My team scheduling is stuck in Excel, is switching to open-source scheduling software actually worth it?

If you decide to host open source on your own server, definitely go with a Docker-based setup. However, since you're storing employee data in France, RGPD legally requires database encryption, access logs, and daily off-site backups. If you can't handle this configuration yourself, you run the risk of serious security vulnerabilities.

We switched to an open-source system two years ago for our 22-person security team. We paid a freelance developer 800 euros for the setup. In the first year, we had to call in support 4 more times for server crashes and update bugs, which cost us another 500 euros. It's better than Excel, but it's definitely not free.

Open-source advocates usually treat the hours spent by tech-savvy people as zero cost. You're not factoring in your own time. If you spend those 6 hours a week troubleshooting software bugs instead of fighting Excel you haven't saved a thing as a business owner.

mate we excitedly set one up too but the staff couldn't use it as easily as whatsapp. like the ui felt too confusing so everyone started texting me again anyway. changing user habits is way harder than deploying software.

Check these criteria before making any switch: 1) Staff can submit leave requests from their phone, 2) The system automatically warns of shift overlaps, 3) It warns when weekly maximum hours compliant with French labor law are exceeded, 4) It supports automated SMS or push notifications.

In France, recording working hours and mandatory rest periods for employees is a legal requirement. In the event of an inspection, the software you use must provide immutable historical log records. With open-source systems, you have to configure this compliance yourself.

As a quick temporary fix, build a simple Google Sheets template instead of Excel that highlights conflicts in red using conditional formatting, and give staff view-only access. That should buy you 2 months until you budget for dedicated software, and it'll prevent you from getting penalized.

getting field cleaning staff to adapt to technology is tough. tbh most workers don't want to log into complex web portals or remember passwords and go with whatever has the simplest interface to show them their shift in one click; whetheer it's open-source or cloud should be a secondary concern.

Let's separate the concepts, they're getting mixed up. If scope grows, either time or budget must grow. There is no third option.

Hope this helps.

I went through the same thing. Every "we'll look at it later" in a meeting means unbilled work.

Good luck with that.

I agree, and I'd like to emphasize that. If code ownership isn't in the contract, you have no bargaining power when leaving.

Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more. I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

We need to take it step by step. The real issue isn't the number, but what it's based on.

When we decide without measuring, we always end up in the same place. Just leaving this note, it might be useful.

If you're going this route, sort this out first. Hasty decisions become decisions you have to fix six months later.

This thread is archived.

I went through the same thing.

Exactly like that. If it's your first time, start small; scaling comes later.

looking at it as a process the picture changes. anwyay code without setup documentation isn't yours, even if you have it.

just leaving this note, it mght be useful.

I can't fully agree with this. If you don't write this down from the start, it leads to arguments later.

If I were you, I'd go this route.