BusyBeeManager – Online Scheduling Done Easy
Mangers of teams, small businesses, or even just shifts can have it pretty rough when multiple employees are involved–all of whom will have multiple demands and needs. Most get by with a marker board calendar, a paper calendar and a pencil (with a healthy eraser), or a software encumbrance..er..tool like an Excel spreadsheet.
BusyBeeManager.com claims to eliminate all of that and save you up to 90% of your scheduling time.
That’s a pretty big claim and probably hard to quantify and prove, but it’s bold enough to get your attention and probably not so far off the mark that it’s an outright lie. If you’ve ever used professional scheduling and employee management software, you’ve probably found out first hand how much time they can save and BusyBeeManager is no different.
It works like most scheduling software of this type. You enter employee information and set up the software to customize it for your needs (big or small). Then you use a standard schedule chart showing hours, days, or weeks in blocks on a calendar. Overlaps and color codes show you the shift coverages and time keepers alert you to overtime or other pitfalls you may wish to avoid.
Since the app is web-based, it has some bonus options that normal standalone scheduling software probably doesn’t have. This includes the ability for employees to have a central location to go to for checking schedules, requesting time off or vacations, etc. You can also set up auto-alerts to let employees know when a new schedule is posted so they can go check it.
Otherwise complex issues like an employee who always needs to be off work by 4pm to pick up a child or one who requires a lunch hour at 2pm for a specific appointment are much more easily handled with BusyBeeManager.
Overall, the software is easy to use and relatively simple for this kind of app. Setup, as with most of these systems, is arduous, but no more so than any other, of course. There is a free trial offer and a free plan that allows up to 15 employees and 2 job types (roles) and paid plans are $10 or $15 per month, depending on options. Definitely not expensive.
