Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 25 S P E C I A L F E A T U R E A FRESH, TECH-BASED APPROACH TO SCHEDULING Busy packaging company in the pharmaceutical sector sees shift planning efficiency improve by 92 per cent after implementation of digital workforce planning tool for shift or project work scheduling can be the difference between deliv- ering on time or losing business. Finding the right digital solution has the poten- tial to revolutionize the process. A busy Canadian packaging company has seen success in adopting Randstad Youplan, a digital workforce planning tool designed for employers hiring temporary workers or organizing project-based work. Inefficient process The client, a packaging company in the pharmaceutical sector, was expe- riencing considerable fluctuations in production. Anywhere from 80 to 120 workers were required on site for each shift. Shifts were filled on an as-needed basis, with schedulers reaching out directly to confirm workers for shifts by phone, text and email. The process was inefficient and time consuming, and it often left schedulers scrambling to find workers. It was also frustrating for the workforce, which sometimes missed the communication and, subsequently, the shift. EFFICIENT Moreover, the system provided little transparency or reporting on attendance and no-show rates. Schedulers had little visibility on employee availability, which would have simplified and streamlined the process. The company also processed all time-off requests manually, which made for a time-consuming, legacy process that was especially challenging at holi- days and peak vacation time. Successful solution After reviewing potential solutions, the company implemented Randstad Youplan, a workforce scheduling solu- tion that automates shift planning through an app. Schedulers uploaded shifts into the app, allowing workers to immediately see available shifts. Workers then confirmed their avail- ability for shifts directly in the app. The tech solution centralized all aspects of shift scheduling onto a single platform — a first for the company. The employer also used the app to track absences, absentee rates, time-off requests and other metrics related to attendance and scheduling. As a result: • shift availability was instantly commu- nicated to employees through push notifications via the app • workers entered their weekly avail- ability on the app, providing sched- ulers with clear visibility of work- force availability in advance of planning shifts • absences and time-off requests were logged on the app, centralizing all attendance and scheduling matters • the new tools increased transparency for both schedulers and workers A f t e r i m p l e m e n t i n g R a n d s t a d Youplan, shift planning expedited significantly for the company. "It's been two months now and I'm using this app on a daily basis. It's changed my work style in several ways. It not only helps save me time but it also helps me keep track of all the activities I perform. I used to spend around two to two-and-a-half hours every day calling workers to confirm their shifts. That now takes me five to 10 minutes," says Sarika S., site manager. Key advantages of the app include the fact that same-day shifts (with start times at least three hours away) are filled in three minutes, on average. Plus, shift replacements (with start times two hours away) are filled within 15 minutes, on average. The scheduling team also saves an average of 18.75 hours per week, time that would have been spent on contacting and confirming workers for shifts. This has made shift planning 92-per-cent more efficient than the previous manual process. The team is able to reinvest its time to focus on other value-added activi- ties, such as sourcing and maintaining a qualified pool of candidates. Overall, the changes have improved work-life balance for both schedulers and the workforce. CHRR To learn more about Randstad Youplan, visit www.randstad.ca/employers/work- force-scheduling. "I used to spend around two to two- and-a-half hours every day calling workers to confirm their shifts. That now takes me five to 10 minutes." Sarika S.

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