Successive shift work: the #1 challenge in industry
In factories and industrial units, successive shift work is the norm: production lines run continuously (3x8 or 2x12), and an unplanned stoppage means considerable production losses. The CFO and production manager often find themselves manually recalculating who worked which night, which Sunday, and which public holiday. This tedious work can take 1–2 full working days per month.
Understanding 3x8 and 2x12 cycles in industry
The two most common cycles in industry:
- Classic 3x8: 3 teams (morning, afternoon, night) of 8 hours each, rotating weekly. E.g.: 5am–1pm / 1pm–9pm / 9pm–5am.
- 2x12: 2 teams of 12 hours (day and night), widely used in continuous-process plants. E.g.: 6am–6pm / 6pm–6am.
- 3x8 with weekend team: a 4th team covers weekends, reducing the number of weekends worked per team.
Each cycle creates different payroll complexities: night hours, Sundays, public holidays, and compensatory leave.
How Weplanify manages industrial rotations
Weplanify adapts to industrial cycles:
- A cycle set once: the template week repeats itself, and you only handle the exceptions.
- Uncovered posts flagged before publishing, with approved leave visible in the grid.
- Premiums at the right rate: night, Sunday and public holiday hours are told apart and paid at the configured rates.
- One view per site: each site has its daily screen, and management a single summary.
- Absences visible the same day: a planned post with no clock-in shows up in the day's list.
Factory attendance tracking: payroll integration
Weplanify offers for the industrial sector:
- Badge or QR code clock-in at the factory or workshop entrance.
- Detection of late arrivals and early departures with configurable thresholds.
- Automatic monthly export: actual hours, overtime, nights, Sundays, public holidays — ready for payroll.
- Absenteeism report: rate by team, post, period.
FAQ — Industrial 3x8 scheduling
How long does it take to configure 3x8 cycles in Weplanify?
Generally, 2–4 hours with a Weplanify expert are sufficient to configure cycles, posts, teams, and pay rules. After this initial setup, the system generates schedules automatically.
How to handle unplanned production line stoppages?
The production manager can adjust schedules in real time from their phone. In case of extended breakdown, employees can be shifted to other posts or put on short-time work, with full traceability.
Can night premiums vary by seniority or position?
Yes. Weplanify allows configuring differentiated surcharge rates by professional category (semi-skilled worker, skilled worker, technician, executive) and seniority.
Optimize your production with Weplanify
Weplanify is used by factories and industrial units in West Africa. Free trial. Request a demo or write to [email protected].