Click here to download free Workforce Management reference materials.

New York and Milton Keynes (January 16, 2006) – WorkPlace Systems, a leading supplier of integrated Workforce Management solutions, is specifically targeting US retailers with the US launch of WorkPlace ChangePlanner – a strategic Workforce Management tool which complements and extends the existing WorkPlace suite of operational Workforce Management software. The announcement came today at the National Retail Federation show (NRF) here.

The new module allows central or regional resource planners to deliver optimal schedules to suit specific demand periods in the year to store managers reflecting the particular demand profile for each store. WorkPlace estimates that this can improve store compliance in the use of optimized scheduling by at least 50%, plus it allows optimized schedules to be implemented across the entire estate within 9 months, securing the financial benefits of reduced labor cost and improved customer service much faster than with conventional scheduling solutions.

In addition, the new tool enables retailers to plan centrally for specific high demand periods such as Christmas, ensuring that stores are more accurately staffed with shortterm contractors or part time staff to meet actual customers demand. ChangePlanner is also able to create idealized schedules for new store openings increasing the confidence and suitability of new associate hiring plans. Resource planners can also improve existing store labor scheduling performance through using the product’s modeling capabilities to generate different “what-if” scenarios and compare the effect of changing hours of employment or scheduling rules.

“WorkPlace has seen unprecedented interest and demand by retailers for a strategic scheduling tool, to complement the conventional operational scheduling products in the market,” says Ian Lenagan, chairman and CEO, WorkPlace. “ChangePlanner is the first product in the Workforce Management market to achieve this and will provide US retailers with new techniques and much quicker ways to improve the allocation of their in-store staff, thus significantly improving service levels and optimizing operational budgets.”

“With the launch of this specific US release of ChangePlanner, retailers in the US can now be offered the same gains in associate productivity and store profitability which have already been achieved successfully by European retailers,” commented Chuck Cagle, VP Sales, WorkPlace Systems Inc.

Click here to see this press release as a downloadable PDF.

Press Releases | In the Press | Analyst Coverage | Trade Shows | Workshops | WorkPlace TV | Webinars