Apps & Tools for Staff Planning
Staff planning is one of the central tasks of human resource management. Especially in larger companies, manual staff scheduling can be challenging. Specialized software solutions offer an answer to this and support staff planning, making it efficient and professional. Customized tools can significantly enhance operational processes. But first, an in-depth exploration of the technical possibilities of digital personnel planning is necessary. Options include Excel templates for download, professional software, mobile apps, and various other tools.
Content
↓ Definition of staff planning with Excel, tools, and apps
↓ How can Excel support staff planning?
↓ Apps & tools for staff planning — possible software solutions for staff planning
↓ Tasks and functions of tools for staff planning
↓ Advantages of staff planning software
↓ How personnel scheduling via app works
↓ Checklist: What to look for in staff planning software
↓ 5 tips for using tools in staff planning
↓ What are the advantages of tailor-made staff planning software?
↓ When to consider using specialized software for staff planning
↓ Where to find an overview of apps and tools for staff planning
Definition of Staff Planning with Excel, Tools, and Apps
Staff planning involves assigning employees to the right positions based on their skill sets. Staff planning includes analyzing staff requirements, workloads, working time regulations, employee preferences, and many other factors that ensure optimized use of staffing. Alongside time management, time recording, and skills management, staff planning is an integral part of workforce management.
Personnel scheduling is a complex task crucial for a company’s success. Therefore, using modern IT technology is a logical step. Excel, tools, and apps are available for this purpose. Suitable software can automate the creation of rosters and shift schedules, as well as the entire time management process. While a suitable Excel download can simplify many processes, a professional software solution is often recommended and necessary within a holistic workforce management framework. Only such an IT solution can automate and optimize staff planning.
How can Excel Support Staff Planning?
While Excel is not specialized staff planning software, it can still support staff scheduling Especially small businesses can benefit from it and profit from downloading appropriate Excel templates.
Apps & Tools for Staff Planning — Possible Software Solutions for Staff Planning
Due to the digital transformation, many companies now rely on digital software solutions for staff scheduling, time management, or time recording. Modern IT solutions ensure a sustainable increase in efficiency, benefiting the company. But what constitutes modern staff planning software? What options are there for managing staff planning digitally within a company? Below is a brief overview:
- Excel
Microsoft Excel can be applied in a variety of ways. Roster and shift schedules can be created using it, particularly with the help of specialized Excel templates readily available for download. With a few entries, you can continue to implement staff planning. Excel can certainly be used in this way as a scheduling software. However, this is usually only possible for smaller companies with simple structures. When a company reaches a certain number of employees and has complex requirements that need to be taken into account, personnel scheduling with Excel is no longer recommended. - Apps
Modern apps bring human resource planning to tablets or smartphones. Mobile devices are an integral part of everday life and can also be used for tasks related to working hours. For example, there are apps that involve employees in the staff planning process. They can view their shift schedules, create requests, and record working hours conveniently with their smartphones. - Tools
In conjunction with professional staff planning software, the term tools is often used. These software solutions are understood as tools for automating and optimizing human resource planning. They can either be online or locally installed software solutions.
Tasks and Functions of Tools in Staff Planning
Regardless of whether apps, Excel, or classic software solutions are used, the aim is always to support human resources planning with modern IT tools. Depending on the software, the range of functions may vary, making the selection of the right tool critical. Especially for companies with a lot of employees and complex requirements, software that can be adapted based on the needs of the company is a good choice. Despite all of the differences, the essential functions of tools for personnel scheduling can be summarized as follows:
- Creation of schedules
- Shift scheduling
- Time recording support
- Optimization of staffing
- Managing shift changes
- Organizing vacation requests and approvals
Advantages of Staff Planning Software
Many companies now use staff planning software because they’ve long recognized the benefits of modern technology. Comprehensive systems provide significant added value by digitizing and simplifying important processes. This saves time and money, increases efficiency, and helps companies stay competitive and survive in the long run. Specifically, in the area of staff planning, suitable software solutions can prove their worth, offering a range of benefits:
- High degree of automation
- User-friendly
- Improved efficiency
- Flexibility in adapting to changing staff requirements
- Collaborative access to schedules
- Compliance with working hour regulations
- Improved quality of customer service
- Predictability and transparency
How Personnel Scheduling via App Works
Tools in the field of personnel scheduling are generally either Excel files or modern software solutions. In both cases, classic desktops or laptops are commonly used, offering comfortable working environments. However, mobile devices are becoming increasingly integrated into the process through apps. While completing staff planning entirely on mobile phones is often unfeasible, particularly for complex planning and numerous employees, many software solutions offer dedicated apps that enable mobile access to schedules. With such apps, employees can view their schedules, create requests, and have them digitally approved. The flexibility of mobile devices definitely benefits modern personnel scheduling.
Checklist: What to Look for in Staff Planning Software
If you intend to use software for staff planning to assign your staff effectively, you should compare the various options available. There can be significant differences between them, so your choice of tool can have a substantial impact. To understand what criteria to consider when selecting staff planning software, the following checklist outlines what is important:
- Security
- Employee self-service capabilities
- User-friendliness
- Range of functions
- Compatibility with mobile solutions
- Support
- Price
5 Tips for Using Tools in Staff Planning
The use of tools for time recording and schedule creation is undeniably beneficial.
However, you should compare the solutions and know how to use the tool effectively. The following tips can help you do just that:
- Consider whether the tool is suitable for the number of employees in your company!
- Ensure that the staff planning software can accommodate multiple locations if your company operates in several places!
- Opt for staff planning software that also supports time tracking and time management!
- Consider industry-specific software solutions that meet your company’s special requirements!
- Consider customizable staff planning software solutions!
What Are the Advantages of Tailor-Made Staff Planning Software?
In the world of staff planning tools, there are general solutions and industry-specific ones.
While industry-specific solutions cater to the unique requirements of a specific sector, they do not necessarily offer tailored solutions. Only customizable software specifically adjusted to the company’s requirements and needs can provide this level of flexibility. This requires more effort, but it is also much more flexible. The operational processes are, therefore, perfectly supported.
When to Consider Using Specialized Software for Staff Planning
Small businesses with few employees can often do without professional staff planning software.
This does not mean they have to do staff planning manually. Instead, they can use tools like Excel. However, staff planning becomes significantly more complex for larger companies with many employees, especially those with multiple locations. In such cases, professional staff planning software is necessary.
Where to Find an Overview of Apps and Tools for Staff Planning
Those who want to use tools, apps, or other software solutions can turn to well-known providers, such as SAP or DATEV. Alternatively, you can conduct your own research online, which can be combined with a detailed comparison. There are also often opportunities to test out one staffing planning tool or another.
Summary
The organization and scheduling of staff is a complex task for the HR department. Excel templates for download, apps for your smartphone or tablets, or software tools support this process and ensure the digitization of workforce management.
Want to Learn More?
Additional information on our staffing software and its areas of application can be found here:
Archive
Fairness Accounts
Forecasting in the Call Center
What is staff deployment?
Capacity Planning of Employees
We’re Here for You
