Categories   >   Retail Scheduling Software
Last Reviewed: November 15th, 2024

Best Retail Scheduling Software Of 2024

What is Retail Scheduling Software?

Retail scheduling software is like a digital conductor for your store's staff orchestra. It tackles the headache-inducing task of creating employee schedules that consider availability, workload, and labor costs. This can be a nightmare for managers with paper and spreadsheets, leading to frustration and inefficient staffing. The software solves this by automating scheduling tasks, allowing managers to factor in employee preferences and historical sales data to build optimized schedules. This translates to benefits like reduced labor costs, happier employees with predictable schedules, and improved customer service due to better staffing during peak hours. Think of a manager who used to spend hours puzzling over a paper schedule. Now, they can whip up a plan in minutes that considers upcoming sales and complies with labor laws. Retailers of all sizes can benefit, but it's especially helpful for chains with multiple locations and complex staffing needs. While it's a game-changer for efficiency, some limitations exist, like potential upfront costs and a learning curve for some employees. Overall, retail scheduling software is a valuable tool that streamlines operations, boosts employee morale, and frees up managers' time to focus on what matters: running a successful store.

What Are The Key Benefits of Retail Scheduling Software?

  • Reduced Costs
  • Optimized Staffing
  • Improved Fairness
  • Faster Scheduling
  • Streamlined Communication
  • Reduced Overtime
  • Compliance Ensured
  • Employee Satisfaction
  • Better Customer Service
  • Data-Driven Decisions
Read more

Overall

Based on the latest available data collected by SelectHub for 48 solutions, we determined the following solutions are the best Retail Scheduling Software overall:

Humanity
Humanity
Start Price
$3
Per User, Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request Pricing Request Demo

Why We Picked Humanity

Humanity's intuitive interface, coupled with guided onboarding and data migration assistance, makes it easy for organizations to get started with scheduling. The simple drag-and-drop tools and embedded training tips help you start scheduling within minutes.

Its compliance management toolkit is a standout feature, ensuring adherence to labor laws, internal policies, regulations and CBAs. It provides a set of default rules and offers you the freedom to write custom ones. The platform also sends conflict alerts and maintains historical records and audit logs, contributing to a secure and compliant environment.

Humanity's mobile app is another significant advantage. It offers managers the same functionality as the desktop version, enabling them to create schedules, work offline and set up automation. Employees can view schedules, receive shift reminders, track work hours and even pick up open shifts with a single tap. The app's compatibility with the Apple Watch provides added convenience for managing schedules on the go.

It’s an end-to-end platform catering to the needs of various stakeholders in frontline worker scheduling. Chief financial officers can track budgets and control labor costs, HR offices can ensure compliance and enhance employee experiences, frontline managers can manage schedules and coverage, and employees can have greater control over their work hours.

While Humanity is well-suited for midsized companies, it isn’t ideal for large organizations. Users have reported slow performance and loading times, particularly when dealing with extensive schedules or performing complex tasks. Integration challenges with third-party ERP and HCM solutions can also be a concern. Additionally, users have encountered bugs and UI issues, ranging from instability to unexpected template malfunctions.

Overall, Humanity is a great tool for managing employee schedules. It's easy to use and can help you improve your business's efficiency. However, it's important to be aware of the potential drawbacks before making a decision.

Pros & Cons

  • User-Friendly Interface: The interface is easy for both managers and employees to navigate. Despite some initial learning curves, users appreciate its simplicity, which can eliminate the need for extensive tutorials or training.
  • Robust Mobile App: It provides quick and convenient access to scheduling and clocking functionalities. Despite occasional issues like freezing, the app streamlines clock-in/out processes and enables on-the-go schedule management.
  • Customization and Flexibility: The platform offers customizable views and filters, enabling users to tailor schedules to their specific needs. Additionally, features like Open Shifts empower employees to pick up available shifts based on their preferences, enhancing scheduling flexibility.
  • Responsive Customer Support: Humanity stands out for its responsiveness, and users appreciate the promptness of live chat support and quick resolution times.
  • Slow Performance and Loading Times: Humanity can take a long time to load larger schedules or perform certain tasks. This can hinder navigation between different sections.
  • Integration Challenges: Many users faced issues while connecting the platform with third-party ERP and HCM solutions like Zendesk and ADP Workforce Now.
  • Bugs and UI Issues: Users experienced bugs within the user interface, ranging from occasional instability to unexpected template malfunctions.
  • Changes in User Experience and Functionality: Some users mentioned that certain features they found useful were removed or altered, causing workflow disruptions and increasing complexity in using the software.

Key Features

  • Employee Scheduling: Create conflict-free schedules using intuitive drag-and-drop schedule makers. Update schedules in real time while receiving overstaffing or understaffing notifications on a daily or weekly basis. Assign, remove and swap shifts easily based on staff availability, skills and preferences.
  • Time Clock: Track employee attendance and hours via the mobile app and maintain accurate timesheets. Mandate employees to click pictures while clocking in or out to avoid malpractices like buddy punching. Set punctuality rules to curb absenteeism and accidental absences.
  • Leave Management: Employees can manage their schedules and work-life balance using unique portals. Customize leave types to suit company needs while allowing partial day leaves. Set vacation and PTO rules to avoid understaffing.
  • Integrations: Integrate with popular third-party ERP, HCM, payroll and HR modules to streamline business operations. Export payroll to over 30 modules like Ceridian, ADP, Ultimate Software and Paycheck. Integrate with external HR modules like BambooHR.
  • Forecast: Use external performance indicators to predict future staffing needs and design efficient employee schedules. Customize schedules based on business priorities and capacity to tackle both under-staffing and over-staffing challenges.
  • Geofencing: Enable geofencing to ensure employees check in and out from the correct locations. Activate the GPS facility to track field staff location accurately.

Pricing

License/Subscription Cost
  • Subscription-based pricing model
  • Pricing is based on the number of users per month or users per year
  • Both monthly and annual billing plans are offered
Maintenance Cost
  • Included in the subscription fee
  • 24/7 support services are provided to all subscribers
Installation/Implementation Cost
  • Included in the subscription cost
Customization Cost
  • Cost is above and beyond the subscription fee
  • Cost varies depending on the functional requirements added to the system
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost
  • Price is dependent on a user's current software, the amount of data to be migrated, the availability of migration tools, the complexity of data and gaps between the existing system and the new system.
Recurring/Renewal Costs
  • Cost is included in the monthly or annual subscription fee
TSheets
TSheets
Start Price
$20
Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Why We Picked TSheets

TSheets offers a strong suite of solutions for time-tracking and payroll management that most users find user-friendly and cost-efficient. Its wide range of features are highly customizable and can help users track both in-house and remote employees with their live locations, manage projects and payrolls and sync with QuickBooks for efficient accounting. Customer support is highly reliable and recommendable. However, the setup, onboarding and user interface can be cumbersome. Similarly, a few features such as calendar, time off and vacations can be improved further.

Pros & Cons

  • Cost: About 55% of the users who consider cost as an important deciding parameter, choose TSheets for its affordability.
  • Customer Support: TSheets offers highly reliable and responsive customer support, as recommended by nearly 87% of the users who mentioned customer support.
  • Geofencing: Geofencing makes it easier for users to track time and billable hours, even when working remotely or from the client site, as reported by about 82% of users who mention GPS functionality.
  • Payroll Management: Efficient payroll management is one of the strong traits of the software, as reported by 90% of users who mentioned payroll.
  • QuickBooks Integrations: Seamless integration with QuickBooks is reported by 60% of the users who use both TSheets and QuickBooks in their tech suite.
  • Time Tracking: The core functionality of the software, time tracking, is recommended by about 80% of users.
  • User Friendly: About 97% of users find TSheets easy to use on a daily basis and user friendly at end-user to admin-levels.
  • Calendar and Notifications: Nearly 100% of users who mentioned calendars and notifications reported that TSheets misses the mark with Calendar synchronization and notifications for clocking in and out.
  • Feature Overload Nearly 100% of users who mentioned software functionality reported that it has too many features, making the system overwhelming and causing data lags in core functionality.
  • Set Up and Onboarding: Setting up the software and onboarding new employees is confusing and difficult, according to 58% of users who mentioned that the process left a lot to be desired.
  • Time Off and Vacations: While TSheets does an excellent job in time tracking and payroll management, managing time off and vacations can lead to data errors and often need to be logged in manually, as reported by nearly 71% of users who mentioned the feature.
  • UI and Navigation: Approximately 67% of users who mention UI and navigation report that the software is clunky and hard to navigate.

