Workforce management - even in small businesses - can be a major hassle, without the proper tools and scheduling processes in place. Keeping track of time and attendance is vital to a company’s bottom line, but smaller businesses are the hardest hit when staff shows up at the wrong time, or not at all. By not having the flexibility of an extended staff, they must get the schedule right the first time … or suffer the consequences of inadequate coverage.

The manual process of maintaining scheduling spreadsheets to track shifts, time off requests, substitutions, overtime, and sick time is dreaded by most managers tasked with its maintenance. Many believe it’s the only method available for small business scheduling, but technology has evolved to produce very cost-effective, automated scheduling alternatives that will immediately increase accuracy, efficiency, and productivity overall.

Here are three essential reasons small businesses MUST toss their spreadsheets and move forward with proactive, automated scheduling:

Too much room for error. By nature, humans are error-prone - destined to make mistakes. Statistically, people are more likely to make mistakes that computers would be hard-pressed to make.  No more forgetting to update the schedule or manually entering incorrect overtime data with automated scheduling.

Too time consuming. According to the Aberdeen Group, 46% of executives say that too much time is spent on the day-to-day HR activities (like scheduling). Statistics show that a manual time tracking process can be significantly reduced, and that overall staff productivity increased by 36% after implementing an automated scheduling system.

Limited access to scheduling information. One of the best things about having an automated scheduling system is the ability to access it from anywhere. A web-based scheduling system can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection, and right from any smart phone, tablet, or computer. If you need to fill the schedule right away and you’re out of the office, you can do so right from where you are!

Make a smart business decision and incorporate an automated scheduling system. With the right software for your company you will eliminate human inaccuracies, reduce scheduling time, and have access to your schedule at a moment’s notice.