Multi-Location Pharmacy Able to Recruit Top Talent While Streamlining to Compete
The Challenge
A small regional pharmacy with multiple locations identified the need to reorganize to improve efficiency. The organization had grown through multiple acquisitions and schedules, policies and practices had morphed into a complex administrative web.
Senior management recognized that a in order to survive against the large chain stores, it had to differentiate itself through outstanding, local, customer service and become as lean as possible. This meant evaluating all aspects of the business, including the operations, schedule and the use of its human resources.
Would customers tolerate changed hours of operations? How could a 6 day schedule be optimized based on the current team and business constraints? As a small organization with no human resources professional, management recognized the need for external perspective and input.
The Solution
SharedHR joined the team at the strategic level, consulting to help design the organization, structure and re-evaluate the schedule. Multiple workweek options available in California were reviewed and an optimal schedule was developed. Next, a process was agreed upon to communicate the changes to employees and allow them to select available shifts within the schedule based on length of service. Then SharedHR rapidly implemented SharedHR Central, its web based HR management system, re-designed, rationalized and streamlined the time off accrual system and other policies so HR could be reduced to a smaller portion of the controller’s time.
The Result
The employees and managers readily accepted the new system and new schedules enabling the employer to flourish in its local niche.