Updates to Employee Scheduling and Time and Attendance Software

August 21, 2008 , Lubbock, TX , It happens on every Friday of every work week in hospitality, restaurant, and retail businesses around the world. Employees call and want to know when they are scheduled to work during the upcoming week, but the manager hasn’t posted the schedule. Staff members are not able to plan their personal lives without the work schedule which creates conflicts and leads to employee terminations and resignations as soon as the schedule is posted. With labor scheduling software tools, management can reduce schedule conflicts, minimize turnover, and improve profitability at their business.

Managing a labor force requires scheduling part-time and full-time employees properly before they are needed for work and also tracking when employees clock-in and clock-out. Good managers reduce the difference between the theoretical work schedule and the actual hours worked while maximizing sales at the business. Improper employee scheduling leads to one of two circumstances:

  1. More employees are scheduled to work than are necessary – increasing payroll costs and reducing profits. Employees may be cut from the schedule without working their scheduled hours.
  2. Not enough employees are scheduled to work – decreasing sales and reducing profits. Employees must be called in to work, creating frustration and high turnover among personnel.

Neither option is desirable and the key to avoiding both situations is to monitor and refine the schedule at your business. As experienced managers know, building an accurate schedule takes several hours a week and must consider all of the following items:

  • Availability sheets
  • Communication and request log books
  • Shift swaps and trading
  • Minor rules
  • Scheduled breaks
  • Lunches
  • Employee notifications
  • Training and certifications
  • And many other factors …

Using TimeForge, a web-based labor management system, managers quickly build accurate schedules while reducing turnover, enhancing communication, and improving retention. The recently updated TimeForge provides more time saving features, new pricing plans, and now includes a powerful Daily Log.

With a comprehensive labor management tool, payroll expenses are reduced and employee turnover is continually monitored. TimeForge keeps managers out of the back office and puts them back on the floor where they can directly influence the profits of the business.

About TimeForge
TimeForge, www.TimeForge.com, develops easy-to-use software products to manage employee scheduling, time and attendance, and communication logs. TimeForge’s web-based product suite is designed to meet the demands of the retail and restaurant industries, providing solutions for both independent and chain operators.

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In Hard Times, Retail and Restaurant Companies Should Control Costs

During economic booms, such as those witnessed during the last few years, many businesses focused on increasing sales while their operations lagged behind.   Operational aspects such as inventory control, portion sizing, reducing turnover, improving employee retention, and training are all import details of hospitality and retail businesses that can be swept under the rug in good times.

Jim Sullivan, the chief executive of Sullivision.com recently penned “In hard times, control costs instead of hiding your inefficiencies by just pumping up volume” at Nation’s Restaurant News.   Although his article is meant for restaurants, it is also applicable to retailers, hotels, and other similar businesses.   Jim covers a number of issues, including one aspect of running a business that is often forgotten in the day to day operations:

Remember, all money is not created equal: $100 in sales is $100 less taxes and expenses; $100 in savings is $100. Here are some fiscal fundamentals to review and execute with your team in both tough times and boom times.

Now is an excellent time to revisit your business’s operational procedures, making them be more efficient and cost conscience – immediately improving profit at your business.   A variety of tools, including TimeForge, are designed to improve cost controls at your business – producing schedules in minutes instead of not hours.

Can you build a schedule in less than 10 minutes?   How many thousands of dollars do you spend making schedules every year?   Did you know that TimeForge can minimize costs and increase profits through effective employee scheduling at your restaurant, pizzeria, hotel, club, bar, or retail business. Sign up today for a free trial!

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Time and Attendance – Improved in TimeForge

TimeForge contains a very powerful and flexible Time and Attendance Module that can be used to track when employees are actually working at your business. The Time and Attendance Module is designed to ease payroll preparation for restaurants, cafes, catering companies, retail businesses … your business!

Using the Time and Attendance Module is extremely simple, requiring that employees simply click “Clock In” and “Clock Out” to clock-in and out of the TimeForge system. Some of the functionalities of the TimeForge Time and Attendance Module include:

  • Restrict employees to specific computers / IP addresses when clocking in (employees must be on site to login!)
  • Require that employees be on the schedule before they can clock-in
  • Compare the theoretical labor schedule to the actual employee clock-in and clock-out
  • Ensure that employees clock-in right on time, no more early clocking in and clocking out
  • Clock employees out when they forget to do so themselves
  • Easily determine which employees are clocked-in, and how much that employee has cost your business
  • Run employee timesheets to prepare for your payroll

Start using the TimeForge Time and Attendance Module today, and stop using punch cards and time clocks!

How long does it take to make your employee labor schedule? It should take less than 5 minutes! Did you know that TimeForge can streamline and minimize labor costs through effective employee scheduling at your retail business, restaurant, bar, club, or hotel?

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