Functionality
PlanningForge provides comprehensive support for the operational task and workforce planning process.
- Deploying PlanningForge enables the following sub-processes:
- Task & Workforce Planning: generate availability requirements based on workload forecasts (what needs to be done, when, and by which types of resources?)
- Task & Workforce Scheduling: generate optimal rosters (who does what, where, when, and how long?)
- Validation & Communications: confirm schedules and share with employees, sub-contractors and customers
- Daily Reassignments: manage schedule changes for unexpected events (i.e. sickness)
- Time and attendance Management: registration of realised working hours
Find below a more detailed overview of standard PlanningForge functionality.
Task Management
- Leading task modelling capabilities: define punctuality, frequency (single, recurring, periodic, ...), sequence, categories, groups, team work requirements, alternatives, variable volume, etc.
- Organize activities and sub-activities: per customer, per business unit, per team, ...
- View completed tasks (in past) and incomplete tasks (in past and future)
Resource Management
- Logical grouping: organize resources by business unit, department, group, team
- Staff personal profile : contact details, location, etc.
- Staff professional profile: qualifications, affinities, skills, preferences, mobility, flexibility (ability to model Normal, acceptable and Exceptional availability)
- Staff legal profile: counters for planned, performed, holidays, absences, over-time...
- Resource calendar management: monthly/weekly/daily schedule, management of rotations and work cycles, ...
- Temporary worker and sub-contractor management
- Definition of equipment, rooms and consumables
Parameterisation of Planning Model(s)
- Define HR policies: shift patterns, sharing of staff, counter management, ...
- Define planning modes: include subcontractor, include variable tasks, auto-complete incomplete tasks, use planned tasks, ...
- Define priorities: minimize over-time, balance workload, apply difficulty index, ...
- Define scenarios. optimize your planning by considering past and future validated tasks, generate various planning strategies based on different sets of preferences, and plan in 1, 2, ...n steps to differently treat tasks or situations and build working solutions that mimics human methods.
- Define constraints: Stabilize assignments, Use alternative Equipment, Keep Team Leader, Use Same staff in Weekends, Use Floating Counters, Insert Gaps, Plan Reversely, ...
Workload Curve Management
- Import workload demand curves
- Manage workload curves by shift and by qualification
- Convert workforce demand curves into task demand curves
Holiday and absence Management
- Request/approval workflow
- Counters
- Holiday calendar
Task & Workforce Scheduling
- automated & manual planning
- Search available staff
- Task validation
- Notion of "Fair treatment"
- Management of project milestones and performance priorities
Validation & Communication
- Facilitation of collaborative work
- Inform staff of schedule: via e-mail, intranet, SMS, Pocket PC, ...
Daily Reasignments
- Manual planning: for last minute changes to the schedule
- absence management: manage unexpected sickness leave, automated counter management
- Search available and qualified replacement staff
- Search for work and team alternatives
- Inform staff of changes in schedule: via e-mail, intranet, SMS, Pocket PC, ...
Time & attendance Management
- Call on duty - call off duty (badging function)
- Monitoring of on/off duty staff (call on - call off manager)
- Calculation of bonuses and pre-pay for workers' contracts
- Management of time spent on tasks
Reporting
- Standard OLaP cubes for multi-dimensional analysis
- Standard reports, including: planning monitoring (deviations from schedule)
- Schemes for building of custom reports: i.e. realised vs. scheduled hours per employee, cost analysis per business unit or customer, ...
Administration
- User management
- access rights management
- Password management
- Language settings (available: English, Dutch, French, Spanish, German)