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Scheduling Effectively for a CL Organization
Managing our time and resources can get pretty complicated. One of the biggest challenges for a Community Living (CL) manager is to make the most out of the resources available when scheduling employees.  It may sound like a simple enough task, but we know an effective schedule requires careful planning and a perfect blend of time, money, skills, information and, of course, PEOPLE.

Scheduling effectively for a CL organization takes time, and if the right system is not in place, will likely require a few attempts to complete.  We have had hundreds of discussions with CL organizations regarding the complexity of scheduling multiple employees into multiple houses that need 24 hour staffing. The common headaches identified by CL scheduling managers include:
  • The difficulty and time required to update all employees when a new schedule is posted or changes are made
  • The double-booking of employees
  • Having to create schedules from scratch every time
  • Ensuring shifts are filled by someone with the appropriate skillset
  • Filling in vacant shifts
  • Coordinating casual employees
  • Manual calculations to try to make sure full and part-time staff get the right number of hours - without overtime!

There is good news though! There are various tools that could be used to make your life easier.

Option 1: Google Docs

An online application like Google Docs allows users to share files online so changes can be made on one document by multiple users.  All the changes made will be applied in real-time, so all users will be able to access the most up to date information.  However, Google Docs has numerous limitations when used as a scheduling tool.  Users will only be able to work with Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint style programs in Google Docs, and they would require a Gmail account to access the documents. Truthfully… Google Docs is just not designed to create and manage complex schedules; it would take hours to design a schedule template in Google Docs that would fulfill the basic scheduling needs of CL organizations.

Option 2: Standard Scheduling Software

Some organizations turn to standardized scheduling software to address their needs.  The software could be purchased online as a subscription, or a one-time purchase for a limited number of licenses.  Often the software requires installation and frequent updates.  With the updates, users will be able to use the newest, top of the line features provided by the software, such as easily customizable templates, special reports, and password protection.  Scheduling software can be a cost-effective, quick way to address an organization’s scheduling needs. Some limitations related to standardized scheduling software can include limited support, difficult implementation and a system with only partial value as it isn’t specifically designed for your needs.

Option 3: Inclusion by IBEX

An option for CL organizations would be Inclusion by IBEX, an Employee Management System which contains a scheduling component created with and specifically for CL groups.  Certain features are included to enhance efficiency and productivity for the house managers including:
  • Notification features that enable you to quickly communicate schedule postings or changes to your entire team
  • The ability to view employee assignments in other departments to prevent double booking
  • The ability to copy schedules from day to day or week to week
  • Color-coded positions
  • A list detailing hourly totals by employee updated as the schedule is built
  • Powerful reporting options
  • An overtime estimator giving scheduling managers the ability to know whether or not they are likely scheduling into overtime BEFORE it happens
  • Best of all, Inclusion by IBEX is an integrated online system that talks to its other components, so the hours scheduled will automatically feed into the payroll engine
With Inclusion, you will always be using the most up-to-date version of the system without any updates, and because it’s an online system, you will be able to access all of your scheduling information with a computer and internet access.  Users are equipped with tutorial videos, help documents, online training courses, and real life support – from people you can have a real conversation with!  The Inclusion Team listens to you, the CL users, to make sure that the product design caters to your needs.  After all, Inclusion by IBEX is designed with you, for you.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding Inclusion by IBEX, scheduling tools, or just scheduling in general.  The Inclusion team is more than happy to help you find an appropriate solution.




Further Reading... Scheduling Solution

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