There are few instances that derail a day more quickly than a scheduling error. All too often, by the time a scheduling disaster occurs, there is not much that can rectify the issue. Once the issue has occurred, the risk of it snowballing into other aspects of the workplace are high, leaving employees stressed and confused or even worse, unproductive.  

If this issue sounds like a familiar worry, do not fret, it happens to the best of us. Every business regardless of size, eventually experiences a scheduling mistake. However, that does not mean there is no option to aid in prevention of said issue. In fact, there is a variety of solutions to keep small and large business running smoothly with fewer scheduling interruptions. 

Plan Far in Advance 

It is surprising that many small businesses post a schedule only a week in advance. Managers regularly expect employees to structure their lives on a weekly basis, but when it comes down to it, most people do not plan important aspects of their life with so little forethought. This is a bad habit, as it not only fuels the fire of employee frustration, it also compacts the workplace time frame -- only allowing a few days to respond to any conflicts that may arise. Prepping a schedule, weeks in advance, will give an organization more cushion to resolve scheduling concerns before they become a true problem to solve with limited time to do so.  

With workforce management software, planning schedules in advance is simple. Access to any date or time is just a click away. The unique quality of workforce management software is the ability to input schedule data that will duplicate itself on any day, week or month that is chosen, speeding along the scheduling process. 

Hold Employees Accountable 

While we have stated the benefits of planning in advance, employees should be expected to be responsible for their own schedules. With workforce management technology, employees have access to their schedules on stationary and mobile devices. Employees also have the luxury of printing out any weekly schedule they select.  

If an employee wants to switch shifts on a whim, it should be known that it is their responsibility to find coverage. Luckily, with workforce management software, schedules update in real-time. With cloud technology implemented, employees within the organization can view changes made to the schedule, giving more time for employee to choose to cover an open shift and eliminate the hassle of an employee trying to get in contact with others to find coverage in enough time.  

The beauty of workforce management technology is how easy it is to use. There should be little to no issues arranging and rearranging schedules, whether manager or employee. Any employee creating unnecessary scheduling mishaps by not utilizing the full functionality of the system should likely be seen for disciplinary action as it is likely their efforts are lacking, causing loss in time and money.  

Another critical feature inherent in workforce management systems is the intelligence of the system to find the most qualified employee to fill an open job. In true emergencies, filling high priority shifts with key employees is paramount to business success. Instead of skimming through a call list of noted employees willing to take on an overtime opportunity, the intelligence of the system can quickly and efficiently locate the right employee available at the right time. 

Intelligent Workforce Management 

While excel spreadsheets may have been an ally in the past, workforce management technology offers businesses much needed flexibility and organization. If your organization is growing rapidly, the time to invest is now. Digital programs present many different features that simple spreadsheets can't offer, like automatically tracking preferred days off, logging time off request, and even alerting managers if they have double-scheduled an employee.  

Eliminating spreadsheet scheduling will make it easier for employees to stay on track and easier for managers to make alterations when errors occur. It is difficult to break out of old routines but investing in your business in this way can save you countless resources and scheduling headaches. 

For more information on VCS software products, please visit https://www.vcssoftware.com/.