Manufacturing Scheduling Software

What manufacturing scheduling software is available for small businesses? Softworks offers scalable and modular Manufacturing Scheduling Software, Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS), and Production scheduling software which is specifically designed as a Cloud-Based Solution with Mobile Access in order to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to optimise their workforce management and production planning without having to pay for unnecessary features.

The platform streamlines operations, cuts labor costs, and drives profitability across five key functions:

• Creating shift schedules easily by constructing rosters that are optimized according to production demand, the skills required, labour scheduling, and the desired staffing levels.
• Rapid Absence Coverage allows for a quick replacement of staff when employees unexpectedly fail to turn up in order to avoid production line stoppages.
• Perfect Time and Attendance: Hours can be tracked using mobile apps, proximity cards, or biometric terminals, entirely removing errors associated with paper timesheets, time theft, and ‘buddy punching’ at the same time as ensuring data security.
• Exceptional cost control is achieved by optimizing labour forecasting in order to avoid overstaffing, promote cost reduction, and safeguard the narrow operating margins of SMEs.
• The system for managing skills and certifications keeps track of employees’ qualifications, Quality Control standards, and health and safety certifications, and sends out automated alerts when credentials are about to expire.

Softworks’ Legacy of Employee Support

Softworks has assisted manufacturing companies for more than 35 years in optimising their workforce resources, capacity planning and in supporting their employees. We have offered countless international manufacturers more efficient and flexible working environments that are able to keep up with changing work trends. By concentrating on employee well-being we help to create a more positive and engaged workplace—once your workforce feels supported then productivity increases greatly. Our cutting-edge Workforce Management system links all aspects of your business, connecting shop floor management from the factory floor with HR, team management and payroll, so that your employees are accurately rewarded for the hard work and dedication they show in accordance with the relevant workforce regulations.

Become a Trusted Partner

For over 35 years manufacturing companies have placed their trust in Softworks, the result of which has been an increase in their productivity, better Throughput Optimisation, and a reduction in their operating costs thanks to the company’s excellent management, its effective scheduling, and its unmatched visibility regarding their workforce resources.

Businesses trust us because we offer flexible, intuitive solutions that cover every operational function:

• Time & Attendance Software
• Scheduling/eRostering and Production Planning
• Flexible & Remote Working
• HR solutions
• Absence Management
• Project Tracking Software

Through Data Integration, each Workforce Management module is thoroughly integrated, which brings about operational efficiency in your processes by preventing duplication, reducing errors, and greatly enhancing your reporting capabilities. At the same time, we ensure that a safer and more positive workplace is promoted.

Automating your Work Rules and Pay Policies

We take the working rules and pay policies that are already in place in your organisation and automate them. This forms a key part of our Workforce Management (WFM) infrastructure since it simplifies the time-consuming manual tasks which slow down the administrative departments:

• Employee Time and Attendance
• Absence
• Flexitime
• Skills & Training management

We realise that organisational success can only be achieved through effective management, which is why we have created our range of industry-leading WFM solutions for the manufacturing sector. Our thorough approach promotes optimal operational efficiency by giving employees control through our Employee Self-Service app; this enables individual workers to manage their own working times and leave entitlements, and allows managers to carry out accurate Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) and to plan in advance in accordance with workforce regulations, thus reducing the complexity of workforce planning.

Optimising your Workforce with Softworks

Some of the most difficult jobs in manufacturing are scheduling and rostering; if the balance of staff is not correctly achieved on your production line, even the most sophisticated machine cannot function at peak efficiency. That is the reason we have created our Manufacturing Scheduling software to work with our wider WFM platform, so that appropriate Resource Allocation will place the right people on the floor at the right time in order to achieve maximum productivity and excellent workplace management.

Manufacturing Scheduling Software: The Smart Way to Plan

Improving Workflow with Optimised Manufacturing Scheduling Software

Because manufacturing inherently requires agility and a quick ability to respond to changing customer demand, supply chain visibility, and production needs, the efficiency of a production line depends entirely on its weakest link; this is why our networked Workforce Management solutions are so valuable for achieving efficiency, reducing waste, and increasing profit.

Effective production depends on having a flexible workforce capable of dealing with disruptions to the supply chain, since this makes scheduling and rostering very difficult. The Employee Self-Service app is directly linked with our manufacturing scheduling software, which enables managers to make quick and well-informed decisions according to production requirements and thus eliminates problems relating to bottleneck identification, bottlenecks, and downtime.

Addressing Complex Scheduling Challenges

Softworks have developed scheduling software which deals with the complicated operational problems encountered by manufacturing businesses all over the world. It offers a central point from which key workforce information scattered across various sources can be brought together. Manual and paper-based procedures are eliminated and are replaced by highly efficient software that optimises every moment of employee time and at the same time makes sure that every skill is made use of and your production targets are achieved.

