Workforce modeling is the process of aligning the

demand In economics, demand is the quantity of a goods, good that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices during a given time. In economics "demand" for a commodity is not the same thing as "desire" for it. It refers to both the desi ...

for skilled labor with the availability and preferences of skilled workers (

supply Supply or supplies may refer to: *The amount of a resource that is available **Supply (economics), the amount of a product which is available to customers **Materiel, the goods and equipment for a military unit to fulfill its mission *Supply, as ...

). It uses mathematical models to support tasks such as

sensitivity analysis Sensitivity analysis is the study of how the uncertainty in the output of a mathematical model or system (numerical or otherwise) can be divided and allocated to different sources of uncertainty in its inputs. This involves estimating sensitivity ...

, scheduling, and workload forecasting. This approach is commonly applied in industries with complex labor regulations, certified workers, and varying levels of demand, including healthcare,

public safety Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensu ...

, and retail. Workforce modeling solutions often include software tools that help determine staffing needs based on workload volume across different periods, such as times of day, days of the week, or seasonal cycles.

Definition

The term can be differentiated from traditional staff scheduling. Staff scheduling is rooted in

time management Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities—especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency and productivity. Time management involves demands relating to work, social ...

. Besides demand orientation, workforce modeling also incorporates the forecast of the workload and the required staff, the integration of workers into the scheduling process through interactivity, and analysis of the entire process.

Complexity of the model

Many applications providing a workforce modeling solution use the

linear programming Linear programming (LP), also called linear optimization, is a method to achieve the best outcome (such as maximum profit or lowest cost) in a mathematical model whose requirements and objective are represented by linear function#As a polynomia ...

approach to create the Workforce Model. Linear methods of achieving a schedule are generally based on assumptions that demand is based on a series of independent events, each with a consistent, predictable outcome. However, modeling the uncertainty and dependability of these events is a well-researched area.Clancy, Thomas R. ''Managing Organizational Complexity in Healthcare Operations.'' The Journal of Nursing Administration 38.9 (2008): 367–370. Print. Modeling approaches such as

system dynamics System dynamics (SD) is an approach to understanding the nonlinear behaviour of complex systems over time using stocks, flows, internal feedback loops, table functions and time delays. Overview System dynamics is a methodology and mathematical ...

have also been employed in workforce modeling to address interdependencies and feedback loops within large organizations, such as

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

Heuristics A heuristic or heuristic technique (''problem solving'', '' mental shortcut'', ''rule of thumb'') is any approach to problem solving that employs a pragmatic method that is not fully optimized, perfected, or rationalized, but is nevertheless ...

have also been applied to the problem, and

metaheuristics In computer science and mathematical optimization, a metaheuristic is a higher-level procedure or heuristic designed to find, generate, tune, or select a heuristic (partial search algorithm) that may provide a sufficiently good solution to an opt ...

have been identified as effective methods for generating complex scheduling solutions.

References

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Definition

Complexity of the model

References

Further reading