Workforce management, starting with the schedule
IBIOS Workforce is workforce management software for UK businesses with staff and contractors out on jobs. Scheduling is live today: a schedule board shows who is on which job and when. A field tracker, timesheets, mileage and payroll export are coming soon.
For: Any business with staff or contractors working on jobs. Use it on its own or alongside the other IBIOS products.
What it does
- LiveSchedule board: who is on which job, and when
- Coming soonField tracker for staff and contractors out on jobs
- Coming soonTimesheets and hours against each job
- Coming soonMileage and expenses, with manager reports
- Coming soonPayroll export
Proven in a real business
IBIOS was built inside a working bathroom showroom in Northern Ireland, where it runs the business day to day. That is our proof story, not our limit: each product works on its own for any business that needs it.
Buying guide
Choosing workforce management software for staff and contractors: a practical guide
Written by the IBIOS team. IBIOS was built inside a working bathroom showroom in Northern Ireland, where it runs the business day to day. Last updated 18 October 2026.
How do you choose workforce management software?
Start from the job, not the rota. For a business that sends people out to customers, the question is who is on which job and when, and whether the goods and the customer are ready for them. Shift patterns and timesheets come after that.
- Who you schedule. Employees, subcontractors, or both. They have different rights and you manage them differently.
- What a booking is. A shift, a job, or a visit to a customer. Software built for shop rotas handles jobs badly, and the other way round.
- Seeing the week at a glance. One board showing who is where, so double-booking and empty days are obvious.
- Linking schedule to the job. The person on a job should be able to see what it is, where it is and what has been ordered for it.
- Hours, mileage and pay. Decide whether you need timesheets and mileage now, and check whether they are live in the tool you choose.
What does IBIOS Workforce do today?
Scheduling is live: a schedule board showing who is on which job, and when, for staff and contractors. It runs alongside the customer and job records, so the person scheduling can see the job they are filling. Staff out on site can see the day’s jobs and tasks on the IBIOS Android app.
Timesheets and hours against each job, mileage and expenses with manager reports, and a payroll export are all coming soon, not live yet. Until then, keep recording hours and mileage the way you do now.
Employees or contractors: does the software care?
It should not decide anything for you. Whether someone is an employee or self-employed depends on the real working relationship, not on what your scheduling software calls them, and the tax rules on this apply across the UK. Schedule contractors by the job rather than by shift, and avoid controlling how and when they work in ways that look like employment.
Working time and rest breaks
Employees have rights to rest breaks, daily and weekly rest and a limit on average weekly hours. Great Britain and Northern Ireland have separate Working Time Regulations, with broadly similar rules. A schedule board makes long runs of early starts and late finishes easy to spot before they become a problem.
Mileage: get the records right first
HMRC’s approved mileage rates apply across the UK, and claims need a record of business journeys. Whatever tool you use, record the date, the job and the miles at the time. IBIOS mileage and expenses are coming soon; in the meantime the HMRC mileage calculator on this site works out what a journey is worth.
Wall planner, a shift-rota app, a field-service suite or IBIOS?
How the common options tend to work out for a business with people out on jobs.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Wall planner or shared calendar | A small team in one office. | Not linked to the job, and invisible to anyone out on site. |
| Shift-rota app | Shops and hospitality with fixed shifts. | Built for shifts at one site, not people going to different customers each day. |
| Field-service suite | Engineers with job sheets, parts and invoicing in the van. | Often comes as a whole system; check it fits your quoting and stock rather than replacing them. |
| IBIOS | A schedule board for staff and contractors, linked to customers and jobs. | Early access by waiting list. Timesheets, mileage and expenses, and payroll export are coming soon, not live yet. |
What you need in place before you start
- A list of staff and contractors, and which kinds of job each can do.
- Working patterns and any days each person is not available.
- Your upcoming jobs and their dates.
- A decision on who may change the schedule and who only views it.
- Your current method for hours and mileage, which you will keep until those features launch.
What it costs
The costly moments are a fitter sent to a job whose goods have not arrived, two people booked to the same customer, and a contractor nobody told about a change of date.
Founding prices for waiting-list members are explained on the pricing page. Workforce can be used on its own or with Bookings and Orders.
Last reviewed October 2026.
What people get wrong
- Using a shop-rota tool for job-based work.
- Scheduling a job before the goods for it have arrived.
- Treating contractors like employees on the rota.
- Writing mileage up weeks later from memory.
- Letting anyone edit the schedule without telling the people on it.
- Choosing a tool for timesheets that are still on its roadmap. Ask what is live.
Related reading
Workforce management software FAQs
Is IBIOS workforce management software available now?
Yes, scheduling is live. Timesheets, mileage and expenses, and payroll export are coming soon.
Can I schedule contractors as well as staff?
Yes. The schedule board shows staff and contractors, and who is on which job and when.
Does IBIOS record timesheets?
Not yet. Timesheets and hours against each job are coming soon.
Does IBIOS track mileage?
Not yet. Mileage and expenses are coming soon; the HMRC mileage calculator on this site can help meanwhile.
Do the same working time rules apply in Northern Ireland?
Broadly, yes. Northern Ireland has its own Working Time Regulations, with rules similar to those in Great Britain.
Can I use Workforce without the rest of IBIOS?
Yes. Each IBIOS product works on its own and shares one login and one set of customer records if you add more.
Not sure IBIOS fits how you schedule?
Tell us how many people you send out, whether they are staff or contractors and how you plan the week today, and we will tell you honestly whether IBIOS scheduling fits, and what you would still be waiting for.
IBIOS Limited · company no. NI743167 · 10 Ballyclare Road, Doagh, Ballyclare BT39 0PE · Production is hosted in the UK.
Use Workforce and scheduling in your business
IBIOS is in early access. Join the waiting list and we will email you when a place is available.