Key Features

  • Mobile App: Get mobile and offline access to submit, track and approve time. View and manage multiple timesheets with the Crew app. Monitor employee locations through the “Who’s Working” feature. 
  • GPS and Geofencing: Get real-time GPS data of clocked-in employees, in compliance with DCAA and DOL standards. 
  • Scheduling: Develop schedules based on job, shift or task. Notify employees of published or changed schedules. Sync with popular calendar applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Apple iCal and Google Calendar. 
  • Time Clock Kiosk: Clock in and out with the time clock kiosk and any device with internet access. Set up a four-digit PIN, biometric facial recognition and photo capture to limit buddy punching. 
  • Alerts and Approvals: Get alerts for clock in and clock out timings as well as time submission for payroll purposes. Managers also get notified when employees fail to clock in or clock out at scheduled times. Set up pay rates and dates with Pay Rate Engine for overtime management. 
  • Smart Reporting: Develop customized reports for instant access. View timesheets based on customer, job or group. Segment employee hours by rate, regular hours and overtime hours in wage reports. Export payroll reports in Excel, PDF or CSV formats. 
When I Work
When I Work
Start Price
$2.50
Per User, Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request Pricing Request Demo

Why We Picked When I Work

According to the reviews, users praise When I Work’s user-friendly design and all-in-one features for scheduling and time tracking. The customer support team is another win — responsive and helpful via chat and email. However, the pricing structure is a point of contention for some users, with complaints about hidden fees and a lack of transparency before signing up.

What truly set it apart was its affordability for small and medium businesses. The starter plan, costing just $1.50 per location per month, offers unlimited employee scheduling and auto-scheduling — features usually reserved for top-tier plans in competitors like 7Shift and Homebase.

However, communication features are restricted. During testing, I could send individual and group messages, but there's no bulletin board or newsfeed functionality, and message read receipts are absent.

Security is another concern. The platform lacks biometric clock-in options, opening the door to potential time theft through buddy punching. Additionally, it doesn’t support geofencing or GPS tracking. I couldn’t remotely track staff shifts to ensure they were following established procedures.

Overall, When I Work offers a compelling solution for small and medium businesses with a user-friendly interface, robust features and a budget-friendly starter plan. However, be mindful of the pricing concerns and other limitations, which can be a problem for growing teams and businesses.

Pros & Cons

  • Intuitive and Efficient: Users appreciate the user-friendly interface and comprehensive features that centralize managing all scheduling needs from a single app.
  • Prompt Customer Support: Users report getting timely and helpful assistance from the vendor’s support team through live chat and email.
  • Enhanced Employee Experience: The app boosts staff productivity by offering them flexible tools to control their work schedules.
  • Improved Integration and Accessibility: Most users have had a positive experience connecting the platform with other necessary third-party tools.
  • Pricing and Transparency Issues: Users have complained about the vendor’s pricing practices, which include hidden costs and a lack of clear information before signing up.
  • App Glitches: Users reported issues with iPhone and Android apps, particularly with tasks like staff punch-ins and location tracking using the phone’s GPS.

Key Features

  • Employee Scheduling: Create work schedules in one click based on employee availability and eligibility. View team availability, manage time off and track shift trades from one place. Allow employees to pick up and trade shifts while boosting workplace efficiency and productivity. Schedule multiple teams across job sites while preventing unnecessary overtime.
  • Time and Attendance: Track attendance, time off and breaks while turning any internet-connected device into an online time clock. Integrate schedules to control costs while applying pay rules. Implement an online time clock with a GPS facility for uniform clock-ins and outs across devices. Let remote employees log in and out using any device while receiving attendance data in real time.
  • Timesheets: Record weekly attendance changes into timesheets while setting differential pay rates for multiple positions. Monitor labor costs while auditing time records with labor distribution reports. Audit and approve timesheets from mobile or desktop while preventing overtime before it happens. Configure paid and unpaid breaks on schedule and time clock.
  • Shift Planning: Plan, swap and approve shifts using a mobile or desktop while empowering teams to collaborate on schedules. Ensure cost-effective shift coverage while creating schedules that work for the entire team.
  • Scalability: Start with a single team or location and scale to multiple teams across geographical locations as per business growth. Schedule multiple teams across various job sites.
  • Push Notifications: Send important messages to the entire staff in one go. Employees get email and text alerts for missed logins or outs. Notify all employees when you update or create new schedules.
  • Geo Check-In: Use GPS tracking and live map views to ensure that employees log in from their designated job sites. Monitor field staff’s real-time location, eliminating the need for employees to update their locations constantly in the office.
Paylocity
Paylocity
Start Price
$19
Per Employee, Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request Pricing Request Demo

Why We Picked Paylocity

Paylocity is a user-friendly HCM solution that works well for SMBs and delivers an array of features such as payroll management, hiring and talent management in a unified suite. Self-service capabilities help employees access their information. Some users found issues with its payroll, tracking and timesheet capabilities, reducing accuracy and limiting what can be done. However, it offers an intuitive interface, with tools like onboarding and PTO that make tasks easier while speeding up processes. Businesses looking for an end-to-end system to manage HR functions should consider this as a good contender.

Pros & Cons

  • User-Friendly Interface: 60% of users suggested that the interface is user-friendly, with automated payroll and simplified workflows that make it easy to operate and monitor teams.
  • Unified Dashboard: Paylocity enables HRIS, payroll, timekeeping and admin-related tasks to be handled from a single location, according to 60% of users.
  • Performance Benefits: It eases task management for essential activities such as checking time off balances and paychecks, conducting goal assessments and achievements, performing year-end reviews, and more.
  • Easy PTO: It’s easy to use and implement in a day-to-day work routine, with 30% of users mentioning they can check staff availability before approving leaves.
  • Streamlined Onboarding: The onboarding process checks in candidates and sends paperwork before they start, making it 10%-20% easier for admin setup and paperwork completion according to users.
  • Support Team: Paylocity's support process is lengthy according to 30% of users, requiring a lot of back and forth to get an issue resolved, which usually takes days.
  • Cumbersome Payroll: The payroll module requires set up by different people and doesn’t function accurately according to 10% of users.
  • Timesheets: Tracking time is difficult, as Paylocity doesn’t update and capture time entries until a shift is completed.
  • System Logouts: Despite automation, additional verification is required when logging in, causing 10% of users to completely exit and then log in again.
  • Tracking: Tracking functionality doesn’t work well for all the features in the experience of 10%-20% of users.

Key Features

  • Payroll: Companies can simplify multiple financial tasks related to payroll with this feature. It automates payroll processes and takes care of tax compliance, expense reimbursements into paychecks, garnishment services and custom reports that derive whatever data that’s needed. It provides employees with the flexibility to access a portion of their earned wages when needed. 
  • Workforce Management: This feature helps eliminate the need for manual tracking of tasks, reduces administrative work and maintains accurate records of individual employees. The review forms can be customized to promote employees to set goals via an insight chart. 
  • Employee Self-Service: The software provides users with admin analytics, 24/7 secure access, enrollment and insurance access, and internal plans. This feature helps employees and employers to access, update, enroll and administer data respectively. 
  • Time and Labor Management: Workers can clock in and out via the mobile app, and managers can set geofencing rules that ensure accurate clock-punching. It also syncs with payroll automatically and allows managers to create and adjust schedules as needed, without manually correcting payroll data. 
  • Data Insights: The platform allows users to access demographic information, utilization, headcount, labor costs, position insights, turnover and retention. It also features real-time employee data, analytics for employment trends, strategic hiring and budgeting decisions, and programs to build a diverse workforce. 
  • Reports: The system comes with over 100 standard reports along with an ad hoc reporting tool. Users can schedule reports to automatically generate and track key reports with a favorites feature. 
  • Compensation Management: With this feature, administrators can configure settings such as the approval process and eligibility requirements. It also supports the customization of compensation plans to match organizational pay cycles. Company leaders gain a view into budgets and allocations, while managers can provide increases and view employee data like performance and pay history.  
  • Marketplace Integrations: Organizations can extend Paylocity’s capabilities to streamline the payroll regularity and HR data management across all policies. The solution connects with partner solutions in 20 categories, including single sign-on (SSO), ERP and a variety of HR-related functions. More than 300 integrations are available in the vendor marketplace. Data can flow into or out of Paylocity, or in both directions, depending on the integration. 
WhenToWork
WhenToWork
Start Price
$40
Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request Pricing Request Demo

Why We Picked WhenToWork

WhenToWork is a user-friendly online scheduling solution for small and medium-sized businesses. Its intuitive interface and straightforward features make it a viable option for businesses looking to ditch paper trails and digitize their scheduling operations.

