In many organizations, it's often a difficult and thankless job to schedule employees in their various shifts. The individual in charge of this task needs to think long and hard before placing workers into their various time slots. When done successfully, productivity is maximized and sales are not overrun by labor costs. Week after week, month and month, this task needs to be repeated again and again. This can become a tedious and error-prone process if done manually using paper and pencil or a spreadsheet.

• Employee Scheduling Software (preferably free). I'm not oppossed to buying a software package, but I'm all about free software and the whole open source scene. I also do not want to use an online scheduling service, unless I can host it on one of our internal server, I'd like to keep all of this in our building. This topic has been.
• Most Production Scheduling software creates a future plan (the Gantt Chart) from which the shop-floor priority list is printed. Open source advanced planning.

Open-source staffRostering is a service (SAAS, Software As A Service, with a monthly charge) and access is obtained over the Internet Read more about StaffRoster Suite. StaffRostering is installed on firLab's server farm, and can be used it via the Internet.

Years ago, only the biggest organizations could afford software that would let them automate the task of scheduling workers, but then cloud-based services mercifully emerged. Today, many vendors offer employee scheduling and shift planning software via the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, which is flexible enough to be used in multiple industries and verticals by companies with as few as five employees or as many as 15,000. Best of all, this software can cost as little as $1 per month per employee, with discounts available for large workforces or for subscribing to a bundle of related services such as general human resources (HR) management or payroll.

Vendors are chasing a growing number of small to midsize businesses (SMBs) that are ditching Google Docs, Microsoft Excel, or paper and pencil for scheduling solutions that are more productive and which help to keep employees content. They also make it easier to comply with new regulations, including minimum wage and overtime laws, the Affordable Care Act, and worker 'Bill of Rights' measures that cities such as San Francisco and Seattle have passed in recent years. From 2014 to 2015, workforce and labor scheduling software adoption jumped 40 percent, at least in part because of increased regulation, according to the 2015-2016 HR Systems Survey from industry analyst firm Sierra-Cedar.

To help you get a handle on your shift scheduling needs, we test solutions from 10 top players in the space. Among these reviews, you'll find vendors such as Humanity, Shiftboard, Ximble, When I Work, and Editors' Choice winner Deputy. They all have fresh, modern user interfaces (UIs), including on/off toggles and other controls similar to those on mobile apps. Platforms When I Work and ZoomShift also function equally as well on desktops and mobile devices, at least for employees. All of the products we review offer templates and other shortcuts that can cut the time it takes to get set up and create schedules.

Most of the solutions we review can be configured so that employees can pick up, drop, or swap shifts, without requiring prior approval from a manager (though, in some cases, you might have to pay extra for such functions). Some can be configured so managers can create schedules with all open shifts, giving employees more say over when and how much they work. That's critical in industries such as healthcare and fast food where companies view giving people more flexibility in their work life as a competitive advantage they can use to hire better workers and hang onto valued employees.

What Is Shift Planning Software?

Regardless of their individual look and feel, all employee scheduling and shift planning software tools share a handful of common elements. One of these elements is an employee database that includes individual worker's contact information, job title or type, training or other qualifications, and their availability (including shift preferences and time-off requests). Along with manually entering worker data, all of the vendors offer new users some options for uploading existing personnel data from sources such as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets as well as payroll or point-of-sale (POS) systems. Platforms When I Work and ZoomShift let users add new workers with a minimum of information; employees can also fill in the rest of their data the first time they log into the system, which is a timesaver managers should love.

Two other shift scheduling software basics are a library of jobs or positions (e.g., server, cashier, bartender, dishwasher, and host) that can be cross-referenced with locations or job websites. Some platforms integrate with Google Maps so, when employees check their schedule, they can see the location and get directions. This is a handy feature for businesses such as caterers, housepainters, or movers whose workers go to different job sites every day.

The heart of this kind of software is the scheduling module, which typically can be configured to look like a daily, weekly, or monthly calendar depending on the needs of your business. Empty cells on the grid represent hours of the day; they get populated as shifts are created. Modules give schedulers multiple ways to create schedules. Some of these ways include creating a shift, and then dragging and dropping a name from the employee list to fill it; creating and reusing shift templates, copying shifts from a previous time period (such as the previous week), or uploading schedules from spreadsheets. Some offerings takes this a step further, offering automated scheduling tools that an executive or shift supervisor can use to set parameters and then let the software build a schedule for them.

