The cost of labor is substantial for employers, from hourly wages paid to workers to other initiatives for recruiting and retaining staff. Direct labor costs are necessary, as many businesses can’t function without human beings.
Automated scheduling software can significantly reduce some of the costs associated with managing the workforce, freeing up a business’s budget other needs. Choosing the right software can optimize scheduling processes, optimize the need for overtime, and automate tasks that aren’t central to business operations.
Why Does Workforce Scheduling Need to Be Automated?
The benefits of recent technological advancements are crystal clear when you compare automated scheduling to the spreadsheets of yesteryear. Key operations staff, such as plant and facilities managers, now have real-time visibility into scheduling and labor analytics. They can make proactive changes, informed decisions, and mitigate the effects of workplace concerns through automation.
The implementation of scheduling automation increases productivity rates, improves scheduling accuracy, and ensures compliance to labor regulations. Some other benefits associated with automated scheduling include:
- Reduced costs: Automated workforce scheduling can help reduce overtime hours and other associated scheduling costs.
- Improved safety and consistency: Scheduling a complex workforce can be time-consuming and labor-intensive when businesses adopt the manual approach to the process. Automated options allow companies to meet regulatory standards, create and manage schedules quicker, and reduce scheduling errors.
- Enhanced employee flexibility: Employees are seeking to balance their work with the rest of their lives, and allowing them the flexibility to work within these needs can boost retention rates. An automated scheduling system gives employees better options regarding trading shifts or work locations. In turn, companies can see reduced absenteeism and greater employee satisfaction.
Boost Productivity Safely
Technology has a massive effect on worker productivity. Many gaps in productivity can be filled with the correct automated scheduling processes. Streamlining communication and scheduling efforts also has a profound impact on employee safety.
With automated scheduling, you can avoid redundant shifts and overtime for individual workers. That efficient scheduling helps maximize employee productivity while also prioritizing safety — individuals can avoid overworking to maintain mental and physical well-being. As a result, your business can avoid downtime associated with human error or accidents since overtime can lead to an increased risk of injury.
You can even use automated scheduling to easily assign qualified and skilled employees to certain tasks. With qualification management, your business can avoid accidents and fines, all while maintaining worker safety.
Scheduling software also allows businesses to automate repetitive tasks associated with organizing schedules, which can be tedious for workers. Correct fatigue management protocols become easier to implement, further ensuring your workforce’s physical and mental safety and making them feel valued as members of a cohesive team.
Work-Life Balance for Employees
Automated scheduling software empowers your employees by allowing them flexibility in their schedules. More than ever, scheduling is evolving to meet the workforce’s needs and increase retention rates. Companies that employ transparent scheduling practices play a vital role in employee engagement. Workers want to stay at companies that offer input for the scheduling process.
Flexible, automated work arrangements have many positive effects on employee performance and engagement, including:
- Better retention rates: Employees are likely to stay at a company that allows flexibility when scheduling and promotes a healthy work-life balance.
- Increased employee engagement: Employees can be more engaged and absenteeism rates can be considerably lower when they have a degree of agency in their schedule.
- Streamlined time off requests: Employee scheduling software makes managing vacation requests simple for both employees and managers. Workers can request time off and get quicker responses than they would filing paper requests.
- Better mental health for employees: Flexible scheduling promotes better job satisfaction and can lower burnout and stress levels in employees.
- Reduced human error: The ability to deliver clear, concise messages to workers about their duties or client requirements means they can make fewer mistakes, which builds their confidence.
- Higher employee morale: When workers have some control over their schedules, they feel valued by your company. This control, in turn, fosters better productivity and better team morale. Your company culture spills over into marketing at the grassroots level when employees positively talk about you. You can gain higher-quality applicants in the future, and your reputation can benefit your bottom line in the long term.
Reduce Costs by Switching to an Automated Scheduling Software
The correct scheduling automation reduces operating costs in several ways. Scheduling is more efficient, and employees are more productive, which is at the core of many business operations around the globe. The technology also provides management with massive amounts of data, allowing you to optimize staffing needs and make better informed operational decisions.
Streamlining operations allows for a reduction in labor costs — as workers are more productive, your margins are higher. Scheduling is optimized, which means that costly person-hours used to schedule employees manually are eradicated. The better people’s time is managed, the more they can shift their focus to customer satisfaction. Repeat business is always good for your bottom line, so automated scheduling doesn’t just reduce costs. It can make you money, as well.
Job allocation can also be an expensive process. An automated schedule lets you determine which worker, with the correct skill set, is available and close. Office staff can make better use of their time, as it’s no longer consumed with finding workers for shifts, and employees can come to shifts with all the information they need to complete their assigned duties.
Automated scheduling technology helps reduce overtime hours, which can cost your business. Happy, safe, and valued employees will likely stay, which means you spend less money facilitating high turnover rates.
See How Indeavor’s Scheduling Software Can Help Reduce Labor Costs
With Indeavor, you can trust that you’re working with the best. Our intelligent algorithms can handle even complicated workforces, and you’ll have one of our dedicated customer success managers by your side to help you through each step of streamlining your workforce.
Our automated scheduling software helps you reduce costs and engage your workforce innovatively and uniquely. Set rules unique to your company, incorporating factors like seniority to quickly create optimized, fair schedules. Our People Operations Platform can help you match labor to meet demand, all while factoring in your industry’s labor requirements.
Book a demo with Indeavor today to learn more about our automated scheduling software technology and what our innovative systems and unparalleled customer service can do for your business.
