What is Workforce Management (WFM) Software?
Workforce Management Software is worried about booking and following the workforce. The objective is to circulate and designate employees in the best and effective manner. This is especially significant for associations with shift based workers, for example, call centres and administration organizations.
WFM Software Features & Capabilities
Key features and capabilities include:
- Time and attendance tracking
- Labor scheduling
- Compliance monitoring (e.g. with labor laws)
- Leave management
- Staffing optimization
- Task management
- Employee self-service, including time off requests and peer-to-peer shift trades
WFM software also occasionally includes payroll functionality.
Specialized WFM vs. HCM Suites
Some platforms in this category are point solutions that focus on scheduling, regulations, and staff optimization. Others are broader Human Capital Management (HCM) suites with strong workforce management capabilities, such as Kronos Workforce Ready and Workforce Central, UltiPro, and Ceridian Dayforce HCM. The Kronos product family started as a time tracking solution—a typical trajectory for WFM software.
Workforce Management Software Comparison
To more easily compare workforce management tools, consider evaluating different options based on these aspects of the products and your needs:
Point solution vs. HCM suite: Many workforce management capabilities can be found within broader hr management packages. If you’re looking for workforce management functions as well as more comprehensive HR capabilities, one of the HCM suites may be more ideal. However, if you’re looking for workforce management tools to supplement your existing HR toolkit, a point solution that can integrate with your HRIS and payroll software may be a more efficient purchase.
Industry-specific or general: Most workforce management tools provide core scheduling and attendance functions that are applicable across industries. However, if you are in an industry with a unique workforce makeup, such as one with high turnover or highly regimented time-based tasks, using a tool that is tailored to your industry can add efficiencies in productivity and compliance measures. If your workforce makeup is not specialized to your industry, a less tailored product may be a better fit.
Usability: How ease to learn and use is the product for administrators and employees? In particular, the lower the barrier to employee self-service for processes like schedule requests, time card access, and attendance management, the lower the administrative burden on your business.
Pricing Information
Workforce management software are often offered on a subscription model, and priced on a per employee, per month basis. The price may vary depending on feature density, and some vendors may require a minimum number of employees.
List of Top 5 Workforce Management Products:
- UltiPro:Ultimate Software’s UltiPro® cloud HR, payroll, and talent solutions promise to help organizations improve the employee experience. It includes everything from personalized recruiting and onboarding that foster long-term relationships, to convenient, role-based access to pay, benefits, and career development information.
The vendor says that with UltiPro, companies can:
rapidly process payroll
manage employee requests with HR service delivery
leverage flexible time solutions
offer a modern approach to learning
facilitate productive performance, succession, and compensation management
and measure employee sentiment through advanced surveys powered by Xander®, Ultimate’s portfolio of “People First” artificial intelligence technologies.The vendor says UltiPro is supported by powerful business intelligence to help organizations drive smarter, people-focused results.
- Ceridian Dayforce HCM:Dayforce is a global HCM software platform that transforms the employee experience. It unifies data from across the entire employee lifecycle to enable better decision-making at every level. Dayforce is a comprehensive cloud platform that combines HR, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent management in a single application. Our scalable HCM software is built with a single, flexible rules engine combined with real-time updates and calculations that help address complex regulatory requirements.
Dayforce offers:
Continuous pay calculation: This means that pay is calculated continuously throughout the pay period, giving administrators the time they need to produce high-quality pay.
One application: With data stored in a single, central location, get data-driven insights across all HR functions so users can make better decisions for the entire employee lifecycle.
Actionable insights: Dayforce provides critical data-driven insights to help users make fast, informed decision.
Anytime, anywhere access: Access Dayforce using the device of choice on web or mobile. - HotSchedules:HotSchedules is a cloud-based scheduling, labor and communication management software solution serving the restaurant and hospitality industry.
According to the vendor, key benefits include:
Build & Communicate Schedules
The scheduling and labor management software reduces the time it takes managers to create and communicate schedules. All scheduling and employee information is stored in one central location, so managers have access to time-off requests, availability, skill level, and certification compliance.
Work Schedule App
The HotSchedules mobile app lets employees check their schedule, request time off, swap shifts, manage availability, and send messages. All shift requests require a manager’s approval.Forecasting and Reporting
When integrated with the POS, the tool pulls time and attendance, sales and guest data into the system. The forecasting engine shows past sales trends, which makes it possible to build schedules with the right amount of labor. There are also over 40 reports.Multi-Unit Store View
The Above Store Console provides reporting and visibility across stores, anywhere and at any time. It can be configured by region, state, country.Bilingual App & Support
The mobile app is available in English & Spanish. Employees can call into the AVS or Customer Support Center to get their schedule in English or Spanish – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. - Ascentis: Ascentis invites the user to start anywhere and add anytime, what they describe as their industry-leading a-la carte full suite human capital management (HCM) technology platform and workforce management solutions, that are supported by the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering what they boast is an unsurpassed client experience. Ascentis’ technology modules work independently or together to meet the needs of each client, wherever they are in the HCM journey.
- Kronos Workforce Ready:The Kronos Workforce Ready® suite combines workforce management and human capital management (HCM) to help users manage the entire workforce from pre-hire to retire. With Kronos Workforce Ready, organizations have a single cloud-based solution for their workforce that incorporates recruiting, onboarding, performance management, compensation planning, time and attendance, scheduling, absence management, and payroll.
Integral to Workforce Ready is its single employee record shared across all its applications. This means that all employee data is maintained in a single database, with a single user interface to pull reports and launch workflows for the entire organization. The data is updated in real time, so managers can make decisions based on the latest, most accurate information. Workforce Ready also includes a mobile application at no additional cost.
Users can decide to start with a single module or the entire suite. Workforce Ready aims to offer robust capabilities across the entire employee lifecycle, delivering end-to-end employee lifecycle management.
Source: TrustRadius
The author of this article is a MS Office Professional and has been working in the technical industry since 2000. As a technical expert, he has written tech blogs, manuals, and reviews for many websites such as office.com/setup.