Softworks offers:

A Unified, Real-time View & Real-time Monitoring

The easy-to-use platform provides a comprehensive view of both project progress and employee details, keeping tabs on activities and costs as they happen. There’s no need anymore for spreadsheets, emails, and a variety of different reports, nor is there any need to cross-reference them. By means of Production Dashboards and Reporting Tools, our platform gives you one accurate source of truth for the whole of your manufacturing operation. We provide real-time monitoring for managers, supplying event-driven data which enables decisions to be made on the basis of facts. You can deal with any problems right away and still keep production going, even if problems do arise.

Optimised Resource Allocation & Finite Capacity Scheduling

Make sure that your workforce resources are exactly matched to production demand, no matter how complex the task. Since many manufacturing companies depend on employees who have specialised skills and on varying production cycles, you will appreciate our Finite Capacity Scheduling and Finite Capacity Scheduling features, as they balance machine capacity against employee availability. Different from Infinite Capacity Scheduling, our Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and material requirements planning (MRP) module keeps an eye on output, Bill of Materials (BOM) requirements, Inventory Management, and buffer times, thus preventing overstaffing during slow periods and the costly situation of understaffing during peak hours. Prepare your schedule to meet your specific production needs, improving Machine Utilisation and making certain that you have the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time using Softworks’ Resource Allocation and Resource Allocation expertise.

Enhanced Reporting and Analytics & Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The manufacturing scheduling software we provide produces a variety of reports which you are able to view, print or export. You can obtain insights concerning project progress, financial performance and resource utilisation, enabling your managers to boost productivity by relying on evidence instead of guesses. You can detect trends and problems and plan ahead for future production needs. Keep a close watch on the important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), making sure that On-Time Delivery, Delivery Performance, accurate Order Promising, Lead Time Calculation, schedule adherence, and labour costs per unit are all clearly understood.

Improved Information Accuracy

You can reduce human error by automatically recording the time spent, keeping an eye on activities, and keeping close track of costs. Your management workflow can be improved through the use of accurate and reliable data that is fed directly into payroll, enabling you to monitor your budget and ensure that production stays in line with forecasts. Profile Developments, a client of Softworks in the manufacturing sector, achieved significant cost savings and gains in efficiency as a result of using our Manufacturing scheduling software, which handled their complicated pay rules and got rid of the manual workarounds that their payroll department had been relying on previously.

Transform your Manufacturing Scheduling with Softworks

Our Manufacturing Scheduling software is integrated with our wider Workforce Management platform and thus provides a strategic benefit that enables your business to meet its deadlines without compromising your staff. The system is reactive and helps ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, which in turn assists you in attracting and keeping skilled employees and improves the future prospects of your business.

Optimise Your Workforce with Our Manufacturing Scheduling Software

Setting out a schedule and preparing rosters are some of the most difficult jobs in the manufacturing sector and require a strategic method which takes into account the skills of workers, customer demand and employee preferences. Our Manufacturing Scheduling/Rostering platform has been designed so that you can plan in advance without having to stick to the inflexibility of traditional manual procedures.

We’ve designed our advanced scheduling functions to deliver a range of cutting-edge benefits:

Intelligent, Automated Schedule Creation & Finite Capacity Scheduling

The Manufacturing production solution features our eRostering/Scheduling Wizard, which automatically incorporates optimised, fair and rule-based schedules for Work Order Management and the execution of work orders, thereby helping to retain and satisfy both future and existing employees.

Our powerful scheduling wizard evaluates a wide range of critical manufacturing factors for optimal production:

• To improve job satisfaction and work-life balance, a scheduling solution should take into account the individual availability of employees in order to produce more fair rosters.
• When it comes to certifications and skill sets, it is essential that specialized positions are carried out only by employees who are qualified and have been trained to operate the machinery efficiently and safely, since this is crucial for the effective management of demanding assembly lines.
• With respect to workforce laws and union agreements, our scheduling software is designed to comply with them, including the European Working Time Directive, the FLSA, and the Canada Workforce Code.
• The fairness rules should be introduced in order to deal with workforce disputes and resentment, the rules covering the allocation of shifts, including those on holidays, weekends, and night shifts. This in turn reduces stress for the scheduler and helps to create a positive working environment.

Integrated Skills & Training Management

Since your business depends on a highly skilled and agile workforce, our scheduling software has been created to integrate with the wider WFM suite, bringing together the HR, Quality Control, payroll, and live-tracking functions into one central hub in order to achieve the highest possible level of workforce productivity.

