Create shift schedules
Create a shift schedule online with the right software
Why Excel is not a solution
Excel has been replacing pen and ruler in personnel planning for many years now. With a suitable formula for every occasion and a generally wide range of functions, there is no doubt that a lot can be achieved with it. But how useful are the options and results for a modern shift plan?
A modern shift plan can be called up online at any time, can be flexibly adapted, is comprehensible for everyone, is easy to use and takes employee wishes into account. With Excel, you very quickly reach the limits of what is possible when implementing these goals. In addition to the purely technical difficulties, such as sharing the shift schedule with colleagues online, digitally and in compliance with data protection regulations, there are also organizational difficulties. As a rule, a large number of legal regulations, internal company agreements and the wishes of the employees involved have to be taken into account when creating a functional shift plan.
Certain rules relating to the shift schedule, such as minimum staffing levels, rest periods between shifts, unpopular weekend shifts, daily and weekly working hours and absences, must be observed. Integrating all these criteria into the shift plan or duty roster is by no means an easy task and often turns the creation of a shift plan into a thankless task.
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Want to see how shyftplan can help you with your shift planning?
What you should look out for when choosing the right shift planning software
But there is another way: a personnel planner can use shift planning software with easy-to-use tools. The relevant protagonists are spoiled for choice, so to speak. Staff planners have a wide range of programs to choose from. A corresponding solution for creating a shift plan can often even be used free of charge, although some charge a monthly usage fee after a test phase and there are major differences in terms of the range of functions. However, the following criteria are the most important features of functional shift planning software:
Grouping by work groups or, for example, by qualifications is essential
Grouping according to work groups or, for example, according to qualifications is essential
It must be possible to manage any number of employees
It must be possible to define individual shift types, job descriptions or workplaces and, for example, reasons for absence
Access to employee-related data must always be guaranteed in accordance with data protection regulations
Integrated user administration, specifications for group-specific personnel requirements, identification of overstaffed and understaffed shifts, network capability and comprehensive data export and import options must be available
However, if you don't want to install software on your computer, which is often time-consuming to update to new versions, you should always use a cloud-based online tool to create the shift plan. With a cloud-based online shift planner, one login is all it takes for the user to edit the shift plan in detail and share it easily with employees. Practical modules for editing shift schedules are also often available.
Another positive effect is that a company - regardless of industry and size - can cover other important functions with professional workforce management software:
Automatic creation of duty rosters and shift schedules
Data protection-compliant time recording for your employees
Use as a vacation planner and tool for absences
Support that can help you with all questions, from planning to recording working hours
Can be used as an internal communication tool
Integration of other tools and software via API interface (e.g. payroll accounting) and much more.
To illustrate this, we can look at the improvement in internal communication, for example. Not only is the communication effort significantly reduced; on the other hand, an online shift planner stands out above all thanks to its communicative (expressing wishes etc.) and social (consideration for childcare etc.) components. So if you want to create a shift schedule that also takes into account the needs, wishes and any obligations of employees to a high degree, a cloud-based online shift planner is always on the right "planning" side. This means that an online shift plan provides important data and insights for satisfactory staff scheduling.
Shift planning with shyftplan
Companies with a certain number of employees or more cannot avoid introducing professional IT-supported software when creating a data protection-compliant shift plan - online and without Excel. The right tool, whether as an app or as a cloud application in the browser, opens up a lot of undreamt-of potential when creating a shift plan. So it's best to start now to deploy your staff in a needs-oriented and employee-friendly way.
Would you like to know how we can help you? Then find out more about our shift plan functions on our product pages.
Or make a demo appointment directly and we will show you the advantages of using shyftplan in the software.