My experience with WhenToWork began with a simple sign-up process that required minimal information. The platform guided me through a brief onboarding process, where I provided details about my business and team members. While the onboarding process was straightforward, I noticed the business category list didn’t offer many options for construction-related industries.

Upon accessing the web platform, I was greeted by a somewhat outdated design that felt reminiscent of an earlier era. While the layout was clean and easy to navigate, a modern update could benefit its overall aesthetic. The main menu has sections for schedules, employees, trades, time off, messaging, reports and current on-duty employees.

The mobile app, however, offers a more streamlined experience with a user-friendly interface. It provides quick access to schedules, shift trades, time off, messaging, staff information and a link to the full web version. The app's dashboard offers a clear overview of assignments, time off, shift trades and messages.

The messaging features are designed for efficient team communication. You can send and receive messages, create urgent alerts, and post on a bulletin board. The “Reports” section offers customizable reporting options, allowing you to generate reports based on various criteria and export them for further analysis.

Overall, WhenToWork is a suitable option for businesses with basic scheduling needs. Its user-friendly interface, straightforward features and robust reporting capabilities make it a viable choice for organizations that prioritize simplicity and ease of use. However, businesses seeking a more modern and feature-rich platform may need to explore other options.

Pros & Cons

  • Ease of Use: Users praised the platform’s user-friendly interface and ease of use across all user types. Its intuitive navigation simplifies shift management, schedule swaps and coworker communication. The platform also provides useful "how-to" videos, making it easier for users to understand the system without needing live support.
  • Better Customization and Flexibility: Users appreciated the ability to customize schedules, permissions and worker roles. It’s easy to switch shifts and see assigned shifts in one place.
  • Easy Reporting: The one-click report generation feature helps users manage budgets and track employee hours. This is especially helpful for administrators manually comparing scheduling costs with budgetary constraints.
  • Improved Remote Workability: Reviews highlight the benefit of accessing the software from any mobile device, making it convenient for teams to check schedules, receive notifications and streamline internal communications.
  • Simple Implementation Process: Users from small and medium businesses appreciated the software’s lightweight nature. It requires minimal IT involvement and can be deployed quickly across multiple departments.
  • Lack of Live Support: Live representatives are unavailable, especially during troubleshooting. Instead, the platform relies on video tutorials, which may not be sufficient in urgent situations.
  • Complicated Staff Availability Settings: Some reviewers found the "date specific" availability options frustrating, as it often caused confusion when scheduling in advance. Also, the inability to fully turn off certain options, like the "dislike" function, can complicate determining worker availability.
  • Limited Enterprise Features: Users from larger businesses noted that the platform lacks advanced enterprise-level security settings and integration support, making it less ideal for organizations with complex needs.
  • Cluttered Interface: The schedule display can sometimes be confusing or cluttered, particularly when many shifts are on the board. This makes it harder to quickly view and understand schedules at times.

Key Features

  • Flexible Scheduling: You get multiple scheduling views, task templates and drag-and-drop tools to create different types of recurring schedules for multiple locations.
  • Import/Export: It lets you import shifts via Excel and .CSV files or export schedules in Excel format.
  • Automated Assignments: You can define rules to automatically assign shifts based on employee preferences and availability.
  • Employee Self-Service: Design unique portals for each team member based on their seniority, job roles and access requirements. Employees can log in via desktops or the mobile app to view and swap schedules, receive messages, and submit time off requests.
Homebase
Homebase
Start Price
$24.95
Per Location, Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Why We Picked Homebase

In my research, I was particularly impressed by the guided onboarding process. The intuitive setup allowed me to get the platform up and running within minutes, enabling easy scheduling without a steep learning curve. This ease of use also extends to onboarding employees.

The auto-documentation request feature stood out to me. I could define the required documents for each employee, and the system automatically sent follow-up reminders. This automation significantly streamlined the process of maintaining up-to-date employee profiles with all the necessary paperwork.

Homebase’s integration with other tools, such as payroll processors, accounting solutions and POS systems, is a huge plus. It saves time and reduces the hassle of manual data transfers, making the overall management process smoother. Additionally, the system can handle basic hiring, onboarding, payroll and compliance management, making it an all-in-one HR suite for small businesses.

However, I encountered some drawbacks. One notable issue was the auto-scheduling feature. While the idea behind it is great, it proved complicated in practice and lacked customization options to meet my specific needs.

Users have reported facing issues with the vendor’s customer support team. There were reports of delayed responses, and the support hours were insufficient for businesses operating outside regular U.S. business hours. 

Despite these issues, the platform’s cost-effectiveness, especially with the free basic plan, makes it a viable option for small and medium enterprises. It offers essential scheduling and time-tracking features without hidden costs and implementation complexities.

Pros & Cons

  • Ease of Setup and Use: Many users found Homebase easy to set up and navigate. The platform is intuitive, making it simple for both managers and employees to use.
  • Scheduling and Time Tracking: The platform simplifies employee scheduling, making it easy to create, modify and track schedules. It includes useful features like a time clock, timesheets and attendance tracking.
  • Integration with Other Tools: Users appreciated its integration with various payroll processors and POS systems.
  • Accessibility: You can access the software from various devices, including desktops, tablets and smartphones, enhancing flexibility for managers and employees on the go.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Several reviews mentioned that the free basic plan suffices for smaller businesses, providing essential features without extra cost.
  • Undo and Modification Limitations: The lack of an undo feature can be problematic if accidental changes or deletions occur.
  • User Interface Issues: Some users found the new updates and interface changes cumbersome, with issues like light markings, lack of lines and frequent refresh rates. Others mentioned that the iPad app is not optimized and often mimics the mobile website, limiting its functionality.
  • Customer Support: Several reviews highlighted delayed responses from customer support and insufficient support hours, which can be challenging for businesses operating outside regular hours. Also, the platform heavily targets the U.S. market and offers limited support for international users.

Key Features

  • Scheduling: Create, copy and save schedules that can be modified or reused later. View employee availability and time off requests, manage shift changes, and forecast labor costs.
  • Time Clock: Clock in and out from the web, a tablet or an integrated POS. The advanced subscription packages can prevent employees from clocking in early for their shifts and returning from breaks early. The time clock feature can also round time and allow for automatic clock-out.
  • Timesheets: Track clock-ins, breaks and overtime hours with online timesheets. Generate a daily summary of activities, track breaks and export timesheets to payroll, reducing time errors.
  • Team Communication: Send direct messages and broadcast messages to entire groups directly through the app.
  • Hiring: Streamline the hiring process by providing pre-written job descriptions, interview reminders and applicant tracking capabilities. Post open jobs to Craigslist and other job boards. Import new hires to the schedule automatically.
  • Reporting: Track and generate reports on labor costs as a percentage of sales, actual hours worked, employee performance and shift feedback summaries. The more advanced subscription plans also track labor costs by type and generate reports on the application programming interface, on-time arrival and other customized reports.
  • Drag-and-Drop Interface: Users can view and sort schedules by role, time period or employee hours with a drag-and-drop interface. Managers can also copy the previous week’s schedule and publish work changes directly through the mobile app.
  • HR and Compliance: Centralize employee information, eSign documents and send automated welcome packets for a smooth self-onboarding experience. Define clear PTO policies and approval workflows, set up black-out dates and define advance notice requirements for more control. The platform offers consultancy with external HR advisors for expert insights and policy reviews, helping comply with labor regulations.
  • Employee Benefits and Productivity Tools: Early access to earned wages allows staff members to avoid overdraft fees. Peer-to-peer recognition tools and automatic performance metric tracking help foster a productive environment. You can also gain valuable insights into employee sentiment through anonymous end-of-shift feedback.
HotSchedules
HotSchedules
Start Price
$40
Per Location, Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Request Pricing Request Demo

Why We Picked HotSchedules

Let's dish on the good, the bad, and the ugly of HotSchedules based on what folks have been saying lately.

HotSchedules seems to be a bit of a mixed bag. Users dig that it's pretty straightforward to use and can be a real time-saver, especially when it comes to wrangling schedules and keeping everyone in the loop. It's like having a personal assistant who's always on top of things. But, there's a catch – it can be a bit pricey, and some users feel like it's missing some bells and whistles that other scheduling software has. Think of it as a reliable car that gets you from point A to point B, but maybe doesn't have all the fancy features like a sunroof or heated seats.

