GIS Leads to More Efficient Workforce Territory Planning

McCarthy & Stone Management Services are responsible for over 280 developments, providing peace of mind that it will look after its customers and their properties over the long term. For the HR department, providing continuity of cover and improving efficiencies was both time consuming and increasingly complex. A more automated process using a GIS for Workforce Planning was required. The HR department selected the Cadcorp desktop product Map Modeller and uses it as their territory management software.

Each development has a dedicated House Manager onsite five days a week during work hours to manage the day-to-day running of the development, while also helping to facilitate various social activities. They are supported by a number of Area Managers who oversee up to 20 developments each across a large geographical area.

As McCarthy & Stone enjoys rapid growth, the number of personnel in Management Services has increased by 63% in the last two years. With over 250 House Managers, 20 Area Managers and the variables of holiday or sickness cover, Workforce Planning wasn’t straightforward. In addition, as more retirement developments were opening, the HR department needed to rapidly adapt their Workforce Planning and make recruitment more targeted.

Travel Time or Distance Calculations

An HR Advisor can calculate the 20 nearest developments to each Area Manager’s address using road network data broken down by time or mileage. As circumstances change or when more retirement developments are built, various filters can be applied to produce a range of visualisations. These can be easily shared in print and electronically. Postcodes of future developments can even be used when recruiting new Area Managers in nearby locations.

Automating Workforce Planning has freed up more time for the HR department to meet their business objectives. Productivity is better as an Area Manager can spend more time at each retirement development. In turn, House Managers and the sites they manage are benefitting from increased support. Calculating and reducing drive-times has also resulted in an improved work/life balance for Area Managers. In future, there is scope for targeted recruitment, sales activities and for offering alternative retirement developments as the needs of Homeowners change.

Cadcorp SIS® is used by housing associations, property developers, land agents, facilities managers, landlords, estate agents, letting agencies, farm and estates managers, surveyors and valuers.