Employee scheduling software: Difference between revisions

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'''Employee scheduling software''' [[automated planning and scheduling|automates]] the process of creating and maintaining a [[Schedule (workplace)|schedule]]. Automating the scheduling of employees increases productivity and allows organizations with hourly workforces to re-allocate resources to non-scheduling activities. Such software will usually track [[vacation time]], [[sick time]], compensation time, and alert when there are conflicts.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last=Pattie|first=Maes|s2cid=207178655|year=2000|title=Agents that Reduce Work and Information Overload|url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/716f/f491fe8be17d8b4cb35bd9c5cfcee948e88a.pdf|journal=MIT Media Laboratory|volume=37|issue=7|pages=30–40|viadoi=10.1145/176789.176792}}</ref> As scheduling data is accumulated over time, it may be extracted for payroll or to analyze past activity. Although employee scheduling software may or may not make optimization decisions, it does manage and coordinate the tasks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|lastlast1=Ernst|firstfirst1=A. T|last2=Jiang|first2=H|last3=Krishnamoorthy|first3=M|last4=Sier|first4=D|date=2004-02-16|title=Staff scheduling and rostering: A review of applications, methods and models|journal=European Journal of Operational Research|series=Timetabling and Rostering|volume=153|issue=1|pages=3–27|doi=10.1016/S0377-2217(03)00095-X}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|lastlast1=Glover|firstfirst1=Fred|last2=McMillan|first2=Claude|last3=Glover|first3=Randy|date=1984-02-01|title=A heuristic programming approach to the employee scheduling problem and some thoughts on "managerial robots"|url= |journal=Journal of Operations Management|volume=4|issue=2|pages=113–128|doi=10.1016/0272-6963(84)90027-5}}</ref> Today's employee scheduling software often includes mobile applications. Mobile scheduling further increased scheduling productivity and eliminated inefficient scheduling steps.<ref name=":0" /> It may also include functionality including applicant tracking and on-boarding, time and attendance, and automatic limits on overtime.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}} Such functionality can help organizations with issues like [[employee retention]], compliance with [[labor laws]], and other [[workforce management]] challenges.

==Purpose==

A theoretical underpinning of an employee scheduling problem can be represented as the [[Nurse scheduling problem]], which is [[NP-hard]]. The theoretical complexity of the problem is a significant factor in the development of various software solutions. This is because systems must take into account many different forms of schedules that could be worked, and allocate employees to the correct schedule.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal | last1 = Weber | first1 = N. | last2 = Patten | first2 = L. | year = 2005 | title = Shoring Up for Efficiency | url = | journal = Health Management Technology | volume = 26 | issue = 1| pages = 34–36 }}</ref> Ultimately, optimization of scheduling is to minimize costs, but also often requires a reciprocal approach from management instead of complete reliance on software.<ref name=":0" />

== Transitioning to employee scheduling software ==

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===Magnetic tape===

During the 1960s, the punched card was gradually replaced as the primary means for data storage by magnetic tape, as better, more capable computers became available. [[Mohawk Data Sciences Corporation|Mohawk Data Sciences]] introduced a magnetic tape encoder in 1965, a system marketed as a keypunch replacement which was somewhat successful, but punched cards were still commonly used for data entry and programming until the mid-1980s when the combination of lower cost magnetic disk storage, and affordable interactive terminals on less expensive minicomputers made punched cards obsolete for this role as well.<ref>Aspray (ed.), W. (1990). Computing before Computers. Iowa State University Press. p. 151. {{ISBN|0-8138-0047-1}}.</ref> However, their influence lives on through many standard conventions and file formats.<ref>Lubar, Steven (1993). InfoCulture: The Smithsonian Book of Information Age Inventions. Houghton Mifflin. p. 302. {{ISBN|0-395-57042-5}}.</ref>

===Auto-scheduling and intelligent rostering===

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In the 2010s, the wide adoption of mobile devices and the rise of 3G, 4G, and 5G networks<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emarketer.com/Article/eMarketer-Updates-Worldwide-Internet-Mobile-User-Figures/1015770|title=eMarketer Updates Worldwide Internet and Mobile User Figures - eMarketer|website=www.emarketer.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-11}}</ref> worldwide has made it possible to approach the task of scheduling differently. In the last decade, many software solutions have sprung up to make the lives of business owners and managers easier and less burdensome.

