If you manage an hourly workforce, you know the headaches of configuring schedules—and reconfiguring them as changes occur. Fortunately, app and software developers have created some solutions that can help you eliminate those headaches.
New shift scheduling systems can help you create and manage your team's schedules. They simplify the tasks of navigating time-off requests and shift swaps, and they send out alerts to let your employees know of changes and approvals. These features can be tremendous time-savers for busy business owners and are often well worth the cost of their implementation.
Which shift scheduling systems are right for your business? Below, you’ll find three popular picks. Click the logos to watch a brief explainer video of each option.
QuickBooks Time
- Free trial available
- No minimum spend
- Mobile app with GPS
- Time clock
- Time-off management
Deputy
- Free version available
- $10 per month minimum
- Easy-to-use interface
- Use AI to optimize your scheduling
- Share available shifts with your team
Zoho Shifts
- 30-day free trial
- $10 per month minimum
- Time-off management
- Team communication and shift notifications and reminders
- Allows shift trading
Let's take a closer look at each of these shift scheduling systems.
QuickBooks Time
This solution is popular with business owners who already use QuickBooks for bookkeeping because the two programs are fully compatible. When you connect your timesheets to this accounting program, you can quickly quantify labor costs and assure that variances are accounted for.
Integration isn’t the only key feature. QuickBooks Time also provides a GPS tracking feature that’s great for overseeing a mobile team of employees and ensuring they arrive when and where they’re needed. These features, along with automated, app-based timesheets, make QuickBooks Time an outstanding full-service option and one you might consider for your business.
Pricing starts at $20/month with an additional $10/month per user.
Learn more and sign up for a free trial by visiting QuickBooks Time.
Deputy
If you're looking for a best-value solution, consider Deputy. More than 300,000 workplaces rely on it for lightning-fast scheduling, time-off requests, and time tracking that can be shared instantly with your employees.
Like QuickBooks Time, Deputy integrates with QuickBooks' classic bookkeeping system, but it also connects seamlessly with multiple payroll, point-of-sale (POS), and HR systems. ADP, Gusto, Square, Xero, BambooHR, Paychex, Paycor, and Paycom are just a few of the integration that Deputy makes possible.
One of the features we like best about Deputy is labor costing. With it, you can see, at a glance, what every shift costs your business and how your wage costs compare to your sales.
Many owners also like Deputy's auto-scheduling feature. This feature allows you to lean on Deputy's advanced AI to craft schedule that reduce unnecessary wage costs by match shifts with accurate labor demand forecasts.
Deputy is priced at around $4.50/user/month, but you can also sign up for a free, streamlined version of Deputy. Plus, for a limited time, you can receive a $100 gift card when you sign up. Follow this link to take advantage of this offer. Some restrictions apply. Visit Deputy's site for details.
Check out this increasingly popular tool here.
Zoho Shifts
Zoho Shifts is a budget-friendly, all-in-one shift scheduling solution that can help you create work schedules, track employee hours, and send rapid communications to your team members from any device.
Many business owners who already use Zoho in other parts of their business make this solution their go-to pick. The reason is that it integrates well with their other solutions, including Zoho Payroll, Zoho People, and Zoho Books. But, importantly, it also integrates with non-Zoho bookkeeping solutions.
Pricing for the standard package, which includes advance scheduling, time tracking, and payroll export, starts at $1/month for up to 10 users. Additional users can be added for $2/month per user.
Visit Zoho Shifts to learn more and view a demo of their product.
Interested in other small business solutions? Let us help you find the right systems. Then, log into your owner’s portal for more articles and advice tailored to your business’s needs.
