What is workforce management software?
Workforce management software, WFM for short, is a tool that helps businesses manage staff scheduling and improve business productivity. With a WFM software solution in place, organizations get access to essential time and work data that helps them glean insight with the help of key business metrics.
It’s important for companies to understand how many employees they need to accomplish their goals so that managers can more accurately deal with paid time-off and leave requests. These tools can also ensure company compliance when it comes to labor and attendance.
Related: Employees Management: Three Practices You Can Start Today
What to look for when choosing workforce management software
Being able to effectively and efficiently manage workforce systems requires that the software solution be able to handle the general needs of any industry along with the specific needs of your particular company. Ideally, you want to work with software that has the following basic functionalities:
1. Staff optimization
Employees with a particular skill set need to be utilized for those skills. For example, someone with high-level experience in IT wouldn’t be the best fit to handle an HR task. Routing individuals based on skill sets is a complex process that a good WFM tool would be able to handle.
2. Task management and metrics
Real-time adherence, RTA, is a metric that shows managers what employees are doing versus what they should be doing. RTA improves accuracy, especially when it comes to call center employees, for example, where time tightly correlates to profit. Having a software tool providing cost-reduction analytics like this promotes smarter decision-making.
3. Compliance monitoring
As companies venture outside of their state or national borders, there’s a need to ensure that processes, systems and data abide by certain rules and regulations. It’s complicated because each locality has its own regulatory standards. WFMs can give organizations a clearer view of potential risks and possible solutions as they apply to geographic limitations.
4. Leave management
Scheduling leave is an important part of managing a workforce. A good software system should provide the ability to update leave policy information and automate the request process.
5. Employee self-service
For managers, the ability to assess and approve real-time requests eliminates paperwork and promotes flexibility. For employees, it builds trust and transparency. They can review their time sheets and even clock in and out remotely.
Related: Setting Employee Work Schedules: A Manager’s Guide
Workforce management software
Quick Navigation:
- ADP Enterprise eTime
- Aladtec
- Ascentis
- Aspect Workforce Management
- Boomr
- Calabrio ONE
- Deputy
- Frontline Absence Management
- Harri
- HotSchedules
- Jolt
- Nice inContact CXone
- NOVAtime
- PayPro Workforce Management
- Shiftboard
- Sparkrock
- When I Work
ADP Enterprise eTime
Price: ADP doesn’t provide the cost for Enterprise eTime on the site. However, previous clients indicate that the company charges a flat monthly fee for nine or fewer users and about $3 for each user after that.
Key features:
- Multiple time-and-attendance collection options, including finger scans and mobile
- Points or occurrence-based PTO tracking system with leave management eligibility wizard and notifications
- Employee scheduling by the manager based on skills, certifications, preferences and other criteria
- Labor forecasting for different scenarios, including the ability to lock down the budget
- Customizable dashboard for monitoring data related to any specified aspect, including legal, business and regulatory governance
Formerly known as Kronos, ADP’s Enterprise eTime enables organizations to stay on top of approved and unapproved time activities, according to individual company pay policies. The tool keeps all the data stored in the document cloud, so it’s ready when needed. Companies that are using biometric scanners can integrate with ADP, ensuring that there’s only one system to deal with and more accurate data management.
Aladtec
Price: Aladtec pricing starts at $166 a month and is billed annually. Cost is based on custom quotes and determined by the size and type of the organization.
Key features:
- Preconfigured templates for scheduling, including allowing employees to give away or swap shifts
- Member database with unlimited custom fields and online forms
- Communication tools for better collaboration among individuals that live or work in groups
- Secure administration
- Integration with popular recording and data display applications for better data sharing and increased automation
Aladtec is employee management software made specifically for public safety organizations, including fire departments and law enforcement. It allows easy access and automation for online and mobile platforms. This is a flexible solution that helps organizations to cut down on costly errors that could impact public safety.
Ascentis
Price: Users can request a price quote.
Key features:
- Synchronized systems for more accurate real-time payroll processing
- Centralized data collection for streamlining HR and benefits
- Automated time-and-attendance employee management technology
- Ascentis CarePoint for a touchless temperature clock solution for workplace safety
- Ability to run multiple payrolls and adjustments with the Ascentis Payroll module
Ascentis is a full-service human resources information system that helps businesses to track time. It even uses a point system for attendance. The employee self-service is easy to use and great for showing workers their pay stubs and accumulated PTO. Ascentis mostly works for midsize companies and some small companies.
Aspect Workforce Management
Price: Customers can get a free demo. Pricing is based on the number of employees.
Key features:
- Accurate forecasting and scheduling with its patented omnichannel simulation modeling
- Web-based GUI that’s simple and easy to use.
