Smarter Planning, Empowered People
Managing workforce schedules has long been a juggling act for organisations - where operational needs collide with unpredictable changes, employee availability and the imperative to maintain efficiency without burning out staff. Today, Crown Workforce Management is excited to launch a game-changing solution designed to transform that challenge into a competitive advantage: Optimised Shift Scheduling.
At the heart of this innovation is our Virtual Planning Agent (VPA) - an intelligent, organisation-wide scheduler that brings a new era of optimisation, adaptability and human empowerment to shift planning.
Rethinking Shift Scheduling for a Modern Workforce
Traditional scheduling tools often operate in isolation. They look at shifts department by department, managing isolated rosters and reacting manually to disruptions. But business doesn’t work in silos - and neither should your planning system.
Our Optimised Shift Scheduling product takes a radically different approach. It leverages the power of AI to look across your entire organisation - analysing demand across teams, departments and sites to deliver truly optimised schedules that keep operations running smoothly and staff well-supported.
Whether it’s filling unexpected absences, adapting to demand spikes, or ensuring the right people are in the right place at the right time, the Virtual Planning Agent does the heavy lifting - 24/7.
AI-Powered Planning, Backed by Human Insight
Our Virtual Planning Agent has been trained on real-world planning scenarios to deliver efficient, logical and workable solutions to even the most complex scheduling problems. It continuously monitors business changes and proactively adjusts the schedule in real-time, minimising disruption and removing the stress of last-minute rescheduling.
But what truly sets our solution apart is its ability to combine automation with human flexibility. Resource planners can focus on strategic decisions instead of routine adjustments and employees are empowered to manage their own availability, shift swaps and leave requests - all within a system that promotes transparency, fairness and work-life balance.
Empowering Employees, Enhancing Retention
In today’s competitive employment landscape, attracting and retaining talent requires more than a pay cheque - it means delivering a better experience. Our solution gives employees more control over their schedules while providing clarity and predictability that supports both professional performance and personal wellbeing.
And in the future through self-scheduling tools, streamlined leave requests and fair shift allocation, your people gain flexibility and autonomy - leading to greater job satisfaction, lower turnover and stronger team morale.
Seamless Integration and Scalable Delivery
Optimised Shift Scheduling is fully integrated within the Crown Workforce Management platform, synchronising with your existing HR and payroll systems to eliminate duplication and errors. Notifications of schedule changes are automatic, ensuring that both managers and staff stay informed and aligned - with no extra admin burden.
The solution is delivered via Crown Managed Cloud, offering robust security, scalable performance and the flexibility to support diverse teams across different locations or industries.
Whether you're running a 24/7 operation, managing unionised shift patterns, or coordinating staff across departments, our system adapts to your needs - with trusted performance proven by leading global organisations and 40% of the police forces in the UK and Ireland.
Responsible Innovation with AI
As we continue to advance our solutions, Crown Workforce Management remains committed to using AI responsibly and securely, ensuring that innovation is balanced with security and trust.
The AI capabilities within our Optimised Shift Scheduling solution have been designed with these principles in mind - augmenting human decision-making, enhancing transparency and protecting data with the highest standards of governance.
We believe that AI should be an enabler, not a replacement - and our Virtual Planning Agent reflects that ethos by working with planners and employees to deliver better outcomes, not dictate them.
Results That Speak for Themselves
With Optimised Shift Scheduling, you can expect to:
- Cut unnecessary costs by reducing overtime reliance and improving efficiency
- Boost employee satisfaction and retention through flexible, transparent scheduling
- Free up time for managers and planners to focus on strategic goals
- Ensure continuity even in the face of disruption
- Drive efficiency organisation-wide with a smarter, integrated planning approach
If your organisation is ready to move beyond fragmented, reactive scheduling and into a new age of intelligent, proactive workforce planning, we’re ready to help.
