The Challenge
As the general manager of Flight 509, Rick was responsible for overseeing every aspect of the operation, from hiring and scheduling to compliance and training. With a team composed mostly of young, first-time employees, it was important to implement a user-friendly system that could simplify these tasks.
Additionally, the entertainment industry’s unique scheduling requirements, such as a Wednesday to Tuesday workweek, added complexity to their workforce management needs.
“Our week runs Wednesday through Tuesday, but our state has time restrictions that run Sunday through Saturday,” said Rick. “We need to make sure nobody is scheduled more than 20 hours in a state-defined workweek.”
The Solution
Flight 509’s owners discovered TimeForge through an industry event and were impressed by its features and presentation. They chose TimeForge to handle the center’s scheduling, onboarding, and certification tracking. Rick worked with TimeForge to implement the system and quickly found it to be user-friendly.
The ease of use was immediately evident:
“[TimeForge] is very simple and easy to use. I have my two operations managers using it for their different departments, and it works great. It was very easy to train them on it.”
– Rick Ault, General Manager, Flight 509
Even the young staff members quickly adapted to the system, particularly the mobile app, which they primarily use. Although there were initial challenges with employees understanding how to submit availability requests, Rick found the TimeForge Knowledge Base to be valuable in guiding them through the process.
“I was able to quickly find a visual guide, print it out, and give it to them,” he said. The walkthrough was effective in helping these first-time employees understand the process of putting in a request.
(Note: TimeForge supports both availability and want-to-work requests, in addition to time off.)
However, Rick did identify some limitations, such as the lack of integration with their specific point of sale system. Despite this, TimeForge’s flexibility allowed them to find effective workarounds. The team also leveraged features like certifications and skill levels for compliance, ensuring that only qualified employees were scheduled for specific tasks.
The Result
Since opening, Rick and the Flight 509 team have been manage their workforce efficiently, contributing to a smooth and successful launch. The ability to track certifications and prevent unqualified employees from being scheduled has been particularly valuable in maintaining operational standards.
Rick praised the level of support they received, stating, “The way Mike [Implementations Specialist] explains things, how responsive he is, and how he follows up has been very good.”
Flight 509 continues to thrive, confident that TimeForge will remain an essential part of their operations as they grow. Rick and his team are optimistic about their future and are pleased with the ongoing partnership with TimeForge.