This permits:

• Make accurate records of each employee’s skills, qualifications, and certifications.
• With skill-based scheduling our software takes into account both availability and qualifications, even in the case of the most specialised positions.
• Automated Expiration Alerts: Receive notifications when worker skills or certifications are nearing expiration. This is key for Health & Safety and upholding operational standards throughout the production line.
• The intelligent scheduling and rostering tools use Real-Time Tracking on both current and historical data in order to create schedules which satisfy Demand Forecasting, Demand forecasting, and the forecasted production demand.casting, and forecasted production demand.

This means that our tools move beyond simple shift allocation and offer oversight for:

• The system ensures optimal staffing allocation whenever there is a peak in demand, during JIT (Just-In-Time) manufacturing operations, while carrying out Make-to-Order (MTO) schedules, Make-to-Stock (MTS) builds, in the slower production periods and during times when the machinery is not in use.
• For budgeting purposes, our live data platform enables managers to carry out What-If Scenarios, use simulation models, and handle backlog management in order to optimise schedules and workforce costs in accordance with production targets.

Manage your workforce so that it can cope with changing manufacturing demands while at the same time improving workforce efficiency. Together with an optimised workforce, our real-time data is fed into Material Requirements Planning (MRP) to make sure that your workforce always has the materials needed to meet production deadlines.

Real-time Gap Management, Bottleneck Identification, & Proactive Alerts

On the production line a variety of problems can occur, such as the unexpected absence of an employee, an emergency Maintenance Scheduling, or last-minute changes to production, all of which can quickly bring the manufacturing line to a standstill.

Softworks’ Rota Management software helps overcome bottlenecks and interruptions with live visibility into actual and potential staffing gaps:

• The Real-Time Gaps Screen allows you to see timetable gaps according to department, area, date, and severity, giving managers the preventive supervision they need to ensure that production continues.
• The Softworks Vacancy Alerter should send out immediate notifications by email or SMS to all available and qualified staff in order to fill in the open shifts.
• Bottleneck Identification: Recognise where a lack of skilled personnel might caWith the Softworks Daily Planner screen, you can monitor staff production throughout the day after the shifts have been assigned.
• Multi-site and Multi-department Capabilities & Since managing a number of production lines, departments, and locations is an enormous job, our state-of-the-art scheduling software has been developed in order to manage and optimise rosters throughout your whole range of operations. It enables the coordination of separate teams at all units and locations so that consistent and efficient production can be achieved no matter how extensive your operations are. The manufacturing scheduling software we offer is designed to work seamlessly with Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, ERP system integration, and supply chain management, connecting your global workforce to a single goal through built-in Material Requirements Planning (MRP), which in turn brings about efficiency across the entire business.

Visual ScheduJob sequencing, dispatching, sequencing and timing are some of the most important aspects of the manufacturing process, yet they are also usually the most challenging to deal with correctly. Our scheduling solution includes a variety of visual tools, for example Gantt Charts and a Kanban View, which give a real-time summary of the whole production schedule. This enables planning to take account of bottlenecks and keeps the production line running even when there are supply chain issues and delays. The ability to see the schedule clearly helps managers to make decisions based on data, thus reducing costs and keeping the production line active. Moreover, our Manufacturing Scheduling software links with your HRIS to make sure that rostering decisions comply with workforce regulations, resulting in a more satisfied and healthier workplace which in turn affects your bottom line.

What is software for managing the manufacturing workforce?

Manufacturing workforce management software offers a strategic approach which enables managers and HR staff to plan the daily work schedule in order to improve both productivity and profitability. Since we realise that your workforce is not only your most valuable resource but also your biggest controllable cost, and since the way you treat your employees has a direct effect on productivity, that is the reason we have created our scheduling solutions which take employee preferences into account when making rosters.

Automate and Optimise your Diverse Workforce

Manufacturers usually have operations in more than one place and have to meet the needs of diverse workforces. Our scheduling and roasting solutions have been designed to ensure fairness across the whole company by means of a single, integrated platform that manages:

• Time & Attendance
• Labour Scheduling
• Absence Management
• Skills Tracking

The value of having adequate staffing comes about when your labour resources are matched with production demand, but achieving this balance is difficult. Our software gets rid of the traditional obstacles to productivity, like error-prone spreadsheets and paper forms, so that you can create dynamic rosters suited to your production needs.

The key capabilities include:

• For cost control, identify and reduce hidden labour costs such as unpaid overtime, absenteeism, and arriving late. Reduce the requirement for costly temporary labour.
• Agility: Real-time data and Manufacturing analytics insights that empower managers to react instantly to internal or external changes. Instantly adjust schedules to meet fluctuating production targets.
• When it comes to compliance and safety, you can follow the relevant health and safety legislation, work-time regulations, and union agreements using our Skills Management module, which keeps record of your employees’ qualifications and identifies any training needs, thus making sure that your operations remain both safe and compliant.ain safe and compliant.

