The Pains of Scheduling

Pains of Scheduling:

General:

When scheduling is done manually, whether on paper or in spreadsheets, mistakes and chaos can occur due to the lack of structure and system.

Flow based on the workflow of the actual job or shift:

1. Creation

As demand can change constantly, the first step of scheduling is subject to change, which affects the next stages.

2. Planning Schedules:

a. The demand-supply process is complex, and the dispatcher spends hours trying to solve the puzzle.

b. Ensuring there is enough staff available to cover all shifts and meet customer demand can be challenging, especially in a 24/7 operation where there may be high levels of variability in customer demand.

c. Accommodating employee preferences for shift times and days off can be challenging, especially with a large number of employees with conflicting requests.

3. Distribution:

a. Delivering the created schedules to all employees can be complicated and requires inefficient communication methods.

b. It is difficult to determine who received or saw the schedule.

c. Lack of ability to communicate on schedule-related matters can lead to conflicts, no-shows, low employee satisfaction, and damage to productivity.

d. No certainty at all, resulting in low commitment and accountability levels and high risk of no-show.

4. Day-to-day:

a. The dispatcher is the problem solver, the connection between the employee in the field and the client/job site.

b. Lack of clarity in the overview of the workforce leads to inefficiency.

c. Ensuring employees arrive on time, check-in, and check-out correctly.

d. No documentation is connected to the actual shift.

e. Managing multiple simultaneous phone calls is not effective.

5. Replacements, no-shows, general employee-related pains:

a. Reaching all potential replacements when there is a no-show is time-consuming and slow.

b. Need to be mindful of employee burnout and ensure sufficient time off between shifts.

c. Tracking employee vacation time and approving requests can be challenging.

d. Managing employee overtime can be challenging, ensuring fair distribution and compensation.

e. Dysfunctional shift results in poor customer service.

6. Documentation:

a. Exact and precise past, present, and future schedules are not easily reachable.

b. Employee-related documentation is not taking place/not stored, affecting events.

c. The lack of ability to see past schedules and construct future schedules accordingly is a waste of time.

d. No proof that the job was completed.

Pains of the Employee:

1. Scheduling = Money.

2. Employee burnout, decrease in productivity, and motivation.

3. Mixups with no job, wrong job, or another employee already there.

4. Poor communication with managers.

5. No information on the job itself.

6. Inability to plan around the job schedule.

Pains of the Client:

1. Late arrivals or wrong hours lead to poor customer service and experience.

2. Inability to meet expected capacity.

3. Mediocre service experience due to the reasons above.