Due to the complex scheduling and time and attendance needs in the law enforcement community, a system that effectively and efficiently manages it all is critical. A law enforcement workforce management solution guarantees that an agency will run efficiently so onboarding such a solution is a must. Yet, do law enforcement agencies always succeed at finding the best solution?
No matter the size or complexity of any law enforcement agency, chances are workforce management software can be successfully implemented into any scheduling environment. Illustrating this, are the more than 400 plus departments that heavily rely on police scheduling solutions daily. While workforce management software may be universal in nature, the same can’t be said about the features, functionality and services found in the hundreds of police centric workforce management applications that are on the market today. These can vary dramatically from one provider to the next, which makes the selection process a crucial component in implementing workforce management software in a police department.
Police scheduling is complex especially when dealing with juggling multiple worksites, multiple shifts, overtime needs, and mobile employees. Manual employee scheduling can take hours of effort and guesswork. With the right workforce management software department resources can be allocated and used appropriately. VCS Intelligent Workforce Management software is loaded with dynamic features that facilitate the ability to drill down into employee management data, in order to make sharp, cost-saving decisions.
Rules Policy Automation
Create rules and policies that best fit department’s needs and do so with a system that can utilize automation for employees to better understand. Input the rules of the department’s scheduling and time and attendance policies and customize them at any time when necessary. Allow the workforce management system to automate granting overtime after an employee has worked 40 hours, deny employees that have worked an extra duty job more than twice a week, or any other rules the department may have. This will give departments the time to focus on other tasks and ensure employees are aware of policies and will be updated instantaneously if any changes were to be made.
Training Certification
Track officer skill sets and certifications through the workforce management system. With this customizable application, always know when an employee has developed new skills, which makes them eligible for additional working jobs or promotions. With the ability to track certification expirations, allows for the department to be instantly informed when an employee needs to be re-certified or requires additional training. This will be highly beneficial for both employers to keep track of progress and for employees to receive the appropriate training they need to advance.
Extra Duty Billing
When shifts need to be filled and employees are not available, outsourcing may be the option to best complete the task. Having a workforce management system that can assist and organize this function will help the process to run smoothly. Off-duty or secondary side jobs that are contracted out for hire to businesses or private citizens can be automatically filled and billed within the workforce management solution with the feature of extra duty billing. Employers will have the ability to customize fairness assignment rules and apply those by skill set, total hours worked, last time worked, or any additional requirements before generating a selection of eligible employees to work available jobs.
Extra Duty Request
Officers can request to work pre-selected extra duty jobs that are posted to the schedule through the software and accessed through the web or smart phone. Selections will be awarded based on skill set, last time worked, total hours worked, and any other customizable fairness rotation rules set by the system administrator. The people best for the role that need the additional hours will fill those extra positions available. Therefore, the department will not be understaffed, and officers will have the opportunity to make extra money.
Broadcast Messaging
Employees can better and more quickly communicate with one another, as well as their managers, with the broadcast messaging feature in workforce management software. Instead of multiple, time-consuming calls between staff members to obtain last minute shift coverage, workforce management software offers communication with each other through cloud technology. Alerts and messages are instantly sent to a group of people via email, text or phone calling for quicker responses. This safeguards personal information and eliminates the struggle of trying to get in contact with one another. Shifts are filled quicker, and managers spend less time making calls, enabling them to devote more time on essential department operations.
Empower Staff to Manage Aspects of Their Own Schedules
For any business, the workforce is considered the largest controllable cost. However, as police departments are aware, constantly changing an employee’s schedule can make for quick disorganization. With workforce management software, empower staff to control their own schedules. Employees will have the ability to trade shifts and apply for time off. Working with other employees to determine the schedule that works best for everyone inspires a greater sense of team morale, as well.
About VCS
VCS provides public and private sectors with ultramodern workforce management tools that better manage their most complex workforce management needs and tedious business processes. Backed by 20 years of experience, VCS’ platform boasts industry-specific products and services, carefully crafted to make employee management, time & attendance, human resources, and payroll easier for the entire workforce.
