From 12 Hours to 1: How Hillsdale County Streamlined Shift Bidding

About

Modernizing shift scheduling can be a game changer for small public safety agencies that manage limited staff, rotating shifts, and constant change. At Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office, a once paper-heavy and time-consuming scheduling and shift bidding process—previously taking up to an entire 12-hour shift—was transformed using PowerTime’s Shift Bid feature. By moving away from spreadsheets and handwritten forms to a digital, streamlined system, the department now completes bids in under an hour, even remotely. The result is a significant reduction in manual work and greater flexibility, all while staying compliant with contractual requirements.

Challenge

Lengthy shift bid process

• It took their sergeant up to an hour just to get their shift bids set up in Excel. Then, it could take a whole 12-hour shift to approve and create the new schedule.

Unable to take time off when he needed it

• Manually managing shift bids meant that their sergeant had to schedule his vacations around shift bids. No one else knew how to prepare the schedule because the process was so complex.

Solution

Quick and painless shift bid process

• With shift bids in PowerTime, it takes them less than an hour to complete the whole shift bid process.

Flexibility to take the time off he needs

• With a cloud-based system, he can take his vacation whenever he wants and continues the shift bid process with just a few clicks.

Impact

 

The implementation of PowerTime’s Shift Bid feature has delivered significant results for the Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office. A process that once took up to 12 hours per scheduling cycle now takes less than one, saving the agency an estimated 40 to 50 hours of administrative time each year. This time savings has allowed supervisors to focus more on core responsibilities while maintaining transparency and accuracy in scheduling.

 

With the ability to manage bids remotely, reuse templates, and reduce manual data entry, the department has not only streamlined operations but also gained flexibility and consistency—crucial benefits for a team managing shifting coverage needs and limited resources.