Brookstone looks to transform employee engagement
A new automated solution will help Brookstone better manage its workforce — and empower its associates.
The specialty retailer is adding Kronos’ centralized workforce management (WFM) platform across all store locations across the United States and Puerto Rico. The new platform, called Workforce Dimensions, will enable Brookstone to engage the workforce across all operations, including its e-commerce, retail and wholesale lines of business.
The solution features a fully responsive user interface and personalized experience, and delivers the same user engagement across phones, tablets, and desktops. Since not all Brookstone employees have an email, Workforce Dimensions allows employees and managers to communicate with easy, one-touch access to information within the solution, the retailer said.
The solution also manages a variety of tasks. Machine learning algorithms improves customer demand forecasts by 25% — a factor that will improve accuracy in the scheduling process.
In addition, a digital personal consultant, Workforce Advisor, will automate time-consuming and repetitive requests. This unburdens managers from routine administrative tasks, and allows them to focus on more strategic projects.
It also offers Brookstone the opportunity to focus on the productivity and engagement of its salaried workers. Previously, salaried employee productivity and engagement were not measured. However, Workforce Dimensions allocates time against projects, giving managers a better understanding of the salaried workers’ schedules, workload and productivity. Real-time access to key performance metrics will also help Brookstone understand the effectiveness of WFM processes, and identify areas for improvement.
The solution will also keep Brookstone in compliance with local, state, federal, and other labor laws for its entire workforce spread across different locations.
Looking ahead, Brookstone will deploy the platform’s performance management, compensation management, and affordable care act management modules.
“Workforce Dimensions is a game changer, as it makes routine tasks strategic so we can use it to enhance business outcomes,” said Susan McGrath, VP, human resources, Brookstone.
By managing the workforce intelligently, the retailer expects a “significant return on investment,” she added. “For example, as soon as we implement Workforce Dimensions, we will remove the need for multiple systems to manage the workforce and that is just the beginning. The longer-term cost savings, productivity, and employee benefits will be transformational.”
The specialty retailer is adding Kronos’ centralized workforce management (WFM) platform across all store locations across the United States and Puerto Rico. The new platform, called Workforce Dimensions, will enable Brookstone to engage the workforce across all operations, including its e-commerce, retail and wholesale lines of business.
The solution features a fully responsive user interface and personalized experience, and delivers the same user engagement across phones, tablets, and desktops. Since not all Brookstone employees have an email, Workforce Dimensions allows employees and managers to communicate with easy, one-touch access to information within the solution, the retailer said.
The solution also manages a variety of tasks. Machine learning algorithms improves customer demand forecasts by 25% — a factor that will improve accuracy in the scheduling process.
In addition, a digital personal consultant, Workforce Advisor, will automate time-consuming and repetitive requests. This unburdens managers from routine administrative tasks, and allows them to focus on more strategic projects.
It also offers Brookstone the opportunity to focus on the productivity and engagement of its salaried workers. Previously, salaried employee productivity and engagement were not measured. However, Workforce Dimensions allocates time against projects, giving managers a better understanding of the salaried workers’ schedules, workload and productivity. Real-time access to key performance metrics will also help Brookstone understand the effectiveness of WFM processes, and identify areas for improvement.
The solution will also keep Brookstone in compliance with local, state, federal, and other labor laws for its entire workforce spread across different locations.
Looking ahead, Brookstone will deploy the platform’s performance management, compensation management, and affordable care act management modules.
“Workforce Dimensions is a game changer, as it makes routine tasks strategic so we can use it to enhance business outcomes,” said Susan McGrath, VP, human resources, Brookstone.
By managing the workforce intelligently, the retailer expects a “significant return on investment,” she added. “For example, as soon as we implement Workforce Dimensions, we will remove the need for multiple systems to manage the workforce and that is just the beginning. The longer-term cost savings, productivity, and employee benefits will be transformational.”