For service companies, human resources management, from an operational point of view, is particularly special and extremely important. Since the service is provided at the same time it's delivered and the main resource of the company is the human being, this aspect of the business is key. As a result, it is possible for these organizations to achieve substantial gains through effective schedule management. No matter the situation in which the company finds itself, schedule management can support growth, maintain the desired quality of service or slow down financial decline to ensure the company's sustainability. This efficiency is mainly reflected in a gain in visibility in terms of available human resources, labor costs and absenteeism management.
1. Be aware of available resources.
To ensure stable income, the management of long-term contracts is essential. Being able to ensure that you have employees trained and available to meet agreements with your major clients, in all the necessary positions, at the multiple sites you work at, is central to maintaining these relationships. A good schedule management system should ensure that you have the staff you need to fulfill these long-term contracts and let you know what your needs are, whether it's training or hiring.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to plan for everything. New requests from existing clients or changes in your team can disrupt your plans. It is therefore necessary to have a system that offers you an unbeatable speed of adaptation. By being able to compare employee availabilities, skills and restrictions to the needs of the positions to be filled, you can easily adapt and fill the necessary shifts in an instant.
Of course, if you can get a means of mass communication, you will gain a considerable advantage. Contacting all available and competent employees, following the rules of the collective agreement or internal regulations without even having to pick up the phone, is definitely an important operational advantage in times of crisis.
2. Reduce operation costs
Whether it is to ensure that the estimated profit margin for a contract is maintained, to keep your head above water in times of pandemic, or simply to reach an ideal efficiency threshold, cost management is a must.
The quality of information is the first step to controlling costs. Using a uniform system and procedures throughout the organization allows you to keep an eye on how your budget is being used. Knowing how hours are spent is a reliable way to adjust to unexpected events and move in the right direction.
Of course, efficiency is not only about managing costs, but also about how easy and fast the daily processes are to carry out. Payroll management, employee dispatching and time validation are common tasks that consume a lot of time and have a major impact on costs. The standardization of information and the use of an integrated system, both at the employee and supervisor level, also helps at this level and considerably reduces the size of the team required to perform repetitive tasks. This way, managers can focus on field situations that require a human intervention.
Finally, overtime is a source of additional costs that can easily be avoided if you have the right tools at your disposal. By knowing who is available and having the ability to make changes to your schedule quickly without impacting schedule compliance, you will be able to say goodbye to these unnecessary expenses.
3. Manage absenteeism more easily
Absenteeism, delays and departures are inevitable events for all businesses. However, for a service company, this unexpected event can have a particularly serious impact on the quality of service and can lead to a panic situation when it comes to finding a replacement.
You must then find a way to deal with these situations when they occur. Collecting the absence quickly, understanding its impact and finding a solution can be complex, but with an integrated system that allows employees and managers to communicate with each other, the task becomes quick and easy. No employee wants to have to wait on the phone to tell their supervisor that they are sick, and no supervisor wants to spend their day making calls to try to fill in the absence and enter this information at all the necessary locations in your computer system. The team experience is greatly enhanced when your tools stimulate commitment and accountability from everyone, while ensuring clear and reliable information entry.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to learn more about the benefits we can bring to service companies and look at the projects we have built with companies similar to yours.