Workforce Management Solutions

Efficient Workforce Management, also known as WFM, is one of the cornerstones of modern business. For business owners and managers, having the best team is just the beginning. What sets a business apart is how well it uses its resources, namely the knowledge and skills of its employees. That’s the reason why Workforce Management Solutions have become an increasingly important part of the modern business landscape.

Virtually every Business strategy aims to answer key questions: How can we outperform competitors in efficiency and productivity? What’s the best way to allocate resources for success? Workforce Management (WFM) tackles these questions by focusing on the core of every organisation—its people.

In our previous article about Workforce Management or WFM, we have clarified the conceptual nature of Workforce Management and its processes. We have defined Workforce Management like this:

Workforce Management, or WFM, is the name given to a wide set of techniques designed to optimise the efficiency and effectiveness of the staff in an organisation. Among other things, it involves the strategic allocation of personnel and resources, monitoring attendance, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations in order to enhance productivity and minimise risk.

As you probably already know, Workforce Management Solutions are software tools that can be extremely helpful when it comes to devising and implementing a Workforce Management strategy. In this article, we’ll tell you everything there is to know about Workforce Management Solutions, from what they are to its benefits and most important features.

What is a Workforce Management Solution?

The rapid evolution of communication technologies has fundamentally transformed various industries in recent decades, a change that has been particularly accelerated in the past few years. The Software as a Service (SaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) industries have witnessed substantial development, coupled with ongoing advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) that continue to drive innovation in business operations. These trends underscore the dynamic landscape businesses navigate, where adaptability and effective utilisation of emerging technologies are essential for staying competitive.

*CCaaS platforms with extra features like Connex One can double up as Workforce Management Solutions.*

Workforce Management (WFM) software emerges from this evolving landscape. Essentially, Workforce Management Solutions are software tools designed to streamline and optimise workforce-related tasks within a business. Covering aspects such as human resources, scheduling, time and attendance tracking, and performance management, WFM software plays a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency.

Notably, it facilitates efficient employee scheduling, ensuring optimal coverage and resource allocation for effective management of work shifts and assignments. The software’s capabilities extend to tracking employee work hours, attendance, and leave, providing accurate data for payroll processing and ensuring compliance with labour regulations. Task assignment is another key feature, allowing businesses to allocate responsibilities based on employees’ skills, availability, and workload, thereby promoting fair and efficient task distribution for optimised workforce productivity.

Among the benefits the right Workforce Management Solution bring to businesses are:

Streamlined attendance tracking, enhancing data accuracy and reducing payroll errors.
Enhanced workforce productivity by automating manual processes and offering better management of performance and time and attendance policies.
Promotion of Workplace Safety, streamlining and automating health and safety protocols, ensuring accurate information from incident reporting to critical data capture, and encouraging employees to report issues effectively.
Cost Reduction due to streamlined processes and visibility into employee availability and budgeted hours, which ensures accurate time tracking and decreases expenses related to incremental overtime.
Employee Engagement Boost by fostering productivity and achieving a better work-life balance through flexible scheduling.
Error-Proof Forecasting based on advanced analytics and sophisticated algorithms, allowing businesses to anticipate fluctuations in demand, understand peak periods, and align staffing levels accordingly.
Flexible Scheduling that aligns workforce skills with anticipated demand, empowering employees to manage their schedules using self-service tools and contributing to increased productivity.
Informed Business Insights through real-time reporting capabilities enabling organisations to monitor overall company performance.
Remote Access, allowing employees to perform tasks efficiently from mobile devices.
Error Reduction through Automation; automation ensures accuracy, eliminating data entry mistakes made using self-service time reporting tools.

However, not all Workforce Management Solutions are alike. Some come with different features and functionalities, making them more suitable for specific businesses, like contact centres or BPOs, while others cater better to different industries.

So, what should you prioritise when choosing a Workforce Management Software solution for your business? It depends on your specific needs. To get started, let’s look at the essential features in a WFM Solution, which we’ll explore in the next section.

5 Essential Features in a Workforce Management Solution

Scheduling and Calendar

WFM Scheduling and Calendar functions operate as a dynamic tool facilitating the efficient allocation of workforce resources. These features typically boast a user-friendly interface, empowering managers to easily create, manage, and adjust employee schedules.

Real-time visibility into schedules ensures that both managers and employees are well-informed about assigned shifts, tasks, and responsibilities, allowing for transparency and accountability. Managers can view attendance metrics and promptly organise training sessions, having also the capability to oversee campaigns, facilitating the seamless allocation of resources to areas where they are most needed.

