The Total Economic Impact™ of Workforce.com

Forrester conducted a study to discover the cost savings and business benefits of Workforce.com. Results of the study show that a composite organization in the food and retail sector has seen labor savings, achieved efficiency gains for managers, and reduced compliance risk. 

Key Findings

A 450% ROI 

According to the study, Workforce.com has a 450% return on investment (ROI) and the following three-year, risk-adjusted present value (PV) qualified benefits. Some highlights include: 

Improved labor efficiency by 5% and Increased revenue per labor hour by 5.26% 

One of the organizations interviewed for the study shared that they improved labor efficiency by 11% just by focusing on optimizing labor hours per store. Over three years, the composite organization saved $5.3 in labor costs. 

Workforce.com makes it easier for managers to forecast demand and create optimized schedules based on past sales data, shift trends, hourly rates, and staff qualifications.

“It was easy to justify this investment because labor is one of the biggest costs to our business, so it’s not only critical, it’s just smart to have a system that gives us oversight and is designed to manage labor costs.” Country Manager, QSR

80% Less Time Spent on Scheduling

Managers are also saving 4.2 hours per week per store on scheduling and other related tasks, leading to $1.6 million in labor savings over three years.

By automating scheduling, Workforce.com reduces the time spent creating shifts, forecasting demand, and handling admin tasks like shift swaps, onboarding, and compliance tracking.

“Now we don’t need to rely on muscle memory and gut feelings. We only need to use the system to see the forecast to make sure that the efficiency assumptions are in place. That’s it. Everyone can make a schedule.” Vice President of Customers, QSR

$920K in Compliance Risk Reduction

Workforce.com’s compliance engine helps businesses stay on top of labor laws and ensures accurate pay, potentially avoiding $920,000 in fines, penalties, and legal costs.

$991K in Payroll and Accounting Savings

With more accurate timesheets, automated workflows, and better visibility, payroll and accounting teams spend less time on manual work and compliance checks—leading to nearly $1 million in savings.

Key challenges identified among organizations

Forrester’s study highlighted common challenges that pushed decision-makers to seek a more efficient workforce management platform. Here’s what they struggled with before making the switch: 

• Keeping up with labor laws and agreements – With labor regulations constantly changing, businesses needed better oversight of payroll practices and compliance.

• Lack of visibility across stores and managers – Without a centralized system, companies had little insight into store operations, making it harder to ensure compliance, track performance, and identify training needs.

• Rising labor costs – Companies needed a smarter way to control labor expenses and optimize costs.

“We use Workforce.com because the most critical part of creating a schedule is projecting in detail what you think is going to happen every day, then using that information to tell us when people need to start. Labor in this country is very expensive, so 15 wasted minutes adds up to a lot of money.” Country Manager, QSR Organization

• Shifting customer demands – Businesses needed a scheduling platform that could handle fluctuating demand across multiple channels. The COVID-19 pandemic made this even more urgent, forcing companies to adapt to changing customer behaviors, including balancing in-store and delivery operations.

Background

Forrester conducted this study on behalf of Workforce.com to evaluate its return on investment (ROI). Researchers interviewed decision-makers from organizations that had implemented Workforce.com. Their insights were combined into a single composite organization—a global food and retail company with 250 store locations, 5,300 employees (including one manager per store), and $312 million in annual revenue.

Before switching to Workforce.com, these businesses relied on a mix of legacy systems and platforms. However, many managers still fell back on manual processes for scheduling, managing shift swaps, and onboarding new hires. As a result, they struggled with:

• Forecasting staffing needs
• Controlling labor costs
• Managing schedules efficiently
• Staying compliant with labor laws and payroll regulations
  

Want to see the full breakdown of Forrester’s findings? Download the report here.