Studies show that more than 10% of annual working time is wasted and 20% is even considered unproductive. As reasons are often called: missing operational planning and monitoring of missions, bad communication as well as unsuitable skills of the employees assigned to the projects or tasks.
In addition, there are always staff shortages with corresponding peak load or even overloading of individual employees. Finally, issues that emerge from the area of strategic planning have to be solved. This includes, for example, the determination of off and on training needs to maintain the range of services offered or to adapt the offer to future requirements.
Many companies have recognized these relationships and are looking for planning tools to solve the above questions. Particularly interesting are applications that can be easily integrated into the existing IT of the company, are easy to use and cost-effective to procure and operate.
The solution is already here!
The available solution consists of the following modules:
Planning board: This allows the visualization of the planning situation and shows employees, booked bets and availabilities over the timeline. Planning can be done directly over the Planning board to be made. Available as an overall view for dispatchers and as a self-service for employees.
Project module: The project module allows multi-level planning based on the creation of vacancies / positions.
Skill module: Creation and storage of skill profiles of employees and search for employees via skill profiles
CV module: recording of CVs of employees and full-text search in CVs. In addition, production of application-specific CV documents in Word and PowerPoint
Reporting: Access to integrated reporting functions for typical planning key figures such as gross / net utilization, availability, plan deviation
Interfaces: Configurable interface system for data integration. Transfer of master data to employees and projects
Time tracking: Self-service component for employees to record actual working time in the planned projects
Applicant portal: Web interface for accepting applicants and tracking the applicants application process
Workflow: Approval workflow for vacation requests. Rule-based approval workflow for application requests. Information workflow for open positions in the company
Customizing: Consulting and implementation services for company-specific adjustments and creation of company-specific workflows
The use of these tools immediately improve the planning and utilization situation of companies. The skill-based search for employees makes it easier to balance workload peaks. Underutilized employees can be identified and placed on open project positions based on their skill profiles.
Due to the transparent resource planning, planning deviations become drastically reduced. By consolidating the available skill profiles and comparing them with the requested skill profiles, further training and recruiting receive decisive information and can act in a targeted manner.
Some large providers of ERP systems offer – usually as an extension of their HR modules – Workforce scheduling as an additional component. Since personnel deployment planning is defined and practiced as a company-specific process, especially in larger companies, an adaptation of the ERP modules is usually necessary for successful and efficient deployment. Experience shows that this customizing is costly for large ERP systems, and maintenance and updatability often suffer as well.
In addition to the large providers, some smaller software houses are moving with a specialization in personnel deployment planning in the market. Demarcation criteria here are above all integration into existing company IT, connection possibilities of workflows as well as costs for procurement / licensing, system adjustments and maintenance.
References:
Ready to use / to implement in existing IT structures. Proved: In operation for example with one of the biggest international business consultancies, an with one of the biggest German companies with activities in some dozens of countries.
License:
Company or country license possible. Open for co-operation, venturing, etc. Appropriate solutions to be discussed.