Employees benefit from features like shift swapping and time-off requests, allowing for a more flexible and responsive scheduling process. Automated notifications and alerts keep both managers and employees informed of upcoming shifts, meetings, special events, holidays, sick days, schedule changes, or pending requests, fostering timely communication.

Shift Tracking

The shift tracking function within a Workforce Management (WFM) platform plays a crucial role in providing insights into employee activities during their shifts. Managers can efficiently monitor and analyse the tasks and responsibilities undertaken by employees in real-time. This feature offers a comprehensive view, allowing supervisors to gain clarity on how work hours are allocated and ensuring that employees are engaged in tasks aligned with business objectives.

Real-time visibility into employee activities fosters a proactive approach to workforce management. Managers can swiftly respond to any deviations from the planned activities, ensuring that the workforce is aligned with current business needs. This granular level of observation also facilitates the identification of areas for improvement and the recognition of exemplary performance.

Overtime Management

Some Workforce Management software platforms can issue alerts when an employee’s accumulated hours are poised to trigger overtime or if an individual attempts to work additional hours without prior approval.

This functionality empowers employers to equitably and efficiently distribute overtime, preventing undue payroll costs resulting from unauthorised work hours.

Performance Analytics

Performance analytics features can transform a Workforce Management (WFM) platform into a dynamic tool for maximising productivity and detecting a business’ strengths and weak points. Performance analytics can measure individual and team productivity by analysing output, task completion rates, and overall efficiency. This insight aids in identifying high-performing teams and individuals, facilitating targeted recognition and optimization of work processes.

WFM platforms often allow organisations to define and track customised KPIs based on specific business goals. These tailored metrics provide insights into performance in alignment with the organisation’s unique objectives.

A feature especially useful for businesses that place great value in their interactions with customers is Sentiment Analysis AI. This Artificial Intelligence feature utilises cutting-edge algorithms to analyse textual data, unravelling the emotional tone and attitudes expressed in conversations with customers. By gauging sentiments in real-time, the platform provides an instantaneous pulse on the workforce, identifying nuanced areas for improvement and celebration within the workplace.

*Sentiment Analysis dashboard within Connex One; for call centres, Sentiment Analysis can be an extraordinarily useful performance metric within a Workforce Management Solution*

Mobile Accessibility

Some Workforce Management Software platforms, like Connex One, are also available as a mobile or tablet app For managers, a mobile WFM app ensures they can oversee and adjust workforce schedules, track attendance, and make real-time decisions on the go. This level of mobility enhances their ability to respond promptly to changing business needs, address unexpected challenges, and optimise workforce allocation.

Employees, too, benefit significantly from the convenience of a mobile WFM app. They can easily view their schedules, request time off, submit availability preferences, and even swap shifts with colleagues—all from the palm of their hand. This not only streamlines communication between employees and management but also empowers individuals to take control of their work schedules and manage their work-life balance effectively. Besides, if the app comes with Omnichannel capabilities, it will allow employees to maintain seamless communication with each other across every channel and at their convenience.

Labour Forecasting

Forecasting within a Workforce Management (WFM) platform introduces a level of strategic planning that significantly enhances an organisation’s ability to align its workforce with dynamic business demands. By leveraging advanced algorithms and historical data, forecasting becomes a powerful tool for predicting future trends in workload, allowing for proactive decision-making.

One notable convenience is the ability to anticipate staffing needs accurately. Through forecasting, organisations can predict peak work periods, seasonal fluctuations, and other trends that impact workforce requirements. This enables managers to strategically schedule shifts, allocate resources efficiently, and ensure that the right number of staff is available to meet demand. This proactive approach minimises the risk of understaffing or overstaffing, optimising operational efficiency.

Additionally, forecasting provides the convenience of aligning workforce planning with overall business goals. By anticipating fluctuations in demand, organisations can adjust staffing levels to accommodate growth, scale operations during busy periods, or implement cost-saving measures during slower times. This strategic alignment enhances adaptability, allowing businesses to respond effectively to changing market conditions.

The convenience of forecasting in a WFM platform extends to budgeting and resource allocation. Organisations can plan and allocate financial resources more effectively by having insights into future workforce requirements. This not only optimises budgetary control but also ensures that the workforce is allocated in a manner that maximises productivity and minimises unnecessary expenses.