How to Choose the Right Employee Scheduling Software Vendor

Effective employee scheduling is essential in industries where shift and hourly workforces are the lifeblood of operations. Surprisingly, many companies in complex sectors, such as manufacturing and energy, are still wrestling with outdated, manual scheduling processes. The fallout? Inefficiencies, productivity declines, and high employee turnover.

In today’s business environment, automating your employee scheduling processes has shifted from being merely beneficial to being essential. This becomes even more important when you’re up against ongoing hurdles like worker retention and labor cost pressures. Think of intelligent automation as your secret weapon — a powerhouse tool that provides a lasting solution to these complex challenges.

If you’re ready to embark on your journey toward automated employee scheduling, this guide will assist you. It offers invaluable insights to help you select the best employee scheduling software to meet your specific workforce scheduling needs.

Table of Contents:

1. Identifying a Vendor Specializing in Employee Scheduling
2. Evaluating Technical Proficiency
3. Cultivating a Long-Term Partnership
4. Setting Your Course to Employee Scheduling Automation

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When looking for vendors, make it a priority to choose those who specialize in developing employee scheduling software tailored to your specific industry. These vendors will possess nuanced expertise from years of experience solving the challenges your organization faces. Leveraging this deep domain knowledge allows them to offer innovative and effective solutions that precisely cater to your exact scheduling requirements. Choosing a vendor with such industry-specific knowledge and expertise versus choosing all-in-one HCM and WFM systems can mitigate the need for manual workarounds and reduce potentially high customization costs. Here are some additional factors to consider when assessing a vendor’s proficiency in employee scheduling automation:

Understanding of Industry-Specific Scheduling Trends

Ensure the vendor understands the unique scheduling complexities of your industry. Their thought-leadership content (blogs, articles, eBooks, and industry-specific vernacular) can indicate their dedication to staying updated with industry changes. Vendors knowledgeable about scheduling trends will likely offer relevant products over time.

Regularity of Updates and Enhancements

Look for vendors who consistently introduce new features and improvements, as this reflects their commitment to research and development. It also emphasizes the value they place on enhancing their scheduling capabilities and product offerings. Additionally, inquire about how the vendor incorporates customer feedback into their development process. Understanding how they make decisions regarding product enhancements can provide insight into their responsiveness to user needs and their adaptability to industry trends.

Demonstrated Success

Ask for evidence of how their scheduling technology has positively impacted their customers, specifically in enhancing operational efficiency, improving scheduling procedures, and increasing employee satisfaction. Successful implementation and positive ROI demonstrate the software’s effectiveness and value.

In the ever-evolving landscape of workforce management software, technical competency differentiates vendors. Again, the ideal software solution should cater to your current needs and be adaptable to future requirements. Here are key technical aspects to consider:

Configurability

The software should be adaptable to your organization’s specific workflows and regulations by team, department, or site and be flexible enough to accommodate changes. One-size-fits-all scheduling solutions often impose their processes and rules on organizations due to inherent software limitations. However, in an ideal scenario, the software should be a flexible tool that adjusts to your needs rather than forcing you to adapt to its constraints.

Shiftboard has helped our employees get more visibility into their work schedules and make changes on the go. It is easy to use and has provided more structure to our scheduling process.

Tyler Blake
Senior HR Generalist, Daisy Brand

Continuous Optimization

The solution should include features for efficient labor cost management, such as automated shift assignments to reduce overtime, align staff levels with demand, and improve labor forecasting.

Employee Engagement

Opt for technology that empowers employees to have a say in their scheduling while still meeting business requirements. Seek features that facilitate communication about shift preferences, shift trading, and leave requests. Studies indicate that enabling employees to achieve a work-life balance through such flexibility measures significantly boosts job satisfaction and retention rates.

Compliance Adherence

The software should guarantee continuous compliance with scheduling rules and regulations, supported by comprehensive exception management and tracking. Evaluate the vendor’s understanding of your unique compliance needs, ensuring they can demonstrate, not just claim, their proficiency.

Recommended: Why Choose Shiftboard for Workforce Scheduling

Data Security

Given the frequent headlines about cyber-attacks, it’s vital to ensure your vendor has robust data security measures. They should utilize strict access controls and advanced data encryption and have disaster recovery plans to mitigate potential breaches rapidly. In our digital age, proactive and up-to-date security measures are a must.

Integration Capabilities

Check for seamless integration with other systems like ERP, time and attendance, and HR management tools to enable system automation, efficient operations, and data synchronization.

While the technical capabilities of employee scheduling software are vital, the value a vendor can provide extends beyond the technology itself. The vendor’s approach to implementation, change management, and training can significantly impact the success of your scheduling automation efforts. Vendor expertise in adoption and change management is essential in protecting your technology investment. It’s critical to ensure your employees are prepared and confident to adopt the new technology successfully. Here are some questions to keep in mind:

• Does the vendor have change management expertise? A vendor with a good track record in change management will guide you through the transition.
• What kind of pre-launch support does the vendor offer? The vendor should provide training programs tailored to your unique needs, ensuring successful employee adoption.
• Does the vendor provide post-launch customer support? Look for vendors offering comprehensive, ongoing support services for continuous optimization and issue resolution.

Thank you for your above-and-beyond attention in preparing for this training and the upcoming launch. There are not enough words for my appreciation. Your knowledge and proficiency of the Shiftboard SchedulePro system are absolutely amazing!

Shell Oil, North America

Remember, selecting the right employee scheduling software isn’t just about the technology. It’s about finding a long-term partner to guide you through implementation, foster adoption within your organization, and provide ongoing support.

As you take these first steps in researching technology partners, be sure to ask potential vendors for case studies, customer testimonials, and detailed information about their software and support services. Think of it this way: you’re not just buying software — you’re investing in your organization’s future. With the right partner guiding your way, your successful transition to automation isn’t just a vision for the future; it’s a goal within reach.

“Thank you for all the help in this process.
We appreciate the thorough training and work during the implementation. We look forward to enhancing our use of the system in upcoming months.”

Shamrock Foods