Workforce planning is no longer just about filling shifts and tracking hours — businesses need smarter, data-driven solutions to manage labor costs, adapt to staffing demands, and ensure compliance. With unpredictable market conditions and evolving workforce expectations, companies must balance efficiency, flexibility, and accountability in their planning strategies.

Modern workforce planning software enables businesses to forecast labor needs, automate scheduling, and monitor workforce performance in real time. Whether managing hourly workers, remote teams, or complex shift rotations, the right tools help businesses avoid understaffing, reduce unnecessary overtime, and comply with labor regulations.

This article reviews five well-known and emerging workforce planning solutions: UKG Ready, Workday, Deel, TARGPatrol, and Connecteam — each offering unique features to improve workforce efficiency and decision-making.

UKG Ready

UKG Ready is a workforce management and planning platform designed to help businesses streamline scheduling, track employee time, manage compliance, and optimize labor costs. It provides automated tools for HR, payroll, and workforce forecasting, allowing companies to improve operational efficiency and adapt to changing workforce needs.

Key Features

1. Automated Scheduling & Shift Management

Supports automated shift scheduling based on demand, availability, and labor rules.
Provides real-time adjustments to accommodate shift changes and employee requests.
Reduces scheduling conflicts by integrating time tracking and workforce forecasting.

2. Time & Attendance Tracking

Allows employees to clock in and out using web, mobile, or biometric options.
Tracks worked hours, breaks, and overtime to ensure labor law compliance.
Provides automated payroll calculations based on time data.

3. Compliance & Labor Law Management

Helps businesses adhere to labor laws and union regulations by automating policy enforcement.
Generates audit-ready reports to track compliance with wage and hour laws.
Ensures accurate record-keeping for leave balances, sick days, and accruals.

4. Workforce Forecasting & Labor Cost Optimization

Uses AI-driven analytics to forecast labor demand based on historical data and trends.
Assists in budgeting workforce costs by predicting staffing needs.
Helps prevent overstaffing or understaffing by optimizing scheduling based on demand.

5. Employee Self-Service & Mobile Accessibility

Employees can access schedules, request time off, and swap shifts from their mobile devices.
Managers can review real-time workforce data and approve requests on the go.
Enhances communication between employees and HR through a centralized platform.

Who Can Benefit from UKG Ready?

UKG Ready is suited for businesses of all sizes looking for a comprehensive workforce planning and management solution. It is especially useful for industries with dynamic staffing needs, such as retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and hospitality.

Workday

Workday is a cloud-based workforce planning and financial forecasting tool that helps businesses analyze labor costs, optimize staffing, and align workforce strategies with business goals. It provides real-time data insights, scenario modeling, and budget planning tools, enabling organizations to make informed staffing decisions.

Key Features

1. Workforce Forecasting & Scenario Modeling

Allows businesses to forecast labor needs based on historical trends, seasonal demand, and business growth projections.
Supports scenario modeling to assess the impact of hiring, turnover, and compensation adjustments.
Helps organizations plan for staffing changes, budget shifts, and economic fluctuations.

2. Budgeting & Labor Cost Management

Integrates workforce planning with financial budgeting, providing a clear view of labor costs.
Helps align workforce expenses with business revenue, preventing overspending or understaffing.
Automates labor cost calculations, ensuring real-time budget updates based on workforce changes.

3. HR & Payroll Integration

Connects with HR and payroll systems to ensure workforce plans reflect current employee data, compensation changes, and benefits updates.
Enables HR teams to track employee headcount, salaries, and benefits expenditures within a centralized platform.
Provides automated reporting for workforce expenses, compliance, and budget reviews.

4. Real-Time Workforce Analytics

Offers custom dashboards and reports that provide insights into hiring trends, labor costs, and workforce efficiency.
Uses AI-driven analytics to identify staffing patterns, turnover risks, and workforce gaps.
Allows businesses to adjust workforce plans dynamically based on real-time data.

