Turn Scheduling Challenges into Strategic Wins
Many shiftwork operations face similar pain points—issues that, if left unaddressed, can impact productivity, employee retention, and overall performance. At Shiftwork Solutions LLC, we’ve worked with hundreds of companies to resolve these challenges through custom-designed scheduling strategies and data-driven workforce solutions.
Below are some of the most pressing challenges our clients have brought to us. If your operation is dealing with any of these—or you’re facing a different scheduling concern—contact us to start the conversation.
| Shift Schedules Is the workforce frustrated with shift schedules? Struggling to meet demand or choose the right scheduling option? We help you cut through the complexity—evaluate the best-fit options, model outcomes, and implement schedules that align with your goals and your workforce. | Employee Engagement | |
| Asset Utilization Considering new equipment? Or is your current asset utilization falling short? The right shift schedule can significantly improve how—and how often—your assets are used, turning idle time into productive capacity. | Sleep and Alertness How much sleep does one need to be fully alert on the job? Despite decades of research, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer—especially in shiftwork environments. We bring industry best practices to help companies to address fatigue and safety. | |
| Rotating or Fixed Shifts Which is the best fit for your operation: fixed or rotating shifts? Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, both have benefits and disadvantages. We help you evaluate your goals, workforce preferences, and operational demands to determine the best-fit structure for long-term success. | Pay Policies Changing shift schedules goes hand in hand with tailoring your pay policies to fit the new schedule. But crafting new policies that are fair, practical, and compliant can be time-consuming. That’s where we come in—translating complex scheduling changes into clear, compliant pay policies that align with your goals and keep your workforce on board. | |
| Shift Lengths One of the biggest innovations in shift schedules over the last 15 years has been the resurgence of longer shifts, especially 12-hour shifts. What could be the benefits for your organization? | Managing Overtime When used properly, overtime can become a very powerful tool for meeting workload demands while minimizing costs. We help companies control overtime spending by designing schedules that improve coverage while protecting productivity and margins. | |
| Implementation Companies often hesitate to implement new schedules on their own—juggling daily operations, lacking the time or tools, and worrying about employee pushback. We step in with the structure, data, and experience needed to guide a smooth, successful transition from start to finish. | Building Consensus Implementing a new schedule can trigger pushback—especially when employees or unions feel excluded from the conversation. We bring stakeholders into the dialogue early, using workforce surveys and transparent communication to build trust, align interests, and reach lasting consensus. | |
| Managing Growth If your company is growing, your sales and profits are probably up, and your production facilities are being stretched. We help companies redesign their shift schedules to keep pace with demand—without burning out their workforce or compromising performance. | Managing Absenteeism Workers can be absent for up to 10% of their scheduled hours each year, making coverage a constant challenge. Unplanned absences disrupt operations, drive up overtime, and strain your workforce. We design schedules that improve coverage and keep your operation running smoothly. | |
| Communication Shiftwork operations create communication gaps that traditional methods often miss—especially when teams are working different shifts, days, or locations. We bring best practices to address such misalignment, causing confusion, errors, and frustration. | Improving Productivity Boosting employee productivity and overall production is on nearly every manager’s agenda. Misaligned schedules can limit throughput and inflate unit costs. We optimize shift design to boost plant performance and deliver real ROI. | |
| Relieving Bottlenecks Unless your facility has infinite capacity or the process flow is perfectly matched at every step, it has at least one bottleneck. If not staffed or scheduled properly, it can limit output across the operation. We help identify and relieve scheduling-related bottlenecks to unlock greater throughput. | Lean Manufacturing Without aligning labor and shift schedules to support lean initiatives, even the best lean strategies can stall. When done right, integrating lean principles with optimized scheduling leads to faster cycle times, smoother flow, and significant performance gains across your operation. | |
| Food Processing Sanitation The food industry has very stringent cleanliness requirements that can only be met by taking vital equipment out of production. Our solutions minimize downtime, resulting in more production time for our clients. | Skill Balance “How can we avoid skill imbalance?” It’s a common concern—and a critical one. We help ensure the right people with the right skills are in place when and where they’re needed—minimizing disruptions and keeping operations running smoothly. | |
One issue that often stands out across nearly every industry: work-life balance. It’s the most frequently raised concern among both employees and leadership. Explore our approach to improving work-life balance in shiftwork environments.
Let’s build a schedule that works—for everyone.
Whether you’re struggling with high turnover, inconsistent coverage, or employee dissatisfaction, the right schedule can be a game-changer. Our team specializes in aligning operational goals with workforce needs to deliver sustainable, high-impact solutions.
Ready to see what’s possible? Contact us today at (415) 763-5005 to schedule a free consultation and take the first step toward a more efficient, engaged shiftwork operation. You can also complete our contact form, and we will call you.