KLAS: Comparing Staff Scheduling Vendors for Workforce Management
A new KLAS report evaluates customer experiences of using nurse and staff scheduling vendors for workforce management and workload balancing.
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By Jill McKeon
- Workload balancing enables healthcare organizations to fill staffing gaps and maximize workforce management, and nurse and staff scheduling vendors can be a useful resource. A new KLAS report analyzed the pros and cons of certain nurse and staff scheduling vendors to provide insight to organizations who may be considering implementing the tool into their practice.
Short-term analytics is a crucial component to nurse and staff scheduling vendor tools and are more complex than same-day analytics, the report explained. Short-term analytics can predict staffing needs one to eight weeks into the future, enabling better planning.
KLAS survey respondents rated their organization’s nurse and staff scheduling vendor based on the effectiveness of the tool’s predictive analytics, quality of phone and web training and support, and overall outcomes and satisfaction with the workload balancing technology.
CERNER - CLAIRVIA
Cerner is a consistent leader across the board. On a scale of one to nine, KLAS survey respondents rated Cerner’s Clairvia tool at 8 for same-day analytics, the highest of all vendors included in the survey. But customers were less satisfied with Cerner’s ability to provide insight beyond a few days, rating it at 7.1.
Customers were not initially satisfied with Cerner’s introductory training, but many said that they were responsive and helpful with ongoing support.
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Overall, customers did not see Cerner as a cutting-edge leader when it comes to technological advancements, KLAS reported. However, Clairvia’s services are consistently highly rated and trustworthy, and organizations reported high levels of staff satisfaction and decision-making visibility.
AVANTAS – SMART SQUARE
Avantas’ Smart Square tool received consistently high short-term and same-day analytics ratings, at 7.3 and 7.7, respectively. Customers cited their predictive analytics tools as a key to maximizing efficiency, improving staff satisfaction, and reducing overtime.
In past years, Avantas customers were dissatisfied with getting phone or web support. But over the last year, Avantas began offering training webinars, and customers now report higher satisfaction rates.
Avantas serves some of the country’s largest health systems but has a low number of unique contracts. Customer satisfaction saw a multi-year drop when AMN Healthcare acquired Avantas in 2014, but customers reported improvements recently.
As Smart Square evolves, customers note price adjustments and better training and support. However, KLAS reported that Avantas’ recent success has not yet translated into true market energy, representing only a smattering of buying decisions.
HEALTHSTREAM – ANSOS STAFF SCHEDULING
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HealthStream’s ANSOS Staff Scheduling tool received a 7.6 rating for short-term analytics and a 7.9 for same-day analytics, making them a top performer in analytics. Customers reported their support team as extremely responsive and easy to reach.
ANSOS Staff Scheduling is mostly used by larger organizations with more than 500 beds. ANSOS has changed hands over the past few years, from McKesson to Change Healthcare to HealthStream.
Some customers said that the tool’s outcomes are often limited by manual processes, but many reported optimism with the HealthStream acquisition and its potential to bring innovation and developments to the technology.
SHIFTWIZARD
HealthStream also recently acquired ShiftWizard. Customers rated ShiftWizard’s short-term and same-day analytics both at 7.4. Customer satisfaction fluctuates, as some customers reported having to put pressure on the vendor to deliver support. Others found gaining valuable analytics insights to be more labor-intensive than anticipated.
ShiftWizard received average web and phone training and support, but growing pains persist as ShiftWizard and HealthStream work on developments.
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ShiftWizard is nurse-founded, and many customers reported being pleased with the tool’s focus on clinician experience. The vendor is known for focusing on one-to-one relationships, with dedicated account management and customization abilities for each customer.
Customers are wary of the HealthStream acquisition and reported feeling unsure about how it will affect them.
SYMPLR - STAFFING AND SCHEDULING
symplr Staffing and Scheduling, formerly known as API Healthcare, received a 7.1 rating for short-term analytics and a 6.5 for same-day analytics. Customers reported generally average satisfaction rates with phone and web support, but gaps in training were cited as a significant con.
The tool went through multiple acquisitions, starting with GE Healthcare in 2014, to Veritas Capital in 2018, and landing at symplr in 2019. Staff turnover resulted in declining relationships and stagnating development.
“Customers report that symplr—who offers a broad portfolio of credentialing, time and attendance, data management, ERP, and nurse and staff scheduling solutions—has revived development and provides a more hands-on approach to account management,” the report stated.
“Existing customer base is more stable than ShiftSelect’s—almost all interviewed Staffing and Scheduling customers say the solution is part of their long-term plans.”
SYMPLR - SHIFTSELECT
symplr ShiftSelect received the highest rating for short-term analytics, at 7.7. Customers cited the tool’s simplicity and availability of reliable data that enable workload balancing, compared to symplr’s Staffing and Scheduling tool.
Customers reported varying levels of satisfaction with phone and web support. Most reported responsive support, but some noted frequent bugs and integration gaps. The tool does not require too much initial training due to its simplicity, respondents said.
Similarly to symplr Staffing and Scheduling, relationships and developments grew stagnant as the tool changed hands multiple times and staff turnover was high. Overall, customers reported that symplr has revitalized development and enabled innovation.
Approximately 20 percent of customers still said they would consider a more “functionally robust solution,” KLAS reported.
ULTIMATE KRONOS GROUP
Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) received the lowest analytics ratings, at 5.7 for same-day analytics and 6.3 for short-term analytics. Customers reported that UKG’s training is expensive and not readily available, and they would be more satisfied if training, phone, and web support were improved.
High prices were frequently noted as a negative, and customers cited unreliable workload balancing despite UKG’s solid technology. Kronos and Ultimate Software just merged in 2020, and vendor recognition has led to UKG having a significant market share.
Customers appreciated the convenience and integration provided by working with a big vendor, but UKG’s cross-industry focus often led to pitfalls in healthcare-specific support and partnership.
