WFM & Rostering Guide

Access our WFM Software Solutions Guide

Workforce management and rostering are highly useful tools for your business to optimise its workforce, enhance productivity and streamline operations.

Access our WFM Software Solutions Guide to compare workforce management software.

At SMC, we believe that making informed decisions in selecting the best WFM software for your business can lead to transformative results. We’ve partnered with industries across all sectors, from mid-market to large enterprises and know what it takes to help businesses maximise their ROI.

If you have any queries, contact our team, who will gladly help.

Access Guide

WFM and Rostering Software: Factors you need to consider for your business

When you compare workforce management software, you must carefully consider the right WFM and rostering solution for the success of your business. Here are some key considerations to guide you through the selection process:

Best-of-breed workforce management software

A best-of-breed solution is a more specialised platform designed to excel at a specific function and may be more advanced than an integrated solution. While it may not offer as much comprehensive coverage as an integrated solution, it’s beneficial for organisations looking for the best WFM software for each individual function. A best-of-breed workforce management software provides the following benefits:

Labour forecasting — Allow your organisation to predict the employee numbers and skill sets required to meet the expected demand and control labour costs.

Employee management — Manage employee skills and qualifications.

Scheduling and Rostering — Plan employee and subcontractor rosters as per their availability, capacity and qualifications.

Time and attendance management — Keep track of employee work hours, timesheets and leave.

Mobility and self-service capabilities — Allow employees access to self-service portals to view their rosters, submit timesheets, requests and view task instructions, documentation and other digital tools to assist in completing jobs.

Access Guide

Discover more about WFM and Rostering Software

Integrated solution

Unlike a best-of-breed solution, an integrated solution is an all-in-one software platform that hosts various WFM functions and capabilities within one system. These are beneficial if your organisation seeks a single platform to manage your workforce.

It minimises time-consuming administration and reduces the risk of human error with significant data accuracy improvements. You can manage your workforce via one integrated system and streamline your payroll process. It provides a better user experience, reducing employees’ need to visit multiple websites and remember several passwords.

Extent of rostering capability

When you compare workforce management software, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the various features. One question might be, how do I differentiate the core features from the optional ones? The essential rostering solution areas to look out for include rostering creation, instant roster updates (via email, SMS, cloud-based portals and apps), roster budget costing tools, exporting tools, rosters across multiple locations, automatic break compliance, integrated rosters with payroll, cloud-based for flexibility, approval hierarchy and quality control and shift swapping functions. Consider which features are integral to your business to make your decision easier.

Data Analytics

When deciding on the best WFM software to accommodate the needs of your business, carefully consider automated ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ rostering that uses data from employees’ profiles, payroll information and availability.

Reap the rewards of enhanced productivity with Workforce Management Software solutions for your business

Find Out More

A workforce management system (WFMS) is a software application used to optimise an organisation’s use of labour. It schedules and assigns tasks to employees and tracks and manages their attendance, time worked and use of labour based on employee skills, availability and workload. Whether you’re based in healthcare, manufacturing, retail or hospitality, choosing the best WFM software for your business is crucial in managing employees’ hourly payments or salaries. It can even be integrated with other systems, from payroll to HR and time and attendance.

Investing in the best WFM software for your organisation reaps several benefits:

Support a mobile workforce

WFMS is particularly useful for businesses with a mobile workforce, since it allows you to change and coordinate employees’ activities when they work remotely or in the field. It supports a mobile workforce with real-time scheduling and task assignments, mobile apps, GPS tracking, automatic time tracking, remote communication and collaboration.

Enhance productivity

With the help of a WFMS, your business can boost productivity by aligning staff levels with peak operational hours to ensure you have the right people in the right place and at the right time. That way, you can have a smoother workflow and increased output.

Reduce labour costs

WFM software is best at contributing to substantial cost savings for your organisation. Efficient scheduling means reducing overtime expenses and minimising overstaffing during slow periods.

Improve cross-department communications

WFM software improves cross-department communication within your organisation by providing real-time updates on employees’ upcoming schedules and tasks.

Employee satisfaction

A predictable work schedule provides stability and work-life balance for your employees, particularly if they have competing priorities like studies or familial commitments. An increase in job satisfaction has the potential to reduce turnover rates and boost a sense of morale within your workplace.

Data-driven decision-making

Modern WFM solutions have in-built analytical tools to provide valuable insight into your workforce performance. By analysing data on attendance, productivity and other useful metrics, your business can make further improvements to optimise your operations.