Forte Belanger Adopts Special Web-Based Software System to Improve Efficiency of Scheduling Staff for Large Events

TROY, Mich.—At the recent GM Style Event in Detroit, celebrities Kid Rock, Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5 performed for an invite only VIP crowd of 1800 while the attendees enjoyed the finest cuisine cooked on-site by chefs and served by strolling waiters and waitresses dressed to the nines. While the catering and event planning for such a high-level event is something the staff at Forte Belanger in Troy does frequently, the company has taken advantage of technology to help schedule and organize the 180 on-call staff associates who worked during the GM Style Event.

According to Nick Forte, Forte Belanger’s General Manager, the company uses a special software program and an intra-net website to communicate with the more than 200 on-call staff associates and determine which events they can work.

“We do around 325 catered events each year, and it used to be very time consuming to contact all of our associates to determine which events they could work, as well as mailing them a map and information about each event.” Forte said. “By using an online system, we cut the time we need to schedule staff by about 75 percent.”

Forte said the company now uses a web-based software system, StaffMate Online, that enables the company to post each upcoming event on a personalized intra-net site, and then StaffMate will “publish” the event to specific on-call staff, who can log into their own personal web-based event calendar to review and choose the events for which they are available and qualified to work.

“With an event as large as the GM Style Event, using this type of web-based technology saved us approximately 45 hours of work compared to contacting each employee by phone, or even mailing them. And it also is more convenient for our on-call staff, because they can access the system from any computer, 24 hours a day, to receive updates to each function.” Forte added.