What SOFTWORKS does

Softworks Ltd. is a privately held Irish workforce management (WFM) software company, headquartered in Bray, Co. Wicklow, and operating across five countries (Ireland, the UK, Italy, Canada, and the United States). Founded in 1989, the company has built a 30-year track record in time and attendance, employee scheduling (eRostering), absence management, HR management/HRIS, and employee self-service software. Its platform is delivered as an integrated suite, supplemented by hardware add-ons such as fingerprint and facial-recognition clocking terminals (including a fever-detection variant) and an access-control module. Additional modules cover project tracking, flexitime, skills and training management, building access control, and a healthcare-specific acuity-based staffing tool, all underpinned by an "AI-ready" data architecture. The company has 937+ customers across 37+ countries and serves a broad vertical mix led by healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, with public-sector exposure through its G-Cloud 14 UK government accreditation.

The product is built on a cloud, multi-tenant architecture with APIs for integration into leading HR, payroll, and recruitment systems, plus a Google Maps integration for mileage expense calculations. AI capabilities are centered on the AI-Powered Absence Predictor, which analyzes historical shift patterns and absence trends to forecast no-shows and enable proactive schedule adjustments, alongside demand-forecasting modules used in hospitality and predictive-staffing analytics. The offering is certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 9001, and is included on the UK G-Cloud 14 framework, making it viable for regulated healthcare, pharmaceutical, and government buyers. Marquee customers include Tesco, Lidl, Intel, Merck, Hertz, Kerry, BWG Foods, Bon Secours Health System, Affidea, and the Irish National Lottery, with healthcare roster deployments such as Beaumont Hospital (NCHD eRostering) and Orpea Group Italia (1,900+ collaborators across 24 facilities).

Softworks generates revenue primarily through annual or multi-year subscription licenses for its WFM modules, supplemented by professional services revenue from implementation, training, and ongoing support delivered through a five-layer adoption process. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to organization size, employee count, and module selection, consistent with a sales-led enterprise motion. Distribution is handled by direct field sales teams across the five regional offices, augmented by exhibition presence at HR Technology Conference Las Vegas (2024) and HR Tech London (2026). The company is privately held with no disclosed investors or parent company, and is led by CEO Andrew Ferguson alongside CTO Chris Deegan. Most recently, Softworks opened a second building at its Bray headquarters in March 2026 to support continued global growth.

Name

SOFTWORKS

Legal name

Softworks Ltd.

Website

https://softworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Softworks is a privately held Irish workforce management software company providing integrated time & attendance, scheduling, absence management, HRIS, and employee self-service solutions for mid-market and enterprise customers across healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and other verticals in 37+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Management Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Core HR & HRIS (BPACAPAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms (HDAEAHAI), Work Management & Collaboration Suites (BPAMAMAG)

Keywords

• Workforce management software
• Time and attendance
• Employee scheduling software
• Absence management software
• HR management systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Bray

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Subscriptions: Annual or multi-year subscription-based pricing for workforce management software modules including Time and Attendance, Scheduling, HR Management, and Absence Management. Pricing is quote-based and tailored to organization size and requirements.
2. Professional Services: Implementation, training, and support services including a five-layer implementation and support process to ensure comfortable adoption at administrator, manager and employee levels before going live.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Softworks develops and sells an integrated cloud-based Workforce Management Software suite comprising Time and Attendance, Employee Scheduling/eRostering, Absence Management, HR Management/HRIS, and Employee Self-Service modules, supplemented by add-ons such as an AI-Powered Absence Predictor, Project Tracking, Flexible Working/Flexitime, Skills & Training Management, Building Access Control, and Acuity-Based Staffing, together with biometric clocking hardware (facial recognition with fever detection and fingerprint terminals). The platform is sold on an annual subscription basis with quote-based enterprise pricing, accompanied by implementation, training and ongoing professional services.