- Unlimited “what if” scenarios to help predict different staffing models
- Employee self-service portal for flexibility and less overhead
- Proactive notifications with the ability to respond via mobile
Aspect Workforce Management is an attractive WFM solution for call centers that is available for agents and supervisors who work on-site and remotely. It helps businesses to scale on-demand, so they only pay for the resources that they need. The metrics gathered offer insight into customer service activity, so that management can see who might need some extra coaching.
Boomr
Price: There’s a 30-day free trial and two subscription plans to choose from afterward. The Standard plan has a base fee of $20 plus $5 per user per month, while the Business plan has a base fee of $45 plus $9 per user per month. If you choose annual billing, there’s a 20% discount.
Key features:
- GPS-enabled mobile apps for real-time tracking
- Built-in team communication tools
- Mobile time card app for organized and accurate time tracking
- One-click employee self-onboarding
- Dedicated integration with popular apps, such as QuickBooks and ADP, for seamless syncing
Boomr has won multiple awards from business software search site Crozdesk for being a top-ranked Quality Choice solution in 2020. The app’s seamlessness, ease of use and third-party integration capabilities make it a highly useful time tracker for businesses of all sizes.
Calabrio ONE
Price: Prices are provided by quote.
Key features:
- Advanced analytics that can anticipate customer pain points and identify opportunities
- Feature-rich dashboards for providing agent feedback
- Pre-built templates for customized reports that eliminate data silos
- Central Center for recording every call and interaction
- Automated workflows for managing evaluations and playback
Calabrio ONE is a workforce optimization solution that offers managers a way to improve customer service center products. Its advanced analysis delivers the kind of insight that ties customer experience to profitability, making it a keen tool to improve communications and reduce operational costs. It allows businesses to customize solutions, including employee scheduling.
Deputy
Price: You can try Deputy free for 31 days. The scheduling and time-and-attendance plans are strictly month-to-month, costing $2.50 per user. The Premium plan is $4.50 per user per month and with annual billing, companies can save up to 11%. Enterprises with 250 or more employees get custom pricing.
Key features:
- Shifts are filled based on availability across various roles
- Precise time tracking and business performance tracking in real-time
- On-demand forecasting to meet shift needs, especially during peak times
- Manage overtime and regulatory governance
- Employees can swap shifts and manage availability via the mobile app
Deputy is a web-based all-in-one workforce management solution that’s suitable for small and midsize companies. The time tracker uses geo-tagging, so it’s great for remote workers.
Frontline Absence Management
Price: Organizations can request a demo, and the cost is based on the number of active employees that use the system for 10 months. There are initial setup and training fees, and schools get two summer months free.
Key features:
- One central location for managing teacher absences and finding substitutes
- District data access, so you can see who’s working and when
- State and federal regulatory compliance, including collective bargaining agreements
- Manage payroll errors and keep an eye on overruns
Formerly called Aesop, Frontline’s Absence and Time is a software suite that specializes in managing school employees. It helps school districts save money by mitigating issues that arise from excessive absences and the need for coverage. The beauty of the system is that it can help reduce the stress of having to find a last-minute substitute.
Harri
Price: Subscription pricing starts at $70 per month.
Key features:
- Define employee shift rules and enable various shift availability functionality
- Monitor employee time spread with its Work Week Dynamics tool
- Build schedules that create optimal labor mixes and maximize sales
- TeamHub tool helps managers publish schedules and provides real-time clock-in alerts
Created specifically for hotels, restaurants and retailers, Harri manages hospitality employees from pre- to post-hire. It provides right-to-work document information within its system, saving HR time. For organizations with multiple locations, this tool speeds up the hiring and onboarding processes while maintaining regulatory compliance.
HotSchedules
Price: Pricing is available by a quote.
Key features:
- Create schedules that adhere to state, city and county regulations
- Schedule meal and breaks with manager notifications for missed breaks
- Lower overtime costs by easily swapping team members
- Document and track establishment and employee certifications
- Manage staffing by the hour and day
Fourth’s HotSchedules was created by people in the hospitality industry to make it easier for personnel to stay in contact and claim shifts. It reduces the time and confusion of manually planning work shifts, and because it syncs with POS systems, staff can’t clock in until it’s their time.
Jolt
Price: Jolt has a Standard plan and an Enterprise plan that’s available month-to-month or annually with a discount. The exact price is available by contacting the company for a quote.
Key features:
- Build a customized task checklist
- Drag-and-drop interface for schedule auditing
- Get audit results and have them in one place for future analysis
- Automatic real-time tracking of tasks with smart warnings and alerts
- Integrated time clock for more accurate employee clocking
In the hospitality and crew service industries, compliance is vital. One way that Jolt makes the process easier is with stickers. It organizes workflows and helps managers deal with complex workloads and tasks. To help businesses mitigate resource losses, it provides tools such as remote temperature monitoring to create a safer workplace.
Nice inContact CXone
Price: Nice inContact CXone provides quote-based pricing that uses a pay-as-you-go structure.
