Flexibility in good times and bad

Especially in the current situation, all respondents would like to see more room for maneuver in terms of personnel and efficient planning tools for staffing jobs in line with demand. Markus Wieser, Executive Director Product Management at Atoss, explains how digital workforce management can create flexibility for companies.

How can workforce management support in the current crisis situation?

Markus Wieser: In this difficult situation, two things are particularly important in my view. On the one hand, the risk of infection must be minimized by sending employees to the home office or setting up a split organization or shift planning with physical distance between individual teams. At the same time, however, and this represents a major challenge, the company's ability to survive must be ensured.

Despite all the necessary haste, one thing is very important: this fundamental process change must be carried out thoughtfully and sustainably so as not to create additional chaos. With mobile workforce management and intuitive self-services, remote working processes can be put into practice efficiently and securely, whether it's time recording from home, sick leave or requesting and approving absences. At the same time, transparency about time accounts and vacation balances is created.

What technological assets should workforce management software bring to the table?

Wieser: The fact is that on-premises systems do not support many new technologies, such as AI or big data analytics. That is why the future of digital workforce management also lies in the cloud. However, since HR data is highly sensitive, software, managed services and hosting should come from a single source.

This guarantees security, data protection, scalability and high availability. And if IT bosses want to make their HR colleagues really happy, the new software is absolutely intuitive to use and can be seamlessly integrated into the existing system landscape. As is the case, for example, with Atoss Workforce Management and SAP SuccessFactors. In the sense of best-of-breed, this creates an end-to-end HR platform that grows with all requirements.

Are there any legal requirements to consider when digitizing time management and workforce scheduling?

Wieser: On the one hand, the above-mentioned data protection laws come into play, on the other hand, the labor law and industry-specific tariffs as well as individual regulations. And in times of Corona, of course, hygiene regulations and distance rules also have top priority.

All of these specifications can be easily taken into account by software, be it decoupled duty schedules, working time and rest regulations, maximum working hours or nursing staff sub-limits in the healthcare sector. Digital processing, storage and archiving of personal data - in the case of workforce management, this means master and transaction data of employees - meets the requirements of the GDPR.

It almost looks like workforce management is gaining momentum right now.

Wieser: That's right. The experience that employees and employers are gaining now will lead to greater acceptance and use of mobile workplaces and flexible working hours in the future. This also presents companies with technical challenges. A "post Corona" workforce management software will have to offer self-services and mobile apps with a learning threshold of almost zero.

This can be achieved, for example, via natural language user interfaces. One thing is certain: our society and the way we live and work together will change. And our solutions must also reflect this if they are to support the new normality.

Thank you for the interview.