Letting employees add times when they're available to work to their profile, bid on open shifts, or swap shifts has become the de facto norm (though vendors such as ZoomShift don't offer shift swaps as part of their lowest-priced tier of service). It's also the new norm to let employees decide how they want to get alerts of schedule updates—either via email, SMS, or simply through in-app messages, for example.

Key Differentiators

One area that separates good shift planning platforms from mediocre ones is reporting. When they're planning shifts, businesses such as restaurants and retail stores need to know what their labor costs will be and how that relates to sales. Some software can pull data from third-party programs via integration at the application programming interface (API) level, including POS systems, time and attendance managers, or other HR software. These software solutions then combine that data with their own databases to create sales histories, forecasts, and other reports. In such cases, the system can analyze how many people worked on Black Friday last year and what sales were, and then calculate how many people to put on the schedule this year to maximize profits.

Another differentiator is support. Though developers have worked to make software intuitive, even platforms with user-friendly UIs take time to get used to. Platforms Deputy, HotSchedules, and Humanity offer 24/7 support via phone, email, or chat. They and other vendors offer wizards that walk new accounts through the setup process, on-screen Help buttons, extensive FAQs, how-to videos, online training sessions, and one-on-one instruction—either for a small fee or as part of the implementation process. Some platforms, such as ZoomShift, send new customers a series of daily email alerts with answers to their most-asked customer questions.

Pricing

Free Software Open Source

Across the products we tested, approximate minimum prices run from $1 to $2.45 per user per month for various numbers of locations, users, and functions. Prices then drop from there as companies add more of each, or for companies subscribing to service bundles that include a time clock, time and attendance, or other modules. Some platforms, such as Deputy and Humanity, let you demo sandbox accounts for specific company types, including restaurants, healthcare agencies, security firms, and retailers. This could help you determine whether it's right for your business.

Task Scheduler Open Source

All in all, we found these solutions to be well worth the cost. If you're still using paper and pencil or spreadsheets to schedule hourly workers, then know there's a better way. SaaS-based employee scheduling and shift planning software is easy to use and, if you get stuck, most platforms offer a variety of help (most of which can be immediately accessed without resorting to a customer service call). If you're paying $1 per user per month, then the cost can add up, especially if you're a larger business. However, the return on investment (ROI) is fewer hours devoted to scheduling, a more dependable and efficient work force, and additional time you can spend on other parts of your business.

Webinar Software Open Source

Featured Best Employee Scheduling & Shift Planning Software Reviews:

Open Source Job Scheduler Software

• Deputy Review

  
  MSRP: $2.00
  

  Pros: Friendly user interface. Mobile-first approach. 24/7 support. Ability to customize your company's dashboard. Offers open shifts and shift swapping. Good price tag.

  Cons: Not robust enough to be a comprehensive human resources (HR) management tool. Website and mobile apps are available in English only.

  Bottom Line: Deputy is one of the best shift scheduling tools available. But if your business needs advanced HR functions, you should look to offerings that are suited for large enterprises.

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• Shiftboard Review

  
  MSRP: $3.00
  

  Pros: Gorgeous user interface. Affordably priced at the lower-level plans. Features an applicant tracking subsection.

  Cons: Lack of user help forums. Cramped and messy Calendar view.

  Bottom Line: While somewhat flawed, Shiftboard is a powerful employee scheduling tool that can do just about anything you'll need. If you're looking for new staffing software, then you'd be wise to consider Shiftboard.

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• Humanity Review

  
  MSRP: $2.00
  

  Pros: A modern, clean look and feel. Lots of shortcuts. A cutting-edge, automated scheduling function (for an extra fee). Includes reports, forecasts, a mobile-responsive website, and generous support. Includes direct integration with human resources (HR) and Point-of-Sale (POS) small business software.

  Cons: An overload of features and configurability could be overkill if you're a small business looking for a simple solution.

