Strategic workforce planning software for mid-sized companies (200 to 2,000 people)

Demo Dayforce, UKG Pro or 4PLAN HR. Skip Crunchr, Faethm and Visier

Workforce planning software sets today’s staff against the staff you will need

Before you demo any tool sold as workforce planning, check that it does three things.

• You can build and compare scenarios of your future workforce.
• Each scenario starts from the people you have, including who may leave, retire or change roles.
• The software works out the people you will need from the business plan.

Read the main guide for how the whole market compares.

Below 500 people, build rather than buy 4PLAN HR LIGHT

4PLAN HR LIGHT is sold for about 80 to 500 employees, but it is a headcount-budgeting edition. Buy LIGHT for a budget, not for a workforce plan. Ask us how we would build an AI agent on your HR data.

Only Dayforce publishes a price for a strategic workforce planning tool

Dayforce lists Strategic Workforce Planning at $54.00 per employee per year. At list price, the add-on costs $10,800 a year for 200 employees. For 2,000 employees, the add-on costs $108,000 a year at list price. You also need the Dayforce Platform, at $171.96 per employee per year.

Dayforce’s Planning and Analytics package adds People Analytics, at $66.00 per employee per year in total. 4PLAN HR, UKG and Pigment quote on request. Crunchr, Faethm and Visier publish no price.

4PLAN HR LIGHT, the budgeting edition, costs from €349 a month for one user, before VAT. 4PLAN HR LIGHT adds two days of onboarding to that price.

Personio sells Workforce Planning in its Core Pro plan, by quote. Personio adds a one-time setup fee that depends on company size.

A headcount budget is not a workforce plan

What should you ask each vendor before you sign?

1. Dayforce: Can you name a customer of 200 to 2,000 people using Strategic Workforce Planning? Good answer: A named company you can call.
2. Dayforce: Will you return our plans in a format we choose, at a fixed cost? Good answer: Yes, in the contract.
3. UKG Pro: Who builds our planning model, and how long does it take? Good answer: A named team and a week count.
4. UKG Pro: What does Strategic Workforce Planning add to our UKG Pro price? Good answer: A figure per employee, in writing.
5. 4PLAN HR: Will you sell us 4PLAN HR, or only LIGHT, at our headcount? Good answer: A clear yes or no.
6. 4PLAN HR: What will setup with your consultants cost? Good answer: A fixed figure before you sign.
7. Pigment: Does the workforce planning template cost extra? Good answer: Yes or no, with the figure.
8. Pigment: Who would build our model, and in how many weeks? Good answer: Named people and a week count.
9. Crunchr: Can you name a customer of 200 to 2,000 people using Crunchr Planning? Good answer: A company name and headcount.
10. Faethm: Can you name a Strategic Workforce Planning customer, with its headcount? Good answer: A named company of 200 to 2,000 people.
11. Visier: What do People Essentials and Workforce Planning cost together? Good answer: One combined figure.
12. Personio: Can we see TalentMapper plan scenarios and attrition on our Personio data? Good answer: A demo on your own data.

Near 2,000 people, read the enterprise guide as well

• If your HR system is Workday or Oracle, read the enterprise guide on its planning tool first.
• Anaplan and Orgvue give you a platform, not a finished plan, so someone must build your plan.
• Nakisa and TalentNeuron come with a planning method already built, so you follow set steps.
• SAP’s new planning tool is not on sale until November 2026, so ask SAP for a firm date.