By GetApp
Scheduling. Headache inducing, fist pounding, time draining scheduling! If the very mention of “scheduling” strikes a dreadful chord within your psyche, then you know just what we’re talking about here. As a manager, possibly the single biggest headache (of many) is putting together a functioning schedule.
The problem is that several important factors collide, head-on, each time you create a new schedule. You have to consider your business needs, obviously. But you also have to try to honor your employees’ requests,. In most areas, you have to schedule in accordance with labor laws. And on top of all that, you have to keep your most controllable expense, payroll, in order, with efficient scheduling.
You may be working through your schedules with pen and paper, or a spreadsheet, or some combination of partly-functional applications. But if that sounds like you, we have good news: there is a better way.
A new generation of cloud-based mobile apps is making scheduling (and your business) run smoother than ever.
If you have heard about the latest scheduling apps, don’t worry, because we’ve rounded up four apps to relieve your scheduling headaches, right here. Let’s dive right into to the list!
When I Work
When I Work solves a ton of scheduling problems. When I Work focuses on communication alongside scheduling, which can be one of the sore spots when trying to get a large number of employees to work on time.
When I Work pushes newly created schedules out to employees smartphones. The app is available for iOS and Android devices, facilitating mobile time clock functions. This is smart thinking, because you already know your employees have their smartphones tucked into a pocket when they arrive at work – you might as well put all those contraband phones to good use!
When I Work also makes it easy to factor in employee availability, solving another perpetual aggravation when it comes time to schedule your team.
Features of When I Work:
Employee Scheduling – simple drag & drop interface
Online Access – anytime, anywhere
Notifications – email, text message & push notifications
Communication – text alerts, group text, and 2-way texting
Time Clock – mobile phones, iPad, or PC (with Attendance)
Payroll – forecast your labor costs
Reports – track and review your data, export available
Calendar – iCal / Outlook Calendar / Google Calendar Sync
Templates – copy previous schedules for rapid scheduling
Trade Shifts – approve shift trades from your phone
Employee Availability – visible right from the scheduler
Payroll – integrations and easy export options
Mobile – FREE apps for iPhone & Android
Open Shifts – fill open shifts by text message
Multiple Locations – view all locations from one account
Job Sites – perfect for construction, home health care
When I Work is a comprehensive, end-to-end scheduling solution that covers everything from employee availability to punching in and out. When I Work is free for companies with fewer than five employees, and subscriptions for larger teams start at twenty-five cents per employee.
Mhelpdesk Field Service Software
Mhelpdesk Field Service Software is great for companies with teams on the go. If you deploy a workforce of technicians, Mhelpdesk helps you schedule the right employee at the right job site, at the right time.
Mhelpdesk helps you navigate the unique nuances of a field service business. From unscheduled tasks, Mhelpdesk helps you assign and schedule the right employee.
Featuers of Mhelpdesk Field Service Software:
Work Order Tracking
Customer Relationship Management
QuickBooks Integration
iOS App
Android
Scheduling & Dispatch
Client Portal
Custom Fields
Invoicing
Estimates
Online Scheduling Widget
Custom Email Templates
Custom Document Templates
Google Calendar Integration
Document Storage
File Attachments
Mhelpdesk understands that field service is hard. This app helps you streamline the scheduling of field service activities. You can try it out for fourteen days, free of charge. After the trial period, subscriptions start at $25 per month.
Deputy
Deputy lays down the law on employee scheduling. ( Okay, sorry, we had to!).
Deputy recognizes the ongoing headache that is scheduling. Scheduling can become such a pain that you are no longer enjoying your business. That’s no good.
To alleviate this problem, a team of Aussies came up with Deputy to address the real-world problems associated with scheduling. Deputy excels at one important aspect of scheduling: the need to cover shifts when someone calls in sick.
Deputy tracks employee skill sets to help you keep your business running smoothly, even when a specially-skilled worker calls out.
Features of Deputy:
Intuitive Drag & Drop Interface
Staff Filtering
Skill matching
Performance Management
Task Assignment
Mobile: iOS, Android and Browser-based
Time Sheets
Reporting
Notifications
Employee Portal
Payroll Services
Deputy is another stellar end-to-end scheduling app that is clearly designed with real-world challenges in mind. If you’ve ever had an employee call in sick, then you know exactly what Deputy is all about. A starter subscription of Deputy is free, premium features (like unlimited employees) starts at @1 per user per month.
NimbleSchedule
NimbleSchedule is a simple alternative to some of the more complex scheduling apps on this list. If you just need to make and deploy schedules, NimbleSchedule helps you do it quickly and easily, as the name implies.
NimbleSchedule puts people in focus – which makes perfect sense, no? If you’re a busy manager with a lot on your plate, NimbleSchedule makes it easy to plug-in hours and fill out calendars with employees.
Features of NimbleSchedule:
Multiple Location Support
Shift Swaps, Open Shift Pickups
SMS Messaging
Web-based Access
Drag and Drop Scheduling
Mobile Apps
Reports
Employee Scheduling
Auto Scheduler with priority ranking
Email Notifications
Payroll Services
Scheduling doesn’t get much faster or simpler than it does with NimbleSchedule. Pricing starts at $35 for NimbleSchedule.
Are you stuck on pen and paper for scheduling?
If you are using the old pen and paper, or even a spreadsheet, for employee scheduling, you’ll find the latest crop of Go to the full article.
Article Curated From…: Business2Community