From Runways to Retail: WorkforcePlus Marks 10 Years of Reimagining Workforce Management

Optimization specialist INFORM is marking the 10th anniversary of its workforce management solution WorkforcePlus with a clear vision: in the future, workforce planning will be proactive, AI-native and as critical to employer brand as the salary package. 

From airport shifts to multi-sector success

The story began long before 2015. INFORM had already spent over 15 years mastering one of the toughest planning challenges on the planet: airport ground operations with its GS RosterPlus system. Tight turnarounds, ever-changing flight schedules, and thousands of interdependent tasks all requiring precise, to-the-minute planning. 

“Airports taught us the art of planning under pressure,” recalls Thomas Freyland, Head of Workforce Management at INFORM. “When you can schedule teams in such a high-stakes, time-critical environment, you can transfer that expertise to any industry from retail to warehouses.” That insight led to the launch of WorkforcePlus, and a dedicated business unit at INFORM, with the mission to bring this precision and agility to multiple industries. 

An early mover in AI for planning

“We embraced AI in workforce management early because we saw the complexity curve rising faster than human planners could manage,” Freyland explains. “That meant AI in WorkforcePlus isn’t just a buzzword, it’s embedded in real-world planning for logistics hubs, retail chains, production lines and healthcare providers.”

Solving today’s workforce challenges

WorkforcePlus helps organizations address their most pressing operational issues: 

• Reducing overload: Demand-based planning prevents costly overstaffing and employee burnout. 
• Boosting retention: The StaffConnect app gives employees mobile-first access to shifts, swap options, and real-time updates, increasing fairness and flexibility. 
• Driving efficiency: Clients report scheduling time reductions of up to 70% after switching from spreadsheets to WorkforcePlus. 

“In many companies, shift scheduling still happens in Excel or on whiteboards,” says Freyland. “Forecasting, planning, communication – we bring it all together in one system, so managers can focus on people, not paperwork.” 

The future: invisible planning, visible impact

Freyland’s vision for the future is ambitious: “In 2036, workforce management will run silently in the background. AI will sense operational changes, adjust schedules automatically, and free managers to coach, support, and develop their teams. The technology will fade and the human connection will grow.” He is clear on one thing: “AI will not replace people. Empathy, care, and creativity remain human strengths. What AI can do is remove the stress and inefficiency behind the scenes.”

The strategic shift employers can’t ignore

Freyland warns that demographic and skills shortages will force a rethink: “In many sectors, talent is already scarce and by 2030 it will be scarcer. The quality and flexibility of shift plans will become a decisive factor in attracting and keeping staff.” His prediction: “By 2036, employees will judge scheduling quality as critically as salary offer. Shift flexibility will define employer reputation.”

What’s next?

With rising demand across industries, WorkforcePlus is scaling its AI capabilities and expanding integrations with industry-specific systems. “We’re not here to just patch scheduling problems”, Freyland concludes. “We’re here to reinvent how work is organized, for both businesses and the people who power them.”