WHAT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO KNOW TO IMPLEMENT SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS
JUNe
FROM A LEADER IN WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
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WHAT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO KNOW TO IMPLEMENT SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS
INTRODUCTION In service organizations, employees frequently work nonstandard schedules that include early mornings, evenings, nights and weekends, as well as extended hours and rotating shifts. In addition, managers must have staffing plans in place to ensure the right employees are at the right place at the right time. The largest controllable expense for service organizations is labor. Ineffective scheduling leads to decreased performance, higher turnover and higher costs (overtime).
could be subjected to fines or even lawsuits. Each day, every
Non-standard schedules are common where there is a need to
week, managers or schedulers need to make scheduling
provide service 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Scheduling employees for around-the-clock coverage is a complex task.
decisions and, more often than one would expect, they make poor scheduling decisions. Even when these poor decisions
Trying to maintain the balance between continuous coverage
seem small, they add up.
and avoiding costly overtime, while taking into consideration
Without question, managers are a vital part of service
each employee’s preferences and needs, is challenging. Unfortunately, because of the large number of variables to be considered when scheduling employees, many organizations fail at this vital task.
organizations. The success of the organization depends on their ability to manage the day-to-day decisions for their area of responsibility. Consequently, whether they are hired from outside or promoted from within, managers are selected based on a variety of criteria, from education to experience, from past
“The largest controllable expense for service organizations is labor. Ineffective scheduling leads to decreased performance, higher turnover and higher costs (overtime).”
successes to performance in similar situations. However, one thing managers are rarely selected for is their ability to maintain a schedule for their staff. Even in organizations that have a dedicated role for scheduling, those that fill the role often have little experience performing the task and may receive limited training or guidance to do so effectively. Consider filling an open shift because an employee called in sick or a client has changed their requirements. The manager needs to find someone to contact to fill this position. Most managers generally know who they can count on to help in
Staff schedules are essential to organizations. If there are too few people working, services will not be completed. If staff works overtime, money is wasted. If there are unqualified people working in the wrong position, organizations are at risk. If the schedule does not adhere to regulations, the organization
a situation like this. They often contact the same person they always do. It doesn’t matter if that person is one of the more highly paid employees, or if contacting that person results in overtime. The manager can make one phone call or send one email and get back to work.
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WHAT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO KNOW TO IMPLEMENT SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS Effective scheduling solutions help managers make more
The schedule should be audited for accuracy, compliance, and
intelligent decisions. In the example above, an effective
cost prior to posting.
scheduling system could generate a list of available employees
4. Post the Schedule
from lowest cost to highest cost, filtering out individuals already scheduled for 40 hours.
After editing, the schedule is ready to be made available to
BEST PRACTICES FOR SCHEDULING
milestone because it allows the staff to view their expected
Whether you are using a purpose-built, automated scheduling system or relying on paper and pencil with Word/Excel documents, there are five universal steps that can be used to create a schedule.
1. Create a Master Schedule The first step in the scheduling process is to define a standard schedule for all locations. This will include the different shifts that need to be covered, the hours of coverage required, and the type of work that needs to be done. The master schedule should be checked against the budget for that location to
staff. While a simple act, posting the schedules is an important work hours, which in turn leads to requests for changes. If the schedules are posted on the internet, employees will need to be trained to check their schedules. Email or text message alerts may also be generated to remind employees of their schedules.
5. Managing the schedule No battle plan survives contact with the enemy and no schedule survives the first day of implementation. Even after schedules are posted, there will be constant changes. Change is driven by clients’ needs, employee call offs, employee reassignments, and employees wanting extra shifts.
ensure there is no under/over coverage included.
2. Create an Employee Schedule An initial schedule can be created once the demands and requirements are known. The initial schedule could be created from scratch, based on the last schedule worked, or based on templates. Creating the initial schedule, especially if it is being created from scratch, is a complex balancing act in which employees need to be assigned shifts while considering each employee’s availability, skills, competences, and preferences, as well as employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements, labor laws, organization policies, and overtime. Creating formal records of employee preferences and availability may need to be part of this project.
