Why spreadsheets and WhatsApp stop working
Most labour supply companies start with a shared spreadsheet for shifts and a WhatsApp group per site. It works while the operation is small. Past roughly 30–50 active workers and a handful of concurrent client sites, the cracks show: a shift change made in the spreadsheet doesn't automatically reach payroll or the client, WhatsApp messages get missed or buried, and there's no single source of truth for who is working where, on what rate, for which client.
What a shift planner needs to do
- Assign workers to specific sites and shifts, including repeating/recurring schedules
- Automatically prevent double-booking or scheduling a worker who is on approved leave
- Notify workers instantly when a shift is assigned, changed, or cancelled
- Feed directly into payroll and invoicing once a shift is completed — not as a separate manual step
GPS check-in instead of paper timesheets
Self-reported timesheets are a common source of payroll disputes: hours claimed don't always match hours actually worked on site. GPS check-in solves this at the source — a worker checks in and out from their phone, coordinates are recorded at both events, and the resulting accuracy is visible to whoever approves payroll, before payment goes out.
Three portals, three sets of needs
Separating access by role — rather than giving everyone the same login — is what makes a client portal safe to hand out widely: clients only ever see their own sites and invoices, never another client's data or the full worker roster.
How LabourSystem handles this
LabourSystem's shift planner, GPS check-in, and three-portal model (Admin, Client, Worker/Driver) are built as one connected system — a completed shift flows straight into payroll and invoicing, with WhatsApp notifications keeping workers informed without requiring an app install.
Book a free demoFrequently asked questions
Why do labour supply companies outgrow spreadsheets and WhatsApp?
Spreadsheets and WhatsApp have no shared source of truth: a shift change made in one place doesn't update payroll, invoicing, or the client automatically. Past roughly 30-50 active workers, this manual coordination becomes the main bottleneck to taking on more clients.
How does GPS check-in reduce timesheet disputes?
Workers check in and out from their phone, with GPS coordinates recorded at both events. This replaces self-reported paper timesheets with a verifiable record, so hours paid match hours actually worked on site.
What should a client portal let a labour supply company's customers do?
At minimum: request workers for upcoming jobs, see who is assigned to each site and shift, and view and pay invoices online — without needing a phone call or email to the labour supply company's own office for routine requests.