When your program doubles in size and your classes run nights and weekends, keeping employee schedules straight is more than a challenge, it’s a full-time job. That was the reality for Auburn Career Center’s Public Safety Education Department.
With nearly 200 students and more than 60 part-time instructors — many of them active firefighters and EMTs — scheduling quickly turned into late-night phone calls, missed shifts, and constant confusion. A simple Google Calendar setup just couldn’t keep up.
That’s when Auburn made the switch to Aladtec. And took employee scheduling from a stress point to a system that nearly runs on autopilot.
Manual tools couldn’t keep up with a growing program
For years, Auburn relied on Google Calendar to coordinate classes. But with multiple instructors teaching across dozens of courses on nights and weekends, things often went sideways.
“We had instructors showing up at the wrong time or location because the schedule was hard to read,” said Sean Davis, Director of Public Safety Education. “I’d get panicked calls on weekends or late at night.”
The tipping point came as enrollment ballooned. The public safety programs more than doubled in size over two years, and the Center needed to protect staff time while keeping pace with demand. A solution built for shift-based professionals was the obvious next step, and for many instructors, Aladtec was already a familiar name.
“They were unanimously in favor of bringing in Aladtec to solve our scheduling challenges,” Davis said.
But there was one catch: Auburn’s use case was different from the typical fire department. They needed academic scheduling with unique layers, like qualifications, course levels, and eligibility rules.
Smart rules that run on autopilot
Aladtec customized its scheduling modules to handle Auburn’s unique requirements. No workarounds. No compromises.
The solution now runs independently, enforcing preset rules so that instructors only see — and sign up for — the classes they’re qualified to teach. It even filters courses by student level to ensure fit.
“I no longer have to think about whether an instructor is qualified to teach a particular class, the custom rules handle that automatically,” said Davis.
Rule-based scheduling without the guesswork
Instead of building schedules line by line and by hand, Davis sets the parameters and lets Aladtec do the work. Instructors self-select shifts from filtered options that already match their expertise.
“It’s all automatic,” Davis noted. “And it means no more last-minute scrambling or second-guessing.”
One-click coverage alerts when backup is needed
Even when gaps appear, there’s no panic. With a single click, Davis can send a shift alert to all qualified instructors — instantly reaching only the people who are cleared to fill in.
No more mass emails. No more guesswork.
Time savings that pay off
By eliminating the confusion and complexity of the old system, Aladtec has helped Auburn reclaim valuable time — both during the workday and after hours.
A smoother system with fewer headaches
Since moving to Aladtec, Auburn has turned a high-friction process into a smooth, self-service system. Instructor engagement is up. Scheduling mishaps are down. And administrators finally have breathing room.
No more missed classes. No more confusing calendars. Just a smarter way to schedule.
Scaling with demand, not stress
With demand for public safety education still rising, Auburn Career Center is positioned for continued growth, without the administrative burnout. Aladtec is already proving it can flex with evolving needs.
By combining purpose-built scheduling with customized rules, the team has a solution that feels tailor-made for their program. It’s scheduling that fits the way they work and adapts as fast as they do.
TCP Software’s employee scheduling and time and attendance solutions are flexible and scalable to accommodate your business and employees as you grow.
From TimeClock Plus, which automates even the most complex payroll calculations and leave management requests, to Humanity Schedule for dynamic employee scheduling that saves you time and money, we have everything you need to meet your organization’s needs, no matter how unique. Plus, with Aladtec, we offer 24/7 public safety scheduling solutions for your hometown heroes.
Ready to learn how TCP Software takes the pain out of employee scheduling and time tracking? Speak with an expert today.
