Posted Date: 4/1/2011
Employing Data-Driven Workforce Management
By Adam Blair
Today’s workforce management (WFM) solutions have moved far beyond the basics of time and attendance, scheduling and task management. Now they can provide detailed assessments and hour-by-hour recommendations for optimizing a retailer’s labor force, and can accept input from a variety of data sources—including historical sales data and in-store traffic—to help retailers stay within labor budgets while maximizing sales and profitability.
RIS lists some of the major WFM vendors and highlights recent retailer deployments.
Client Roster Expands
During the past six months, Axsium Group, a global consulting practice focused on workforce management, has added new clients including AutoZone, Charming Charlie’s, Dixons, Nike, Ross Stores and Sainsbury.
Engaging Employees
Global non-profit Save the Children is using talent management software from Cornerstone OnDemand to automate key processes for learning management, employee performance management and onboarding.Scheduling via SaaS
Metropark recently deployed CyberShift’s workforce management solution via its Software as a Service model to automate store scheduling. “We needed an automated solution that could help us schedule our workforce based on anticipated store traffic, as well as sales forecasts, by location and store size,” said Tim Delasantos, vice president of information systems, Metropark USA.
Automating Scheduling
Chico’s FAS selected JDA Software’s Workforce Management solution for its ability to provide real-time visibility into staffing requirements across all stores, including the ability to link associate skill sets with in-store traffic volume.
Filtering Applicants
Athletic footwear retailer Finish Line used Kronos Workforce Acquisition to help store managers identify and select the most suitable applicants. Electronic applications available in stores and online, coupled with sales and reliability assessments, provide managers with prequalified candidates and an interview guide to help them qualify applicants even further.
Promoting Productivity
GNC has rolled out RedPrairie’s Warehouse Management and Workforce Management solutions across three DCs. “Our warehouses are very fast-paced—all of our orders need to be loaded in the system, planned, allocated, and ready for picking in 90 minutes or less,” said Lee Karayusuf, senior vice president of distribution and transportation, GNC. “To meet that pace, we offer users compensation based on how productive their picking is. The solutions we chose had to support that practice.”
Fast Growth
Reflexis experienced record customer growth in 2010, adding more than 30 new customers. Recent go-lives include Five Below, Home Depot, Marks & Spencer and de Bijenkorf in the Netherlands. In addition, The Pantry, Quick Check and Cabela’s have selected Reflexis solutions.
Learning Launch
Vitamin Shoppe has purchased the full suite of products for learning, performance management and collaboration from Saba Software, joining customers including Macy’s, Sephora, Woolworth’s (Australia), Guitar Center and Sonic Automotive. Saba plans to introduce a social learning product this year that will provide the best capabilities of its learning management system with its collaboration and web conference tools.
VENDOR LANDSCAPE: WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
The chart below is a comparison guide of product specifications and functionalities in a specific category to help retailers begin their search for vendors in the RFP process. The chart is not a comprehensive resource. Please visit vendor web sites for further information. |
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Company Name/Web Site
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Solution Description
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Key Clients
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Cornerstone OnDemand
www.cornerstoneondemand.com |
Cornerstone Talent Management Suite Web-based, SaaS solution consists of integrated platforms for learning management, enterprise social networking, performance management and succession planning, enabling organizations to develop employees throughout their careers, improve business execution and enable external networks of customers, vendors and distributors. |
• Christopher & Banks
• True Value
• United Supermarkets |
CyberShift
www.cybershift.com |
CyberShift Workforce Management 3G Available through SaaS or on-premise license delivery models, solution provides specialty retailers with multi-national capabilities for employee scheduling, time & attendance, contingent labor management, absence management, expense management and mobile workforce solutions. |
• Anna's Linens
• Metropark
• New York & Company |
Dayforce
www.dayforce.com |
Workforce Management Single application that helps retailers put enterprise performance at the center of workforce planning, scheduling, task management and tracking. Solution lets retailers see and understand the impact of operational decisions on corporate KPI achievement in real time. |
• Aéropostale
• Hibbett Sports
• Longo's |
Empower Software
www.empowersoftware.com |
EmpowerWFM Browser-based solution with modules including Budgeter, to coordinate workforce plans with a detailed budget; Forecaster; Scheduler, to automatically generate schedules that meet forecast demand and conform to government regulations, corporate policies and employees' preferences; and Dashboard, a centralized tool to facilitate real-time business decisions. |
• The Limited
• Millennium Health Management
• St. Louis University |
Infor Global Solutions
www.infor.com |
Infor WFM Workbrain To meet the challenge of scheduling the right staff in the right place at the right time, more than 140 of the world's top retail brands use Infor WFM Workbrain to reduce labor as a percentage of sales, improve customer service and adapt to changing conditions on the fly. |
• Burlington Coat Factory
• Michael's
• Sephora |
JDA Software
www.jda.com |
JDA Workforce Management A full suite of tools for retailers to optimize their labor force using a web-based enterprise architecture, solution provides forecasting of staffing needs, automatic schedule generation based on forecasted demand balanced with compliance requirements, time & attendance tracking and task management. |
• Chico's FAS
• Food Lion
• Gander Mountain |
Kronos
www.kronos.com |
Kronos for Retail Offerings include solutions for hiring, time and attendance, forecasting and scheduling, operations planning, absence management, analytics and HR/payroll, which help retailers improve customer service, increase productivity, reduce labor costs, mitigate compliance risks and improve workforce quality. |
• Hannaford Bros.