3. Edit the Initial Schedule It is inevitable that the initial schedule will need to be edited before it is posted. Ideally, this involves fine-tuning the
“Effective scheduling solutions help managers make more intelligent decisions.”
schedules to fill any remaining open shifts, minimizing overtime and adding new hires.
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ARE MANAGERS PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF THE SOLUTION? Managers have several opportunities throughout this process to ruin the schedule. They may not accurately report their requirements, so the master schedule may be incorrect. Employees may be assigned without any regard to compliance with the organization’s policies, contracts, collective bargaining agreements, and employee qualifications. Also, employees may be assigned without sufficient regard to costs such as overtime.
WHY DO MANAGERS MAKE BAD SCHEDULING DECISIONS? Why do managers make bad scheduling decisions? While there are many creative ways for managers to ruin schedules, there are only a few root causes.
“Managers have several opportunities throughout this process to ruin the schedule.”
1. Managers don’t use the schedules to fill open positions. 2. The database does not contain the correct information to allow managers to make effective decisions when filling open positions. 3. Managers don’t trust or know how to use the scheduling solution to fill open positions. 4. Managers are not really aware of the organization’s priorities such as reducing overtime or do not consider this to be their responsibility.
HELPING SMART MANAGERS USE SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS As you can see, the underlying reasons why smart managers may ruin schedules usually have little to do with the scheduling system itself, assuming the scheduling solution is generally
change management program. Change management involves a structured approach to transitioning your organization from the old way of creating and managing schedules to a new, more effective, way. Change management should be started early in the project life cycle. However, it is never too late for change management, even if the new scheduling system has already been deployed and you are struggling with it. A fresh approach to change management can help improve the adoption and use of the new scheduling solution. It can help to achieve the return on investment the organization is seeking from a scheduling solution. An effective change management program consists of five parts: stakeholder analysis, requirements and validation,
effective. (Where the system lacks functionality, a replacement
communications, training and support, and measurement.
system or upgrade will be required.) Instead, it has to do with the manager’s perception and knowledge of the system, or the
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
way the system was configured.
The first and crucial step to change management is a
The good news is that a manager’s perception and knowledge of the system, the way it is configured, and even the functionality provided, can be managed through an effective
stakeholder analysis. It is during this step that the stakeholders are identified and you gain an understanding of what will motivate (or de-motivate) them to use the scheduling solution
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WHAT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO KNOW TO IMPLEMENT SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS successfully. The stakeholder analysis forms the foundation of the change management program. Once it is completed, the work done here is used to design the programs that engage the stakeholders in subsequent steps of the change management program.
IDENTIFYING STAKEHOLDERS When we think about stakeholders, too often we think about executives and other senior managers who need to buy into a new project to get it off the ground. They get attention
What motivates managers? What might cause managers to
because they hold the purse strings or can stand in the way of
view the system negatively? What might cause managers to
a new initiative. However, there are many more stakeholders
embrace an effective scheduling solution? How can an effective
in an organization that is trying to implement an effective
scheduling solution help managers accomplish their goals?
scheduling solution. It includes everyone who will use the
Understanding the answers to these questions will provide the
system, including the frontline managers.
information needed to effectively engage managers through
UNDERSTANDING THE STAKEHOLDER’S MOTIVATIONS At the root of a stakeholder analysis is being able to define“What’s in it for me?” for each of your stakeholders. Understanding their “hot button” issues and what motivates them will be important in making the scheduling project successful. Identify any stakeholder’s challenge that could be solved with an effective scheduling solution, any predisposition for or against it, and the key messages that will help them understand the benefits.
all the steps in the change management program, leading to a more successful project.
“A fresh approach to change management can help improve the adoption and use of the new scheduling solution.”
