7 problems solved with workforce management software

Today’s top-performing companies understand the influence their work environment has on employee productivity and wellbeing.

A welcoming, well-structured atmosphere will boost morale and engagement. Comparatively, a disorganised, demanding environment will have the opposite effect.

To avoid falling into the latter category, organisations must introduce systems to overcome workforce management challenges and achieve the agility they desire.

What is workforce management?

It’s the process of strategically organising your employees and other resources to maximise performance and productivity.

It often entails timetable scheduling, task assigning and goal-tracking – each of which can have a significant impact on the day-to-day activity of your business.

Why you need workforce management software

While it might not seem that complicated on the surface, there are a lot of workforce management challenges that involve a lot of behind-the-scenes effort.

Instead of trying to tackle it alone, introducing different types of workforce management software will help you automate a majority of the more complex and repetitive tasks.

Through it, you’ll be able to eradicate human error and make sure you are appropriately staffed at all times.Top 7 Challenges of Workforce Management Solved by Software

When it comes to getting your business on track, then, you need to tackle the workforce management challenges head-on. Thankfully, software can do the majority of the work for you.

1. Wasted space

Space is a valuable resource in any workplace. Yet, many companies are unaware of just how much space across their facilities goes to waste:

• Approximately 60% of available office space is used in a typical workday
• The average company has 30-50% more space than needed
• Workstations are often vacant 50-60% of the day
• Just 13% of companies say their workplace is utilised over 80% of the time.

Poor space utilisation can cost businesses thousands annually, cutting a sizable chunk into their operating costs. Having no solution in place to oversee the organisation of space can also be the catalyst for several workforce management challenges, like overcrowding.

Workplace management software overcomes these hurdles by capturing real-time spatial data across your facilities to improve space planning. You’ll be able to identify any areas of your buildings that are left unoccupied and make decisions accordingly.

2. Disorganised meetings

Few things grind productivity to a halt in the workplace like a poorly organised meeting. In fact, it is estimated that these cost UK companies over £43 billion annually.

That’s not all.

It can also cause a great deal of frustration or tension among colleagues.

From a double-booked meeting room for two crucial client meetings to arguments over who has dibs on a shared workstation, this workforce management challenge can cause a deeply unpleasant atmosphere.

Luckily, software can eliminate this problem by making room bookings straightforward and self-managed. Employees can always know what rooms are available and seamlessly communicate details to all attendees. With these systems in place, meetings run like clockwork.

3. Health and safety issues

Part of creating a positive, productive workplace is reassuring employees that it is clean, safe and secure.

If they feel uncomfortable with their surroundings (or fear that they might be at risk of either hazards or illness), then this will have a negative impact on their happiness and performance.

Workplace management software goes a long way to addressing this workforce management challenge by guaranteeing the cleanliness of a workspace is never in question.

Through it, organisations can establish cleaning schedules that maintain a hygienic environment for everyone.

4. Overburdened helpdesks

Operating a helpdesk can often feel like a thankless, burdensome task.

It is all too easy for requests and calls to overwhelm these teams, making life more difficult for the operators and causing jobs to bottleneck, delaying work from being completed.

This is a concerning workforce management challenge for many but relevant software can ease the strain on helpdesks and make their position more agile, empowering employees to initiate maintenance tasks themselves.

Solutions like MRI Software’s Integrated Services Module (ISM) raise the responsiveness of helpdesks, enabling them to easily assign tasks through a simple drag-and-drop system, and rapidly complete data entry and task assignment.

5. Bad decision making

There’s no denying that data drives modern businesses forward. However, if this cannot be captured or kept under control, it offers no value in how companies strategically plan their next steps.

That is a workforce management challenge that many organisations face – recognising that they need data and analytics to guide their path, but not being able to access insights in one central location. This means that they tend to lead with assumptions, which will not reap benefits for company finances and overall growth.

Workplace management software ensures that all crucial information is displayed in clear, easy-to-digest visual displays. With this oversight, teams are empowered to use this data to guide meaningful improvements to business processes.

6. Poor project management

Project managers are tasked with handling workforce management challenges with the aim of achieving positive results.

Unfortunately, between them and these results is an extensive list of obstacles that may make or break the entire project.

Problems managing projects can emerge due to internal or external factors and, without a system in place to monitor and manage all aspects, costly delays occur and plans quickly get derailed.

Thankfully, workplace management software can make a massive difference.

A fully integrated Project Management solution can help teams oversee each milestone of a project through a straightforward, single-task grid interface. With this unified view of all activities, obstacles can be navigated smoothly, potential risks can be rectified, and profitability is preserved.

7. Uncoordinated workflows

Finally, workplace management software can play a powerful role in organising the tasks that keep workplaces in top condition.

If the workflows of engineers, cleaners and other technicians are not coordinated effectively, the core functions of a building can gradually decline.

This is not a workplace management challenge you want to build up.

To prevent this possibility, digital solutions like contractor management software help arrange and automate the delivery of these tasks.

As a result, duties aren’t missed and engineers have all the information they need to fulfil their role in making the workplace as welcoming as possible, ensuring:

• Workplace environments are safer, allowing team members to thrive.
• Boosted employee satisfaction, leading to stronger productivity.
• More structured, less intensive experiences for technicians.
• Minimal (frustrating) unplanned downtime or disruptions of assets.

Solving workforce management challenges – FAQs

When it comes to tackling workforce management challenges, you need to recognise that software is a be-all, end-all solution.

By choosing a platform that has multiple functions, you’ll be able to streamline the day-to-day running of your business.

Should you still have questions surrounding workforce management in general, perhaps these FAQs can point you in the right direction.

Tackle top workforce management challenges With MRI Software

We’ve barely scratched the surface of the different workforce management challenges that software can solve for organisations of any size or shape.

Onboarding it into your processes, then, is an absolute must. No matter what you struggle with the most, you need a workplace management solution.

If you are ready to solve workforce management challenges and begin on the journey to a more efficient business, speak to the experts at MRI Software.

For over 30 years, we’ve helped businesses grow by empowering their workforces and streamlining tiresome facilities management duties into simple, effective solutions.

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