Guide to Automating External Workforce Management

When you go from managing a team of in-house employees to managing an entire external workforce, it can be tough to keep up. You have to worry about payroll, benefits, scheduling, and more. The best way to manage your external workforce is by automating as much of the process as possible with HR workflow automation solutions.

Here are 22 tips for automating your external workforce management.

1. Choose the Right Partner

Selecting the right technology partner is critical to the success of your automation initiative. Look for a company that has a robust and flexible technology platform and a team of experts who can help you every step of the way. Onsiter has a vendor management system that helps you find and manage external talent in the IT and management sectors. This could be particularly helpful for businesses that want to automate everything from looking for and onboarding experts to invoicing and offboarding.

2. Define Your Objectives

Before you start automating your external workforce management, it’s important to define your objectives. What do you want to achieve with automation? What processes do you want to automate? What are your targets for cost savings, efficiency gains, and process improvements? There should be clear KPIs associated with the objectives you set.

The problem with starting an automation project without clearly defined objectives is that you can easily get sidetracked and end up with a solution that doesn’t meet your needs. So take the time to define your objectives and make sure everyone involved in the project is on the same page.

3. Develop a Roadmap

Once you have defined your objectives, you need to develop a roadmap for achieving them. This will involve identifying the steps you need to take and the resources you will need to make it happen. It will also help you set timelines and budgets and ensure that everyone involved in the project is on the same page. It is vital to have a clear and achievable roadmap if you want to achieve success with automation.

4. Gather Requirements

Before you can start automating your workforce management processes, you need to gather the requirements and identify any limitations. This will include understanding the current process, identifying the areas that can be automated, and specifying the desired outcomes. You will also need to identify the data and systems that will be used in the automation process.

5. Assess the feasibility

Not all processes are suitable for automation. It’s important to assess the feasibility of automating a particular process and to consider the impact on employees, customers, and other stakeholders. You also need to consider the technical feasibility and whether the required technology is available.

You might have brilliant automation ideas in mind that you believe would save you a lot of time and money, but which ultimately aren’t feasible given your current infrastructure and budget.

6. Select the Right Automation Solution

Once you have identified the requirements, you need to select the right automation solution. There are many options available, so it’s important to choose one that meets your specific needs. You should also make sure the solution is scalable so that it can grow with your business.

Spend some time on review websites like Trust Pilot and G2 reading reviews from people who have already implemented the automation solutions you are interested in pursuing. These are typically great resources for honest reviews of software.

7. Design the Solution

Once you have assessed the feasibility of automating a process, you need to design the solution. This will involve specifying the business requirements, designing the process flow, and selecting the right technology. You will also need to consider how to test and deploy the solution.

8. Implement a Pilot Project

To ensure that the automation solution meets your expectations, it’s important to implement a pilot project. This will allow you to test the solution in a real-world environment and make any necessary adjustments before rolling it out across the entire organization.

9. Train Your Staff

Automation will only be successful if your staff is properly trained on how to use it. Make sure you allocate enough time and resources for training and ensure that everyone who needs access to the solution has the necessary skills and knowledge.

10. Monitor and Optimize

Once you have implemented automation, it’s important to monitor the results and make sure the solution is meeting your objectives. You should also regularly review and optimize the process to ensure that it continues to be effective.

11. Be Prepared for Change

Automating your workforce management processes will require change, both in terms of how work is done and in the way your staff interacts with the solution. Be prepared for this by communicating with your team, providing training, and being open to feedback.

12. Get Buy-In from Senior Management

To ensure that your automation initiative is successful, you need the buy-in from senior management. This means ensuring that they understand the objectives of the project and are on board with the proposed changes.

13. Manage Expectations

Automation will not solve all your problems overnight. It’s important to manage expectations and ensure that people understand that there will be a learning curve as the new system is implemented.

14. Set Clear Goals

In order to measure the success of your automation initiative, you need to set clear goals. These should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

15. Collect Data

Data is essential for measuring the success of your automation initiative. Make sure you have a system in place for collecting and analyzing workforce-related data so that you can track the progress of the project over time.

16. Use Technology to Aid Decision Making

Technology can be used to help make better decisions about workforce management. Tools like business intelligence dashboards can provide insights into how the automation solution is performing and help you make adjustments as needed.

17. Communicate with Stakeholders

Automation will have an impact on all parts of your organization, so it’s important to communicate with stakeholders regularly using chatting apps about the project status and any changes that are being made.

18. Be Flexible

The workforce management landscape is constantly changing, so it’s important to be flexible in your approach. This means being open to new ideas, trying different solutions, and making adjustments as needed.

19. Continuously Improve

Automation should be seen as an ongoing process, not a one-time project. As such, it’s important to continuously improve and adapt the solution to meet the ever-changing needs of your business.

20. Integrate with Existing Systems

Automation should be integrated with existing systems wherever possible in order to minimize disruption and ensure a smooth transition. This will also make it easier to track the performance of the automation solution.

21. Consider the Total Cost of Ownership

When evaluating automation solutions, it’s important to consider the total cost of ownership (TCO). This includes not only the initial purchase price but also the costs of implementation, training, support, and maintenance.

22. Manage the Transition

Moving from a manual to an automated workforce management process can be daunting. It’s important to manage the transition carefully to ensure that the change is as smooth as possible for everyone involved.

Conclusion

Switching from a manual workforce management process to one that is automated can be a daunting task. However, with the right planning and execution, it can be a successful journey that yields significant benefits for your business. By following these 20 tips, you’ll be on your way to automating your workforce management processes and reaping the rewards.