Schedule Smarter, Not Harder: How to Transform Your Workforce Management

Send us a text Matthew Haywood, Owner of WFM Consulting, a seasoned retail expert with over 25 years of experience, shares his framework for effective workforce management through seven essential pillars. He dispels common myths about auto-scheduling while providing practical insights into achieving the elusive "right people, right place, right time" goal that transforms both customer and colleague experiences. • Understanding the five key challenges: mindset, capability, confidence, simplicity, and adoption • Exploring the seven pillars framework: operating hours, forecasting, labour deployment, contracted hours, availability, work assignments, and skill sets • Debunking the myth that auto-scheduling is a "magic button" solution – expect to achieve 80-85% automation at best • Recognising that small increases in flexibility across staff can make significant scheduling improvements • Challenging the assumption that part-time workers provide more scheduling flexibility than full-time staff • Publishing schedules at least three weeks in advance to improve colleague work-life balance • Viewing effective workforce management as an opportunity to reinvest hours strategically rather than simply cutting costs #theproductivityexperts Register for the 2025 Productivity Forum Find us in the Top 50 Productivity Podcasts Connect to Simon on LinkedIn Follow ReThink on LinkedIn