What Is Workforce Management Software
It’s undeniable that a business’ most important asset is its people. But as your business grows, and the more people you hire, the more challenging it becomes to manage them. This is where workforce management enters the scene.
In short, the workforce management definition encompasses aspects that deal with managing one’s team — whether it works on fixed hours or on an hourly rate. It’s about ensuring that teams are productive and the nitty gritty administrative details such as leaves and absences, clocking-in and more are taken care of smoothly. One thing that has significantly helped with this management is the implementation of workforce management systems.
But what exactly are they and what do they do? Should your business use it and if so, what benefits can you expect to enjoy? We answer these questions and more below, so keep reading for a deeper understanding.
What is workforce management software?
In short, workforce management (WFM) software is a technological tool that is used to help businesses manage their teams in a more efficient and intelligent way.
WFM software works with your business needs in mind and helps you manage your staff’s attendance, leaves and absences, payroll, productivity, customer service peaks and troughs and a whole lot more.
This software is excellent for ensuring greater productivity of your team while enhancing both internal and external regulatory compliance. But it also comes with many other advantages, which we cover in more detail below.
How does workforce management software work?
When it comes to WFM software, it’s important to note that it can come in several different forms, ranging from cloud-based to on-premise, integrated or more. Irrespective of the type of WFM software you’ve chosen for your business, the intelligent software operations mean that you can streamline worker efficiency and productivity with a few clicks of a button.
Clocking in to work becomes simpler, with no “cheating” as colleagues cannot sign in for others who may be running late. This information instantly goes to payroll through predefined system processes, which then takes the accurate and updated data (think: no data lags) and prepares the necessary documentation and payment details.
Ultimately, human errors are reduced and teams can focus on fulfilling core business-relevant tasks as opposed to spending unnecessary time on administrative tasks. Overall, the WFM functionality aims to streamline business operations, making them much more efficient than in the past.
Who can benefit from WFM software?
Wondering if WFM software is right for your business? The answer is definitely yes. Why?
Because workforce management software is designed in such a way that it can help organisations both big and small manage their teams.
Whether you run a large call centre or you have field workers out on jobs all day long, you can now better manage their time while introducing greater efficiency in your processes.
Key components of workforce management software
Now, let’s get down to business and explore the main components of WFM software. For those of you wondering what are the key features of WFM, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover that they are many and highly functional, meaning your business will greatly benefit from its implementation. Let’s take a closer look.
Time and attendance management
With WFM software, you’re now dealing with modern clock-in systems that are quick, easy and intuitive to use, helping with time tracking and attendance monitoring.
Absence and leave management
WFM software can also help you with leave tracking, absence management and PTO management, ensuring you always have enough team members to cover your business needs.
Scheduling and shift planning
For those of you who operate businesses that work on shifts, you can now enjoy shift scheduling, roster planning and workforce scheduling.
Labour cost management
Managing labour costs becomes simpler and easier with WFM software because it enables you to exercise greater labour cost control and handle overtime management. Payroll integration makes it easier to calculate costs and ensure timely and accurate payments.
Employee performance management
If you have teams with predefined monthly targets and you need to manage and track their performance, you can now easily do so with performance tracking. A WFM software system’s productivity analytics mean that you can carry out employee evaluations with data backing you up.
Compliance and reporting
Regulatory compliance is an essential part of your business. That’s why you need the right reporting tools that provide audit trails, ensuring you have information at your fingertips at any moment in time.
Why is workforce management important?
The importance of WFM is undeniable. Businesses can enjoy greater efficiencies and higher levels of productivity when it comes to daily operations.
Data becomes instantly accessible. And you can make informed decisions based on your team’s performance, helping you manage your business better.
But that’s not all. Some of the other benefits of workforce management are covered in more detail below. Take a look to see all the advantages your business can enjoy.
Benefits of using workforce management software
Some of the key benefits of using workforce management software include:
- Improved productivity: Enjoy increased efficiency, enhanced productivity, optimised workflows, and more.
- Cost savings: WFM software is able to introduce cost reduction to your business, while helping with budget management, which comes with important financial benefits.
