Redondo Beach FD Easily Backfills Vacancies and Distributes Overtime with Kronos TeleStaff Solution

Kronos TeleStaff Benefits

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“The Kronos TeleStaff has saved Redondo Beach Fire Department an untold number of work hours administering our overtime system. It has further saved time, resources, and costs that may have been wasted on an inferior staffing solution.” — Captain Scott Harper, Redondo Beach Fire Department

• Automates scheduling
• Speeds scheduling communications
• Supports client-specific configuration
• Improves operational efficiency
• Increases staffing accuracy
• Helps ensure compliance
• Controls labor costs
• Promotes employee satisfaction
• Integrates with the Kronos workforce management suite
• Integrates with third-party systems

Redondo Beach Fire Department at a Glance

Industry: Municipal Fire

Location: California, USA

Residents: 63,261

Fire Personnel: 66

Service Area: 6.2 square miles

CHALLENGES

To ensure fairness and accuracy when scheduling employees, Redondo Beach Fire Department (RBFD) wanted to improve the way it scheduled staff into long- and short-term vacancies and how it distributed overtime opportunities. In the past, the Los Angeles-based fire department had used a combination of manual procedures and custom software programs, with limited success.

Filling short-term vacancies manually proved especially time-consuming for the department, as these vacancies were unexpected and more difficult to fill on short notice.

At that time, personnel were not required to sign up to work, so the duty chief was obligated to contact each candidate within a specific time frame, in rotational order, until the position was filled. Frequently, the duty chief spent excessive time on the phone without successfully filling these vacancies.

Additionally, the department was looking for a way to enhance its distribution of overtime through the use of technology to ensure staffing fairness and accuracy at all times.

SOLUTION

To accomplish its objectives, RBFD selected the Kronos® TeleStaff™ solution, which combines easy-to-use scheduling software and telephony automation. The result is a comprehensive staffing solution that has dramatically changed the fi e department’s scheduling operations.

BENEFITS

Proven automated solution has strong ROI

“Having a product that was tested, stable, and reliable was very important to our department,” says Captain Scott Harper of the Redondo Beach Fire Department. “Fire administration became convinced that the expenditure of funds for the Kronos TeleStaff solution was justified, compared to the work hours spent managing our previous system.”

Configuration reflects department’s rules and policies

The primary goal of the department was to eliminate the manual process of filling vacancies, which required numerous outbound phone calls, within a limited time frame, to candidates on a rotational list. A Kronos TeleStaff team worked closely with the department to devise a configuration that matched RBFD’s various scheduling rules, guidelines, and goals.

Automatic backfilling of vacant positions saves time

Once the Kronos TeleStaff solution was implemented and configured and key RBFD personnel were trained, the solution began managing the department’s staff scheduling. Now, personnel immediately react to roster vacancies as the Kronos TeleStaff system automatically identifies appropriate replacement personnel and places outbound phone calls to these candidates to backfill vacant positions. Short- and long-term vacancies are filled with ease.

Fair and consistent practices help ensure compliance

Furthermore, with the Kronos TeleStaff system in place, RBFD employees are now assured of equitable distribution of overtime, which was another important process the department wanted to improve using the automated solution. RBFD’s unique staffing rules were configured right into the system, ensuring fair and consistent employment practices at all times — across the organization.

Automation and self-service improve productivity and satisfaction

RBFD has also saved time by automating many of its other scheduling practices and procedures. Employees can access their personal calendars, allowing them to sign up for work, record exceptions to their schedule, or simply obtain information 24 hours a day. They can also find out by phone or PC the likelihood that they will be needed for work. This added autonomy has increased employee satisfaction throughout the department.

More information about Kronos customer success stories may be found at www.kronos.com/resources. © 2011, Kronos Incorporated. Kronos and the Kronos logo are registered trademarks of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. TeleStaff is a trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. For a full list of Kronos trademarks, please visit the “trademarks” page at www.kronos.com. All other product, company names, or marks mentioned, if any, are used for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective owners. All specifications are subject to change. All rights reserved.