Schedule Smarter, Not Harder: How to Transform Your Workforce Management

Send us Fan MailMatthew Haywood, Owner of WFM Consulting, a seasoned retail expert with over 25 years of experience, shares his framework for effective workforce management through seven essential pillars. He dispels common myths about auto-scheduling while providing practical insights into achieving the elusive "right people, right place, right time" goal that transforms both customer and colleague experiences.• Understanding the five key challenges: mindset, capability, confidence, simplicity, and adoption• Exploring the seven pillars framework: operating hours, forecasting, labour deployment, contracted hours, availability, work assignments, and skill sets• Debunking the myth that auto-scheduling is a "magic button" solution – expect to achieve 80-85% automation at best• Recognising that small increases in flexibility across staff can make significant scheduling improvements• Challenging the assumption that part-time workers provide more scheduling flexibility than full-time staff• Publishing schedules at least three weeks in advance to improve colleague work-life balance• Viewing effective workforce management as an opportunity to reinvest hours strategically rather than simply cutting costs  #theproductivityexpertsRegister for the 2026 Productivity ForumDownload a copy of our first ReThink Productivity Retail ReportConnect to Simon on LinkedInFollow ReThink on LinkedIn