information
- SMS and email capabilities for alerts and notifications
- Payroll-ready data