• JAMBA Juice
• Yum! Brands |
Opterus
www.opterus.com |
Store-Ops Center On-demand, web-based software designed to communicate corporate policy, day-to-day objectives, manage compliance, assign tasks and handle issues between corporate office and store locations. Solution enables retailers to rapidly and accurately transfer information to and from stores completely and more effectively. |
• Charming Charlie
• Roundy's Supermarkets
• Town Shoes |
Oracle
www.oracle.com |
Workforce Scheduling for Retail Simple-to-use application that can reduce overstaff situations and understaffing in peak periods, the solution takes into account key metrics such as demand, employee preferences, skills, availability, labor laws and payroll budgets to calculate the most optimal schedule. |
• Advance Auto Parts
• Ascena Group
• Disney Store |
RedPrairie
www.redprairie.com/workforce |
Enterprise Workforce Management for Retail Comprehensive solution includes labor standards, budgeting, forecasting and workforce planning. Time & attendance and incentive pay captures employee time data, enforces schedules and integrates seamlessly with payroll; solution also includes scheduling and task management. |
• GNC Nutrition Centers
• FinishLine
• Sterling Jewelers |
Reflexis
www.reflexisinc.com |
Retail Execution Management Platform Integrated platform of web-based solutions includes Workforce Manager for labor scheduling and time & attendance, Task Manager, KPI Activator and StoreWalk. Retailers can monitor workforce-related KPIs and automatically assign corrective action when metrics fall out of retailer-defined tolerance levels. |
• Home Depot
• Delhaize America
• Staples |
Saba Software
www.saba.com |
Saba for Retail End-to-end people management solution tying together goals, performance management, talent mobility, workforce planning, learning and collaboration on a single platform with a common employee profile. Helps retailers reduce time to contribution, increase retention and workforce productivity and reduce costs. |
• Amazon.com
• Media-Saturn
• The Vitamin Shoppe |
SAP
www.sap.com |
Workforce Management Comprehensive solution helps retailers schedule employees more effectively, forecast sales patterns accurately so retailers can increase the sales-to-payroll ratio, and automate weekly schedule creation to reduce administrative time, improve schedule effectiveness, help ensure labor-law compliance and reduce employee turnover. |
• Al-Futtaim Group
• Beall's
• Limited Brands |
Taleo
www.taleo.com |
Talent Management Comprehensive solution includes modules for recruiting, sourcing, assessment, onboarding, goals, performance, succession, development, learning, compensation and analytics. An intuitive user interface is combined with profile-based screening, configurable workflow and native assessment platforms. |
• A.C. Moore
• CDW
• Fair Trade USA |
TimeLink
www.timelink.com |
TimeLink for Retail A fully integrated workforce management solution that helps retailers more effectively control labor costs, mitigate compliance risk, streamline organizational processes and increase workforce productivity. |
N/A |
Tomax
www.tomax.com |
Retail.net Workforce Optimization Solution includes labor scheduling, time & attendance and operations support, which includes task and activity management, KPI and query management, forms, communications, training and testing and new hire orientation. |
• Party City
• Save Mart Supermarkets
• Winn-Dixie Stores |
Vortex Connect
www.vortexconnect.com |
Mobile Manager Connect Part of a complete workforce management suite, this solution allows retailers to reduce and control labor costs by streamlining time capture and review, giving employees and managers the tools to manage the entry, edit and review of data virtually anywhere. |
N/A |
Workplace Systems
www.workplacesystems.com |
Workforce Management Retail Suite A fully integrated, web-based suite of WFM software servicing strategic requirements for budgeting and labor modeling in addition to the operational demands of labor forecasting, scheduling, time & attendance and performance measurement. |
• Country Road
• Metro Cash & Carry
• Wickes |
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