Maximize Your WFM Investment: Avoid Buyer’s Remorse

workforce management ROI
Avatar photo

Liz Strikwerda

Content strategist and corporate blogger (2000+ posts). Her work has been featured on G2's Learning Hub, Human Resources Today, Better Buys and over 500 business websites. She plays bluegrass mandolin and enjoys sailing her catamaran and hiking in the red rock wilderness of southern Utah. Connect with me on LinkedIn

Is your workforce management software living up to its potential? If you’re not sure, answer these questions. It will help you pinpoint where to focus your efforts to increase workforce management ROI.

  • Have you been fully trained on all of its features? Has your staff?
  • Is everyone clocking in with it?
  • Do your offsite employees use the mobile app?
  • Have you customized it?
  • Are you using analytics?
  • Are employees using the self-service portal?
  • Are shifts staffed adequately?
  • Is there confusion about scheduling?
  • Are you running the latest version?
  • Have you integrated it with other company software?
  • Are you saving money with your wfm? If so, how much?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you aren’t extracting all the value from your investment. Let’s dive into each of the topics.

WFM Software Training

When you roll out wfm software, the first priority is employee clock in/out. Managers train and remind their staff to use the new system. They toss the old paper timesheets. When they start approving time cards online in minutes, they are thrilled. It saves them so much time, they move on without delving into other features.

If you need training on unused features of your software, contact your vendor. They may provide in-person or online training. Check for pre-recorded demos on their website. Fellow users may have posted their own tutorials on YouTube or Vimeo. If you don’t have a lot of extra time for training, make a goal to learn and use one new feature every week or month. Using these new tools will automate additional HR processes. This, in turn, will free up time for more training. The training and implementation will become a self-sustaining cycle.

Document everything from the simple to the complex. You may think the online dashboard is a no-brainer to use, but you may discover that some employees are confused. Your workforce management software may have tools for process documentation. Document a few workflows every week and add them to your company knowledge base. Incorporate them into your onboarding processes. Make sure all employees know how to access this information.

Universal Adoption

Time and attendance software should be easy to use. If only part of your staff is using it, you can’t take advantage of features like schedule adherence, overtime alerts, and PTO tracking. Company-wide adoption is crucial. Figure out who isn’t using it and get them on board. Hold managers accountable for their teams.

Get A Mobile App

If your wfm software doesn’t have a mobile app, it is probably behind the curve. If a mobile app wasn’t available when you purchased the system, check to see if your provider has one now. Universal adoption includes mobile workers, offsite employees, seasonal workers, contractors, and telecommuters.

Customize

Without customization, your system is mainly a calculator for online time cards. If you have only entered basic employee information, you are wasting valuable features. Use job costing, skills tracking, and break rules. Plus alerts/notifications and sick leave management.

Use Analytics

Companies can increase profitability through data-driven decision making. Workforce management compiles analytics on numerous metrics. Analytics will reveal trends that are impossible to identify otherwise. Your account rep can guide you on which types of reports to run and how often. Schedule forecasting, in particular, is universally valuable. Your provider may have case studies of businesses similar to yours. Take the guesswork out of decision-making by using wfm analytics.

Employee Self-Service

Employee self-service lets staff members access and interact with a wealth of information. Basic wfm software lets employees view their time cards and schedule. An online shift trade board transfers more processes to employees. Employees and managers love online shift exchange boards because it eases the burden on managers and gives employees more control over their schedules.

Unified Human Resources portals allow access to tax forms, company policies, benefits enrollment, and engagement tools. Employee self-service increases efficiency for managers, employees, and admin staff. Self-service portals allows large companies to function competently with relatively small HR teams.

Streamline Scheduling

If you’ve got coverage gaps, you’re not using your wfm scheduling tools correctly. Make sure you’ve entered rules to guide scheduling. If you deal with numerous certifications, enter them in the employee profiles. Some systems track expiration dates and will alert you when it’s time to re-certify. Skills tracking is especially important for healthcare, construction, and manufacturing.

Reduce Shift Confusion

Schedule confusion hampers everything from customer service to employee morale. We’ve already talked about several things that can reduce confusion. For example, self-service shift trading and scheduling rules. Use notification tools to send auto-schedule reminders. Most people check their phone throughout the day and night. Text alerts will help clear up the confusion.

Check For Updates

Software providers fix glitches and add features to stay competitive. Most cloud-based workforce management providers automatically update for their clients. If you are using an enterprise system, it’s up to you. Most IT departments have a long to-do list. Updating wfm software is not always the top priority. Be proactive about updates to get the most out of your software.

Integrate With Your Other Software

Workforce management systems have integrated with payroll platforms for a while now. In the last few years, wfm software companies and third parties have been creating APIs to integrate with a broad range of business software. Find out if your system integrates with other programs you use. Integration further increases efficiency. It also helps you maximize your investment in other company software. If your wfm system doesn’t work with your applications, ask your provider. If they get enough requests from users, they might create an API for you.

Workforce Management Saves You Money

Bottom line? If your workforce management software isn’t saving you money every single pay period—there is something wrong. Well-designed software provides measurable ROI. SwipeClock human capitalization software saves companies about $40 per employee per month with a 90% return on investment for payroll expenses.

SwipeClock workforce management solutions are sold through a network of resellers. SwipeClock partners are workforce management experts. They help over 30,000 businesses get the most out of SwipeClock products. These include TimeWorksPlus, TimeSimplicity, and WorkforceHUB.

Industry-leading software combined with attentive customer service is the winning combination. It’s your solution for extracting the maximum value from workforce management.

For a customized quote and a list of applications we support, visit WorkforceHub.

By Liz Strikwerda

Simplify HR management today.

Simplify HR management today.

Earned Wage Access (EWA) 101

March 26, 2024
Posted in ,

Attract, retain and motivate talent while reducing costs with EWA Guest post by: Tate Hackert It should come as no surprise to learn that many employees are living paycheck to paycheck—two in five, to be exact. 84 percent of employees are also worrying about finances while at work. Employees today are struggling to make ends meet,…

Read More

What to Expect in the Workplace During March Madness

March 19, 2024
Posted in ,

It’s that time of year again. Everyone is talking about Cinderella teams, brackets, upset alerts, and cutting down nets. As an employer, you may be wondering how March Madness impacts your team morale and productivity levels. And the reality is, the NCAA basketball tournament does have an effect. But just how much? Let’s dive in…

Read More
brand-workforce-shower

WorkforceHub takes care of business.

We’ll show you how.

Request a Demo - Footer Form

Looking for help? Please click here.

brand - dots