So, who's HotSchedules a good fit for? Well, if you're running a business in the hospitality industry, like a restaurant or hotel, and you need a solid scheduling tool that won't leave you scratching your head, HotSchedules could be your jam. It's especially handy if you've got a bunch of hourly employees and multiple locations to juggle. However, if you're on a tight budget or need a software with all the latest gadgets, you might want to shop around a bit. There are other options out there like Homebase or When I Work that might be more your style.

Pros & Cons

  • Convenience and Accessibility: Users appreciate the system’s remote accessibility, which saves time and enhances productivity for both employees and managers.
  • Scheduling Functionality: The platform offers a comprehensive package of scheduling tools, including shift swapping, time off, blackout dates and availability management.
  • Efficient Automation: Automation such as auto-scheduling, sick pay and holiday calculations simplifies administrative tasks for managers.
  • Diverse Integrations: Users report that integration with other modules like payroll systems, POS solutions and HR software enhances productivity and workforce management.
  • Learning curve & complexity: The interface can be challenging for beginners, requiring significant time and effort to learn and navigate effectively.
  • Inconsistent customer support: Users report long wait times or difficulty resolving complex issues, leading to potential frustration and delays.
  • Pricing concerns: Additional fees beyond the monthly subscription can add up, making it more expensive than competitors.

Key Features

  • Scheduling: Build schedules with customizable templates and intuitive drag-and-drop tools. Approve or deny shift change requests, define rules to limit overtime and manage employee availability from a dashboard.
  • Time and Attendance: Track clock-in and clock-out times, collect information on tip and break entries, and allow employees to access their timecards and payroll histories. Managers can set up alerts to notify employees when they miss a time punch. Set geo-fencing rules using the mobile WebClock to track employee locations.
  • Labor Forecasting: Access the following forecasting features:
    • Schedule Optimization: Standardize scheduling rules and automate recurring tasks using predictive scheduling across multiple branches and locations.
    • Scheduling Visibility: Manage labor analytics to measure critical KPIs like overall performance, cost per labor, sales patterns and labor cost to keep restaurants competitive.
    • Store-Level Forecasting: Analyze historical data to identify weekly sales patterns and help managers allocate workforces efficiently. Send alerts for overtime and other potential compliance issues.
  • Labor Management: Calculate minimum staffing requirements, plan shift breaks, and generate suggested headcounts to ensure that any given shift always has the proper number of staff members.
  • Scheduling and Wage Compliance: Adhere to local and federal regulations with:
    • Predictive Scheduling: Stay up to date with local laws and evolve as regulations shift. Prepare and adapt to compliance changes before they go into effect.
    • Break and Meal Management: Set up rules to automatically schedule meal and break times for staff members. Receive notifications of missed break times and automatically calculate break pay impacts.
    • Overtime Management: Track employees going into overtime and allow managers to swap overworked staff with other employees.
    • Certifications: Receive certificate expiry alerts and define automation to request updated documents from employees, managers and other team members.
  • POS Integration: Employees can track time and clock in and out of work from a POS system. Pull sales and operational data from POS to forecast weekly and seasonal sales patterns and workforce requirements.
  • Health Surveys: Generate digital health surveys to gain extra visibility into the business. Use CDC-tailored surveys and health screening tools to ensure employees are safe to come to work.
  • Manager Logbook: Manage physical and digital logbooks that help track tasks, maintenance objectives and food safety information, such as temperature.

Pricing

License/Subscription Cost
  • Subscription-based pricing model
  • Pricing is based on number of users on a month-to-month basis
Maintenance Cost
  • The cost is included in the subscription fee
Installation/Implementation Cost
  • The cost is included in the subscription fee
Customization Cost
  • The customization costs are dependent on the functional requirements of the modules added
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost
  • This cost varies depending on the amount and complexity of the data to be migrated as well as the availability of migration tools and the gaps between the existing system and the new system
Recurring/Renewal Costs
  • This cost is included in the monthly subscription fee.
Deputy
Deputy
Start Price
$2.50
Per User, Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Why We Picked Deputy

Deputy is a valuable asset for businesses looking to streamline their scheduling operations and enhance employee productivity. During my research, I found it to be a highly effective and centralized tool for hiring, training and scheduling employees. Users consistently praise its performance, with many giving it a 4.5-star rating.

One of Deputy's standout features is its AI-powered automation, which can significantly improve scheduling and shift break compliance. However, it may require some initial setup and learning to function optimally. The touchless facial recognition clock-in feature is particularly valuable in today's post-pandemic world.

I appreciate Deputy's commitment to employee empowerment. Its accountability measures, such as GPS tracking and facial recognition, effectively prevent time theft without compromising employee autonomy. The Shift Pulse feature is another valuable tool that fosters open communication between employees and management.

While Deputy is a powerful solution, it's not without its flaws. I encountered bugs and glitches that occasionally disrupted the user experience. Slow performance, particularly for mobile app users and non-desk staff, can be frustrating. Additionally, GPS challenges can be problematic for businesses with multiple locations as the platform doesn’t support multiple time zones.

The HR functionality is also limited, but I believe it has the potential to expand over time. Adding more languages to the interface would also make it more inclusive. Overall, I recommend Deputy to small to mid-sized organizations seeking a reliable and feature-rich scheduling solution that also offers basic HR functionalities.

Pros & Cons

  • User-Friendly Interface: Users appreciate the intuitive design, which makes it accessible for both managers and employees and easy to adopt with minimal training.
  • Robust Remote Workability: The mobile app is highly praised for allowing employees to clock in/out, manage shifts and receive notifications, making it convenient for on-the-go use.
  • Greater Flexibility and Accessibility: Deputy offers flexible shift management, allowing employees to swap or pick up shifts and work across multiple locations. Cloud-based hosting ensures access from anywhere with an internet connection.
  • Employee Empowerment: The software gives employees more control over their schedules, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility for time management.
  • Streamline Scheduling: Deputy effectively manages scheduling, time tracking and attendance, reducing errors and improving overall efficiency. Reviews highlight valuable features like preventing early clock-ins and integrating with payroll systems.
  • Support and Customer Service Issues: Several users reported poor customer service experiences, especially when dealing with technical support or canceling the service. The vendor primarily offers support via email, which some users found inadequate.
  • Performance and Speed: Some users experienced lag when accepting shifts or clocking in and out, causing delays and frustration.
  • Challenges With Multi-Location Tracking: For organizations with employees across multiple locations or states, keeping track of everyone’s whereabouts could be challenging as the platform doesn’t support multiple time zones across geographies.
  • Syncing Issues: Users noted that the inability to sync with external calendars (like Google or Apple Calendar) was a significant drawback.

Key Features

  • Scheduling: Create, manage and optimize schedules with AI. Use drag-and-drop scheduling tools while considering availability, skills and preferences to create partial, pre-assigned or open shifts.
  • Time Tracking: Turn staff phones into a time tracking solution using the mobile app or connect the platform to a POS system to allow employees to punch in and out of work. The platform sends alerts for break hours, overtime and budgetary conflicts. It also offers geofencing to help avoid time theft and buddy punching.
  • Mobile App: Managers can access their profiles from anywhere, create schedules, approve time off requests, communicate with team members and track task progress. Employees can view schedules, request PTO, chat with colleagues, swap shifts and bid on open shifts.
  • Demand Forecasting: Access your business’s historical sales data and seasonal trends on a centralized dashboard to make informed staffing decisions. Define business logic and benchmarks with demand-based rules to ensure minimum coverage while considering your budget. You can pull real-time wage-to-sales data on the mobile app to make scheduling adjustments on the go.
  • Shift Pulse: Send feedback forms and questionnaires to employees after every shift. Minimize staff fatigue by automating schedule assignments based on worked hours and overtime. Employees can express their work satisfaction using a staff sentiment bar and tracker.
  • Compliance Tools: Deputy helps comply with fair workweek regulations by providing tools to manage overtime, minimum rest periods and other labor laws. It also assists with reporting, managing employee records and ensuring adherence to minimum wage laws.
  • Leave Management: Employees can submit time-off requests directly through the platform, and managers can review and approve or deny them. You can also track leave balances and generate leave reports.
  • Document Management: The platform offers a centralized repository for storing and organizing employee documents, such as contracts, performance reviews and training certificates. Its search and filtering capabilities make it easy to find specific documents when needed.
  • Hiring: Post openings on online job forums and track their traction from within the software interface. You can track applicants, schedule interviews, send questions and receive applicant feedback.
  • Training and Onboarding: Design branded onboarding workflows for trainees and manage employee training programs by tracking attendance, assigning tasks and monitoring progress.

