Early Preparations for a Successful Holiday Season

October 17, 2023
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3 min read

The twinkling lights, the cheerful carols, and the hustle and bustle of shoppers, its's all part of the magic of the holiday season. But for the business, this can also mean increased stress and pressure. That's why early preparations are crucial. By starting ahead of time, you can set the stage for a successful holiday season. From employee scheduling to seamless workflow management, let's explore how early preparations can make all the difference.

PROACTIVE EMPLOYEE SCHEDULING

Rudolph with your scheduling so bright, won't you guide my business tonight?

Effective employee scheduling is like Santa's little helper, it keeps things running smoothly and ensures all your shifts are covered. In fact, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation, 46% of retail businesses reported that scheduling the right number of employees during the holidays, was one of their biggest challenges. By taking a proactive approach to employee scheduling, you can ensure you have the right people in the right place at the right time.

Microkeeper's employee scheduling tool is designed specifically to address these challenges. It helps you create a balanced and efficient workforce schedule, taking into account variables like sales forecasts, expected foot traffic, and employee availability. With Microkeeper, you can streamline your scheduling process and minimise the risk of being understaffed or overwhelmed during the holiday rush.

MASTERING ROSTERING WITH EASE

While Santa has his naughty and nice list, you can have your rostering game on point!

Rostering is like arranging gifts under the Christmas tree, it requires precision and careful thought. In a study conducted by Brightpearl, 33% of retailers reported that making accurate sales forecasts for the holiday season was a major challenge. That's where early preparations come in.

When you plan ahead and consider your staffing needs, you can optimise your resources and create fair and equitable rosters for your team. By using intelligent rostering software, like the one offered by Microkeeper, you can automate the process and take into account sales forecasts, anticipated workload, and employee availability. This helps you ensure that you have the right number of staff members in each department or shift, reducing both overstaffing and understaffing issues.

TRACKING TIME, SAVING TIME

In the spirit of the season, let's make timesheets more delightful and less frightful.

Manual timesheet management during the holiday rush can quickly become overwhelming, leading to errors or delays in processing payroll. This is where automated time tracking comes to the rescue. With tools like Microkeeper’s, your employees can clock in and out effortlessly, with real-time data syncing directly to your payroll system.

By automating timesheet tracking, you reduce the chance of errors and save valuable time for both managers and employees. Plus, this ensures your team is paid accurately and on time, keeping morale high even during the busiest of seasons.

STAYING COMPLIANT THROUGHOUT THE SEASON

Amid the holiday cheer, it’s easy to overlook critical compliance requirements, but staying compliant is key to avoiding any costly penalties.

Whether it’s keeping track of hours to avoid exceeding overtime limits, managing public holiday pay, or staying on top of superannuation contributions, compliance must always be top of mind. Microkeeper’s automated compliance tools make it easy to stay on track, with features such as overtime alerts, holiday pay calculators, and superannuation tracking.

This way, you can focus on delivering excellent service while knowing that your payroll remains fully compliant with all legal requirements.

PREPARING FOR THE POST-HOLIDAY WRAP-UP

The holiday season may be the busiest time of year, but the work doesn't stop once the decorations come down. After the rush, it's time to analyze your performance, review costs, and make strategic decisions for the next year.

With custom reporting from Microkeeper, you can easily access detailed reports that give you insights into workforce productivity, overtime costs, and sales-to-staffing ratios. Use these insights to refine your scheduling and payroll processes for the future and ensure your business is prepared for whatever comes next.

The holidays can be a magical time for businesses—but only if you’re prepared. By starting early and leveraging tools like Microkeeper for employee scheduling, rostering, time tracking, and compliance management, you can ensure smooth sailing through the busiest season of the year. Don’t wait until it’s too late—start prepping now, and set your business up for holiday success!

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