Australian workers are estimated to lose an average of 47 minutes daily to outdated and inefficient technology. Inefficiencies like this have a hard cost, but with the number of apps and technology solutions currently available (and becoming increasingly sophisticated), this does not have to be the reality.
So, if your company, like so many others, is looking to automate more processes, why should workforce management be on your priority list?
Workforce management software, and the operational efficiencies it delivers, have become critical to organisations managing large workforces. From scheduling to compliance, your staffing and HR teams need to manage many processes and meet countless obligations effectively to ensure a productive and effective workforce.
In this blog, I’ll explore four ways workforce management software can power process improvements, help organisations to meet their obligations as employers, and achieve more with less.
1. Automating time and attendance
Traditional methods of tracking time and attendance (like paper timesheets, Excel spreadsheets and punch cards) are inefficient and error-prone and generally frustrate users and managers alike. Manual tracking can make managing employee absences, late arrivals, or early departures challenging, resulting in a lack of accuracy and transparency when tracking employee hours. Operational workforce management becomes hard to manage and takes huge amounts of time for line managers who should be focussed on more important initiatives.
Workforce management software delivers process improvements by automating time tracking and providing real-time data on employee attendance, absences, overtime, and more. So your team can accurately track hours worked, ease the workload on operational management and improve compliance.
Additionally, workforce management software can save time and reduce the risk of errors associated with manual tracking methods. Automating time tracking lets your teams focus on other core tasks and improve overall productivity.
2. Managing scheduling conflicts
Traditionally, companies manually created employee schedules, often drawing them up in spreadsheets and sharing paper timetables that would adorn walls and notice boards. Manual scheduling can also be prone to errors, such as double booking or missing leave requests, and restrict access to being in a specific location – which can lead to frustration from your team and a lack of operational visibility.
Workforce management software can streamline the scheduling and rostering process by assigning shifts automatically and accounting for factors such as employee availability, skills, and preferences and presenting it online or through apps that are available to staff around the clock.
Moreover, today’s software can provide real-time data, allowing for better visibility into staffing needs and potential issues. Your team can identify scheduling conflicts or understaffing before they become a problem and adjust as needed. For example, if someone calls in sick, the scheduling software can suggest staff with availability to fill the gap or even automatically roster staff with minimal disruption to operations.
Additionally, workforce management software can make it easier to manage employee requests for leave or changes to the roster. Employees can submit requests through the software, and if their manager approves the request, the system stores that information to inform future rosters. So you can reduce the administrative burden associated with processing operational changes.
3. Delivering real-time data and analytics
Workforce management software can help your business streamline reporting processes and provide valuable insights into workforce operations. The software can automatically generate reports or present information through dashboards on various aspects of workforce management, such as attendance, scheduling, labour costs and compliance. You can customise these views to meet specific business needs and generate them on-demand or on a schedule. So, you reduce the time and effort spent on reporting and can gain a clear picture of workforce operations at any given time.
Moreover, workforce management software can provide real-time data on workforce operations, allowing for better visibility into trends and potential issues. Your teams can identify areas for improvement and take proactive steps to address them. For example, you might notice patterns of absenteeism or tardiness and take steps to reduce these issues through training, performance management or employee engagement initiatives. Additionally, by analysing labour costs and other data, your teams can identify areas where they can not only reduce costs but also improve overall efficiency.
Workforce management software may also offer predictive analytics, allowing you to forecast workforce needs and make informed decisions about staffing levels and other workforce-related issues. You can prepare your organisation for future demand to ensure that your team is not over- or under-worked and your operations run smoothly.
4. Calculating employee entitlements
Ensuring compliance with employment obligations is crucial to managing a workforce in Australia, as falling short can lead to significant legal and financial consequences. A single misstep could lead to disaster.
By leveraging workforce management software, your company can apply governance to the process and improve accuracy by streamlining compliance-related tasks and providing real-time data on potential issues. For example, workforce management software can accurately calculate employee pay and entitlements. It can consider factors like hours worked, overtime, and penalties to compute current and future pay, minimising the risk of costly mistakes. It can monitor skills and licences and ensure employees are only rostered where these items are up-to-date and provide notifications of expiry in time to take corrective actions.
Finally, workforce management software can give your business real-time insights, enabling you to resolve potential problems before they become more significant. For instance, scheduling software can issue alerts when employees are nearing their maximum work hours or approaching overtime limits or concurrent shifts or working hour limits – so that you roster someone else and your team does not have to rely on estimates or manual calculations.
Conclusion
Workforce management software can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Australian organisations with large workforces operating over multiple locations. By implementing software solutions with time and attendance, scheduling, rostering, reporting and analytics, your organisation can streamline processes, save time, and reduce the risk of errors and non-compliance.
Streamline your processes with Tambla’s workforce management software
With our expertise and technology, we provide tailored solutions to help organisations optimise workforce management and streamline processes. Whether you’re dealing with complex scheduling, labour compliance, or other workforce-related challenges, we have the tools and expertise to help you overcome them.
By partnering with Tambla, you’ll benefit from our years of experience in the workforce management industry. Our team of experts will work with you to understand your unique needs and develop a solution that meets those needs while delivering tangible results.
If you’re ready to take workforce management to the next level, visit our Workforce Management page to learn more about our capabilities.
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