Overview
Labour scheduling software is for producing rotas. It could just as easily sit in operations, as it straddles several functional areas, but it is often integrated (or even included) with other HR software.
Simple labour scheduling software should enable your managers to allocate shifts using a simple user interface, and ought to (at the very least) represent an improvement on using spreadsheets or tables. Recent developments see machine learning and algorithms used to automatically generate rotas, based on historic sales, weather, events and other data to plan sales at a granular level. Much like the algorithms used in predictive ordering, they work best when sense-checked and tweaked by managers who know the operating environment.
Critical functions
Labour scheduling software ought to have the following functions:
A simple user interface for managers to create rotas, showing them forecast or budgeted sales to ensure optimal deployment of staff
Easy ways for team members to find out about their shifts (e.g. via a mobile app or website)
Review and sign-off processes to ensure schedules are checked and validated
Ability for managers to ‘advertise’ available shifts to their teams, or add notes to shifts on the schedule (e.g. what station the team member is to work on)
Ability for team members to input their availability and request shift swaps
Important integrations
If you want to use predictive scheduling, your labour scheduling software will need a feed in from the POS system to gather sales data. There will also need to be a link to your payroll system to ensure employees are paid correctly for the shifts they work, and potentially to the employee relations system to ensure staff roles, grades and places of work are automatically updated.
Users
Employees, to advise their availability and learn about their upcoming shifts
Managers, to create schedules
HR and finance teams
Payroll bureau (if using)
