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Technology supports labour management

Experts in the workforce management products and services and solutions markets know that solutions are entering the market that are designed expressly to be managed by smartphones and GPS tracking with data linked and used centrally to meet core business requirements.

Guenter Nerlich, executive manager, ERP solutions – access & workforce management at dormakaba, says workforce management technology has become more sophisticated and the functionality today, is among others, mobile. “The industry has kept up with market trends and today business managers have the technical means to track employees and business processes and manage productivity automatically and in real time,” says Nerlich.

“Technology is key – and with that comes the choice for fully integrated and certified solutions. A larger company’s main goal is to handle all the workforce management needs in one central platform – their ERP solution. This assures the highest degree of productivity of their workforce with lowest cost impact possible.”

But where does a company start and at what point can a business claim it has complete control over technology-driven workforce management?

Nerlich says time and attendance is a start and maybe considered by some to be merely a beginning, but he believes it is a critical piece of the overall puzzle.

“Without an automated WFM solution, companies are losing out daily and in many cases so does the employee. Automated time and attendance is of the outmost important as a starting point leading to further solution parts like shop floor data collection and access control,” he explains.

So, if mobility centralised management and automation are considered the hallmarks of reliable workforce management, then integration is the glue that cements the strategy. There are a variety of solutions available, as is the nature of this expanding marketplace, but Nerlich advises that it is important to find a solution that fulfils a key aspect – it should be ERP-provider certified.

Ultimately, the size of a business is not a factor when it comes to the need to integrate the latest workforce management technology, nor how best to leverage solutions. However, while the principles are the same, smaller businesses may not require an immediate and extensive full integration into their systems like payroll or production.

As with all technology-based strategies, success depends on buy-in and whether the people-factor has been fully considered.

“Never forget – technology is one side of the project, but proper change management is key as well. Taking both into account at the same level and importance you will create a win-win situation for the company and its employees,” Nerlich adds.

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