Pricing

License/Subscription Cost
  • Cost is included in the subscription fee
  • Subscription-based pricing model
  • Pricing is based on monthly or annual users
  • Discounts are offered for annual subscription plans
Maintenance Cost
  • The cost is included in the subscription fee
  • Unlimited 24/7 support is available to all users
  • Enterprise users have access to a dedicated support team
Installation/Implementation Cost
  • Included in the subscription fee
Customization Cost
  • This costs is additional to the subscription fee
  • Dependent on the functional requirements and the specific needs of the organization
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost
  • Cost varies depending on the current software, amount of data to be migrated, the complexity of the data fields, level of automation and data migration tools to be utilized for the transfer of data from the old to the new software.
Jolt
Jolt
Start Price
$89.99
Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Why We Picked Jolt

Jolt helps its users keep up with daily tasks and track who completes what with a time stamp. It is an easy-to-use solution that satisfies food safety guidelines with automated temperature checks, temperature logs and food labeling by date. Reviewers mentioned that its initial set-up takes time, and printer issues are difficult to solve. The application does not allow users to send messages to a single employee, but they can send a message to a large group of people at once. Overall, it is a cost-effective software solution with seamless training and support.

Pros & Cons

  • Functionality: Around 94% of users who mentioned functionality said that the system provided a robust suite of helpful tools that helped them save time.
  • Ease of Use: The system’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage and understand, as noted by 100% of reviewers who mentioned ease of use.
  • Customer Service: More than 88% of reviewers referring to customer support noted that included professional services were helpful and provided follow-up tips and corrections.
  • Tracking/Monitoring: All users who refer to monitoring state that it helps boost employee accountability, inventory organization and scheduling.
  • Initial Setup: Its initial setup is time-consuming, as noted by nearly 100% of users who mentioned setup.
  • Slow Application: Around 55% of the users who mentioned it’s mobile application report that it can be slow/glitchy and at times would crash.
  • Communication: Text and emails can only be sent to employees through its time-card feature, as observed by 60% of reviewers who referred to communication.

Key Features

  • Employee Scheduling: Use a drag-and-drop scheduler to build employee schedules while managing breaks. Send shift reminders via text messages and push notifications. Employees can request shift swaps and get approvals. 
  • Team Accountability: Achieve cleaner stores, faster service and consistent processes. Standardize procedures for staff to follow with on-the-spot training. Deliver fast service across locations with real-time alerts, reports and message notifications. 
  • Digital Food Safety: Serve fresh and hot meals with automated temperature monitoring, quick temperature logs and food and date labeling. Use sensors to protect inventory while keeping ingredients fresh. Receive notifications when temperatures fall out of range. 
  • Employee Performance: Train employees to complete tasks with perfection to achieve high standards. Improve order accuracy with employee quizzes and an accessible training hub. Deliver friendly service by ensuring employees aren’t overworked or understaffed. 
  • Training Hub: Incorporate training materials while providing access according to employee roles. Create scorable employee quizzes while reviewing performance using templates. 
  • Checklists: Create daily, repeatable and time-based task checklists. Customize daily food safety and HACCP checklists. Assign work by role while naming and time-stamping every task. Receive checklist completion alerts in real time. 
Shiftboard
Shiftboard
Start Price
$3
Per User, Monthly
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Why We Picked Shiftboard

Shiftboard provides robust scheduling tools that help reduce scheduling errors. Its online and mobile availability allows employees to access it from anywhere and stay updated on schedules and shifts. Staff in certain roles can trade shifts within Shiftboard without going through management. It helps to keep track of employee shift times and their clock in and out locations. Some reviewers said that creating custom reports requires a great deal of trial and error, while some fields are not reportable. Users have mentioned that they would like to see more viewer-friendly pages.

Pros & Cons

  • Shift Management: Nearly 94% of reviewers liked the built-in Tradeboard for employees to exchange or transfer shifts, boosting accountability and efficiency.
  • Schedules: Around 90% of users who referred to schedules liked that it reduces time spent creating and managing schedules. It notifies of any errors and provides easy access for employees.
  • Tracking: It helps monitor the login / logout of individual workers, their interest in additional shifts and overtime status, as noted by 91% of users who specified tracking.
  • Reports: About 56% of reviewers who referred to reports said that custom reports require a great deal of trial and error, and some fields are not reportable.
  • Layout: The page layout style is quite clunky and difficult to navigate, especially when there are more teams and time slots, as mentioned by 80% of users who referred to layout.

Key Features

  • Profiles: Collect and store employee information such as contact information, credentials, skills and work history. This information can then be used to assign roles based on scheduling needs. 
  • Communication: View schedules online and notify staff on schedule changes. It sends messages and notifications automatically so that all team members have access to the most up-to-date information. 
  • Demand Planner: Forecast scheduling needs using historical data and patterns. Managers can build schedules and fill shifts based on predicted business needs. 
  • Tradeboard: Employees can utilize Tradeboard to switch shifts, while the system ensures that no shifts are double-booked. Managers can oversee shift-swapping and set rules to ensure compliance and that employees don’t pick up shifts that will put them into overtime. 
  • Reports and Analytics: The system can collect data on shifts, employees, budgets, forecasts, labor costs and more. Generate reports and analyze them at any time to help track spending. 
  • Mobile: Access the schedule at any time through any internet-connected device. Employees can view the schedule, update their availability, request time off and trade shifts, all through the mobile app. 

Pricing

License/Subscription Cost
  • Subscription-based pricing model
  • A minimum subscription fee and number of users applies to all plans
  • Discounts are available for nonprofit organizations
  • Cost varies depending on the number of users, add-ons and the pricing plan
Maintenance Cost
  • The initial cost is included in the subscription fee
  • There is an additional fee for extra support services
  • Shiftboard offers two pricing packages for support
Installation/Implementation Cost
  • Charges an additional fee to the subscription cost
Customization Cost
  • Cost varies depending on the functional requirements and modules added based on business requirements
  • There may be additional charges for single sing-on, payroll integration, third-party software integration and drop point service
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost
  • Cost varies depending on the amount of data to be migrated, availability of migration tools, the complexity of data and gaps between the current and new systems
Recurring/Renewal Costs
  • Cost is equivalent to the monthly subscription fee based on the number of users, customization cost and the customer success package chosen

COMPARE THE BEST Retail Scheduling Software

Select up to 2 Products from the list below to compare

 
Product
Score
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SelectHub’s Analyst Rating is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Retail Scheduling Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
Start Price
Free Trial
Company Size
Deployment
Platform
Logo
Humanity
$3
Per User, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Humanity
TSheets
$20
Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
TSheets
When I Work
$2.50
Per User, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
When I Work
Paylocity
$19
Per Employee, Monthly
No
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Paylocity
WhenToWork
$40
Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
WhenToWork
Homebase
$24.95
Per Location, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Homebase
HotSchedules
$40
Per Location, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
HotSchedules
Deputy
$2.50
Per User, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Deputy
Jolt
$89.99
Monthly
No
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Jolt
Shiftboard
$3
Per User, Monthly
No
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Shiftboard

All Retail Scheduling Software (48 found)

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Humanity

by TCP Software
Humanity
Humanity is an end-to-end platform for all your scheduling needs. It helps you create schedules in minutes and offers AI-powered suggestions to avoid overscheduling and staffing errors while ensuring proper coverage and compliance with labor regulations.The platform's intelligent algorithms analyze employee availability, skill sets and workload to generate optimal schedules that align with forecasted demand. You can define custom rules to address specific requirements and reduce manual effort.Humanity serves as a central repository for scheduling data. It maintains a detailed employee database, historical records and audit logs, helping you manage workforce information and ensure accountability. A demand forecasting module helps predict future staffing needs based on seasonal demand and optimize workforce allocation. Additionally, it includes robust features to address compliance and employee well-being. The platform automatically creates breaks based on predefined state rules, ensuring adequate meal breaks and compliance with labor regulations. Employees also get personal portals to view schedules, swap shifts, chat with managers and colleagues, and send time off requests.The mobile app empowers managers and employees to create schedules, communicate effectively, and track time and attendance from anywhere. Its geofencing feature helps prevent malpractices like time theft, buddy punching and clocking in from outside the work location. ProsUser-friendly interfaceMobile appCustomization and flexibilityResponsive customer supportConsSlow performanceIntegration challengesBugs and UI issues
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
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TSheets

