We get a lot of questions about what people can expect when they implement a workforce management system. From, “What is it?” to, “How can it save my company time and money?” our team has the answers.
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions surrounding the systems we implement and what you should know before getting started.
What is a workforce management system?
Workforce management systems do exactly what they say: they help you manage your workforce. From tracking time & attendance to help with scheduling or absence management, they create clarity for employees while simplifying (and sometimes automating) administrative tasks for managers.
How do I know if I need a workforce management system?
If you’re reading this right now, you probably need one. Most often, companies realize there’s something missing from their processes, or find their processes aren’t streamlined enough. It’s easy to fall out-of-date. If you’re struggling in one of these areas, you might consider a workforce management system:
- Your process for hiring employees is long or labor-intensive.
- How you collect employee information is confusing, information gets lost, or your wealth of information is regularly incomplete.
- Your administrative processes involve too much physical paperwork or manual data entry into systems.
- You’re worried about your company’s compliance with labor laws.
Many of our customers come to us because they know they want to improve their processes. Their workforce management systems can help them simplify tasks, streamline processes, reduce overall stress and maintain better legal compliance with applicable laws.
I don’t know where to begin! How can I figure out what I need in a workforce management system?
Trying to find the right system is often overwhelming, and you aren’t alone. There are a few questions we ask potential customers before we advise them to get the ideas flowing:
- What are you looking to accomplish with a workforce management system?
- What company processes take you and your team too long?
- What does your employee hiring process look like?
- When your employees retire, what does that look like?
- What external factors—like a union contract, for example—are changing that are leading to the desire to update your system?
- What does your “perfect” workforce world look like, automated processes and all?
By using these questions to help them determine the questions they’re trying to answer, we can help guide them to their own answers. Sometimes, we even come up with answers to questions they didn’t even realize they had.
How can it help me control business costs?
The process of discovering your company’s workforce management needs may uncover some surprising realities about your internal policies. In particular, many are surprised just how inconsistent policy implementation is. Different managers may handle issues—like attendance policies, accruals, and PTO usage—in different ways.
A workforce management system can help your entire organization stay on the same page about these issues, as well as others. Another big one is managing overtime hours worked. Systems with a real-time labor dashboard can help managers make educated decisions when scheduling employee shifts to control labor costs more effectively. These are just a few examples of how a workforce management system can aid in controlling business costs.
How can it help me manage our compliance status?
We’ll start by saying this: If you don’t think your industry is impacted by labor non-compliance issues, think again. Compliance issues hit every single industry, regardless of location or organization size. There are several ways compliance issues can creep up on an organization without anyone noticing:
- Small companies without an HR department that may not be as well-versed in the finer details of wage and hour compliance.
- Large companies that only update their policies every couple years because of the long, laborious process.
- Senior companies that have been around for a long time getting stuck in old habits and “how we’ve always done it.”
A workforce management system can help keep labor practices in alignment with the latest labor laws, taking some of the burden off your shoulders to maintain compliance.
Can it accommodate my mobile workforce or a hybrid workforce?
Everyone’s workplace situation is different, and workforce management systems are specifically designed to accommodate that. For example, we offer a variety of time clock solutions to accompany Attendance on Demand, including:
- PIN-punch time clocks
- Card-swipe time clocks
- Biometric time clocks (i.e. no-touch facial recognition or fingerprint scanning)
- Mobile apps with GPS mapping
- Online timesheets
- & More
All these systems tie back into Attendance on Demand as a simple platform that can accommodate employees moving between locations, working in the office or working from home.
How long does it take to implement a new workforce management system?
As one might expect, implementation time depends on several factors. Many of our implementations can take as little as a month or two. For larger organizations—we’re talking 1000+ employees—six to eight months is more typical. Incredibly complex organizations, like government agencies, can easily take up to a year.
Larger organizations tend to have more complex management processes in place, and the complexity often depends on their current systems and what offerings they need. For example, if a company only needs payroll to start, that could only take a few months. Integrating additional system components could take longer. If you’re curious to learn more, check out this blog on collaborating for seamless system implementation.
Will I be able to talk to a real person if I run into an issue?
With Advanced Time, absolutely! Our team is available around-the-clock to provide our customers with support via phone, email, or our Remote Desktop Support. For questions and problems both big and small, we’re there.
Can’t I just do all my administrative work manually?
Hypothetically, yes. But, once a system is in place and your team is trained on it, you’ll save everyone on your team significant time. That leaves more time to focus on other important areas, both professionally and personally, while setting you up for future growth.
These are just a few of the questions we are frequently asked, but if you’re serious about finding a system that works for your organization, you likely have others. Our team is always available to help. You’re welcome to give us a call at 1-800-841-3824, or you can email us through our contact form. We’ll help you determine if a workforce management system is the right fit for you.
