One of the challenges of owning a small business is that your business can be growing faster than your ability to keep up with it. Making sure that your basic business model is scalable, using better time and attendance software, and managing your workforce remotely can make the growth transition much easier.
Rapid business growth is one of those problems that more companies wish they had, until they have to find out how to efficiently scale up while bolstering their reputation and gaining customers.
Labor Costing and Staff Scheduling
A business that grows at an extremely quick pace over a concentrated period of time can experience a big jump in expenses. That goes for companies in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors as well as government, hospitality and logistics. The same principles apply - when you have more money going out (on business expenses) than coming in (through revenue) alarms might be going off.
The solution? Your first move should be towards keeping more accurate data on your labor costing so that you'll know what steps to take next and whether you're staying under budget.
Improved Staff Scheduling
When your business is rapidly expanding, or you take on more remote workers to expand your workforce, staff scheduling becomes more important to your company's ability to keep up with growth.
Improved staff scheduling can enhance the productivity of your workplace whether you're experiencing modest or rapid growth, but it becomes a necessity when your time-strapped or need to focus your energies elsewhere. Staff scheduling software virtually eliminates the problems of over-staffing and under-staffing.
Both of which can really strain your expenses - having too many workers biding their time or having too few workers for the job can be frustrating for your workforce and very costly for you as an employer.
The business growth process could ask more of your workforce, so avoiding overworking or frantically changing around schedules should be imperatives.
Better scheduling also lowers the chances of absenteeism in the workplace or workers getting frustrated and leaving. Staff scheduling gives you and your workforce predictability and more manageable growth.
Communicate with Your Staff, Suppliers and Vendors
Time and attendance software can ensure a smooth transition for your workforce and sidestep staffing issues. Rapid growth can catch your suppliers and vendors off-guard, though, and cause problems when they're unable to scale up alongside your company and provide you with the goods and services that you need.
Keeping track of your progress and how quickly your growing is the first step towards keeping your partners, vendors and suppliers in the know.
Timely communication should allow everyone to stay on the same page and make the necessary changes to keep up with demand (e.g., making systems upgrades or buying new equipment).
Optimize Your Organization with Workforce Management
Workforce management software encompasses many different processes critical to navigating growth. These include factors like: time and attendance tracking, employee scheduling, performance monitoring, absentee management, crisis management, and much more.
Demand Prediction
Many workforce management software packages include what's known as demand prediction, which can help you prepare your workforce and capabilities for new growth opportunities right around the corner.
Knowing when demand is coming can help you organize the right amount of staff at every step of the way. Time and attendance management can ensure that employees are getting to work on time, clocking in the hours and complying with FMLA and other leave guidelines.
Workforce management, in short, can increase the productivity of your workplace by avoiding issues like over- and under-staffing and help keep everyone on the same page. It lets you truly focus on growth.