REQUIREMENTS AND VALIDATION The key to a successful change management program is to obtain the buy-in of all the stakeholders. There is no better way to get buy-in than to make managers part of the solution. If they feel like part of the solution, they are more likely to champion the solution to others. Engage managers in the requirements assessment and configuration of the system. Involving managers not only gets buy-in, it also ensures that accurate requirements and data are collected so that the scheduling solution will be truly effective.
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It is impractical to have a large number of managers involved. Instead, it is important to select a handful of managers that are opinion leaders in your organization. These managers will need to be experienced, as they will be required to help describe what an effective scheduling solution needs to do to be able to help them. Select managers who have a positive predisposition to using an effective scheduling solution. Perhaps these managers had asked for a more effective scheduling solution in the past, or came from another organization that used an effective scheduling solution. These managers should be involved in the pilot program, where there is an opportunity to rectify any deployment issues.
COMMUNICATION Every change management program should include a communication plan. The communication plan should
“The key to a successful change management program is to obtain the buy-in of all the stakeholders.”
document how and when stakeholders will be informed about the project and its status and impact. For each stakeholder, it will include key messages that relate to their motivations and
TRAINING AND SUPPORT
the “hot buttons” that were identified as part of the stakeholder
Very few effective scheduling solutions are rolled out without
analysis. A comprehensive communication plan will include
training. Ensure that training provided is adequate and that
multiple touchpoints with each stakeholder, using a variety of
there is an effective support system in place, especially during
mediums.
the transition.
For the vast majority of managers, their first exposure to an
The pilot program, transition plan, and implementation plan
effective scheduling solution will be through communications
determine when managers will be trained and what they will
about the new plan. Part of your message must include a clear
be taught. Training plans need to be designed not only to
and credible explanation of why the organization is rolling out
support the initial rollout, but also to train new managers hired
an effective scheduling solution and set expectations for the
after the system has been implemented.
new system, including what it can do for managers in their area of responsibility.
The time allotted for managers to receive training is important
Messages that do not resonate with managers make the job
training is provided before the system is available to managers,
more difficult. Therefore, messages should be tested before
who may wait days, or even weeks, to use the scheduling system.
they are sent to the larger community. The managers involved
The managers sometimes forget what they have learned.
in requirements and validation may provide a good test source
Training should be given only when managers have access to
for the messages. Other managers with whom there is a good
the system. Immediately after training, managers should be
working relationship will also be good sounding boards for the
required to use the new system. To minimize disruption, the
trial messages.
system might be rolled out to groups of managers over several
to the overall success of the implementation plan. Too often
weeks.
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WHAT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO KNOW TO IMPLEMENT SCHEDULING SOLUTIONS
MEASUREMENT The last part of a successful change management program is measuring progress. While measurement is listed last, do not wait until the end of the implementation rollout to measure how effective it was. Instead, it should be an ongoing activity that helps quantify progress, identify what is working, and change what is not working. It also provides material to answer questions relating to overall fundamental goals. Measure the impact of the new system on your organization. The questions will relate to your original goals. Is the new system being used effectively? Has overtime been reduced? Are managers spending less time on schedules? Has service improved? Are schedules more compliant now than with the As important as training is, support is equally important. Training provides managers with the knowledge to use the
previous system? Is greater visibility helping you identify issues such as unauthorized attendance and overlapping shifts?
system. All managers will experience a learning curve. Support
If you have followed the practices and advice described above,
and help need to be available to help address procedural
your organization should be functioning more efficiently and
questions as well as to provide answers to technical issues.
cost-effectively and your managers should be spending less time on scheduling and more on tasks that demand and reflect their professional expertise.
ABOUT MITC MITC provides modular workforce management solutions and services to support all the needs of service organizations — time and attendance, advanced employee scheduling, service documentation, payroll rules and reporting engine, workforce analytics, payroll and billing integration, and more. For 25 years, MITC has grown to serve over 1,500 organizations (with anywhere form 5 to 10,000 employees) in the USA, the UK , Africa, Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. They have selected MITC to help control costs, save time, improve productivity and ensure compliance.
Visit www.mitcsoftware.com to learn more.
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