Workforce Efficiency Increased with Healthcare Scheduling Software

August 25, 2020

Ask any organization, large or small, what their goals or priorities are, and increasing the efficiency of the workplace is bound to make it towards the top of the list. One quick way to dramatically improve efficiency and productivity in the workplace is to simplify and streamline your scheduling process. You can easily accomplish this with the implementation of healthcare scheduling software.

As business organizations continuously adapt to operational changes and challenges for managing their staff labor, which is their most expensive and most important resource, it is critical to have an efficient and reliable scheduling process in place. The management of healthcare employee scheduling with a manual or outdated system process is time-consuming and adds considerable operational cost to a company’s bottom line. Efficiency in schedule management saves time, money, and increases the satisfaction for both staff and management.

Here are just a few of the many ways scheduling software can help increase efficiency in your workplace:

Credential Tracking

Scheduling software can track the licensure, credentials, and skills of your staff by storing them in employee profiles. Licensure, credentials, and skills that require recertification are tracked by expiration date and alert employees 60 days prior to expiration. Management is provided with color-coded reports that clearly display expired or expiring licensure, credentials, and skill. Credential tracking prevents staff members who lack certain credentials or qualifications from filling shifts or even being offered shifts they aren’t qualified to fulfill.

Rules-Based Self-Scheduling

After the scheduler releases shifts for the upcoming schedule and immediate booking of set-schedule shifts, the remaining open shifts are available for self-scheduling by unit-based employees through a rules-based self-scheduling feature. Self-scheduling provides employees flexibility and independence while ensuring individual work targets are met and safe levels of staffing occur. Management controls the process by defining setup, rules, and features that can be turned on or off for the entire department or for individual employees. Scheduling software allows staffing managers to quickly and easily adapt to changes in employee availability, which helps prevent schedule conflicts or gaps in staff coverage.

Messaging Features

Greatly improve all aspects of communication by sending scheduling requests or changes to staff in real-time text, email, and message board messages, complete with timestamps to ensure they were delivered and read.

Overtime Thresholds

Maybe you’re feeling the heat of budgeting and need to manage OT. With scheduling software, you can set overtime thresholds. If you’re still using a manual, outdated scheduling process, it’s impossible to see the big picture for more effective schedule management. Scheduling software allows management to instantly view OT thresholds for available employees, 24/7, from any mobile device.

Full Scheduling Transparency

Scheduling software provides scheduling managers, admins, and staff complete schedule transparency by giving them full access to their schedule, 24/7. Schedules can be checked remotely, from any device with internet access. Transparent schedules posted in advance require fewer shift swaps and changes because staff have more time to plan in accordance with their work schedule.

Optimizing Staff

Healthcare scheduling software can allow an organization more transparency for resources and maximize available staff across the enterprise to ensure proper staff coverage to fill open needs and eliminate the need for overtime or supplemental agency labor. A system that allows employees the ability to optimize their respective schedules for increased work opportunities provides a higher level of employee satisfaction, and increased workplace morale.

Time Off Requests

Scheduling software allows you the ability to organize and streamline your employee time off requests by allowing employees to submit these requests quickly and efficiently without ever having to leave their home. Management is alerted when employee requests are made and can quickly approve or deny these requests based on the needs of a department. The approved requests are integrated into the department schedule and allow management the ability to cover openings with qualified and available staff. Scheduling software adheres to a set of established rules and guidelines set by management making the time off process fair and seamless for everyone.

Shift Swaps

Scheduling software allows shift swapping, giving your staff the power and responsibility to handle their own shift trades or changes. This improves workplace morale by giving your employees more control and a greater sense of balance in their work and personal lives.

Your workforce efficiency won’t increase on its own, especially if you’re still relying on outdated, manual scheduling methods, so don’t delay! Contact Schedule360 to see what employee scheduling software can do for you. We can show you just how Schedule360 can work for your clinic or healthcare center with a customized demo of our healthcare scheduling software solution.