Retail Labor Scheduling and the Potential Role of AI
摘要
This chapter discusses the complex challenge of retail labor scheduling and the potential value of AI-powered workforce management (WFM) solutions to improve labor scheduling decisions. We explore multiple dimensions of scheduling complexity, from the basic combinatorial challenge of creating optimal schedules to the uncertainties in customer demand, labor supply, and workload. We discuss how WFM tools can incorporate AI to optimize labor scheduling decisions by improving demand forecasts, identifying labor supply risks, and generating data-driven operational insights. We also discuss how store managers interact with WFM tools, examining the nature and challenges of human-AI interactions and their effects on scheduling decisions. The chapter concludes by discussing several technical and organizational challenges in developing effective human-AI partnerships in retail labor scheduling.