Enhance Employee Engagement With Our WFM Software

The Employee Self-Service tools allow individuals to manage their own Customisable Workflows, schedules, and leave entitlements, which in turn helps to improve work-life balance and enables you to keep your most valuable employees. This is something that is important in the current workplace when it comes to attracting skilled labour in a tough job market. By automating the functions that are important to employees, we take some of the burden off managers and HR staff, so that a more unified workplace can be achieved with happier teams and excellent staff retention.

Key Benefits of Softworks’ Manufacturing Scheduling Software

The Manufacturing Scheduling platform cuts your rostering costs and ensures that you meet regulatory requirements—all while giving your workforce the empowerment they need. This solution integrates advanced technology with a design that is focused on the user, bringing about measurable benefits in your operations.

These are the key benefits you’ll enjoy with Softworks software:

Enhanced Compliance with Workforce Regulations

The software from Softworks includes the complicated workforce laws, union agreements, and Health & Safety regulations which cause HR staff to stay up at night. It enables the creation of flexible and compliant rosters, eliminating the difficulty involved in preparing rosters.

Our compliance-based features include:

• By providing breach alerts that are proactive, potential violations of regulations can be highlighted so that managers can take immediate corrective action; this in turn greatly reduces the legal risks and the possibility of fines.
• You will have a complete and verifiable record of all decisions involved in scheduling and rostering as well as of the hours worked by employees—something that is very useful for both internal monitoring and for external regulatory audits. This data is necessary for monitoring the key performance indicators (KPIs) associated with compliance.
• Data security: The whole of our platform is certified under both ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, which means that our practices for information security reach the highest international standards and are in full compliance with GDPR, thus ensuring that sensitive employee data is protected.

You can prevent both overstaffing and understaffing and at the same time lower labour costs by using our smart rostering tools, which are directly integrated into our broader Workforce Management platform. Connect your time and attendance monitoring system directly with payroll and your HRIS software in a single hub that provides real-time updates.ied hub that updates Reducing administrative burdens: cut down the amount of time and resources that are usually used on manual administrative tasks. The automated scheduling/rostering, time tracking, and leave management systems that we offer result in significant administrative savings. There has been a marked decrease in the time it takes to process payroll among our clients; our system reduces an organisation’s total costs by between 5% and 20%. By using automated time and attendance tracking that is linked with scheduling and rostering, the number of payroll errors can be reduced, which is important for keeping employees happy and productive.or happy and productive employees.

We give managers at once full visibility of workforce activity. With the Real-time Monitoring module supervisors are able to make quick decisions based on data which has a direct effect on their team’s productivity. impact their team’s productivity.
This makes trends and planning issues easier and makes sure that managers can spend their time on strategic initiatives, on leading their teams, and on improving production quality by getting them away from carrying out repetitive administrative tasks. them from repetitive admin tasks.

• By getting rid of paper-based procedures, our system removes the inefficiencies and errors that are linked to manual scheduling and the use of spreadsheets, which in turn leads to a more efficient and accurate workflow.

Enhanced Employee Engagement and Satisfaction (Self-Service)

The Employee Self-Service (ESS) mobile app that we have developed allows employees to take direct control of their working lives. Using it, they can see their work schedules in advance, ask for different kinds of leave, check their flexitime and leave balances, and also state their preferred shifts or swap shifts.

The benefits include:

• This will improve work-life balance by reducing stress and exhaustion and thereby increasing job satisfaction. When employees are engaged and happy, they become more productive, more loyal and are more likely to stay with your company, which in turn helps you attract and retain top talent.
• The ESS platform makes it easy for employees and managers to communicate about their schedules and requests, which in turn improves responsiveness and reduces misunderstandings.

AI-Powered Optimisation

Softworks is at the forefront of AI integration and handles the administrative tasks which have troubled HR departments for decades.

The Absence Predictor, which is powered by artificial intelligence, studies past shift patterns and absence trends in order to predict probable cases of people not showing up when the schedules have been established. It automatically modifies your schedules and reduces disruption, enabling you to meet tight deadlines with a more flexible workforce that can adapt in the event of problems on the production line.

Manufacturing Scheduling Software for Modern Organisations

Softworks’ Manufacturing Scheduling/Rostering Software is a powerful solution for organisations seeking to:

• Maintain stringent control over their production workforce
• Optimise operational efficiency
• Ensure robust compliance
• Significantly reduce costs
• Cultivate a positive, engaged workforce

Make your processes more efficient and obtain accurate data so as to improve and take a more proactive approach to production management, and also produce a healthier, more productive, and more satisfied workforce.

Software with Clear Investment Returns

The manufacturing scheduling software offered by Softworks provides a clear return on investment through a range of rostering tools which immediately improve your workforce. Find out how Softworks could bring about lasting positive effects for your organisation and its employees.

Book a demo with our expert team and experience the versatility and potential of our Workforce Management solutions.