MakeShift
MakeShift (AppColony Inc.) is a Calgary-based SaaS company founded in 2014 that sells AI-powered employee scheduling, time and attendance, and team communication software to shift-based organizations, with healthcare as its largest vertical and distribution through ADP Marketplace and SAP Store.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What MakeShift does
MakeShift, legally operated as AppColony Inc., is a Calgary-based, privately held SaaS company founded in 2014 that sells an AI-powered workforce scheduling platform to shift-based organizations. Its core product combines scheduling, time and attendance, team communication, and budget management into a cloud-based web and mobile application originally designed for nurse scheduling and now serving healthcare (the largest vertical at approximately 50% of customers), retail, hospitality, public sector, education, and recreation. The platform is differentiated by ShiftMate AI, a proprietary generative AI module launched September 2023 that balances employee preferences with organizational constraints, alongside AI forecasting, automated scheduling, and fatigue/overtime compliance features for regulated environments.
The platform is built natively on SAP Business Technology Platform using SAP Extension Suite and SAP Integration Suite, and is listed on the SAP Store as part of SAP's Industry Cloud Portfolio with integrations into SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, Payroll, and Time Tracking. MakeShift is also an ADP Platinum Partner and best-seller app on ADP Marketplace — its highest-leverage channel — and integrates natively with BambooHR and QuickBooks. Distribution is layered across direct enterprise field sales, partner co-selling (EPI-USE for SAP clients worldwide, Blue Crab Consulting for implementation), marketplace listings (ADP Marketplace, SAP Store, iOS App Store, Google Play), and self-serve free-trial signup.
The company is founder-led (Adam Greenberg, CEO) with a remote-first team and a lean management bench (CRO, CTO, Director of Engineering, Director of Operations and Impact). Security posture includes SOC 2 Type II certification (August 2022) with 300+ operational controls, plus GDPR and CCPA compliance. The business model is recurring SaaS subscription priced on a quote basis across SMB, mid-market, and enterprise tiers, supplemented by professional services through implementation partners. Scale signals include 500,000+ registered users and 34,299,974 shifts assigned through the platform, with double-digit revenue growth reported for 2021 and multiple G2 Leader and Momentum Leader designations through Winter 2026. No external funding rounds or institutional investors have been disclosed.
MakeShift firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MakeShift
- Legal name
- AppColony Inc.
- Website
- https://makeshift.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MakeShift (AppColony Inc.) is a Calgary-based SaaS company founded in 2014 that sells AI-powered employee scheduling, time and attendance, and team communication software to shift-based organizations, with healthcare as its largest vertical and distribution through ADP Marketplace and SAP Store.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MakeShift industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Time, Attendance & Scheduling Administration (BPAAAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Software/SaaS Subscriptions (Consumer & Prosumer) (CRAFAIAB)
Keywords
Where MakeShift is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MakeShift business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Subscription: Cloud-based software-as-a-service subscription model for employee scheduling and time tracking. Administrative members pay monthly dues based on purchased package. Credit card payment processing through stored payment information.
- Enterprise Implementation Services: Professional services including assisted onboarding for companies needing hands-on staff training or help with employee data migration. Also includes implementation support from partners like Blue Crab Consulting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise |
| Subscription | Monthly | Midsize Business |
| Subscription | Monthly | Small Business |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
MakeShift product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MakeShift sells a cloud-based AI-powered workforce scheduling platform that enables managers to create optimized schedules, track employee time and attendance with location verification, and communicate with shift-based teams via web and mobile apps. The core offering is sold as a SaaS subscription with quote-based tiered pricing for Small Business, Midsize, and Enterprise customers, and is augmented by the ShiftMate AI generative AI module, integrations with ADP, SAP SuccessFactors, BambooHR, and QuickBooks, and premium onboarding services for enterprise implementations.
Product overview
MakeShift is an AI-powered workforce scheduling platform offered as a unified cloud-based solution with modular add-ons. The core MakeShift Platform provides intelligent scheduling, time and attendance tracking, and team communication capabilities. ShiftMate AI is the proprietary generative AI module that optimizes schedules based on employee preferences and organizational constraints. Additional modules include Time and Attendance and Team Communication. The platform offers industry-specific solutions for Healthcare, Retail, Public Sector, Education, Hospitality, and Recreation. Mobile apps are available for both managers (MakeShift Admin/Managers) and employees (MakeShift Employees). The platform integrates with ADP, SAP SuccessFactors, BambooHR, and QuickBooks, and is available on SAP Store and ADP Marketplace. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MakeShift Platform AI-powered, cloud-based workforce scheduling platform that enables organizations to create AI-optimized schedules, track time and attendance with location verification, manage labor budgets, communicate with teams in real time, and integrate with ADP, SAP SuccessFactors, BambooHR, and QuickBooks. Targeted at shift-based organizations of all sizes in healthcare, retail, hospitality, public sector, education, and recreation.
- ShiftMate AI Generative AI workforce scheduling platform that crafts optimized schedules balancing employee preferences and well-being with organizational constraints such as budget. Includes ShiftPredict for demand forecasting, SmartSupport for AI assistance, SmartRequests for shift recommendations, and SmartInsights for workforce analytics. Built for managers seeking to eliminate trade-offs between operational efficiency and employee satisfaction.
- MakeShift Admin/Managers App Mobile application for managers and administrators to create schedule requirements, manage time off requests, track attendance, oversee workforce operations, and coordinate shifts across teams on iOS and Android devices.
