Must-have scheduling software RFP template in 2025

Employee schedules are the heartbeat of hourly businesses. The right schedule means shifts are covered, labor budgets are under control, and compliance risks are minimized. The wrong system—spreadsheets, group texts, or disconnected scheduling tools—leads to last-minute scrambles, frustrated employees, rising turnover, and ballooning labor costs.

Modern scheduling software should make it easy to build compliant, cost-effective schedules in minutes. It should empower employees with self-service tools, alert managers to issues before they become problems, and connect seamlessly with time tracking and payroll. Even better, it should sit inside a unified platform, so every change—whether an employee swap, PTO request, or role change—ripples automatically across HR, IT, and Finance.

This guide outlines the most important areas to evaluate when running a Scheduling RFP, along with sample questions to include for vendors. Plus, you’ll get a free downloadable template so you can start evaluating vendors efficiently and effectively.

1. Schedule creation and cost control

At its core, scheduling software should make it fast and intuitive to build schedules that balance coverage and costs. 

Look for solutions that factor in employee availability, certifications, roles, and PTO balances, while surfacing the real-time labor cost of each shift. Managers should be able to set budget thresholds, receive alerts when schedules exceed them, and generate reports comparing scheduled vs. actual labor costs.

Rippling Scheduling lets managers build cost-effective schedules in minutes using live employee data from HRIS and Payroll. Managers see the real-time cost impact of shifts as they build, helping avoid budget surprises. If a schedule risks unnecessary overtime, Rippling alerts managers before publishing. And because it’s connected to time and payroll, variance reports automatically compare scheduled vs. actual hours and costs.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Can schedules be built quickly using availability, roles, certifications, and PTO balances?

• Does the system show real-time labor costs while building schedules?

• Can managers set budget thresholds with alerts for overspending?

• Are variance reports available comparing scheduled vs. actual hours and costs?

2. Compliance with labor laws and policies

Scheduling isn’t just about coverage—it’s also about compliance. Federal, state, and local labor laws dictate rules around rest breaks, maximum hours, and consecutive shifts. Without automated enforcement, managers risk creating non-compliant schedules that expose the business to penalties or lawsuits.

Rippling Scheduling automatically enforces labor laws based on employee work location. It alerts managers when schedules would violate rest or meal requirements and prevents assigning shifts that push employees into unnecessary overtime. All schedules, approvals, and exceptions are logged in the system, making audits painless.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Does the system automatically enforce local and federal labor laws (breaks, max hours, overtime)?

• Can policies be scoped by role, department, or location?

• Are managers alerted if a schedule risks creating a compliance violation?

• Does the system log schedules, approvals, and exceptions for audits?

3. Employee flexibility and self-service

Rigid schedules are one of the top drivers of hourly employee turnover. Your scheduling software should give employees more control by allowing them to input availability, set preferences, and swap shifts within manager-defined rules. They should be able to view schedules and make requests directly from a mobile app, reducing the burden on managers.

Rippling empowers employees with a modern mobile app where they can view schedules, update availability, request changes, and swap or claim shifts. Managers define the guardrails, so employees gain flexibility while coverage and compliance are still maintained. All requests and approvals are logged automatically in Rippling for transparency.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Can employees set their availability and preferences directly in the system?

• Does the platform support shift swaps and open shift claims within rules?

• Can employees view and request schedule changes via mobile?

• Are all requests and approvals logged automatically?

4. Attendance monitoring and exception handling

Even the best schedules fall apart without real-time attendance monitoring. Your system should send alerts for late arrivals, no-shows, or missed breaks, and managers should be able to configure points-based attendance systems tied directly to scheduling. Real-time dashboards should show coverage gaps so adjustments can be made immediately.

Rippling connects scheduling directly with Time & Attendance, so managers always know who actually showed up, who was late, and where coverage gaps exist. Exception alerts help supervisors act fast, while custom points systems automate attendance tracking and consequences.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Does the system send alerts for late arrivals, no-shows, or missed breaks?