by Quickbooks
TSheets
TSheets (now called Quickbooks Time) is a time tracking program for creating, editing and tracking workforce schedules. Automated notifications and GPS functionality help with resource deployment, live location of clocked-in employees, and keeping everyone updated. Available on cloud-based deployment, it also has a comprehensive mobile module with offline accessibility. Integration with multiple popular payroll and accounting inclusions streamline financial management and alleviate gaps in the workflow.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
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When I Work

by When I Work, Inc
When I Work
When I Work is a cloud-based platform that helps design, communicate and track work schedules for hourly workers. It replaces the hassle of spreadsheets and paper schedules with a user-friendly interface for creating and publishing schedules in minutes. You get features like drag-and-drop tools, schedule and timesheet templates, customizable automation, and reporting.It offers built-in time tracking, communication tools and payroll integrations. Employees can clock in and out directly through the native app. They can also swap shifts and submit time-off requests from their profiles. It lets you access timesheets, identify labor cost trends and control overtime expenses.Team messaging helps you coordinate staff members and avoid over or understaffing during peak seasons. While pricing varies based on company size and required features, the platform offers a free trial and multiple subscription tiers. This allows you to choose a plan that fits your budget and specific needs.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
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Paylocity

by paylocity
Paylocity
Paylocity is an all-in-one cloud payroll solution that enables organizations of every size to execute administrative tasks such as talent acquisition, time and labor management, and other core processes. Its functionality includes multiple configuration options that allow companies to customize according to their needs.It contains robust security measures such as encryption, real-time backups and secure data centers. It also has a user-friendly mobile app that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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WhenToWork

by WhenToWorK
WhenToWork
WhenToWork is a cloud-based solution that helps businesses create and manage schedules for hourly workers. It offers a free mobile app that supports time tracking, allowing employees to punch in and out of work remotely.The platform’s standout feature is its one-click scheduling that uses a proprietary algorithm to generate optimal shift schedules, minimizing conflicts and reducing human error. With just a few clicks, you can create efficient work plans that ensure your team is adequately staffed at all times.Employees can easily input their preferred, disliked and unavailable work times, allowing managers to make informed decisions when creating schedules. This feature enhances employee satisfaction and minimizes scheduling conflicts by ensuring that employees are working shifts that align with their availability and preferences.This platform lets you prioritize clear communication and accountability within your team. It automatically sends notifications to employees when their shifts are created or updated, ensuring everyone stays informed. This enhances employee engagement and reduces the risk of missed shifts.WhenToWork offers a 30-day trial period, allowing you to test the platform’s suitability for your scheduling needs. Its paid plans start from $38 per month, with pricing based on the number of employees and the subscription duration. Unlike other platforms, it doesn’t offer tiered plans based on features — every plan includes the full toolkit.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Homebase

by Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a cloud-based solution that helps manage employee schedules, maintain timesheets and streamline payroll processes. Managers can create staff shifts using drag-and-drop scheduling tools and pre-built templates. They can also define rules to put schedules on autopilot for recurring tasks based on employee availability, skills and labor budget.The platform is mobile-optimized and offers a native app for employees to view schedules, communicate, set preferences and trade shifts. You can use a POS system to track employee attendance and work hours or use the app to let staff log time from their phones. The platform maintains timesheets while integrating with payroll modules for wage calculation.Verify employee identity and location with the built-in photo capture or GPS time clock functionality. Additionally, you can automate break tracking and overtime calculations to comply with shift worker regulations. It sends automatic alerts for employee absences or late logins while allowing managers to record daily summaries using the manager log. Pros Ease of setup Efficient scheduling and time tracking Robust mobile app Cost-effective Cons Limited customization Customer service issues System update bugs
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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HotSchedules

by HotSchedules
HotSchedules
HotSchedules is a cloud-based shift scheduling tool within the Fourth HR ecosystem. It assists with a variety of core employee scheduling tasks, including assigning shifts, tracking time and managing labor.It helps optimize time and labor costs by analyzing sales patterns, forecasting demand and optimizing workforce allocation through seasons. The built-in messaging portal improves communication and keeps the team on the same page.Businesses can create custom dashboards to track business-specific KPIs, employee performances and attendance. Employees get unique portals to view assigned tasks, swap shifts and communicate with team members.A built-in wage and labor compliance module helps maintain compliance with state and federal labor laws. The mobile app provides push notifications for scheduling conflicts and compliance issues to stay agile and compliant from anywhere. Pros Convenience and accessibility Scheduling functionality Efficient automation Diverse integrations Cons Learning curve Inconsistent support services
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
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Deputy

by Deputy
Deputy
Deputy is a one-stop shop for hiring, training, scheduling, paying and managing time sheets of frontline and hourly workers. It offers an intuitive interface and various features to help manage employees, streamline scheduling operations and simplify internal communications.You can easily create, edit and manage schedules while ensuring optimal staffing levels. The platform's drag-and-drop functionality allows quick adjustments to accommodate changes in staffing or workload. Time clock features enable employees to clock in and out accurately, minimizing the risk of time theft and simplifying payroll processing.Also, Deputy provides a comprehensive suite of HR tools, including features for managing time off. Employees can easily request and track vacation, sick leave and other absences. A built-in messaging portal facilitates internal communication and records interactions to promote accountability.You can also post job openings on popular online channels and create a branded portal to accept applications. The system lets you design a new hire’s onboarding workflow with embedded training materials and tips. Additionally, customizable automation helps businesses comply with fair workweek regulations, break rules, maximum work hours, consecutive workdays and other labor regulations.One of the platform’s standout features is its pre-built integrations and extensibility with other third-party solutions. The vendor lets you add extra features such as payroll processing, business intelligence, demand forecasting, point of sale system and more.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
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Jolt

by Jolt Software
Jolt
Jolt is a tablet and smartphone-based operations execution solution that helps businesses achieve digital food safety compliance, team accountability and boost employee performance. It offers audit management, personnel tracking, performance review, time, attendance and learning and goal management. Team leaders can track daily operations in real time to keep staff accountable. It offers a training library, drag-and-drop schedule builder and task checklists for every shift. Organizations can decrease labor costs and improve staff efficiency.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Shiftboard

by Shiftboard Inc.
Shiftboard
Shiftboard is a cloud-based employee scheduling software designed to help businesses efficiently manage their workforce. It caters to businesses of all sizes, but it particularly shines when handling complex scheduling needs or a large number of employees. Shiftboard offers a variety of features including schedule creation and management, employee hour tracking, and communication tools. The software integrates with other business systems like payroll and HR software, streamlining operations. Benefits of using Shiftboard include improved employee productivity, reduced labor costs, increased employee satisfaction, and better compliance with labor laws. Users appreciate its ease of use, comprehensive features, and positive impact on workforce management. Shiftboard's pricing structure is not publicly available, so interested businesses should contact Shiftboard directly for detailed pricing information. Keep in mind that pricing for software like this can vary based on factors such as the number of users and desired features.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
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Aladtec

by Aladtec
Aladtec
Aladtec is an employee scheduling software that assists businesses in streamlining their workforce management processes. It provides a centralized platform for creating schedules, managing employee availability, and tracking time and attendance. Aladtec is particularly beneficial for organizations with complex scheduling needs, such as those with multiple locations or employees with varying schedules. Key benefits of Aladtec include improved scheduling efficiency, reduced labor costs, and enhanced employee satisfaction. Its popular features include drag-and-drop scheduling, automated shift assignments, and mobile access for employees. Compared to other employee scheduling software, Aladtec is highly rated for its user-friendliness, customization options, and robust reporting capabilities. Pricing for Aladtec is based on a per-employee, per-month subscription model. The cost varies depending on the number of employees and the features included in the plan. Aladtec offers flexible payment options, including monthly or annual billing.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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7shifts

by 7shifts
7shifts
7shifts is a web-based platform that helps restaurants create, edit and publish staff schedules. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows managers to assign shifts quickly while factoring in employee availability, time-off requests and overtime limitations. To avoid scheduling conflicts, it automatically highlights potential issues such as missed breaks and unbudgeted labor hours during the creation process.It integrates with existing point-of-sale (POS) systems, eliminating the need for manual data entry. It pulls sales data to help managers create labor schedules that align with sales forecasts. Additionally, clock-in/out data can be incorporated, providing a complete picture of labor costs.The platform offers a mobile app for both managers and employees. The manager app allows for on-the-go schedule changes, communication with staff, and real-time sales and labor cost monitoring. The employee app allows staff to view their schedules, request time off, and swap shifts with colleagues directly from their smartphones.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Paycor Scheduling

