The Staff are the largest asset in many Companies and labour costs are often the largest single cost item. Therefore, it is important to make the best use of the working hours of the Employees and make full use of available capacity. This applies to Staff just like all other resources, machines, equipment, facilities, etc.
Allocating the right Staff with the right skills, to the right job and at the right time requires more than a crystal ball.
The ideal Shift Plan remains within the financial framework (budget), handles Staff and equipment needs, meets regulatory requirements, meets Employee preferences, makes fair plans, and so on.
StaffPlan helps you with accurate planning in several lines of business
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Some Companies have relatively static scheduling needs, where the primary task is to ensure that Staff fulfil their time standards and possess the right qualifications. Typically, this can be achieved with basic template plans that ensure compliance with the employment requirements and not to mention all the Agreements, Labour and Industry Rules that apply in this area.
On the other hand, if the requirement for labour and different qualifications fluctuates over the day, week or month, the challenge lies in balancing the Work Schedule in relation to needs and demand. In these cases, Companies need far more flexible and dynamic Planning Models. Over staffing is expensive. Under staffing is perhaps even more expensive if you cannot produce sufficient quantity of products or service for Customers in relation to demand.
It is PDC’s specialty to secure this match and provide IT Systems to balance Staff Planning. We have dedicated Solutions within a number of specific industries, where we have special knowledge of the processes and business processes.
The planning complexity increases further, for the businesses operating beyond regular working hours from 9am-5pm. A number of companies are characterised by:
- Work around the clock
- Tasks that are time dependent (start and end time)
- Tasks that are inter dependent on various competencies
- Safety requirements that must be met
- Employees with many different qualifications
- Risk of bottlenecks e.g. because of specialised skills
- Large variations in the need for Staff and skills
- Different Employment conditions and continuous training
It sets a number of IT requirements to optimise the use of Staff when such criteria are included.
In addition, it is not just long term fluctuations in production that needs to be addressed. It is also day to day ad hoc events and consequences of changes that needs to be addressed in the daily dispatch.
To make an effective Work Schedule even more valuable, it is important that Employees take ownership of it. This is best done by involving Employees and enable them to contribute to their own working hours.
PDC has 25 years of experience in involving Employees in planning. This is achieved through improved communication between colleagues and Planners in the form of “chat” functions and through dedicated Employee Solutions to carry out exchange of duties and to submit shift preferences. The preferences can be in the form of absences and specific shifts, and there is the possibility of temp workers and casual Staff can inform the Planner of when they are available.
When planning becomes complicated, feel free to contact PDC and learn how our IT Solutions can support your existing workflows and assist in optimising Staff use. Our Solutions also help to make happier and more satisfied Employees.
It’s common sense and good business.