A large sports equipment manufacturing company with seasonal demand peaks and complex production scheduling challenges.
Challenge
The client had been a long-term staffing partner, but continued to face persistent workforce planning issues. Demand frequently fluctuated with little notice, creating reactive hiring cycles and gaps in coverage.
Overall, they were struggling with forecast models that were frequently inaccurate, leading to overstaffing during slower periods, but leaving the operation vulnerable during sudden demand surges.
These issues lead to:
- Inconsistent scheduling that changed frequently, sometimes without advance notice
- Difficulty filling short-term or partial shifts
- Strain on productivity when roles went unfilled
- Limited flexibility within a traditional staffing model
The client needed a more agile workforce solution that could adapt to real-time demand without sacrificing quality or productivity.
Solution
After ongoing business reviews and workforce strategy discussions, a flexible scheduling model was introduced as a pilot program by the Staff Management team.
The flex staffing model provided a consistent pool of part-time associates who could choose their availability while still offering the client greater predictability and control.
Our team could build a dedicated flex workforce pool for the customer with shift segmentation into manageable 4-hour blocks across multiple departments.
This allowed for ongoing schedule management and gap coverage by the staffing team.
Because it was a pilot program, we prioritized a gradual rollout starting with one department and expanding based on success. This approach allowed the client to scale labor up or down as needed without overcommitting to full-time headcount.
Results
Within the first two months of the pilot, the program delivered strong results:
- 227 applicants entered the pipeline, with 35 active flex associates deployed
- Expanded from 1 department to 3 within the pilot period
- Flex associates achieved production rates comparable to tenured employees within months
- Associates demonstrated stronger attendance, motivation and overall attitude
All in all, the client was better equipped to handle fluctuating demand without overstaffing. The client also reported that the quality of flex workers exceeded expectations, with many outperforming traditional full-time hires in both productivity and engagement.