5. Cloud-Based Collaboration & Accessibility

Supports multi-user collaboration, allowing HR, finance, and operations teams to work on workforce planning in real time.
Enables access from desktop and mobile devices, ensuring teams can make adjustments anytime.
Provides secure data management with built-in compliance controls.

Pricing

Workday does not publicly disclose pricing for Adaptive Planning. The cost depends on company size, features required, and deployment needs. Businesses can request a custom quote from Workday based on their specific workforce planning requirements.

Who Can Benefit from Workday Adaptive Planning?

Workday Adaptive Planning is designed for mid-size to enterprise-level businesses looking to integrate workforce planning with financial forecasting. It is particularly useful for industries that require detailed labor cost analysis and long-term staffing strategies, such as finance, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing.

TARGPatrol

TARGPatrol is a task management platform designed for businesses that require structured employee monitoring, task automation, and real-time workforce tracking. It provides automated scheduling, compliance tracking, and GPS-based workforce monitoring, making it an effective tool for industries with mobile or field-based teams.

Key Features

1. Workforce Scheduling & Task Automation

Helps businesses plan shifts, assign tasks, and automate recurring workforce activities.
Supports customizable checklists and task verification, ensuring that assigned duties are completed on time.
Enables automated reminders and real-time updates to reduce scheduling conflicts.

2. Real-Time Workforce Tracking

Uses GPS-based tracking, NFC, and QR code check-ins to verify employee presence at job sites.
Provides location-based workforce monitoring, ensuring that staff are in assigned locations during shifts.
Allows managers to track workforce activity in real time via a centralized dashboard.

3. Compliance & Incident Reporting

Supports automated compliance tracking, ensuring adherence to labor laws, safety regulations, and internal policies.
Allows employees to report incidents, submit forms, and attach supporting documents for audits and internal reviews.
Generates automated reports for compliance verification and operational assessments.

4. Offline Mode & Mobile Accessibility

Enables task completion and workforce tracking even in areas with limited internet connectivity.
Automatically syncs data once the device reconnects to the network.
Provides mobile-first accessibility, allowing employees and managers to access the platform from anywhere.

5. Workforce Performance Analytics

Offers detailed workforce activity reports, tracking employee efficiency and task completion rates.
Provides real-time workforce insights, helping businesses identify productivity gaps and areas for optimization.
Enables businesses to compare planned vs. actual workforce performance for more accurate forecasting.

Who Can Benefit from TARGPatrol?

TARGPatrol is designed for businesses that rely on structured workforce monitoring and compliance tracking. It is especially suited for industries such as security, cleaning, field services, and facility management, where real-time workforce tracking and task verification are essential.

Pricing

TARGPatrol offers flexible pricing plans based on business size and required features:

Starts at $15/user per month
Free plan available
Free trial offered

Get more information — Pricing.

Deel

Deel is a workforce planning and payroll automation platform designed for companies managing distributed teams, international employees, and contractors. It provides automated payroll processing, compliance tracking, and workforce analytics, making it an effective solution for businesses operating across multiple countries.

Key Features of Deel Workforce Management

1. Global Payroll & Workforce Compliance

Automates payroll processing for full-time employees and contractors across different countries.
Ensures compliance with local labor laws, tax regulations, and benefits administration.
Supports multi-currency payroll processing, making payments seamless for global teams.

2. Contractor & Employee Management

Provides automated onboarding, contract generation, and background verification.
Offers legally compliant employment contracts tailored to different regions.
Simplifies the management of international workers, freelancers, and remote employees.

3. Workforce Planning & Labor Cost Optimization

Enables budget forecasting for payroll expenses, helping businesses align workforce costs with revenue.
Tracks labor costs in real time, ensuring businesses can optimize spending. -Provides scalability for growing businesses, allowing easy workforce expansion into new markets.

4. Compliance & Legal Risk Management

Ensures businesses meet regional employment laws, tax obligations, and benefits regulations.
Provides automated compliance tracking to reduce legal risks.
Helps businesses navigate cross-border employment laws with expert support.