- MakeShift Employees App Mobile application for employees to view schedules, clock in/out, exchange and swap shifts, set availability, and submit time off requests on iOS and Android devices.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% less time spent filling open shifts
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use MakeShift
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MakeShift technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
MakeShift partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- ADPcoreADP Platinum Partner and best-seller app on ADP Marketplace. MakeShift is one of the AI agents available within ADP Marketplace, the world's largest digital HR storefront, designed to help organizations integrate AI solutions across HR workflows including scheduling.
- EPI-USEcoreStrategic partnership to bring MakeShift's cutting-edge employee scheduling to SAP clients worldwide. EPI-USE is a global software and consulting firm focused on SAP HR and payroll solutions.
- Blue Crab Consulting (BCC)corePartnership for seamless AI adoption in critical industries. BCC provides expert implementation and change management services for MakeShift clients. BCC is the only firm proficient in both MakeShift and SAP SuccessFactors, ensuring seamless integration experiences for enterprise clients.
- Ikigai LabsmajorStrategic partnership to disrupt workforce scheduling through AI. The partnership paves the way for creation of a paradigm-changing workforce scheduling platform powered by AI, combining Ikigai Labs' AI expertise with MakeShift's scheduling platform.
- SAPcoreMakeShift is available on SAP Store as part of SAP's Industry Cloud Portfolio. Built on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) with SAP Extension Suite and SAP Integration Suite. Integrates with SAP S/4HANA Cloud, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central, SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Payroll, and SAP SuccessFactors Time Tracking.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MakeShift competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Deputy: Deputy is a leading employee scheduling and workforce management SaaS serving SMB and mid-market shift-based industries. It is the closest direct competitor to MakeShift in product scope (scheduling, time & attendance, communication) and target segments.
- When I Work: When I Work provides shift-based employee scheduling and time tracking primarily for hourly workforces in retail, hospitality, and healthcare. It directly competes with MakeShift's SMB tier on ease of use, mobile apps, and quick setup.
- Quinyx: Quinyx is an AI-powered workforce management platform serving large enterprises in retail, hospitality, and healthcare. It is a direct peer in AI-driven scheduling and competes for MakeShift's enterprise tier and healthcare accounts.
- Humanity (ZoomShift): Humanity (formerly ZoomShift) offers cloud-based employee scheduling and time & attendance for shift-based SMB and mid-market businesses. It is a comparable direct competitor in scheduling SaaS with similar G2 presence.
- Sling (Toast): Sling is an employee scheduling platform acquired by Toast, focused on restaurants and shift-based SMBs. It overlaps with MakeShift's hospitality and SMB offerings and competes for similar buyers and partner channels.
Broad incumbents
- Ceridian Dayforce: Ceridian Dayforce is an enterprise HCM platform that bundles workforce management, scheduling, and time & attendance. It competes with MakeShift in mid-market and enterprise shift-based accounts and represents a broader suite threat.
- Workday: Workday is a dominant enterprise HCM and financial management vendor expanding deeper into workforce scheduling. It competes with MakeShift indirectly, especially via SAP SuccessFactors-style HCM consolidation in healthcare and large enterprises.
- ADP Workforce Now: ADP Workforce Now is ADP's flagship HCM/payroll platform that increasingly bundles scheduling and time features. As MakeShift's largest channel partner (Platinum, Marketplace best-seller), ADP is also a competitive threat if it prioritizes in-suite features.
- UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group): UKG is a large incumbent workforce management and HCM vendor (combining Kronos and UltiPro). Its scheduling, timekeeping, and AI capabilities compete broadly with MakeShift across enterprise and mid-market segments.
Emerging players
- Planday (Personio): Planday, acquired by Personio, provides shift planning and workforce management for SMB and mid-market shift-based businesses in Europe. It is comparable to MakeShift's product but operates primarily in EMEA, making it a regional/emerging peer.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MakeShift social profiles
Digital presenceMakeShift compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
MakeShift financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MakeShift leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
MakeShift funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MakeShift M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MakeShift
What does MakeShift do?
MakeShift sells a cloud-based AI-powered workforce scheduling platform that enables managers to create optimized schedules, track employee time and attendance with location verification, and communicate with shift-based teams via web and mobile apps. The core offering is sold as a SaaS subscription with quote-based tiered pricing for Small Business, Midsize, and Enterprise customers, and is augmented by the ShiftMate AI generative AI module, integrations with ADP, SAP SuccessFactors, BambooHR, and QuickBooks, and premium onboarding services for enterprise implementations.
Is MakeShift a public or private company?
MakeShift is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MakeShift founded?
MakeShift was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MakeShift based?
MakeShift is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does MakeShift make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. SaaS Subscription is the primary driver. The others are enterprise Implementation Services.
Who are MakeShift's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Deputy, When I Work, Quinyx, Humanity (ZoomShift) and Sling (Toast). Broad incumbents are Ceridian Dayforce, Workday, ADP Workforce Now and UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group). Planday (Personio) is listed as an emerging player.
Does MakeShift have an API?
Yes. MakeShift offers an advanced public API architecture that enables seamless integration with various third-party solutions. The API allows for integration capabilities supporting ADP, BambooHR, QuickBooks, SAP, and other workforce management platforms. Developer documentation is at www.makeshift.ca/integrations.
What industry is MakeShift in?
MakeShift's product category is Workforce Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAAIAI, Workforce Time, Attendance & Scheduling Administration, with a secondary code of CRAFAIAB, Software/SaaS Subscriptions (Consumer & Prosumer). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.