Everything You Need to Know About Shift Systems
Multi-Shift Systems: From 2-Shift Systems to Full Continuous Operations
Whether part-time or full-time continuous operations, the choice of shift model is crucial for productivity and employee satisfaction in the manufacturing industry. In companies with multiple work areas, complex qualification matrices, and 24/7 operations, the selected shift system plays a central role. Learn how industry leaders optimize multi-shift systems for maximum efficiency in their shift planning, and discover how you can fully unlock the potential of your shift system.
Contents
- What Types of Multi-Shift Systems Are There?
- What Is a Rotating Shift Schedule?
- What Is a Full Continuous Shift System?
- Full Continuous Shift Operation: 4 or 5 Shift Rotation?
- Part-Time Continuous Shift Models
- What Laws and Regulations Must Be Considered in Shift Planning?
- Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Shift Planning
- Conclusion
What Types of Multi-Shift-Systems Are There?
The most well-known shift systems are the 2-shift system, 3-shift system, 4-shift system, and 5-shift system. The 4- and 5-shift systems are primarily used in full continuous operations. Each of these models has its own advantages and disadvantages and should be selected based on the specific needs of the business.
2-Shift System
The 2-shift system is one of the simplest shift models. Employees typically work either an early shift or a late shift, with each shift usually lasting eight hours. The two shift groups often alternate weekly between the early and late shifts. This model is primarily used when there is no need for night work.
3-Shift System
The classic model for night work, the standard 3-shift system allows companies to operate 24/7, typically over five days a week. The shifts are divided into early, late, and night shifts, each lasting eight hours. There are various variations of the 3-shift system, depending on how many days per week work is scheduled:
- 5-Day Week: Usually excludes weekends, providing regular rest periods. This is often used by companies that want to avoid weekend work.
- 6-Day Week: Ensures at least one day off while maintaining high operational time.
- 7-Day Week: Allows for full continuous operation but can be demanding on employees if not enough rest days are scheduled.
4-Shift System
In a 4-shift system, four shift groups are scheduled, each working between seven and nine hours. This doesn't mean that four shifts are worked in a single day; rather, it means that four shift groups, with a specific number of employees and working hours, are used to cover the total weekly working hours required by the company. The division into early, late, and night shifts remains in place.
The 4-shift system is primarily used when a full continuous operation can no longer be managed with a 3-shift system. It becomes particularly relevant when companies are bound by collective agreements that make it difficult to maintain continuous operations with only three shift groups. In a 24/7 operation with four shift groups, this results in a weekly working time of 42 hours per shift group. The 4-shift system thus allows for full continuous shift planning while adhering to legal and contractual requirements. In some cases, it is also used for part-time continuous operations.
Finding the Right 4-Shift System: 4x4 or Panama Plan?
To systematically schedule the workforce, especially in the manufacturing industry, two different schemes are commonly used to enable 24-hour operations: the 4x4 system and the Panama plan.
4x4 Shift Plan
This is the most common scheme in the manufacturing industry. In this system, four shift groups rotate over a set period, moving from early shift to late shift, to night shift, and then to a rest shift. This rotation ensures adequate rest periods and helps avoid repetitive work patterns.
Example of a forward-rotating 4x4 shift system that repeats every eight days.
Panama Plan (2-2-3)
Another commonly used shift planning scheme in the manufacturing industry is the 2-2-3 system, also known as the Panama Plan. This approach ensures continuous 24-hour operation throughout the week. In this system, 12-hour shifts are distributed among 4 shift groups, with 2 groups working each day. Each group follows a pattern of 2 days on, 2 days off, 3 days on, and 2 days off. This schedule allows each shift group to have every other weekend off.
5-Shift System
In the 5-shift model, five work groups are scheduled throughout the day. These groups are still divided into early, late, and night shifts. As a result, the total number of scheduled shifts is reduced, allowing employees to allocate a larger portion of their working hours to on-call shifts. Apart from this difference, the functioning of 4- and 5-shift systems is identical. 5-shift models are often used in highly automated environments or in situations where employee satisfaction is particularly critical.
