For public safety agencies, having staff available in appropriate numbers with necessary skills is an essential requirement for achieving the mission. Whether that means routine shift coverage or dynamic response to an unfolding emergency, the challenge of staff scheduling is constant and immense. Proactive agencies look for automated scheduling products to simplify the scheduling effort and retire inefficient, error-prone spreadsheet or paper-driven processes.
When looking for scheduling products, it’s tempting for agencies to seek the offering with the lowest price tag. However, if you focus on price alone, there is a strong likelihood you will make the wrong purchase decision for the agency and simply replace one set of headaches with another.
You always get what you pay for.
At InTime, we don’t claim to be the lowest priced provider, but we’ve demonstrated time and again that our robust offering is one that best enables success for public safety agencies. And while InTime’s software is best-in-class, there’s far more to consider when looking at vendor offerings.
Top 6 Considerations When Comparing Public Safety Scheduling Products
1. Is the software robust enough for our agency’s complex processes?
Not all scheduling software is created equal.
Public safety agencies have many complex processes related to scheduling and timekeeping. InTime, through providing solutions for hundreds of public safety agencies for 25 years, has seen just about every unique scheduling process. With this knowledge, we continuously enhance the software to be the most robust and efficient on the market. While many entry-level products struggle to adapt to complex public safety agency processes, it is InTime that provides the robust software offering that just works.
Additionally, InTime is one of the only software vendors that provides a wealth of complementary integrated software modules that are purpose-built to address additional public safety workforce management challenges.
2. How is the software implemented?
Software implementation tailored to the agency’s processes is paramount.
Some scheduling software vendors will claim that you can set-up the software yourself, or that it is a minor exercise. If it is that simple, it is also likely the software is not robust enough to be tailored to your agency’s unique scheduling
and timekeeping requirements. InTime’s implementation team is comprised of former public safety officials who are experts in the nuances of complex scheduling, timekeeping and change management. Using a proven framework for agency success, they lead new InTime customers to ensure the software is configured precisely to address our customer’s processes and objectives.
3. How do our key staff get trained?
Training performed on your tailored InTime system.
Buying a good product that has second rate training can lead to poor outcomes. However, InTime’s training experts deliver training that is tailored to the agency’s unique processes and goals. As opposed to a fictitious “canned” training environment, InTime’s customers are trained in their own InTime system that’s been tailored for their unique processes. InTime also provides a suite of online training refresher videos with step-by-step instructions.
4. What about the quality of customer support?
Even good products need top notch support.
Invariably, agencies will need a helping hand or expert insights in solving complex challenges with their scheduling and timekeeping. InTime’s Customer Support team is trained to listen, and guide our customers to use the software in the best way to
address their challenges. How many times have you heard “That vendor has a pretty good product, but their support is awful… so we had to change vendors.”? That has never happened with InTime!
5. Is there a user conference?
We invest in your success with InTime University.
Once a year, InTime invites all its customers to a three-day user conference event at a major USA city. The agenda includes product training sessions, customers sharing their case study stories, public safety industry speakers, and an opportunity to network with like-minded public safety officials to exchange experiences and ideas. There’s only one catch-all attendees need to be InTime customers. We’d look forward to hosting you at the next conference.
Curious? Listen to what attendees say.
6. Do they ‘get’ public safety?
InTime is a recognized thought leader in public safety scheduling and workforce management. Whether it’s articles from industry experts, compelling guest webinar speakers or research-based industry reports, InTime provides a wealth of knowledge to contribute to the on-going education of the public safety community.
Check out our latest publications here.
In summary, consider the big picture.
When looking for a solution to enable agency success, there’s so much more than software to consider. The risk and associated costs of choosing the wrong vendor and offering are far greater than the difference in prices between software products. InTime provides a total solution that is proven to enable the success for hundreds of public safety agencies.
“After trying a couple of scheduling products that did not work for us, we were pleased to implement InTime’s solution as it has the robust capabilities to address our rules and requirements. We’ve learned that all scheduling products aren’t equal and that it’s important to thoroughly vet potential vendor solutions, including the services, in relation to clearly defined agency objectives.”
– Chief Keith T. Moser, Massillon Police Department
About InTime
InTime is the leader in scheduling and workforce management for public safety. We draw our expertise from helping over 500+ public safety agencies in managing their daily scheduling and operations for over 25 years. Agencies rely on InTime as a central hub that provides clear line of sight into their daily operations. It protects agencies by flagging staff fatigue scenarios, coverage dips, training non-compliance and overtime inequality before they become issues. Our robust software provides agencies with the insight to better track and manage their overtime activities. InTime’s analytic and reporting capabilities enable agencies to reduce overtime costs, all while improving compliance and officer wellness. Manage your resources confidently with InTime.
Contact our product experts to learn more.
