Big data is changing the way we live in tremendous ways. One impact of big data is the way that it influences employee scheduling.
Employee scheduling technology has been around for a long time. However, big data has led to a number of new features that are making it more reliable than ever.
Employee Scheduling Features that Are the Result of Big Data
Managers know that in order to keep a company running efficiently and effectively, they have to create a well-rounded schedule. With a fair schedule, your company has order and flow, and on top of it all, it helps to minimize complaints as employees have a functional work-life balance. Big data is making this a lot easier for them.
Now, we also know that creating a schedule is a manager’s worst nightmare and one of their biggest causes of stress. So that’s where using an advanced employee scheduling app comes in. With an automated approach, the process of creating a schedule is so much easier because mistakes are less common, overtime is avoided, finding replacements takes minutes, tracking hours is a breeze and a dozen more benefits can be rattled off.
Now, when it comes to choosing the right scheduling software, there are the obvious must-have features. But what about the features you didn’t even know you needed? That’s what we’re here to highlight. Big data has made the following features possible.
1. Collaboration per shift
When it comes to collaborating with your team per shift, you lose a lot of time playing phone tag and switching between multiple solutions. From reporting issues to sending status updates or receiving contracts from the field; everything is unorganized and messy.
Now, many employee scheduling software solutions have the feature collaboration per shift available so that makes collaborating per shift a much easier process. While on-the-go, you and your employees can start a chat during a specific shift and can even add files like media, video, docs and more.
If you have an employee arrive to the job site and they notice a hazard, they can fill out a report immediately so you can tend to this matter as soon as possible. Or if they see a ladder is broken, they can file for a repair right away.
2. Real-time shift status & feedback
Managers have a crystal-clear picture of each employee’s shift status because employees have the ability to accept or reject a job, can check-in once they’re on site or can even report when the job is completed. As a result of these real-time shift status alerts, managers know exactly how an employee or project is getting along.
For example, if an employee rejects a shift, you can find a replacement right away through the app instead of hassling your team on the phone. With shift status updates, you are always in the loop and know if you’re on track to meet the job or task deadline (or completion date).
Customize status updates so that when employees check-in at the job site, they can send reports through shift attachments; including notes and images to further explain and share job-related information. Plus, most scheduling solutions ping the employee’s GPS timestamp so you know your employee is at the right location.
3. An integrated communication solution
At any time and from any place, you and your employees should be able to communicate directly from the scheduling software. Whether it’s through a private chat or a group message (which you can separate by location, project, team, etc.), communicating with your team should be easy and swift.
Send updates regarding scheduling changes, open shifts and other related company information, like birthdays and HR announcements. Additionally, check that the software has an employee directory available via the app. No one wants to waste time-saving, editing and deleting the contact information of a colleague on their personal mobile phone. With the directory, you can search by location, name, department, job role and more.
4. Ability to track hours
Instead of switching to a time clock app to manage hours, make sure you can activate the GPS time clock to track the hours your team works. Plus, if the app can process absence and time off request and payroll then you’ve hit the jackpot.
This saves you a ton of time as you aren’t stuck manually combing through hours and payroll data. When the process is automatic and available on one solution, you save valuable time and money!
5. All-in-one
Scheduling software is best when it includes more than one feature. We already pointed out communication and time tracking, as that just makes sense. But what about filling out checklists, reports and forms? Or on-boarding and professional skill development?
By implementing one solution for you and your employees, you save time, energy, resources and cost. And when your employees don’t need to jump from app to app to app to get the job done, their performance goes up as they have the time to focus on delivering amazing customer service and can easily focus on the bottom line.
There is no secret that using an employee scheduling software allows you to focus on the things that really matter because schedules can be created, changed and published in the click of a button. The days of endless piles of paper and phone calls are behind you. Ensure that you choose a software that works for you by making sure it includes the features we listed above.
Big Data Makes Employee Scheduling Much Simpler
There are a number of benefits of big data in the corporate world. One of the biggest ways that companies are using big data is to improve employee scheduling.
