Business

5 Challenges of Managing Around-the-Clock Business Operations in a 24/7 World

5 Challenges of Managing Around-the-Clock Business Operations in a 24/7 World

As consumers set new expectations for around-the-clock service, rigid 9-to-5 models will be banished to our professional rearview mirrors. No longer are the days of customer service representatives clocking out at 5:00 pm sharp. Today’s around-the-clock business operations have gone global, meaning your customer base may be around the block or across the border. 

The challenges of this 24/7 business world are unlike those faced by businesses even just a few years ago. As the demand for 24/7 access to customer service representatives spikes, the shift to an around-the-clock alternative is no longer optional. 

However, before ditching standard business hours, you’ll need to be familiar with some of the challenges that 24/7 business operations encounter worldwide.   

Finding a notary after standard business hours  

If your company has around-the-clock business operations, you may need a public notary near you after 5 p.m. In the South Florida and Caribbean area and beyond, mobile notaries can make a trip to your on-site location, regardless if it’s 3 pm or 3 am.  

Notaries are invaluable in business agreements since they verify the identities of parties signing contracts and other documents or selling or purchasing property, such as buildings, land, or vehicles.  

Human limitations  

Despite pervading misconceptions, human beings are not machines. They require frequent breaks and at least seven hours of sleep per day. Ignoring these needs will not only hurt your shift employees. Ultimately, it will hurt your business when your star employees seek other opportunities or start performing at a sub-par level. That said, fatigue and other health concerns should be addressed and nipped in the bud, 

Passing the baton  

If you have around-the-clock business operations at your company, employees likely will hand off their duties to the next shift. With this in mind, be sure to carve out time for information exchanges. That way, your employees can start their shift fully aware of the current conditions.  

Pay periods and overtime

Pay periods typically involve little to no wiggle room. However, around-the-clock business operations may have employees’ shifts overlapping at the end of one pay period.   

This overlap of shifts into new pay periods can also stir questions about overtime pay. For example, what if a worker whose shift crossed into a new pay period worked two extra hours? Would that count as overtime or just as two hours into the new pay period?  

Data in real-time  

Calculating shift and schedule data in real-time can significantly benefit a company when budgeting for labor, managing schedules, and planning projects. If managers ask employees to work extra shifts, company leadership will have access to real-time data on employees’ hours. That way, they’ll know immediately if their requests will result in overtime pay.   

To wrap it up  

Whether you’re in South Florida or the south of France, a B2B business, or serving consumers, your business will need to reach customers beyond traditional business hours.   

Around-the-clock business operations offer benefits to companies in today’s global marketplace, but they also require new expertise in scheduling, planning, and data gathering. Business service providers such as notaries are now needed 24/7 to accommodate marketplace demands.   

 

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

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