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Growing Popularity of Quick-Commerce Pushes the Envelope In Workforce Management
By Gigi Lariosa , Philippines Country Lead , Zebra Technologies
Quick commerce is fast becoming more common , and Filipino retailers are trying their best to equally manage both customers and their workforce . According to Statista , the revenue of Philippines ’ quick commerce segment is projected to reach around US $ 334 million in 2023 , and it is expected to show an annual growth rate ( CAGR 2023-2027 ) of 10.9 %, resulting in a projected market volume of US $ 506 million by 2027 . The number of quick commerce users are further expected to reach 10.9 million by 2027 .
Considering this , it has become more critical than ever when it comes to workforce management to efficiently address consumers ’ demand . Retailers now need to pivot their efforts in terms of changing how workloads are designed and how people are managed , by adopting the right technologies .
Offer more flexibility around scheduling
Beyond the measures taken to improve the front-line work experience , retail associates want their employer to offer flexible scheduling options so they can better achieve a stable work-life balance . And they want a retailer who can meet their scheduling preferences . These requests are not out of reach for employers . With the right technology investments , retailers can offer employees a better work environment and more flexible scheduling options – and set themselves apart from the competition .
Automate the scheduling process
With an intelligent workforce management solution , employers do not have to worry about manually accounting for every employee ’ s specific and changing work preferences . Often , store managers spend hours and hours each week going through schedules and making sure that they are aligned correctly to demand and employee availability . And even if they get things “ right ” most of the time , managers are still bound to make mistakes .
Once employees are added to the system , the solution can automatically account for employee skillsets , availability , and more without you – or any store manager – having to lift a finger . With an intelligent workforce management solution , you can eliminate manual labour scheduling in stores and automatically create schedules that account for customer traffic , product demand , employee preferences , and other key variables .
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Give employees more control over their schedules
An employee self-service solution is a great tool for employees who want to tailor their schedules to their specific needs . Once they login to the mobile application , they can swap shifts , submit time-off requests , change availability , and add shifts . And with all requests routed to store managers , almost nothing is lost , forgotten , or delayed . Managers can run through requests on their mobile devices in real time , no matter where they are in the store , and accept or decline them with the push of a button .
Create a supportive work environment
Being a new employee can be challenging , but even veteran employees need support and guidance every now and then . With real-time peer-to-peer messaging applications , you can give employees the power to create group chats and open other lines of communication with managers and colleagues . Each group or channel can be specifically tailored to support new employees , employees learning new skills , or employees handling new initiatives . This ensures that everybody has the assistance they need to handle challenges along the way .
Make it easy for them to communicate in real time
Providing workers with a real-time messaging solution gives them the ability to reach out to co-workers or their managers if they are uncertain about what needs to be done or how to do it . This way , an employee will not have to track their manager or an experienced co-worker down if they need guidance . They can simply send a message and get a quick response .
While there is no such thing as futureproofing ( we simply do not know what the future holds ), you can get your store operations ready for volatility and “ worst case scenarios .” In fact , doing so is critical to protect your retail organization from everyday changes that could be disruptive if not properly handled , as well as major weather , public health , political , or economic events that may occur in the future . By cementing your organization as an employer of choice , continually optimizing your store operations processes , and empowering a next-gen workforce , you can leap ahead of the competition and handle challenges the world may throw at your retail operations next .
Say goodbye to consumer messaging applications and paper rotas .