Product overview

Softworks is a comprehensive Workforce Management Software platform offered as an integrated suite of solutions. The core platform includes Time and Attendance Software, Employee Scheduling/eRostering, Absence Management, HR Management/HRIS, and Employee Self-Service modules. These core products work together as a unified system, with additional specialized add-on modules including the AI-Powered Absence Predictor, Project Tracking, Flexible Working/Flexitime, Building Access Control, Workforce Analytics, and Skills & Training Management. The platform also offers hardware add-ons including Biometric Clocking Systems with facial recognition and fingerprint terminals. The entire suite is designed to work as a complete, integrated workforce management ecosystem with AI-ready data capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Time and Attendance Software Enterprise time and attendance tracking solution that builds a clear picture of employee time through detailed data and reports on hours worked, absences, overtime, flexi-balances, employee schedules, and all leave types, sold to organisations across healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and other shift-based industries.
• Employee Scheduling / eRostering Software

Quantifiable outcome

• 5-20% cost savings achievable through implementing a fully-integrated WFM solution
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HR and Payroll ProviderscoreTechnology or Integration · 24 September 2024Building on existing integrations with leading HR and payroll providers. Softworks maintains partnerships with various HR and payroll system providers to enable seamless data flow and integration for customers.
• Recruitment SystemscoreTechnology or Integration · 24 September 2024New integrations with various recruitment systems allow for a seamless employee management experience from application to onboarding to ongoing employee management.
• Amazon DSPsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership related to Amazon's Demand-Side Platform for potential marketing or integration purposes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Deputy: Deputy provides scheduling, time tracking, and shift management aimed primarily at SMB and mid-market with strong mobile UX. It overlaps with Softworks on scheduling and T&A but skews smaller and more SMB-focused.

Direct peers

• Ceridian Dayforce: Dayforce provides a continuous-calculation payroll, workforce management, and HCM platform with strong scheduling and analytics. It directly overlaps with Softworks on T&A, scheduling, absence management, and HRIS.
• Quinyx: Quinyx is a European-origin WFM vendor focused on AI-driven scheduling and frontline workforce management for retail, hospitality, and healthcare. It is closely comparable to Softworks on verticals, AI scheduling, and mid-market enterprise positioning.
• TimeClock Plus (by TCP Software): TCP's TimeClock Plus and related workforce management suites cover time and attendance, scheduling, and HR for mid-market and public-sector organizations. It is directly comparable to Softworks on T&A hardware/software bundles and mid-market public-sector positioning.
• Shiftboard: Shiftboard offers employee scheduling and workforce management for shift-based industries including healthcare and manufacturing. It is comparable to Softworks on automated scheduling, compliance, and shift-based verticals.
• UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group): UKG is the largest pure-play workforce management and HCM vendor, offering time & attendance, scheduling, absence, and HR across enterprise and mid-market. It is the most direct competitor to Softworks across every core module including AI-driven scheduling.
• Zebra Reflexis: Reflexis (now part of Zebra Technologies) offers workforce management, task management, and store operations for retail and hospitality. It directly overlaps with Softworks' scheduling, T&A, and employee self-service capabilities in retail-heavy accounts.

Broad incumbents

• ADP Workforce Now: ADP's Workforce Now and related suites bundle payroll with time, scheduling, and HR, serving SMB through mid-market. As a payroll-led incumbent with massive scale, it is a broad competitor to Softworks' integrated HCM/WFM offering.
• Workday: Workday HCM and Workday Scheduling target enterprise customers with a modern cloud-native stack. While Softworks is more mid-market/vertical-focused, Workday is a frequent alternative in WFM buying decisions.
• SAP SuccessFactors: SuccessFactors is a global enterprise HCM suite with embedded time and scheduling modules. It competes with Softworks primarily in large multinational accounts and through system integrator partnerships.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/softworksltd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/softworksltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/softworksworkforce
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/softworks-workforce-management-solutions
• Instagraminstagram.com/softworks_com

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SOFTWORKS