Since the pandemic hit, the impacts of resource-constrained scheduling became a pest to many organisations with costly caseworkers. The bright side is that this crisis presents many long-term resource scheduling optimisation opportunities. The question is whether the organisation would recognise such opportunities or not.
What is the problem with resource-constrained scheduling?
Many of our solutions focus on delivering resource optimisation to public sector organisations. Such organisations include regulators dealing with limited resources – technicians, inspectors, equipment, technology. Those constraints put them into a situation where all of their resources are suffering work overloading, or the workload is missing balance. Some resources are overbooked with jobs, while others are not using their time on work that matters. Eventually, resource scheduling under constraints leads to inefficiency and productivity suffers.
The opportunity such situations pose to organisations is that they can decide to change their work model to accommodate their resource constraints in a way that will combat inefficiency and optimise operations in a sustainable way that will bring long-term cost reduction and productivity boost.
How to tackle resource-constrained job scheduling?
Organisations under resource constraints usually need a digital transformation of some of their processes. These customers are generally looking for quick results, and therefore full-stack digital transformation is not the thing they need. Our approach in such a situation is focused on analysing the area that would have the more significant impact in terms of resource scheduling optimisation.
Helping customers overcome the limitation of resource scheduling with modular digital transformation delivers fast and visible results. This approach is a good tactic because when early wins are visible, they serve as evidence for further digital transformation endeavours. After all, the trust of the leadership is already won.
Here are four benefits of approaching modular digital transformation the combat the impacts of resource-constrained scheduling. They are achievable through the resource optimisation software Jobtimizer, developed by Canalix.
Read more: 7 resource management software tools to look for in 2022
4 digital transformation benefits solving resource-constrained scheduling.
- Minimise work overload, overbooking and delays in schedules.
Transforming the resource scheduling to consider multiple constraints like availability, geo-location, required accreditations, complexity, etc., can deliver the shortest schedules with the available resources. By reducing the travelling time between jobs, prioritising high-risk cases over low-risk ones and considering resources’ certifications, the efficiency of operations has a good ground for optimisation and delivering quick wins. For example:
- Reducing the delays
- Overwork is rarely registered
- Keeping deadlines and allowing costly resources to focus on work that matters
2. Avoid the traps of re-scheduling
When a last-minute change occurs, it’s hard to make a new schedule without causing delays and other disruptions. When we have limited resources, schedule changes have a more critical impact on efficiency. That’s why the resource scheduling system needs to be backed by advanced technologies that may automatically shuffle resources and schedules to reflect real-time changes.
Read more: Why real-time data is important for efficient inspection tracking system?
For example, Jobtimizer’s job scheduling process is done by an AI engine that automatically calculates the changes in real-time. The AI produces a new optimal schedule that reflects the changes for seconds. With this technology, we can avoid disruptions and even improve the new plan compared to the previous one.
3. Adopting new operation models
The modular digital transformation approach allows organisations to optimise beyond resource scheduling. In other words, combining different modules will enable organisations to enhance their efficiency even more.
Case study “Marketplace” module
After our client transformed their inspection scheduling operations with Jobtimizer, they decided to continue their digital transformation journey with another module – the marketplace module. The goal: to further enhance the efficiency and productivity of the inspection process.
The marketplace module enabled our client to integrate a digital workspace within their existing inspection management system. Within this workspace, our client’s staff was able to post details about pending inspections. Imagine it as a data pool with tasks. Access to these tasks is ensured through a secure portal to external agents who can take over jobs and complete them on the client’s behalf. Each task file has a unique ID, requirements, and due date for inspection check. Only agents with the required certification can take and complete corresponding tasks.
The outcome
The marketplace module allowed our client to expand their operating models by outsourcing low complexity tasks to external agents. That enabled their internal costly case resources to focus on critical tasks and jobs that matter the most. First, our client managed to transform their resource-constrained scheduling process into a more optimised version. Then, with another module, they adopted a new operating model to focus their case resource’s time only on work that matters the most. Both modules delivered quick wins, and our client is now planning further digital transformation with other modules.
4. Preventing non-critical tasks from becoming critical
When we have resource-constrained scheduling with no proper plan and method for tackling the issue, many non-critical tasks that get pushed back constantly are slowly turning into critical ones. Resource management solutions like Jobtimizer help our clients combat the impacts of resource constraint scheduling and not let non-critical tasks turn red and become critical.
Are you interested in adopting new operating models with quick wins? Contact us here.
The opportunities of resource-limited scheduling
When the costly casework resource is limited, and the workload grows, organisations look for opportunities to tackle the problem—not making any effort to transform existing processes or adopt new operating models will only make the existing process more complicated. Complications end up in delays, overbooking of staff, overwork, etc. That leads to loss of money, unhappy employees and unhappy customers. By approaching modular digital transformation, organisations can combat resource-constrained scheduling and even eliminate this issue by transforming the work model itself.