• Can managers configure attendance policies (e.g., points systems)?

• Are real-time dashboards available to monitor coverage gaps?

• Can exceptions trigger workflows (e.g., escalate repeat no-shows to HR)?

5. Communication and collaboration

Scheduling isn’t just data—it’s communication. Many managers still rely on mass texts or personal phone numbers to find coverage, which is inefficient and risky. The right software should include built-in team chat tied directly to scheduling, so employees can swap shifts, confirm availability, and receive announcements—all logged securely for compliance.

Rippling includes centralized team chat within its mobile app, so scheduling communication happens in one place. Managers can message teams about open shifts, employees can coordinate swaps, and groups update automatically when roles or locations change. Every message is logged, creating a clear audit trail.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Does the system include built-in messaging tied to scheduling and attendance?

• Can employees coordinate swaps and coverage within the app?

• Are communication logs stored securely for audits?

• Do groups update automatically when employees change roles or locations?

6. Integration with time and payroll

Disconnected scheduling systems force managers to manually reconcile hours across time tracking and payroll—an error-prone process that leads to inaccurate paychecks. Your scheduling platform should sync directly with Time & Attendance and Payroll so approved hours flow seamlessly into pay runs.

Rippling Scheduling, Time & Attendance, and Payroll all live on the same platform. Published schedules sync automatically to timesheets, and approved hours flow directly into payroll. If a manager approves overtime mid-cycle, the change is instantly reflected in payroll and labor cost dashboards.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Do published schedules sync automatically with time tracking?

• Can approved scheduled hours flow directly into payroll?

• Does the system update payroll automatically with overtime approvals?

• Can scheduling data be integrated with finance systems for labor costing?

7. Reporting and analytics

Scheduling software should help you improve operations, not just fill shifts. Look for solutions that provide real-time dashboards and prebuilt reports on scheduling accuracy, overtime risk, and coverage gaps. Reports should break down labor costs by role, department, or location, and be shareable securely with different levels of access.

Rippling’s analytics engine connects scheduling data with HR, Payroll, and Finance. Managers get real-time visibility into scheduled vs. actual hours, overtime risk, and staffing trends. Reports can be built, shared, and scheduled by non-technical users, with permissions enforced automatically.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Can managers view dashboards for scheduled vs. actual hours and coverage gaps?

• Can reporting break down labor costs by role, department, or location?

• Are prebuilt reports available for scheduling accuracy and overtime risk?

• Can reports be scheduled and shared securely with permissions enforced?

8. Implementation and support

Rolling out scheduling software touches every manager and employee. A strong vendor should offer fast implementations, migration of historical schedules, in-app training resources, and responsive support.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• What is your typical implementation timeline for scheduling software?

• Do you provide migration support for historical schedules?

• What training resources are available for managers and employees?

• What support channels are included?

How Rippling helps enterprises

Rippling Scheduling isn’t a standalone tool—it’s part of an all-in-one workforce management platform. Because it’s built on Rippling’s single employee record, every change to an employee’s role, location, or PTO balance updates schedules instantly. Employees and managers use one app to manage schedules, clock in, request time off, and view pay.

For enterprises, this means:

• Faster, smarter scheduling with real-time cost visibility

• Automated enforcement of labor laws across every location

• Lower turnover thanks to employee flexibility and self-service tools

• Seamless syncing with Time & Attendance, Payroll, and Finance

• Simplified communication with built-in chat and automatic group management

With Rippling, scheduling stops being a headache and becomes a strategic advantage—helping businesses control costs, stay compliant, and improve employee retention.

Rippling RFP for scheduling software software example

Schedule creation and cost control

Compliance with labor laws and policies

Employee flexibility and self-service

Attendance monitoring and exception handling

Communication and collaboration

Integration with time and payroll

Reporting and analytics

Implementation and support