6-day schedules (part 1)

Sometimes companies are born into a 24/7 schedule.  An example would be a refinery.  From the moment it was conceived until it reached operational retirement, it was a 24/7 operation.  There are many examples like this. More often than not, 24/7 schedules are something that companies grow into.  They start off covering one or two … Continue reading “6-day schedules (part 1)”

The Cost of Time

Suppose I asked you the following question:  “Will an employee make more or less money when they work overtime?” You might quickly answer: “Yes.  They make anywhere from 50% to 100% more when they are being paid at the overtime rate.” And you would be right. Now, suppose I asked you, “Which costs you, the … Continue reading “The Cost of Time”

Where did all of the 8-hour shifts go?

In today’s work environment, compressed workweeks, telecommuting and competition for labor have conspired to make 8-hour shifts a vanishing breed. Twenty-five years ago, 8-hour shifts were everywhere.  Today, they are an anomaly – especially in operations covering 24/7 in the United States. I stress the “United States” because our national labor laws allow for compressed … Continue reading “Where did all of the 8-hour shifts go?”

Staffing and Scheduling – The Compressed Work Week

 This posting is the first in a series of posts that will examine the relationship between the schedule your employees are working and the number of people it takes to staff your operation.  Today, I will focus only on a scheduling practice commonly referred to as a Compressed Work Week. A Compressed Work Week (CWW) … Continue reading “Staffing and Scheduling – The Compressed Work Week”

Call Center Scheduling

There is a big difference between creating a shift schedule for a manufacturing plant and a call center. More often than not, manufacturing tends to have steady workloads throughout a shift. While there may be someday to day variations or even seasonality, these are relatively minor compared to what goes on at a call center. … Continue reading “Call Center Scheduling”

A bird in the hand

I help companies change schedules. I do this for a living. Some people think the hardest part is coming up with a schedule. Generally speaking, that is the easiest part of my job. Helping people to overcome the anxiety of change is much more complicated. I will give a short example here. Companies that use … Continue reading “A bird in the hand”

Considerations for Multiple Schedules

Often, when we start on a project with a company, the question will be asked, “Can we put in more than one schedule?” The intent is to discern if such a thing is actually possible or too complicated to consider. The answer is almost always, “Yes, in fact, you already have multiple schedules being worked … Continue reading “Considerations for Multiple Schedules”