What is automated scheduling?
Automated scheduling is a digital way of managing a company’s workforce. Automated workforce scheduling processes use built-in rules to select the right employee for the job based on certifications, training compliance, schedule availability and more.
Automated scheduling software has the capability to handle a high capacity of incoming requests while also integrating into other workforce systems. It removes the manual work of employee scheduling and allows administrative teams to create schedules, manage leave requests and receive off-duty assignments in a fraction of the time.
How does automated scheduling software benefit public safety employees?
Automated scheduling software simplifies public safety scheduling. Public safety industries, including fire departments, police, 911 and dispatch, corrections and security teams, all face complex scheduling needs. Scheduling software allows these public safety industries to schedule quicker, saving them both time and valuable resources. It also improves scheduling accessibility, allowing employees to view their schedules, reports and timebank balances whenever they choose to.
Here are six ways in which automated scheduling increases public safety employee satisfaction.
- Automated scheduling software enables equitable shift assignments
- Automated scheduling software ensures 24/7 shift coverage
- Automated scheduling provides quicker leave approvals
- Smart scheduling reduces fatigue issues
- Administrative teams can schedule quicker with automated scheduling software
- Automated scheduling software combines scheduling with payroll
Automated scheduling software enables equitable shift assignments
With automated scheduling, shifts are assigned to public safety employees based on agency rules. This means employees are scheduled for shifts based on seniority, training compliance and schedule availability. Automated scheduling software removes any chance of bias and ensures every shift is assigned equitably.
Moreover, shift bidding can be a dreaded task for public safety administration teams if scheduling is completed manually, especially for police. Many police departments use police scheduling software to automate their shift bidding process, allowing them to save on time and cost, while also minimizing the likelihood of scheduling errors. Automated police scheduling software also ensures a fair shift bidding system, removing any chance of favoritism or bias in the bidding process.
Automated scheduling software ensures 24/7 shift coverage
Scheduling for any public safety industry is challenging due to the 24/7 scheduling needs. With manual scheduling, public safety administrative teams may have difficulty ensuring 24/7 shift coverage. Automated scheduling software removes the likelihood of scheduling errors and allows administrative teams to quickly add new rotating schedules with 24/7 coverage, or edit existing ones across all groups or individuals.
Automated scheduling provides quicker leave approvals
Every public safety employee deserves a break. With automated scheduling software, public safety employees can see quicker approvals of their time-off requests.
An automated leave management system streamlines your agency’s approvals and provides real-time personnel updates. Automated scheduling removes the risk of timebank overages, allowing your administrative teams to schedule with confidence.
Smart scheduling reduces fatigue issues
Reducing the likelihood of fatigue issues is one of the best benefits of automated scheduling software. Because of their demanding schedules, public safety employees have a high chance of being overworked. Speaking to police in particular, fatigue issues can be a serious problem. Police officers need to be alert at all times in order to protect both themselves and the communities they serve.
Automated scheduling software has built-in smart scheduling intelligence that alerts schedulers of any potential fatigue issues if they’re creating a schedule that puts officers at risk. Using InTime as an example, if a police agency configures InTime’s police scheduling software to their agency’s rules, InTime’s scheduling intelligence won’t schedule any officer if they’re overworked, or if the time between shifts is too short. Police scheduling software can effectively mitigate liability risks and ensure safe scheduling across the entire police department.
Administrative teams can schedule quicker with automated scheduling software
An automated scheduling system is a quicker scheduling system. Administrative teams can create schedules significantly quicker compared to manual scheduling. Efficient scheduling benefits your entire department, and your employees will be notified of their upcoming shifts much sooner than if the schedule were to be built out on an Excel spreadsheet.
Automated scheduling software combines scheduling with payroll
Scheduling that integrates with payroll ensures every employee is paid out accurately. An integrated workforce management system can transfer data to your agency’s chosen payroll system, ensuring payroll is always completed on time.
3 Must-have Automated Scheduling Features for Public Safety Employees
Like many things, not all scheduling software is made equal. When looking for a scheduling system that meets your agency’s needs, here are three must-have features for every public safety organization.
Shift Bidding
Automated shift bidding allows eligible employees to bid on certain shifts based on your agency’s rules. The shift bidding process is typically a tedious task for administrative teams, but by automating the process, the software does the majority of the work.
Automated shift bidding removes any consequences of perceived favoritism, reduces the possibility of errors and defines sorting sequences based on seniority, preferences and more. This is particularly useful for police agencies who can use their police scheduling software to quickly complete the shift bid process.
Automated Timekeeping
With automated timekeeping, employee hours, overtime, timebanks, leave and payroll data are automatically pushed to timesheets and exported to payroll. Not only does automated timekeeping ensure every employee is paid accurately, but it also tracks pay codes in the schedule and automatically applies them to staff time sheets. With automated timekeeping, payroll is always completed in time and your employees are always paid accurately
Overtime Management
An automated overtime management system ensures complete transparency and control over overtime management. The software instantly notifies staff of posted overtime assignments and your administrative team can configure agency rules to alert qualified employees of available overtime shifts. Smart scheduling assigns the overtime shift to the most qualified employee, which not only removes any chance of perceived bias within your department, but also ensures 24/7 coverage of posted shifts.
The Bottom Line
InTime’s scheduling software is purpose-built for the public safety industry. It’s an automated platform that’s designed to make scheduling easier for police, sheriff departments, fire, corrections, security and dispatch. Learn more by contacting one of our product specialists today.