5. HR & Finance Integration

Seamlessly integrates with HR and payroll software, ensuring accurate workforce planning.
Automates employee record-keeping, salary adjustments, and benefits tracking.
Provides detailed workforce analytics to help companies optimize headcount planning.

Who Can Benefit from Deel Workforce Management?

Deel is best suited for companies with international employees, remote teams, or contractor-heavy workforces. It is particularly valuable for tech companies, startups, and global enterprises that need a streamlined approach to workforce management and payroll compliance.

Pricing

Deel offers custom pricing based on business size and workforce needs. Companies can request a personalized quote based on their payroll, compliance, and workforce planning requirements.

Connecteam

Connecteam is a mobile-first workforce management platform designed to help businesses streamline scheduling, task management, time tracking, and internal communication. It provides automated workforce planning tools, making it ideal for deskless teams, field workers, and businesses with decentralized operations.

Key Features

1. Employee Scheduling & Shift Planning

Provides automated shift scheduling based on availability, role, and workload demand.
Supports drag-and-drop scheduling and real-time shift updates.
Helps reduce scheduling conflicts and optimize workforce allocation.

2. Time Tracking & Payroll Management

Offers a digital time clock for employees to track work hours, breaks, and overtime.
Integrates with payroll systems to ensure accurate compensation.
Allows GPS-enabled clock-ins to verify employee location for remote or field teams.

3. Task Management & Operational Checklists

Enables managers to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress in real time.
Supports customizable checklists to standardize daily operations and workforce procedures.
Allows employees to attach images, notes, and files to task reports for better documentation.

4. Internal Communication & Team Engagement

Provides a built-in chat and company newsfeed to keep employees informed.
Allows secure messaging between teams, reducing miscommunication.
Offers surveys and employee feedback tools to improve workplace engagement.

5. Mobile Accessibility & Self-Service Tools

Employees can access schedules, request time off, and submit reports via mobile.
Managers can track workforce activity in real time from any location.
Ensures seamless workforce coordination without requiring on-site supervision.

Who Can Benefit from Connecteam?

Connecteam is designed for businesses with mobile, deskless, or remote teams that need structured workforce planning and task automation. It is widely used in industries such as logistics, field services, construction, and retail.

Pricing

Connecteam offers tiered pricing based on team size and feature requirements:

Free Plan – Available for small teams (up to 10 users).
Basic Plan – Starts at $29/month for up to 30 users.
Premium Plan – Custom pricing for larger teams and advanced features.
Free Trial – Available for businesses to explore the platform.

Conclusion

Each workforce planning system has distinct strengths and is designed to meet specific business needs.

UKG Ready offers a comprehensive suite for large organizations needing automated scheduling, compliance tracking, and workforce forecasting. It is well-suited for industries like healthcare, retail, and large enterprises that require detailed workforce management and compliance enforcement.
Workday is primarily focused on financial forecasting and workforce analytics, making it suitable for large enterprises and finance-driven organizations that need strategic workforce planning rather than day-to-day scheduling.
TARGPatrol is a task-driven workforce management system built for security, cleaning, and field services. It provides real-time tracking, compliance reporting, and mobile workforce monitoring but lacks advanced financial forecasting and payroll automation.
Deel Workforce Management specializes in global payroll and compliance, making it ideal for companies managing remote teams, international employees, and contractor-heavy workforces. It is less focused on task scheduling but excels in cross-border workforce management.
Connecteam is a flexible workforce planning tool designed for retail, logistics, and field teams. It combines scheduling, task tracking, and communication, making it a strong choice for businesses managing deskless and mobile workers. The choice between these solutions depends on business priorities—whether it’s labor cost optimization, scheduling automation, compliance tracking, or workforce analytics. Some platforms, like UKG Ready and Workday Adaptive Planning, cater to large enterprises with complex planning needs, while others, like TARGPatrol and Connecteam, focus on real-time workforce tracking and operational efficiency.