5 Ways Workforce Management Tools Improve Productivity


Getting the schedule right every week often feels like putting together a massive puzzle. You want to ensure there is enough coverage for busy times while keeping labor costs under control. In this article, we will discuss several ways that workforce management tools will improve productivity for your company.

When schedules fall out of sync with actual demand, both employee morale and customer satisfaction can drop significantly. There are practical ways to fix this imbalance.

Match Staffing Levels to Peak Demand Hours Automatically with Workforce Management 

Nobody wants to be lacking staff during a sudden rush of customers. That is exactly where adopting workforce management software makes a massive difference in your daily operations. 

The system looks at your typical busy periods and generates schedules that put the right number of people on the floor at the exact right time. You no longer have to guess when your busiest hours will happen or worry about having too few hands available.

Having an automated system takes the heavy lifting off your plate. Tools like Dayforce help you create schedules that align perfectly with expected customer volume. You get to maintain a calm and organized environment for your team throughout the day. The software does the math for you, ensuring shifts overlap exactly when extra help is required.

Reduce Overtime Costs and Spot Overlaps Before They Happen

Paying time and a half eats into your operating budget very quickly. Catching those extra hours before they happen is essential for keeping expenses low. A digital platform alerts you when an employee is about to hit their maximum regular hours for the week. 

You see the warning on your screen and can adjust the shift immediately. This prevents accidental overtime payments and keeps your labor budget intact. 

Give Employees Self Service Access to Shift Swaps and Time Off

Your staff will appreciate having more control over their schedules. Allowing them to request time off or trade shifts from their personal devices creates a much happier workplace. They just open an app, send a swap request to a coworker, and wait for manager approval. 

You do not have to act as a middleman texting back and forth between five different people anymore. Giving them this level of access shows that you respect their personal lives. The schedule updates instantly once a swap is approved, so everyone always knows exactly who is coming in to work.

how a construction business gained clarity

Forecast Labor Needs Using Historical Sales or Traffic Data

Guessing how many people you need for a random Tuesday next month is tough. Looking at past numbers removes the guesswork completely. The system analyzes your past sales figures and foot traffic to predict what you will need in the future. 

If you always have a slow period during the second week of October, the schedule will reflect that dip in demand. You will never schedule too many people for a quiet shift again. Using historical data gives you a solid foundation for every schedule you publish. 

Track Real Time Attendance to Adjust Schedules on the Fly

Sometimes things change at the very last minute. Someone calls in sick, or a sudden rush of people walks through the door unexpectedly. Having a live view of who is currently clocked in lets you react quickly. 

You can see immediately if you need more help and send out an open shift notification to available team members. They get an alert on their phones and can claim the hours right away. Being able to adapt instantly keeps your operations running smoothly no matter what happens.

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Recent Reviews


Nomadic Matt holding up his Capital One Venture X business card
I’m a sucker for a good travel rewards card. Over the years, I’ve collected a small handful of them — not because I love juggling annual fees, but because the right cards can save you a lot of money on flights, hotels, and travel perks you’d otherwise pay out of pocket for.

Not only do I have a bunch for my personal expenses but I have a couple for this business too. One of my favorite business credit cards is the Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card. It’s Capital One’s top-tier business product. I love it because there’s a big welcome offer, lounge access to over 1,300 airport lounges, annual travel credits, and a simple 2x reward on all spending (which ensures you are always earning multiples miles per dollar spent).

To help you decide if this card is for you, here’s my full review of the card and why I love it so much:

 

What is the Capital One Venture X Business Card?

The Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card is a travel rewards card issued by Capital One. It comes with a $395 annual fee that is way lower than the other premium business cards out there. And I think you can easily get way more value than the annual fee costs. Here’s a quick look at the main perks:

  • Earn 150,000 bonus miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
  • 2 miles per $1 on all purchases, no category restrictions
  • 5× miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
  • 10× miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • $300 annual travel credit (through Capital One Business Travel)
  • Every year, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date.
  • Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
  • Up to $120 statement credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry
  • No foreign transaction fees

 

Using Your Capital One Miles

Capital One miles can be redeemed in a few ways. One is by booking travel directly through Capital One’s portal. While I usually don’t recommend booking through credit card portals, to fully benefit from the Venture X’s travel credit (and to get the 5x and 10x miles offers) you’ll need to use their portal.