- Better compliance: Stay on top of your legal obligations with WFM software that ensures legal compliance and regulatory adherence, while ensuring minimised risks for your business.
- Enhanced employee engagement: When employees see that you’re introducing greater efficiencies in their work, employee satisfaction increases. Also, by implementing the right engagement strategies, your workforce morale will receive a boost, too.
- Streamlined operations: The right WFM software can help boost your operational efficiency and introduce streamlined processes through workflow automation.
- Real-time data and analytics: You can now make data-driven decisions, bolstered by real-time insights through smart analytics tools.
Types of workforce management software
There are also different types of WFM software that you can choose from. A few examples of what’s available in the industry right now include:
On-premise WFM software
On-premise solutions are typically defined by in-house WFM, which works on a local server WFM to ensure that all your data is contained within your organisation.
Cloud-based WFM software
Cloud WFM software is a software-as-a-service or SaaS WFM. This is web-based workforce management that is accessible from any smart device with an internet connection and from any location.
Integrated WFM solutions
Your business can also take advantage of integrated systems, also called all-in-one WFM, offering comprehensive WFM solutions.
Industry-specific WFM software
There is also sector-specific WFM that is uniquely tailored WFM software based on your unique business needs. These industry solutions often come at a higher cost but offer a bespoke solution to workforce management.
Challenges of workforce management
Choosing the right WFM software comes with many advantages. But in the process of implementation and use, it’s possible that you may come across certain challenges, which you should be aware of. Once you are aware of what bumps you may encounter along the road, it becomes easier to manage. Here’s what you should keep in mind:
- Implementation challenges: Any new technological tool may come with implementation issues or deployment hurdles. Setup difficulties are frequently encountered if you don’t work together with your service provider to set up the software for easy and convenient usage.
- User adoption: Once the system is set up, you’ll need to carry out employee training. Consider adopting a software champion who bolsters user engagement and sees to it that software adoption takes place company-wide.
- Data security: In our modern world, data protection and cybersecurity are key. An important challenge is ensuring that your software is capable of secure data handling.
- System integration: It’s possible that you may experience integration issues and compatibility challenges, especially if there are any bugs in terms of system synchronisation.
- Cost considerations: As great as it is having WFM software, it also incurs a cost. This can be challenging for businesses that face budget constraints. However, over the long term, you’ll soon realise that your cost management is more efficient and an ROI analysis will prove that the system is worth it.
How to choose the right workforce management software
Wondering how to choose the right workforce management software? Here are some important criteria you should consider:
- Assessing your business needs: When doing your needs analysis, focus on your specific and unique business requirements. WFM needs may be defined by the number of employees you have, your business structure, types of operations and more.
- Key features to look for: Essential features of WFM functionalities should include must-have tools, such as clock-in and clock-out functionalities, payroll integrations, field worker management, employee performance, etc.
- Comparing vendors: Carry out a vendor comparison to see which one offers you the right functionalities at the right cost with an important characteristic of support included. This supplier evaluation of WFM providers is critical.
- Considering scalability: Does your WFM software offer scalability options? Does it have growth potential? Focus on these aspects for future-proofing the operations of your business.
- Evaluating user experience: Make sure that the user interface is intuitive. Focus on ease of use for your employees and gather user feedback to determine whether it is working as intended.
- Cost vs. value: Perform a cost-benefit analysis of the different pricing models and determine whether you are getting sufficient value for money.
Future trends in workforce management
Emerging technologies are just one example of WFM trends you should be aware of. With new tools being developed all the time, the future of workforce management looks more robust, efficient and productive. Ultimately, this is exactly what your business needs if it wants to introduce employee efficiencies while ensuring you stay ahead of the competition.
Why choose ServiceOS?
If you’re convinced that your business will benefit from workforce management software, you’ve come to the right place.
Here at ServiceOS, we’ve mastered the art and science of WFM software, enabling your business to scale on an upward trajectory while introducing greater employee productivity and efficiency.
Save your business important costs while taking advantage of one of the most affordable, feature-rich and valuable software tools available. Book a free demo or get in touch with us today.