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Timely Topics: Employee Data and Operational Efficiency Using Workforce Management to Inform Business Strategy

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Table of Contents

Advancing analytics: prerequisites and best practices .................................................. 2

Think beyond the pay slip ............................................................................................. 3

Determine data priorities ............................................................................................. 3

Remove data blind spots ............................................................................................ 3

Eliminate islands of information ................................................................................... 3

Consolidate systems ..................................................................................................... 3

Employ a mix of data collection techniques ................................................................. 3

Using data to drive results: Emerging trends and techniques ....................................... 4

Adopting a data-centric mindset ................................................................................. 5

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Focusing on the right information can provide greater insight into the operations of your workforce and current and future workforce needs, resulting in process improvements and stronger operational performance. But with large amounts of data available, making sense of it all can be vexing.

Organisations have access to more data than ever before, but data is like any other business assetit doesnt add value to the enterprise until it is put to work. The value in big data lies in using it for strategic advantage.

Workforce management is more than just getting the pay slip right; labour data can be used to better manage personnel in support of organisational goals. Exabytes of data are created every day, from user-generated to professionally created content. Tablets, mobile devices and ubiquitous internet connectivity support new ways to create and consume data, contributing to a data deluge. Enterprise applications also generate enormous volumes of data, the true value of which has scarcely been scratched in many organisations.

But with so much data, how do you focus on the metrics that matter and use it to improve operational efficiency?

Adopting a data-centric mindset requires identifying the pieces of data that are most meaningful and then translating that data into actionable information. Uncovering the right information and connecting the dots can tell a story about the organisation, as well as stories about opportunities that might not initially be visible. Through analysis of data, organisations can understand what is happening in the business and why, and identify areas of improvement or highlight successes that can be replicated across the business. And for most businesses, workforce management data is an essential component of this continuous improvement exercise.

Advancing analytics: prerequisites and best practices Workforce management data can reveal patterns and opportunities that may not be visible without analysis of multiple data points. It can be used to improve operations or profitability from a scheduling standpoint, but achieving those outcomes requires a tool, communication skills and time and commitment. Today, most organisations face significant challenges in leveraging workforce data to make better operational decisions.1

1 Aberdeen Group, Workforce Management: Controlling Costs, Delivering Results, June 2012 (http://aberdeen.com/Aberdeen-Library/7978/AI-workforce-talent-management.aspx retrieved 05/22/13)

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To make sure data-to-information transfer happens in a manner that is complete, accurate and meaningful:

Think beyond the pay slip A good workforce management analytics and reporting tool can unite disparate data sources and provide an accurate and accessible view of your entire business. However, analytics and big data are necessarily constrained by the little data. The devils in the details, so make sure your workforce management solution is capable of capturing, storing, and reporting on any range of labour activity, cost, schedule, leave of absence, and other pertinent bits of data across your organisation.

Determine data priorities Identify goals and objectives, then determine and document which types of data can help indicate your success against those goals.

Remove data blind spots Partial visibility can skew data accuracy. Completeness counts, so capture workforce data for the entire organisation.

Eliminate islands of information Combining information from multiple systems (i.e. a plant floor system with workforce management) can provide better insight. When selecting new technologies, prioritize software products that are designed to interface with other systems, and that are developed using industry standards.

Consolidate systems Ideally, capture all labour data in a single enterprise system, rather than with location-specific or role-specific tools (e.g. one method for exempt employees only). The granularity of labour and activity data collected may vary widely across different employee groups, but information for all employees should be recorded inand available for reporting froma single software platform. This comprehensive view eases your ability to compare the effectiveness of one location to another to drive continual improvement.

Employ a mix of data collection techniques It should be noted that you shouldnt equate the need to capture clocks with a need to install single-function wall clocks. New devices enable organisations to record employee work hours, breaks, and specific tasks while also delivering rich content to

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employees who may not have access to online resources via a PC, kiosk, or other terminal. A host of data collection and self-service options are available, ranging from phone-based entry (through Interactive Voice Response, or IVR), web entry and terminals, and one company may need to deploy numerous methods at different sites to cater to each employee groups needs, and thus further engagement and improve data accuracy.

Incorporating smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices into your workforce management strategy can bring data capture as close as possible to where the work is being done and can improve data accuracy. Whether it is a personal device brought to the workplace or a company-issued device, sophisticated means of mobile computing are in the hands of a broad swath of employees. Further, giving employees access to the workforce management system from their personal device can improve convenience, and employees often find the simplified mobile interface very simple to learn and use. These inherent advantages can help you increase adoption of your workforce management system, which enhances your ability to collect labour data for one hundred percent of your workforce.

Using data to drive results: Emerging trends and techniques As organisations automate more core business processes with enterprise software, many are making greater use of data warehouses to store this multitude of data. Data warehousing can also simplify the critical function of combining disparate data sources from across the organisation. For example, combining financial information with workforce data can illustrate the linkages between staffing levels and operating margins.

Data generated by HR systems, particularly talent and workforce management data, is gaining wider use as organisations enhance their focus on boosting workforce performance. A growing number of different departments have a stake in using workforce management data, and this increased number of internal customers can raise the visibility of decisions about which HR systems are chosen and how broadly theyre deployed.

While combining data from different sources is powerful, it only reinforces the need to capture a complete view of each constituent part (e.g. finance, work order or talent management data). This is especially critical in workforce management: although sometimes described in similar terms, a timekeeping system and an enterprise workforce management system will produce widely divergent levels of detail and strategic insight. Analysis of workforce management data can also reveal where there

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are overtime issues or absence patterns. Uncovering these trends can pinpoint opportunities for improvement or highlight areas of efficiency so they can be replicated across the business.

Adopting a data-centric mindset Applying a data-centric approach to workforce management activities helps HR leaders drive down costs, maintain efficiency, identify top talent and make informed decisions. With detailed insight into workforce activities, organisations can strike the balance between an efficient, cost-effective operation that is still flexible to meet the needs of changing business and regulatory dynamics. By thinking beyond the pay slip, organisations can use labour data and analysis to better guide and inform the business.

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About WorkForce Software Founded in 1999, WorkForce Software has emerged as a key player in the competitive workforce management landscape for large employers. Since the companys inception, the company has continually grown by every measurefrom the number of clients we serve, to the number of professionals we employ, to the revenues we generate and reinvest in our solutions. Today our solutions are in use by hundreds of companies around the world.

WorkForce Softwares EmpCenter suite addresses a broad range of workforce management functionality, including time & attendance, staff scheduling, absence and leave management, employee fatigue management, and labour analytics. Through providing a complete solution designed to automate 100% of each clients business requirements, we help large and complex organisations address some of their most pressing and strategic needs faced by HR, payroll, finance, operations and executive personnel.

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