Real-time supply chain visibility has become something of a holy grail in the distribution and logistics industry. Generally taken to mean up-to-date knowledge and understanding of what is happening across the supply chain, it encompasses the collection and monitoring of data around operational processes, inventory levels, machinery and fleet health and the location of goods.
With the ability to monitor every step of the supply chain, companies can make informed decisions quickly and keep up with fast-changing market demands. But there's a crucial element that often gets overlooked in this equation— the whereabouts and strategical deployment of your frontline workers.
Why real-time workforce information is important:
Safety – access control
Keeping track of your workforce in real-time enhances safety across your facilities. Knowing the whereabouts of each employee ensures that your premises are secure, and any potential safety risks can be mitigated promptly. Access control systems integrated with real-time data prevent unauthorised entries and ensure that only qualified personnel are onsite.
Metrics and predictive analysis
Having access to real-time workforce information allows for more accurate metrics and predictive analysis. By understanding patterns such as peak productivity times and common causes of absenteeism, you can make strategic adjustments to enhance overall efficiency. When you are aware of the periods in the year when most absences are likely to occur, for example, you can prepare contingency plans accordingly, like temporary staffing solutions or redistributing workloads.
Right person, right skills
It is important to have a clear view not only of where your workforce is, but how specific skills are matched to tasks. This allows you to avoid the situation where skilled workers are deployed on tasks or shifts that do not make the best use of their talents or having underqualified individuals in high-responsibility roles. Knowing who is deployed where and when and what they can do builds in agility, should you need to pivot.
Risk management
Real-time workforce information plays a vital role in safeguarding and risk management. Knowing where your employees are at all times can be crucial in emergencies. For instance, in the event of a fire or other disasters, real-time data can help you quickly locate and evacuate all personnel, ensuring their safety. In logistics, real-time workforce data will help you ascertain when drivers are being subjected to long waits at ports or extended driving time due to congestion. You can identify issues with overtime before they progress into problems affecting employees’ wellbeing.
How to get real-time workforce information:
For a large business with multiple locations, unlock real-time workforce information with cloud-based workforce management software. This means that managers can access information like shift patterns and timesheets from anywhere, instantaneously and accurately in the moment, allowing them to make quick and informed decisions.
Using a clocking-in device rather than manual time sheeting is also vital. This removes any lag between employees working and the receipt of accurate time sheets; as soon as employees enter the premises, the information will be accessible by their managers. There is reduced chance of falsifying working times (such as buddy clocking), with technologies like facial and fingerprint recognition. You can offer employees these biometric options for their convenience, alongside the option of swipe cards, RFID cards and fobs.
Real-time workforce information is crucial for modern supply chain management. It provides valuable insights, enhances efficiency, and ensures the safety of all employees. By integrating real-time workforce information, managers can make more informed decisions, optimise operations, and ensure a safer working environment.
Try OneAdvanced’s Time & Attendance, which provides facial and fingerprint recognition when clocking in (alongside other options), real-time data and rigorous access control, automated time tracking and analytics. Speak to us.