Ensuring every shift is properly staffed can be a complex and time-consuming task for public safety managers and supervisors. Whether they're scheduling support staff who work Monday through Friday or officers who work 10-hour rotating shifts, schedulers must ensure each shift is staffed with the appropriate number of qualified employees. Here are some reasons public safety administrators have turned to officer and staff scheduling software to help stay on top of scheduling.
Accessibility
Paper schedules typically reside on a computer or bulletin board
within a public safety department. When changes occur, the schedule
must be updated and reposted. This means officers can only view the
most current schedules when they are at work, and supervisors are
never sure whether everyone has the correct schedule information.
Online scheduling systems allow officers, staff, and administrators
to see up-to-the-minute schedules anytime, anywhere. Employees
always know when and where they work, and managers have peace of
mind knowing everyone has the most current schedule
information.
Time Savings
Public safety administrators already have a lot on their plates
and creating weekly or monthly schedules can be time intensive -
especially when the facility uses paper schedules or spreadsheets.
Scheduling software allows managers to build schedules for each of
their divisions in minutes, and easily schedule multiple employees.
Some software solutions include tools that make it easy to
copy schedule patterns and rotations, so managers don't spend
time entering repeating schedule information.
Improved Communication
Software with an integrated messaging system allows managers to
instantly communicate with staff via email and text message. This
helps managers alert staff of schedule changes as well as fill open
shifts fast. Scheduling software also lets managers share schedules
with other locations or divisions, such as corrections, patrol, and
dispatch. This gives the entire organization real-time schedule
information to ensure every shift is properly staffed.
Additionally, administrators can see how many total hours are
scheduled, which safeguards against scheduling conflicts and
reduces unnecessary overtime.
Budget Management
The personnel budget comprises most of law enforcement agencies'
annual funds. Scheduling software can perform staffing calculations
such as total hours scheduled and can provide estimated employee
utilization and efficiency for a given work period. When
researching scheduling software solutions, administrators should
consider the initial investment, as well as monthly and annual
costs. Administrators should look for software with flexible
pricing, which can be adjusted to meet their department's specific
personnel requirements. This ensures the department is paying only
for the services they need. For added resource management, some
software includes reporting tools, which allows administrators to
monitor officer's shifts and hours - preventing unnecessary
overtime costs.
Finding the scheduling program that best meets their department's staffing requirements helps administrators ensure every shift is properly covered and each employee has the most current schedule information. Additionally, it can cut the time spent on scheduling by up to 75% and reduce overtime by up to 90% - that's a sound investment for any public safety department.
Are you interested in simplifying the employee scheduling process and improving communication in your public safety department? Start your 30-Day FREE trial of Schedule Anywhere today!
Image ©Studio615/Adobestock.com
