What is Workforce Management?

Workforce Management revolves around the optimal use of the available people and resources within an organization. It considers staff planning and the associated processes from an operational, tactical, and strategic perspective. It encompasses interconnected processes and activities that together ensure optimal, healthy, and productive staffing. This varies from human resources (HR/HRM) and workforce planning to capacity management, time management, forecasting, and compliance with laws and regulations. The goal of WFM is to deploy your employees in a conscious and sustainable way. To achieve these goals, the following elements are important: analyses, software tools, good schedules, clear agreements, and structural follow-up. It’s about deploying the right people with the right qualifications and motivation in the right place and at the right time, both now and in the future. The use of Workforce Management will result in a better-performing organization.

The difference between Workforce Planning and Workforce Management?

Workforce Planning and Workforce Management are closely related, but they are often mistakenly used as synonyms. Although there is overlap, there is also a clear distinction between the two concepts.

Workforce Planning, in most organizations, focuses on operational management and the creation of short-term work schedules. The goal is to balance your available workforce with the required labor capacity for daily operations.

Workforce Management (WFM), as described earlier, encompasses much more than just creating work schedules. It also includes capacity planning and provides tools for improved operational workforce planning. For the most optimal approach to personnel management, we recommend looking beyond just your daily schedules.

The benefits of Workforce Management

Some benefits of Workforce Management are:

• Improved productivity
• More flexibility
• Lower labor costs
• Better customer service
• Better workforce planning

Additionally, the use of Workforce Management enhances your competitive position and attractiveness as an employer. WFM enables you to better respond to market dynamics and allows you to react in a timely matter to unexpected situations. WFM offers more flexibility without losing efficiency or service quality and can lead to significant cost savings. By minimizing overstaffing and understaffing and curbing overtime, you lower personnel costs. Finally, a well-executed WFM ensures a healthier and more productive work environment. A balanced workforce deployment promotes engagement, self-management, and a better work-life balance. This reduces stress and burnout and ensures that employees feel valued. In short, investing in Workforce Management lays a solid foundation for the growth and success of your organization.

What does Workforce Management entail?

WFM consists of various interconnected processes and activities that promote customer and employee satisfaction, sustainability, and efficiency.

Effective personnel management

Effective personnel management revolves around the optimal use of your employees’ skills, preferences, and availability. This means closely monitoring your employees’ contracts, hours, and competencies. The goal is for your employees to work within the agreed hours and for the workforce to be efficient and compliant with the rules and regulations.

Workforce Planning

The goal of workforce planning is simple: to ensure the right person is in the right place at the right time to perform the required tasks. Workforce planning, however, is more than just scheduling your employees. You must deal with variables like holidays, workload, illness, priorities, and more.

Forecasting and capacity management

An important part of WFM is looking ahead. Capacity management means predicting workforce needs and intervening in a timely manner to prevent overstaffing and understaffing. For example, you may need extra staff during certain periods, or you may need specific skills for particular projects.

Time management and time tracking

Managing time (work hours, overtime, and absences) and attendance is an important aspect of WFM. Good time management gives you control over worked and available hours, ensures a more efficient payroll process, and provides a basis for determining the most optimal workforce deployment.

Workforce Analytics

Workforce analytics involves collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data with a focus on time, personnel, and activities within your WFM. This provides insight into trends, patterns, and performance, enabling your organization to make better-informed decisions.

Compliance with laws and regulations

An often overlooked part of WFM is compliance with work-related laws and regulations. Think of hard rules that fall under legislation and labor regulations, or specific organizational policies regarding overtime, preferences, and the number of shifts/hours per period.

Software for Workforce Management

Workforce planning is quite complex, with many variables. Many administrative tasks are repetitive, time-consuming, and prone to errors. Modern WFM software simplifies these tasks, making tedious paperwork and complicated spreadsheets redundant. We believe every organization benefits from a WFM solution, especially organizations with various teams, rapidly changing capacities, and fluctuating workloads.

Using WFM software can truly elevate your business. It improves planning during peak times, increases productivity, and boosts employee engagement and satisfaction. Our Planpoint Software also offers the following features:

• Tracking Skills and Obligations: Planpoint records employees’ skills, contractual obligations, and tasks. This helps with evaluations, training, time management, and automation of your workforce planning.
• Advanced Scheduling Capabilities: Modern WFM software offers various online scheduling options, such as self-rostering. This ranges from decision-support functions to automatic schedule checks based on wishes, skills, and personal preferences.
• Trend and Data Analysis: Good WFM software analyzes trends and historical data and provides insights into your current staffing and future workforce needs. This allows your organization to make timely adjustments.
• Time and Attendance Tracking: In some WFM software, employees can track time and attendance via their smartphone. Managers can review hours in detail, approve discrepancies, and validate performance. The hours can then be easily forwarded to the payroll department.
• Dashboards and Reports: Modern WFM software offers comprehensive dashboards and reports on essential data such as hours, tasks, absences, productivity, activities, and customer interactions.
• Compliance with Regulations: The right WFM software ensures automatic compliance with laws and regulations. Planpoint is configurable for different contracts, rules, and laws, both nationally and internationally.