by Nimble Software Systems, Inc
Paycor Scheduling
Paycor Scheduling, formerly Ximble, provides cloud-based shift planning tools to businesses across all industries. It was acquired by Paycor in 2019, giving users access to Paycor’s full suite of HCM solutions.It allows managers to design long-term schedules from anywhere while considering employee availability and skills. The mobile app enables staff members to view schedules, log attendance, track time and communicate with team members.Create labor budgets and analyze sales patterns to forecast demand and allocate workforce efficiently. The advanced reporting module helps managers measure the productivity and efficiency of scheduling processes while avoiding over or understaffing situations.Define scheduling rules to automatically create recurring shifts and ensure daily and weekly minimum rest breaks. The system also sends alerts for conflicts with state and federal labor laws, helping businesses stay compliant.
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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MySchedule

by MySchedule
MySchedule
MySchedule is a cloud-based workforce management solution that schedules shifts, tracks hours worked, manages time off and vacation requests and more. Organizations can create flexible schedules using availability indicators that are easy to modify. It helps manage the entire workforce across multiple locations. Employees can use the self-service portal to request time-off, shift swaps and communicate with colleagues from any device. It strengthens team communication through real-time group or individual messaging. Its mobile app facilitates viewing schedules, sending messages, requesting shift swaps and picking or dropping shifts.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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ScheduleAnywhere

by Atlas Business Solutions
ScheduleAnywhere
ScheduleAnywhere is a staff scheduling software suite that simplifies assigning shifts for staff across multiple locations and departments. It manages staff availability and requirements, time-off requests and controls extra hours. It also offers self-scheduling for employees, which can be enabled with requisite permissions. It generates reports to offer deeper insights into the functioning of an organization. Business owners can generate customized reports on staff attendance, shift schedule and time-off requests, employee skills, estimated costs and more.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Kronos Workforce Scheduler

by Kronos Incorporated
Kronos Workforce Scheduler
Kronos Workforce Scheduler provides managers with the tools and information for accurate planning and execution. The automated work scheduler allows managers to accurately create work schedules that align work with anticipated demand and comply consistently with all company and regulatory planning policies. It eliminates guesswork helping organizations in controlling labor costs, minimizing compliance risk and increasing employee productivity. Available on desktop and mobile, it empowers employees with self-service capabilities such as shift swapping, shift schedule viewing and more. It serves industries like manufacturing, education, health system, banking and more.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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SAP Workforce Scheduling

by SAP, Inc.
SAP Workforce Scheduling
SAP Workforce Scheduling and Optimization by ClickSoftware is designed to facilitate a large, asynchronous workforce. It meets the needs of both field service businesses and workforce management software users.SAP Workforce is built for businesses of any size, its features include security, workforce optimization, real-time analytics, automation, call taking and revenue boosting features.
Cost Breakdown
$100 - $500
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
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Planday

by Planday
Planday
Planday provides tools to businesses of all sizes across all industries. It automates administrative tasks like workforce schedule building and report generation for growing businesses. Organizations can make use of built-in messaging features to improve team communication. It helps manage hourly workers, track employee activity and builds reports that provide a comprehensive overview of the business.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Orbital Shift

by Orbital Shift
Orbital Shift
Orbital Shift is a cloud-based workforce management and engagement platform. It is designed to facilitate hassle-free staff scheduling, strengthen communication within teams and provides a web clock to help businesses save time. It offers customizable templates and color-coded cards for events to facilitate workforce schedule creation. The online clock tracks the number of hours worked by the individual staff members for accurate computation of payroll. It automatically notifies and alerts management in case of any shift scheduling conflicts. Users can also generate various reports to get insights into the functioning of their organizations.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
Company Size
Small Medium Large
Deployment
Cloud On-Premise
Platform
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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ScheduleBase

by Atlas Business Solutions
ScheduleBase
ScheduleBase is a cloud-based solution that simplifies workforce scheduling processes for organizations. It is customizable and it allows business owners to manage and communicate with their employees in real-time and the format they choose to. It facilitates easy tracking of varying work schedules and allows submissions to be made from a computer or a mobile device. It sends out notifications to the employees about their shifts.
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Buyer's Guide

Retail Scheduling Software Is All About Streamlining Employee Shifts for Retail Outlets

By Riddhiman Roy, Technical Writer at SelectHub

Retail Scheduling BG Intro

Retail scheduling software takes the legwork out of managing employee shifts and customer appointments for retail outlets. These solutions simplify workforce management and boost operational efficiency by centralizing schedules across every outlet and helping you monitor performance using time and geo-tracking tools.

In this guide, we’ll break down essential features and software comparison strategies to provide a roadmap to selecting the best fit for your business. Say goodbye to scheduling chaos and hello to streamlined operations. Let’s get started!

Executive Summary

  • Retail scheduling software offers intuitive tools to design, assign and distribute staff schedules for multiple retail outlets.
  • Top scheduling systems automate administrative processes like shift swaps, matching staff skills with tasks and optimizing schedules based on availability.
  • Its common features include schedule management, time tracking, attendance tracking, performance reporting and compliance management.
  • You must identify your internal requirements to find the perfect solution that fits your business like a glove.
What This Guide Covers:

What Is Retail Scheduling Software?

Retail scheduling software is a platform to assign and track schedules and appointment lists while considering availability, time off and labor laws. These systems improve collaboration by providing portals for employees and customers to track shifts and reservations, receive alerts and chat with the management team.

There are primarily two types of retail scheduling solutions:

  • Appointment Platforms: Accept customer reservations and maintain a centralized list for staff across every physical store. You can connect it with Google Calendar and payment gateways to alert customers of upcoming events and process payments.
  • Employee Scheduling Software: Create employee shift lists from anywhere and receive alerts for conflicts due to availability, holidays or overtime compliance. Retail employee scheduling software also provides additional modules to accept and manage customer appointments.
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How Does It Work?

Let’s take a peek under the hood to understand how you can use these systems to improve and streamline your scheduling workflows:

  • You can create a schedule’s first draft from any mobile or desktop.
  • You receive automated alerts in case of conflicts with vacations, sick days or time off.
  • The system notifies concerned store managers about timings.
  • Managers have role-based accounts to make changes according to staff skills and preferences.
  • Employees get notifications when you publish the final list.
  • Employees can use apps or portals to log time, depending on the software.
  • Some platforms also offer geofencing to help you track attendance and monitor staff movement across stores.
  • The system records every scheduling data to accurately track overtime and comply with local laws.
  • You can connect it with payroll systems to automate data transfer and reduce errors, overpays and time needed for manual processes.

Primary Benefits

Retail Scheduling Benefits

Streamline Workforce Management

You can use templates to quickly design and assign shifts based on availability and demand to ensure you always have the right people in the right place. These systems offer in-app chat portals, allowing you to communicate with individuals or groups.

Employees can chat with each other to swap shifts and improve collaborations. It also helps you boost staff productivity by offering in-app instructions, time-logging tools and GPS trackers.

Reduce Costs

These systems help you adjust your workforce based on trends, demands and seasons, ensuring you have the right staff at the right stores. It helps identify cost-saving opportunities, such as understaffing during slow seasons or finding optimal teams for each task. Not to mention, you also end up saving the opportunity cost of errors caused by manual processes.

Improve Employee Retention

Employees feel empowered when they can influence the day and time of their work. According to a recent survey, scheduling flexibility is key to worker satisfaction and retention, as 40% of employees agreed they would shift jobs if they had no say over their working hours.

Retail employee scheduling software helps bridge the gap between staff and managers. It provides unique staff portals to choose ideal working conditions, mention preferences, submit time off requests, swap shifts and track overtime.

Enhance Customer Experiences

Like your employees, customers also receive unique portals or mobile apps to view available slots, make appointments, change or cancel reservations, mention special requests, and have a contactless booking experience.

Not only that, but scheduling software also ensures that your stores always have the right staff to provide quick and efficient customer assistance, which can translate to higher sales volume.

Improve Decision-Making

These systems are a hub for your business’s workforce data analysis, which can improve decision-making rather than relying on intuition and past practices.

You can gain insights into how different staffing levels affect the store’s performance. Analyze historical data and trends to anticipate demand and adjust staffing levels accordingly.

Key Features & Functionality

Here are some crucial scheduling features you should look for in your software for successful implementation:

Scheduling Tools

You can use an integrated calendar, drag-and-drop tools and customizable task templates to quickly set shifts for staff across multiple stores. The system automatically notifies concerned managers and staff about upcoming shifts.
Availability Management

Get a centralized view of every employee’s availability and preference for working hours to fine-tune schedules and reduce conflicts.

