How Productivity and Scheduling are Related

by Maria Annie Multi Consultant

Any business that is interested in obtaining long-term success must have productive workers. Productivity can be measured in terms of how efficiently a company uses its resources to make a profit. Productivity encompasses several crucial aspects in regards to running a business, such as workplace morale, customer satisfaction, and the use of time.

There are many ways to increase productivity at your workplace, but the easiest way to do so is to implement an effective scheduling process.

So how exactly are productivity and scheduling related? We will discuss three critical ways that effective scheduling practices combined with scheduling software can lead to increased productivity.

1. Improved Time Management

One of the most apparent benefits that come with an effective scheduling process is better time management for both employees and employers. An advanced scheduling solution can provide time management benefits in the following areas:

Increased Transparency

It's easy for miscommunication to arise between employees and management, for several different reasons. This is especially true when it comes to the scheduling process, particularly if workers are on flexible or rotating shifts. It's easy for an employee to misunderstand when they are supposed to work or miss a shift because of last-minute scheduling changes. These communication breakdowns can contribute to a loss of productivity along with absenteeism related financial costs.

By providing transparent and easily accessible schedules, you can help to solve many of these communication problems. A scheduling solution that automatically sends a notification when schedules are created or changed ensures that everyone stays on the same page.

With a transparent scheduling system in place, productivity will increase, and absenteeism will be reduced.

Reduced Multi-tasking

With traditional scheduling, management is forced to continually update employee schedules from week-to-week and, in some cases, from day-to-day. Many managers have to handle these scheduling tasks while often juggling several other duties. The result? One study found that productivity can drop by approximately 40% when a manager or employee multi-tasks.

On the other hand, a scheduling platform that allows for automated scheduling can drastically reduce a manager's workload, leaving them with more time to deal with critical operational tasks. As a result, the software allows a manager to be more productive.

Improved Planning

The ability to plan is critical to the success of any business. When employees can look ahead at their scheduled workweek, they can better prioritize crucial on the job tasks and perform more productively. Managers that also have a firm grasp of when and where each employee will be working can successfully develop and implement project timelines based on your business needs. Both managers and employees can enjoy a better work-life balance when they have access to schedules in advance.

2. Optimized Resource Management

Effective scheduling isn't just about time management; rather, it also enables management to more efficiently allocate resources. One of the most common examples of this in action involves payroll costs - specifically as they relate to overtime.

While overtime can offer several benefits to a business, it also comes with crucial drawbacks which include:

Reduced Employee Morale
High Turnover
Increased Labor Costs
Decreased Productivity

The above points demonstrate the fact that businesses need to be able to find a balance between using too much versus too little overtime. Efficient scheduling software can help managers keep track of which employees have reached their overtime threshold as well as which have not. They can use this information to determine how to best distribute the workload for minimum cost and maximum efficiency.

3. Improved Reporting

Lastly, advanced scheduling software should make payroll reporting and other essential HR functions as simple as possible. For example, schedule reporting can help in the following ways:

It enables management to gain insight into employee attendance patterns. For example, which employees are consistently late or miss work? Which employees come in early?
It makes data easier to read and allows you to take action as needed.
It helps management better understand current business needs, such as when staffing shortages are typically encountered or when peak times occur.

An exceptional scheduling solution should be equipped with robust data analytics so that management can include scheduling metrics as a key component of the "big data" picture.

The Importance of an Effective Scheduling Solution

As mentioned above, effective scheduling offers several vital advantages to businesses focusing on the future. For example:

It allows for a better work-life balance.
It allows management to cut down on labor costs, especially when it comes to overtime.
It helps eliminate misunderstandings.
It promotes time management for employers and employees.

Many scheduling solutions offer all of the benefits mentioned above. If you feel like a scheduling solution could help your company by increasing productivity and lowering labor costs, then invest in a scheduling solution today!