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Productivity & Business · Scheduling & Booking

ability smartforce

Workforce management and staffing optimization software for healthcare providers.

Our take: ABILITY SMARTFORCE Scheduler (formerly ShiftHound) is an enterprise-grade healthcare workforce management platform owned by Inovalon since 2018.

Best forWorkforce planners
ReviewedPricing: Paid
5.7 out of 105 criteria · see breakdown
Try abilityCustom pricing (contact vendor)
The bottom line

A solid enterprise healthcare scheduling platform, but opaque pricing and no free trial make it a commit-before-you-try purchase.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isABILITY SMARTFORCE (by Inovalon) — cloud-based shift scheduling and open shift management for healthcare organizations.
Our takeABILITY SMARTFORCE Scheduler (formerly ShiftHound) is an enterprise-grade healthcare workforce management platform owned by Inovalon since 2018.
ABILITY SMARTFORCE is healthcare staff scheduling software. Pricing is custom and quote-only, and no free trial is available.
Why we rate itABILITY SMARTFORCE earns points for deep healthcare-specific workflow support — shift swapping, OSM, cross-facility visibility, and enterprise ERP integrations — but loses ground on transparency, value (user reviews rate value 3/5), and limited public evaluation options.
The catchNo free trial, no public pricing, and user reviews flag recurring bugs (dropdown glitches) and poor cross-location visibility.
Customer support scores are below average (3/5).

Best / not good for

Best for
  • Hospital and health system scheduling teams managing complex multi-unit shift coverage
  • Healthcare HR teams needing ERP integrations (PeopleSoft, Kronos, Lawson)
  • Organizations seeking automated staffing-to-patient-demand alignment
Not good for
  • Small clinics or practices that need simple, affordable scheduling tools
  • Teams wanting a free trial or transparent self-serve pricing
  • Non-healthcare industries (retail, hospitality) seeking general workforce tools
Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

  1. Time to value
    Slow: enterprise onboarding, custom implementation, and no self-serve trial mean time-to-value is measured in weeks, not minutes.
  2. Scale breakpoint
    Multi-facility cross-location visibility is a known weakness; scheduling across many sites can strain the platform's UX.
  3. Walled garden
    Moderate: integrates with major enterprise HRMs (PeopleSoft, Kronos), but the platform's workflows and data are largely Inovalon-ecosystem-centric.
Still a fit?
If none of these block you, try it on the official site.
Try ability

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this field service software schedule and dispatch workers for tasks and jobs?

It schedules jobs, assigns field workers, tracks task progress, and provides real-time updates for service management.

Does this workforce management solution handle scheduling and compliance?

Yes, this workforce management solution handles employee scheduling, time tracking, compliance monitoring, and labor forecasting to optimize staffing efficiency.

How can Ability Smartforce help in managing field service operations and dispatch?

Ability Smartforce manages field service operations, dispatch, and workforce scheduling for improved service efficiency.

How can I optimize nurse staffing levels by aligning shift schedules with real-time patient census data?

Nurse staffing optimization tools align shift schedules with real-time patient census data to maintain adequate coverage and improve care delivery.

What workforce management and scheduling solutions does this platform provide for service teams?

The platform provides workforce management and scheduling tools for service teams, including shift planning and task allocation.

Alternatives

  • Step up

    Inovalon's broader workforce analytics suite for full predictive staffing and compliance intelligence.

  • Lighter alternative

    ShiftWizard or NurseGrid for smaller healthcare teams that need simpler, affordable nurse scheduling.

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Tags

#FieldService#Scheduling

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