Most systems have automated alerts for scheduling conflicts, allowing you to catch errors before publishing.
Automation

Depending on the software, you can get different types of automation to streamline scheduling workflows. Most systems send automated alerts for upcoming events and scheduling conflicts.

Some advanced systems offer a native AI to automatically consider availability and external conditions to reassign tasks when an employee vacates a shift. It can also analyze trends and demand to forecast footfalls in your store and let you adjust staff schedules accordingly.
Compliance Manager

Complying with local and federal labor laws is crucial while designing employee shifts. Look for solutions that can track work hours, break time, overtime and public holidays to help you comply with local regulations.
Communication Tools

Some platforms offer mobile-optimized portals, while others provide a mobile app to facilitate internal communication between staff and management teams. These systems notify workers about their schedules, shift changes and other announcements via text or email.
Reporting and Analytics

Most solutions offer customizable templates to track custom metrics like labor costs, employee attendance and sales per labor hour. You can distribute these reports by exporting them in popular formats like Excel or PDF.

Advanced systems also offer analytics tools to help you crunch workforce data and unearth opportunities to improve and boost staff productivity and sales volume.

Software Comparison Strategy

The global employee scheduling software market reached $412.38 million in 2022 and is expected to grow up to $940.72 million by 2028. Many options are available based on industries like construction, service-based businesses, healthcare and restaurants. Jumping into a generic solution without considering your internal requirements can negatively impact your adoption of the system.

Start by gathering your business’s decision-makers, department heads and store managers to determine your essential retail employee scheduling needs. Besides the core features covered above, here are the most crucial factors to consider when compiling a requirements checklist:

  • Interface: An intuitive interface simplifies the onboarding process and reduces the learning curve for managers and employees.
  • Customization: Make sure the platform offers the flexibility you need in automation rules, templates and notifications to design the perfect experience that can automate most processes and send alerts when things need your attention.
  • Scalability: Look for solutions that align with your business’s short and long-term goals and can scale with your business.
  • Employee Self-Service: Empowering employees with portals to access their schedules, request time off and log performances reduces a major administrative burden.
  • Compliance: Most platforms automate compliance with labor laws to avoid legal issues and fines. But, the best solution will also accommodate your worker’s union-specific scheduling rules and requirements, automating the entire compliance workflow.
  • Integration: The platform must connect with every third-party HR software your business uses or intends to use in the future.
  • Mobility: Look for systems that offer adequate mobile accessibility you and your team need to maximize productivity.
  • Data Security: It’s crucial to check the platform’s data security standards, encryption and access controls to protect sensitive business information.
  • Support: Look for vendors that can train and support you through onboarding, implementation and maintenance based on your firm’s IT expertise.

If you struggle with selecting something when faced with multiple great options, don’t worry. We’ve boiled down the software comparison and selection step into nine easy-to-follow steps, called the lean selection methodology. It’s your roadmap to identifying every internal requirement and scourging the market to find the best solution for your business.

Cost & Pricing Considerations

The pricing of retail scheduling software depends primarily on the deployment model:

  • SaaS: Most online retail scheduling solutions have subscription models, with charges typically ranging from $2 to $50 per user per month.
  • On-Premise: The systems require an initial investment to purchase the software license and run it on proprietary servers. Pricing varies based on vendors and features.

Other than subscription costs or licensing fees, there are a few additional features for which vendors may charge you more:

  • Adding new staff
  • Mobile apps
  • Time and geo-tracking tools
  • Third-party integrations
  • Priority support

Free Retail Scheduling Software

Free platforms are a great short-term option when you’re trying out software for the first time to manage retail employee schedules. They give you basic features to design schedules, track attendance and manage up to ten employees.

However, these are good for the short-term only, and your business requirements will soon outgrow what free platforms can offer. That said, some of the most popular free options are:

Another way to look at free retail scheduling solutions is to try out trial periods. Some of the best platforms offering a free trial without requiring credit card information are:

The Most Popular Retail Scheduling Software

In this section, we’ll look at overviews of some of the most popular solutions available. You can use them as a reference to start your search for the best retail scheduling software for your business.

Humanity

Humanity is a cloud-based platform for all your retail employee scheduling needs. It offers mobile-optimized modules, customizable templates and drag-and-drop tools to easily design compliant and error-free schedules within minutes.

Humanity

Use drag-and-drop tools and an integrated calendar to design schedules quickly. Source

The platform has a robust conflict engine and predictive rule-based scheduling algorithm to automatically track and optimize schedules based on employee time off, skills and preferences. Some of its other features are:

  • Demand-driven scheduling
  • Compliance manager
  • Mobile and smartwatch apps
  • Time-tracking and geofencing
  • Payroll management

7shifts

7shifts is a scheduling platform built specifically for retail restaurants and food chains. It’s an all-in-one workforce management software that designs and distributes schedules, allows employees to clock time, calculates tip pool, and manages payrolls.

7shifts

Distribute schedules to concerned departments and allow employees to view them using any device. Source

It also streamlines recruitment by helping you post vacancies on Indeed, manage applications, and automate training and onboarding. You can improve employee retention with shift feedback communication tools and an engagement tracking dashboard. It also offers:

  • Embedded training material
  • Task management
  • Budgeting
  • Auto scheduling integrations
  • Tip management and distribution

TimeForge

TimeForge is another all-in-one worker management platform that allows you to define rules and automate the scheduling process. It provides employee self-service tools to track time, log attendance, and request time off and shift swaps.

TimeForge

Stay on top of scheduling processes from anywhere with the customizable mobile app. Source

You can use the native AI to perform budgeting and cost analysis to track demand and unearth opportunities to save costs or boost revenue. Some of its other features are:

  • Training and onboarding
  • Communication tools
  • Labor compliance
  • Mobile app
  • Sales forecasting

Questions To Ask

Here are a few questions you can ask internally to identify your business’s requirements from a retail scheduling solution:

  • Which pain points are we trying to solve?
  • How can we improve the employee experience?
  • What’s our preferred deployment mode?
  • Which integrations do we need?
  • How many employees will use the platform?

Retail Scheduling Key Questions

Use these questions to start conversations with potential vendors:

  • Do you have experience collaborating with businesses similar to ours?
  • What’s your platform’s unique selling proposition?
  • What level of customization does the system support?
  • Which third-party integrations do you offer?
  • How do you safeguard user data?

Next Steps

Retail scheduling software improves both the quality and speed of your daily scheduling processes with automation and employee self-service tools. It helps you gain valuable insights into staff performance to streamline workforce management, improve productivity and boost revenue.

Picking the right platform can be tricky, but hopefully, this guide can direct you toward the best fit for your business. Consider using our free comparison report to analyze some of the top solutions in the market based on your requirements. Happy selecting!

Product Comparisons

Additional Resources

About The Contributors

The following expert team members are responsible for creating, reviewing, and fact checking the accuracy of this content.

Riddhiman
By Riddhiman Roy
Technical Content Writer
As a Senior Technical Content Writer at SelectHub, Riddhiman Roy delivers content about eCommerce, legal, employee scheduling, procurement, hotel management and property management software. He holds a Master's in multimedia journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. When he is not fighting huge-article-ogres and evil Grammarly suggestions, you can find him in his natural habitat grooving to music and banging his drumkit.
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Nithin
Technical Research By Nithin Shetty
Senior Analyst
With experience in research and consulting going back to 2015, Nithin Shetty is an asset to SelectHub's research team. In his Senior Research Analyst role, he works on projects in categories like HR, CRM, EHR and ERP. He's also a big movie buff and sports fan. When he isn't watching his favorite film or game, he's usually volunteering his free time to causes like blood drives and environmental cleanup.
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Jaisri
Technical Review By Jaisri Narasimman
Principal Analyst
A graduate of NTU Singapore, Jaisri Narasimman honed her data mining and curation skills during her post-graduate education, focusing on developing strategies to help businesses make the most of their data. In her role at SelectHub, her research spans categories like HR, CRM and EHR.
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Pooja
Edited By Pooja Verma
Content Editor
Pooja Verma is a Content Editor and Senior Market Analyst at SelectHub, who writes and edits content for endpoint security, legal, CRM, fundraising software, eCommerce, and mental health software. She earned a literature degree from Miranda House, DU and also holds Master’s in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication in India. In her free time, you can spot her reading a book or binge-watching the latest web series and movies.
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