ShipHero has recently announced the launch of WorkforceHero as part of our industry-leading cloud-based Warehouse Management Software (WMS). As a new feature within the WMS, our clients can now leverage the data within the system to manage on-the-floor workers better, readjust priorities and track compliance throughout the day.
“What we asked ourselves was, how much is knowing what your warehouse team is doing at any given time worth to you?” Aaron Rubin, CEO of ShipHero, said. “We like to think that, as warehouse managers or even C-level executives, we know exactly what’s happening in the warehouse at any given time. But the truth is, that’s not the case.”
Improve Productivity by Taking a Big Picture Approach
WorkforceHero is designed to provide your operations team with an overview of what’s happening in your warehouse at any given moment. With that broad picture in mind, you can then use the data in ShipHero, knowledge of the priorities for the day, and your own expertise to:
Pre-assign and re-assign tasks
You know what projects need to be completed and which SLAs have to be met the minute you step on the warehouse floor. With WorkforceHero’s easy-to-read dashboard, your team can easily see who is on shift for the day and assign different tasks to each worker. Then, when they clock in, they’ll see exactly what they should be doing. This will help to eliminate any early shift confusion because jobs have already been assigned. And as priorities shift, you can re-assign different tasks to keep everything on track.
Maintain timekeeping, including breaks and lunches
WorkforceHero offers an easy clock-in, clock-out interface with the quick scan of a badge. This will keep track of employee in and out times and is also used to track breaks and lunches. The system will flag any employees who are not compliant so that you can easily see where and with whom issues need to be addressed. This increases employee accountability too.
Review performance records to find strengths and weaknesses
ShipHero already records a lot of data relating to picking and packing. With WorkforceHero, you can leverage this data to find your best pickers and packers and build teams that can fly through special projects. You can also identify team members who may need more training or oversight to increase overall productivity and help them succeed.
Create dynamic teams
With data comes insight, and WorkforceHero offers plenty. Use productivity data to keep your shifts well-balanced. Even out your pickers, packers, and water spiders to optimize productivity and efficiency throughout the day, no matter what’s on the docket.
Use Better Insights to Lower Labor Costs
WorkforceHero’s focus is to find ways for your teams to work smarter, not harder. With higher productivity levels brought about by pairing the right folks together, changing tasks and focus as priorities shift, and identifying areas for improvement, you can lower labor costs too. As a big chunk of your P&L, we know that finding some savings on labor can seem nearly impossible. But with WorkforceHero, you have the data and insights you need.
Plus, it will give your workers a better understanding of what is expected of them throughout the day and keep them motivated to move on to their next task. With the “ask for a job” feature, part of WorkforceHero’s touchscreen interface, you can decrease downtime between jobs. No employee likes to feel like they’re “stuck” during the day or have to search high and low for a manager. With “ask for a job,” you’ll be able to see which employees need a new assignment and provide direction quickly.
Provide Visibility to Off-Site Stakeholders
Another great benefit of WorkforceHero is its level of visibility. Anyone with the right permissions will easily be able to see what’s happening in the warehouse at any given moment. This is especially helpful for key stakeholders who may not visit the warehouse often or for those with multiple warehouses to oversee.
“Recently, a CEO told me of an experience he had during a winter storm,” Rubin said. “One of his warehouses needed to close due to weather, but he could still see what was happening in other facilities and determine how best to allocate resources and prioritize based on limited staff. That’s a huge shift in visibility that many owners just don’t have.”
WorkforceHero Works for Us, Too
Just like with ShipHero’s WMS, we’re confident in the importance of WorkforceHero because we’ve tested it ourselves. “We created the feature, first and foremost, to improve the productivity in our own facilities,” Rubin said. “We quickly saw how valuable this tool could be to our SaaS clients and started working on ways to make it available to everyone.”
We’ve seen great gains in productivity, especially with less downtime between projects and more autonomy for employees since they’re controlling their clock-ins and outs and break/lunch times. WorkforceHero has made it easier than ever to identify trouble spots and address them fast.
Rule the Warehouse with WorkforceHero
You know your teams work hard, but with WorkforceHero, you can now give your operations teams even more data and insight into increasing output and optimizing their team’s performance. Implementing WorkforceHero is fairly easy and just requires a call with our Client Support team to make sure all the jobs and roles are input correctly.
If you’re already a ShipHero WMS client, we invite you to reach out to Client Support now. If you’d like to learn more about ShipHero and WorkforceHero, schedule a demo with our Sales team today!