  Bottom Line: Humanity is the future of shift scheduling software but it's not inexpensive. However, if you're ready to test the waters, then you'll get plenty of support along the way.

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• When I Work Review

  
  MSRP: $9.00
  

  Pros: Feature-rich, flexible, mobile-friendly platform. Has a modern, intuitive user interface (UI) backed by ample training, help, and support. Open application programming interface (API) lets users share data with payroll, Point-of-Sale (POS), and other people management programs.

  Cons: Doesn't offer as many reports and direct integrations with payroll and POS vendors as some competitors. Cheapest price only covers a single location and up to five users.

  Bottom Line: When I Work is a full-bodied, attractive shift scheduling platform that works well on phones and desktops, and offers shortcuts and templates that help speed up scheduling for managers, giving employees more power over when they work.

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• Ximble Review

  
  MSRP: $1.00
  

  Pros: The best-looking software in its class. Affordably priced and worth the money. Easy drag-and-drop schedule changes.

  Cons: No prebuilt templates. Automating schedules is difficult because of the tool's restrictive master settings and lack of customization.

  Bottom Line: If you're looking for a tool that's designed perfectly but requires a bit of manual labor for scheduling, then Ximble might be the perfect solution for your business.

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• APS OnLine Review

  
  MSRP: $5.00
  

  Pros: Sophisticated configurability. Built-in payroll is a core offering. User-friendly touches throughout.

  Cons: Separate portals for system administrators and employees. Lacks a news feed. More expensive than many other SMB-oriented competitors.

  Bottom Line: APS OnLine does a good job delivering enterprise-style HR software functionality to an SMB customer. However there's some complexity involved there and the price can move up quickly depending on the features you need.

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• HotSchedules Review

  
  MSRP: $40.00
  

  Pros: HotSchedules' scheduler is its crowning achievement, along with good mobile apps for workers who prefer to use their phones to manage their work life. One of the only vendors with real-time, integrated reports on labor budgets, costs, and other metrics. Available with a suite of add-on software tailored to restaurant and hospitality businesses.

  Cons: Some parts of the UI aren't as fresh or as well-organized as others. Lacks a free trial. Pricing isn't published. Its mobile apps aren't free. Initial setup requires keying in personnel data, pulling it from other software, or sharing files with the company to upload on your behalf.

  Bottom Line: If you run a restaurant, need real-time metrics, or have a predominately mobile-centric workforce, then HotSchedules is one to consider, though there are definite tradeoffs including a user interface (UI) that can take some getting used to.

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• Kronos Workforce Ready Review

  
  MSRP: $6.00
  

  Pros: Reasonably priced. Offers apps most often seen in enterprise-level suites, including applicant tracking, performance review, and payroll.

  Cons: Companies with fewer than 100 employees must buy through third-party partners.Extremely configurable but can be complex for small to midsize businesses (SMBs) to use.

  Bottom Line: Kronos Workforce Ready is a solid human resources (HR) tool for SMBs that is affordably priced. It offers a lot of configurability and functionality, but that also makes it significantly more complex than other SMB-focused HR tools.

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• Snap Schedule Review

  
  MSRP: $450.00
  

  Pros: Immensely capable. Fully customizable. An exhaustive amount of reports. Home dashboard is the best we've reviewed.

  Cons: Too pricey. Gets cluttered in the daily view. Must pay extra for employee access.

  Bottom Line: Snap Schedule is a great scheduling tool, but its high price and cluttered calendars keep it from the upper echelon of software in this category.

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• ZoomShift Review

  
  MSRP: $2.00
  

  Pros: A simple platform that offers an impressive amount of functionality and works well on mobile. The inclusion of group announcements, push notifications, and Intuit QuickBooks integration makes it competitive with some bigger solutions.

  Cons: Text notifications, shift reminders, and the ability to sync with iCal and Google Calendar are only available in the more expensive Pro and Advanced plans. No open application programming interface (API). Phone support limited to office hours.

  Bottom Line: ZoomShift is an affordable yet powerful shift scheduling solution for small businesses. It lacks some of the features of platforms designed for enterprises but has all of the capability a smaller workforce should need.

  Read Review