Key features:
- Customer engagement analytics using AI for omnichannel insights
- ML-based scheduling
- Enhanced strategic planner for modeling and simulation
- Integrates with third-party solutions, such as SmartSync, for smart automation
Nice inContact CXone is a high-tech call center WFM that relies on ML and AI to optimize scheduling and employee engagement with customers. It improves overall call quality by keeping a close eye on patterns and trends. The analytical backbone of the software makes it a robust solution while the pay-as-you-go pricing means it’s accommodating for smaller businesses.
NOVAtime
Price: Pricing for NOVAtime is available via quote.
Key features:
- Advanced schedule management for matching employees’ certifications, qualifications and skills to specific jobs
- Allows you to configure complex pay rules
- Automated leave accrual calculations and real-time balances
- Payroll bridge for connecting to other systems
- Concierge enhanced scheduling tool for effectively identifying qualified individuals who can fill vacancies
NOVAtime is a modular suite of workforce management tools that makes tracking employee time more flexible. It’s mobile solution makes sure remote employees are able to easily clock in and out. For a safer workplace, it has touch-free time clocks that respond to voice commands in addition to remote temperature screening. NOVAtime works with companies of all sizes and integrates with many third-party ERP, HR and payroll systems.
Paypro Workforce Management
Price: Pricing for Paypro Workforce Management is available by contacting them for a quote.
Key features:
- Identify workforce optimization practice gaps
- From pre-hire-to-retire employee tracking, including day-to-day functions
- Employee engagement and productivity metrics for better accountability
- Access authorization based on rules
- Workflow tool identifies workplace inefficiencies
Paypro Workforce Management is an award-winning full-service human capital management solution that helps companies remain compliant while controlling labor costs. Even for those with complex payrolls, Paypro can be tailored to the client’s individual needs. It’s a comprehensive product that works for the entire organization.
Shiftboard
Price: Pricing starts at a flat fee of $45 per month for 50 or fewer active users.
Key features:
- Configurable scheduling that keeps you compliant with labor union and industry regulations
- Permits complex rules-based processes
- Flexible scheduling for continuously changing needs
- Easy overtime control and distribution
- Employee self-service for picking up shifts and indicating availability
Between SchedulePro and ScheduleFlex, Shiftboard can work with organizations across several sectors, including health care and public safety. It’s a highly visual tool, helping employees see their days broken down into chunks. It’s a worthy solution for 24/7 companies that connect with several other systems, including ADP and Sage.
Sparkrock
Price: Pricing starts at a flat fee of $5,170 per month.
Key features:
- Centralized data for more efficient employee onboarding and management
- Smart scheduling for filling shifts
- Employee self-service for faster answers and quicker changes to personnel data
- Automated time and attendance keeping
Sparkrock is a finance and HR software solution designed for public health, education, and nonprofit organizations. It facilitates data sharing and improves visibility within the organization. It’s also great for reducing paperwork that can bog down the very system it serves. Sparkrock is a robust, complex tool that can be helpful in streamlining your management processes and workflows.
When I Work
Price: When I Work is a pay-as-you-go subscription that gives you the chance to do month-to-month or annual billing. The Basic Plan costs $2 per user per month while the Pro Plan is $2.50. Enterprise clients who need features like Global Privacy can request a custom quote. There are add-ons, such as Time Clock and Attention, which is an additional $2 per user per month, and Application Tracking, which is $50 per month.
Key features:
- Match shifts with employees based on qualifications and availability
- Integrations with desired payroll providers, including ADP and QuickBooks
- Reliable time tracking with mobile clock-in and -out
- Digital time sheets that are stored in one location for easy auditing
- Vary pay rate setup for individual employees
- Attendance and break management
When I Work is a WFM solution that specializes in time-and-attendance monitoring. It’s useful for organizations with numerous sites, allowing managers to toggle between them. This software is also helpful for small businesses looking for a user-friendly and inexpensive tool.
Workforce management software FAQs
Why is workforce management software important?
Workforce management software helps organizations be more productive without increasing labor costs, helping companies to stay more competitive and efficient. Human error costs businesses money. When companies automate certain tasks, such as approving leave or ensuring that employees are properly authorized to work, it saves the business money and improves overall performance.
What is scheduling in workforce management?
The ability of any company to meet current and future workplace demands depends on how well it schedules its staff. Hourly and shift workers need to be scheduled in a way that doesn’t interrupt workflow, for example. All of the factors that influence the staff scheduling process can benefit from an automated tool.
What is workforce forecasting?
Workforce forecasting gives you the ability to plan future workloads based on current and historical data. The principle is all about eliminating waste by cross-training employees. This means that when there’s an unexpected vacancy, you have a list of qualified staff ready to deploy, thereby minimizing downtime. With the right employee management software solution, forecasting becomes a competitive tool to keep your business running smoothly during almost any situation.