18-Shift System
Unlike the 3-shift or 4-shift systems, the 18-shift system refers to the number of shifts per week, not per day. The 18-shift model is primarily used in continuous production systems. Typically, the 18 weekly shifts are divided among 4 shift groups, allowing for full coverage around the clock, six days a week. For example, in a manufacturing company, each shift group might work for three days, followed by two days off.
What Is a Rotating Shift Schedule?
A rotating shift schedule is an additional feature applied to one of the standard shift systems, such as a 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-shift system. "Rotating" refers to a flexible workforce arrangement where shifts and days off rotate according to a predetermined cycle. This cycle is set within the shift planning system and repeats after a specific period (e.g., one week). For example, a shift group might work two early shifts, two late shifts, followed by one night shift. Rotating shift schedules are particularly well-suited for companies with continuous operational needs. They help prevent long stretches of work and promote a more even distribution of the workload.
Forward-Rotating vs. Backward-Rotating Shift Schedules
When discussing rotating shift systems (also known as rolling shift schedules, rolling duty schedules, or Rolling Wave Planning), it’s important to distinguish between forward-rotating and backward-rotating shift systems.
A forward-rotating shift system follows the standard early shift-late shift-night shift sequence. In this setup, employees first work the early shift, followed by the late shift, and then the night shift. In contrast, a backward-rotating shift system operates in the reverse order, where a late shift is followed by an early shift.
What Is a Full Continuous Shift System?
A full continuous shift systems refers to operations running 24/7. A 3-shift system quickly reaches its limits in this context, as three shift groups working eight-hour shifts would each need to work 56 hours per week. Therefore, adopting a 4- or 5-shift model becomes essential.
Advantages of Full Continuous Systems
The benefits of a full continuous shift system are clear: continuous operation allows for higher utilization of production facilities, leading to increased productivity and output. This also enables faster processing of orders, contributing to higher customer satisfaction.
Moreover, continuous operation can result in significant energy savings for companies where turning machines or equipment, such as ovens, on and off involves considerable energy expenditure.
Challenges of Full Continuous Systems
However, full continuous systems also present challenges. Poorly managed shift schedules can negatively impact employee health. Therefore, employers must ensure adequate breaks and rest periods and structure the shift operation effectively. Additionally, legal and contractual aspects must be considered, such as data protection, weekend work, and night work regulations.
Full Continuous Shift Operation: 4 or 5 Shift Rotation?
To run a factory 24/7 or ensure the continuous care of patients in a hospital, a 4- or 5-shift rotation is typically used. "4-" or "5-shift" refers to the number of shift groups, not the number of shifts per day. In a 5-shift system, there are usually 5 shift groups scheduled across 3 shifts per day.
The 4-shift system offers the advantage of being somewhat easier to manage but has less buff, making it more susceptible to staffing shortages. The 5-shift system, while requiring more administrative effort, allows for significantly more flexible workforce planning due to the additional shift group and is less prone to staffing issues. The 5-shift system is also often used in combination with on-call shifts.
On-Call Shifts
On-call shifts, also known as reserve shifts, refer to additional shifts that employees can take on beyond their regular schedule to meet their required working hours or address specific operational challenges. They are often used to cover absences or schedule overtime work.
In 5-shift systems, on-call shifts are sometimes intentionally planned to provide greater flexibility. With the division into five groups, each group in a 5-shift system has fewer shifts than in a 4-shift system. This means that employees may be scheduled for an average of 30 hours per week instead of 35. If employees are required to work 35 hours per week according to their contract and company agreements, they accumulate a balance of five hours on their time account. To make up for these hours, employees can apply for on-call shifts, for instance, when a colleague is sick or on vacation. Stepping in at short notice often comes with financial incentives.
