Modern business methods and processes seem to grow in complexity every day, and employee management is no exception. That's why it's vitally important for every company to have an effective workforce management solution in place to keep its operation running smoothly.
A wide variety of workforce management systems are available to help the small business owner or manager effectively carry out the company's mandate. The workforce management tool that will work best for your company depends on the nature of the company, the number of staff members it employs, your management style and your chosen business strategy.
The following are some business operations that can be efficiently addressed by the appropriate workforce optimization software:
1. HR management and performance appraisals
2. Time and attendance tracking
3. Payroll and benefits administration
4. Project management and planning
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Learn as much as you can about workforce management systems and how they can help your company
Webinars and webcasts can help you better understand the concept of employee workforce management and the different types of workforce management solutions available. Information from various websites can help guide you in evaluating and choosing a workforce management tool that will address your company's needs.
I recommend: Workforce Software offers a webinar and
TechRepublic, a webcast, that can help you better understand some of the trends and myths in employee workforce management. Multichannel Merchant also offers 9 Tips for Evaluating Workforce Management Systems.
Use product-comparison websites to compare employee management software options
Certain websites have taken the work out of searching for workforce management software by compiling all the information you need for comparing the various available products all in one convenient place. These sites generally offer descriptions of similar workforce software products, links to vendor websites and offer demos and other helpful information.
I recommend: Capterra not only allows you to compare various employee management software products, but it also lets you request information from multiple vendors at the same time.
Bitpipe.com also provides comparative descriptions of various workforce management solutions.
Visit the websites of various workforce management software providers for further information
Workforce manager software vendors offer a variety of products for handling many different types of company operations. Be sure to visit as many as possible for the in-depth information that the comparative websites can't provide, due to space limitations.
I recommend: Portage Communications,
Kronos,
IEX and
GMT all offer a number of different workforce optimization software products.
Check out web-based personnel management software services for greater convenience
Web-based personnel management software is one product you won't want to overlook when looking for web-based software. Online applications, also called On-Demand or SaaS (Software as a Service), provide many features not available with system- or network-based applications. Both WFM software and data are stored online, relieving you of the responsibility for maintenance, upgrading, updating, troubleshooting and backup functions.
I recommend: Valiant, iEmployee and
Halogen provide web-hosted workforce scheduling software, along with various other kinds of online workforce management solutions.
Consider vendors that offer both network- and web-based staff management software for more options
If you aren't certain whether you want WFM software that's administered through your own company network or prefer a hosted online workforce management solution, you may want to go with a company that provides both.
I recommend: Workforce Software offers a fully integrated suite of EmpCenter modules to address various company needs, complete with the option of choosing the network- or web-based version.
Think about going wireless with mobile workforce management software if you're always on the go
Wireless, web-based mobile solutions allow you to handle employee workforce management while in the field, providing greater convenience than location-based systems.
I recommend: Gearworks offers mobile workforce management systems that make your travels easier and less stressful.
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