The first wave of solutions helped small business owners to schedule, manage, and communicate with their employees in a more streamlined way. The newer way of solutions go a step further, leveraging machine learning and are being built on even newer cloud technologies.<ref>{{Citecitation webneeded|titledate=HowNovember Workforce Field Scheduling Benefits Business|url=https://www.salesforce.com/products/field-service/resources/workforce-field-scheduling/|website=Salesforce.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-172018}}</ref> The need for automation and intelligent rostering in workforce management will continue to grow as society's heads into a gig economy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.naco.org/featured-resources/future-work-rise-gig-economy|title=The Future of Work: The Rise of the Gig Economy|website=NACo|language=en|access-date=2018-11-11}}</ref>

== Complexity ==

Algorithms are used within the employee scheduling software in order to determine not only who is working, but also the specific jobs and tasks required of the workers. The system still must be monitored, and any further issues with assigning of specifics is done manually.<ref name=":3">{{cite journal | last1 = Robidoux | first1 = L. | last2 = Donnelly | first2 = P. | year = 2011 | title = Automated employee scheduling: Welcome to the future | url = | journal = Nursing Management | volume = 42 | issue = 12| pages = 41–43 | doi = 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000407580.30932.ce | pmid = 22124301 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Within the context of roster problems and models, there are three main factors to work out the differences: the integration of days off scheduling with line of work construction and task assignment, roster construction, and demand type.<ref name=":0" /> These complexities thusly require that each and every workplace must optimize employee scheduling software based offon their own unique set of rules, issues and needs.<ref name=":3" /> Additionally, it is difficult to determine optimal solution that minimize costs, meet employee preferences, distribute shifts equitably among employees and satisfy all the workplace constraints. In many organizations, the people involved in developing rosters need [[decision support tool]]s to help provide the right employees at the right time and the right cost while achieving a high level of [[employee satisfaction]].<ref name=":0" /> Due to constant change within work environments, new models and algorithms must be created in order to allow for flexibility as needs and demands arise. For example, when a large number of new employees are hired, as in the total workforce is increased, the scheduling software likely will need to be updated in order to allow for such a change.<ref name=":2" />

==Features==

Although employee scheduling software won't necessarily improve [[business practices]] by itself, it does automate typically tedious business administration. It can also have positive effects on aspects of the business indirectly, including [[employee engagement]], [[employee retention]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Study Finds Nearly Half of U.S. Hourly Workers Would Take Pay Cut for Influence Over Work Schedule|url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/study-finds-nearly-half-u-130000213.html|publisher=Business Wire May 2019}}</ref> and lowered labor costs. By providing management with large amounts of data, this software can assist management in making decisions and automatically create a work schedule that fits as many constraints as possible.<ref> {{cite journal | last=Maes | first=Pattie | s2cid=207178655 | title=Agents that reduce work and information overload | journal=Communications of the ACM | publisher=Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) | volume=37 | issue=7 | date=July 1, 1994 | issn=0001-0782 | doi=10.1145/176789.176792 | pages=30–40|url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/716f/f491fe8be17d8b4cb35bd9c5cfcee948e88a.pdf}}</ref> Also, the software may be a part of an [[ERP software|ERP package]] or other [[human resource management system]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mobile Technology: Transforming Workforce Management|last=IDC|publisher=July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Workforce Scheduling 2011: Automation Drives Accuracy, Efficiency and Business Outcomes|last=Aberdeen Group|publisher=April 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Research Note: Mobile Technology Meets the Frontline Workforce|last=Nucleus Research|publisher=April 2011}}</ref>

Features vary depending on software vendor, but some typical features include:

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*[[Gantt chart]] or calendar view of the schedule

*Approve employee requests for time off

* Reduce unproductive workforce due to over scheduling<ref name="NYT102812">{{cite news|title=A Part-Time Life, as Hours Shrink and Shift|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/business/a-part-time-life-as-hours-shrink-and-shift-for-american-workers.html|accessdateaccess-date=October 28, 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 27, 2012|author=Steven Greenhouse}}</ref>

* Use weather forecasts to predict staffing needs<ref name="NYT102812" />

* Days off scheduling

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* Templates to roll out shift plans over medium term

* Interface to payroll and/or management accounting software<ref name="workforceasset" />

* Ability to easily identify unassigned shifts.<ref name="workforceasset">{{cite book|last1=Disselkamp|first1=Lisa|title=Workforce Asset Management Book of Knowledge|publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc|isbn=9781118420508|date=2013-03-20}}<!--|accessdateaccess-date=22 October 2014--></ref>

* Ability to create reports for [[invoicing]] and payroll.<ref name="workforceasset" />

* Manage the task of [[automation]] and [[data collection]].

* Workplace analysis<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Stedman | first1 = C | year = 1999 | title = Retail Scheduling Systems Get Makeovers | url = | journal = Computerworld | volume = 33 | issue = 2| page = 14 }}</ref>

* Mobile application integration

* Interface agents<ref name=":4" />