Ensuring every campus security shift is properly staffed for your hospital, school, college, or university can be complex and time intensive.

To simplify the scheduling process – and improve communication – many campus police and security departments are implementing online officer and staff scheduling software. But with so many software options available, how do you know which program will best meet your department’s scheduling specifications?

Here are five things to consider when selecting the scheduling software to fit your campus safety department’s unique requirements.

1. Is it easy to customize? Multiple campuses, buildings, departments, and security assignments can make campus safety schedules difficult to manage. Fluctuating staffing requirements and a variety of job titles make scheduling even more complex and time intensive. Look for employee scheduling software that allows supervisors to quickly add employees to schedules and easily move them to additional schedules or remove them from the system. Software that allows supervisors to create an unlimited number of schedules, add employees to multiple schedules, and easily search for specific schedule information is ideal for campus safety departments.
2. Does it have you covered? Officer scheduling software that takes manually performing staffing calculations off supervisors gives them more time to focus on core responsibilities. This increases productivity and ensures proper staffing levels to appropriately meet organizational requirements. When an officer or staff member calls in sick, or if an emergency arises and the department requires extra manpower, supervisors are required to fill open shifts fast. Software that includes an integrated messaging system that allows managers to instantly contact available and qualified individuals or groups of employees ensures shifts are covered with properly qualified personnel.
3. Does it improve communication? Many campus safety departments have discovered that employee scheduling software does much more than help manage employees’ schedules and can be an extremely effective communication tool. Look for a scheduling system that allows managers to send notifications through multiple channels of communication, such as both text messages and emails. This provides added assurance that everyone receives schedule updates and has the most current schedule information.
4. How effective is its app? Campus safety department managers have a lot of ground to cover, so they need scheduling tools that allow them to view and manage schedules anytime, anywhere. Software that includes a mobile app from which managers can choose to view specific schedule information, edit schedules, and post changes is ideal for on-the-go managers. Safety departments should look for an app that allows managers to respond to time-off and other schedule requests and communicate approvals or denials to employees. Some scheduling apps automatically update the schedule and allow managers to quickly notify employees when their schedules have changed.
5. Is it budget friendly? Campus safety departments must maintain high levels of service within hospital, school, university, or college budgetary restrictions. When researching scheduling software solutions, administrators should consider the initial investment, as well as monthly and annual costs. Some software companies offer flexible pricing, which can be adjusted to meet the specific personnel requirements of each operation. This ensures the safety department is paying only for the services it needs. For added resource management, administrators should look for software that includes reporting tools, which allow them to monitor officer’s shifts and hours — preventing unnecessary overtime costs.

Finding the scheduling program that best meets the staffing demands of your campus safety department will ensure qualified employees are in the appropriate place at the correct time. Additionally, it can cut time spent on scheduling by up to 75% — that’s a sound investment for any public safety organization.

Learn how ScheduleAnywhere works for campus safety departments’ unique scheduling requirements.

If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

Related Content