Another option is to use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase. For 90 days after making such a purchase, you can reimburse yourself at a redemption rate of one cent per mile. After 90 days, and for all other purchases, you can use miles as cash back, at a redemption rate of 0.5 cents per mile (but avoid doing this, as it’s not a good value).

You can also use your Capital One miles in the Capital One Entertainment portal to book tickets for concerts, sports events, and more. Occasionally, Capital One offers cardholder-only events and presale opportunities too. While you’ll get just 0.8 cents per mile for tickets (not the best value), it’s still a fun and unique way to redeem miles.

However, you’ll get the most out of your miles by transferring them to Capital One’s 15+ airline and hotel partners. While the actual value varies based on what you book, you can usually find airline and hotel redemptions worth much more than the aforementioned one cent per mile. (The process is pretty straightforward and can be done through your Capital One account.)

Here are Capital One’s current travel partners:

  • Accor Live Limitless
  • Aeromexico Club Premier
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • Air France/KLM Flying Blue
  • Avianca LifeMiles
  • British Airways Executive Club
  • Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
  • Choice Privileges
  • Emirates Skywards
  • Etihad Airways Guest
  • EVA Air Infinity MileageLands
  • Finnair Plus
  • I Prefer Hotel Rewards
  • Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
  • Qantas Frequent Flyer
  • Qatar Airways Privilege Club
  • Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
  • TAP Portugal Miles&Go
  • Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
  • Virgin Red
  • Wyndham Rewards

 

Pros of the Venture X Business Card

As someone who travels constantly for work, I’m always looking for ways to earn miles faster and make airport life a little less painful. I like this card for the simple 2x miles on everything. I use a lot of other cards that can get you 3 or 4x on certain categories like advertising or non-portal travel spend like flights and hotels. But when it comes to dining, museums, transportation, etc, there’s not a lot of ways to get more than 2x per dollar spent on a business card. So, I use this Venture X for anything I can’t get more than 2x per dollar.

Here’s a deep dive into some of the main perks:

$300 Travel Credit
Each year, you get a $300 credit toward bookings made through Capital One Business Travel (flights, hotels, or car rentals). If you’re already booking travel regularly, this credit is basically free money — and it immediately drops your effective annual fee from $395 to $95.

The catch? You do have to book through Capital One’s travel portal. It’s powered by Hopper, so the interface is clean and prices are usually competitive. I’ve found some good deals there.

Lounge Access
You get access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass lounges. Capital One’s own lounges are actually great — spacious, modern, good food — though they’re still limited location. But they are expanding how many they have and I personally think they are way better than the other lounges competitor banks have. You also get Priority Pass access t o over 1,300 lounges globally, which is a common but really nice perk.

Anniversary Bonus
Every year on your account anniversary, you’ll get 10,000 bonus miles (worth about $100 toward travel). It’s a nice “thank you” that helps offset the annual fee even further.
 

Should You Get This Card?

The Capital One Venture X Business Credit Card is best for small- to medium-sized business owners who travel regularly and can put at least $30,000 to ensure they meet the welcome offer requirements.

Overall, I think the Capital One Venture X Business is one of the best-value premium business cards out there right now. It’s not as benefit-packed or as flashy as the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business?, but it’s easier to use, has a less expensive annual fee, gets you lounge access, and an easy to understand earning structure.

It’s one of the cards I use the most often for my business. I highly recommend getting it.

Stop paying full price for travel!

Download my free guide to points and miles and learn how to use points and miles for free travel! It’s how all the pros travel so much! In this guide, I’ll show you:

  • How to Pick a Credit Card
  • How to Earn Up to 10x Miles on Your Spending
  • How to Redeem Your Points
  • And a Ton of Other Money Saving Tips!
Points and Miles

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need a Rental Car?
Discover Cars is a budget-friendly international car rental website. No matter where you’re headed, they’ll be able to find the best — and cheapest — rental for your trip!

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip?
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.



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