Crossing the Finish Line

The economy continues its tailspin, and retailers across the board are feeling the fallout. For The Finish Line, a big challenge that has emerged is how to schedule optimal store-level labor in the wake of erratic and declining customer traffic. An outdated labor scheduling solution made it even harder for the Indianapolis-based athletic footwear and apparel retailer to plan for the surges in customer traffic.

The Finish Line has eased that problem by transitioning to a centralized workforce management system integrated with time and attendance and payroll systems. With the implementation of the new system, the chain has completed the final stage of a five-year IT overhaul. Also, it is now primed to create labor schedules that coincide with consumer demand, meet budget rules and comply with state labor and minimum wage requirements.