By choosing on-call shifts, employees can manage their working hours more flexibly and increase their earnings, while employers can better address staffing shortages and absences.
Part-Time Continuous Shift Models
Unlike full continuous shift models, part-time continuous models include planned production breaks. These models can be divided into two categories: those with night shifts and those without.
In part-time continuous shift models with night shifts, production typically runs 24/7 but only during weekdays. Part-time continuous shift models without night shifts allow the operation to continue seven days a week, but with interruptions during nighttime hours. This approach is particularly beneficial when the costs associated with starting up and shutting down machinery are minimal.
What Laws and Regulations Must Be Considered in Shift Planning?
When choosing a shift model, it is essential to comply with legal requirements, particularly in the areas of labor law and occupational health and safety. Below is an overview of the key laws that must be considered when selecting a shift model:
Working Hours Act
The Working Hours Act sets out measures to ensure the health and safety of employees. Many of these provisions are directly relevant to shift planning. For example, maximum daily working hours, as well as mandatory breaks and rest periods, must be accounted for from the start of the shift planning process. The law also contains specific sections that address night work and work on Sundays, which must be observed.
Youth Employment Protection Act and Maternity Protection Act
Shift planning must take into account that pregnant and nursing women, as well as minors, can only be scheduled to work during certain hours.
Works Constitution Act
Works councils have the right to participate in shift planning on behalf of the workforce, as defined in the Works Constitution Act. Any agreements made with the works council are legally binding and must be considered when creating shift schedules.
Data Protection
Since shift schedules contain personal data, they are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Shift schedules should not be posted in a way that is visible to everyone, and they should never be photographed and shared via messaging apps. One of the most common legal violations in shift planning occurs when Excel spreadsheets or Google Sheets, accessible by everyone, are used. Therefore, shift schedules should be treated with strict confidentiality. In larger companies, this is best managed using software-based shift planning tools.
The Role of Employee Satisfaction in Shift Planning
Employee satisfaction is crucial for maintaining productivity standards, fostering company culture, and enhancing employer attractiveness. In shift planning, employee satisfaction largely depends on two key factors:
Does the Chosen Shift Model Fit the Company?
There is no one-size-fits-all shift model. The goal is to find the shift model that best aligns with the unique needs of the company. For instance, for physically demanding work, a shift system that requires long shifts may not be ideal.
Is the Chosen Shift Model Implemented Effectively?
Even the best shift model can negatively impact employee satisfaction if not implemented effectively. If core workstations are not adequately considered in shift schedules, or if unpopular shifts consistently fall on the same groups, it can lead to dissatisfaction among employees.
Artificial Intelligence and Automation in Shift Planning
Managing complex shift models that involve hundreds or even thousands of employees is most efficiently done with automated shift planning software. Excel spreadsheets and in-house solutions are not only legally questionable but often inefficient as well.
Modern shift planning software leverages employee data to automatically create shift schedules that are GDPR-compliant, consider employee qualifications, and follow customizable rotations. These AI tools can now generate shift plans in just minutes, assigning employees to the most suitable shifts. In case of absences, such systems can automatically suggest viable replacements. Factory-specific rules, such as core workstations, availability, and rotation patterns, can be centrally managed by shift planners, ensuring a streamlined and effective scheduling process.
Siemens Energy: A Prime Example of Modern Shift Planning
Siemens Energy: A Case Study in Modern Shift Planning
With more than 91,000 employees, Siemens Energy is dedicated to shaping the future of the energy sector. In their shift planning, they face challenges similar to those encountered by many industrial companies: short-term employee absences, sudden order requests, multiple locations, and varying qualification requirements. Since 2020, Siemens Energy has been using shyftplan at various sites to automate the creation of shift schedules. As a result, daily workforce planning efforts have decreased from five hours to two hours, while the average utilization of machines has increased from 60% to 90%.
Learn more about how Siemens Energy implements complex shift models with full automation.
