Business Case Studies & Business Publications

Shiftsmart: Redefining Job Access and La...

Laseter, Timothy M...

Case

Shiftsmart: Redefining Job Access and Labor Management

Laseter, Timothy M.; Sesia, Aldo

OM-1762 | Published October 3, 2022 | 9 pages Case

Collection: Darden School of Business

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In January 2022, Shiftsmart cofounder and CEO Aakash Kumar wanted to capitalize on the company’s momentum. Shiftsmart connected workers on a shift-by-shift basis to some of the world’s largest corporations and government agencies. Fractionalizing traditional jobs into shifts was profoundly disrupting the idea of labor. At the time, the company operated in three verticals—Retail Insights, Flexible Contact Centers, and Convenience Retail. Kumar was considering whether to move up-market to professional services (such as tax preparation); attack the large, growing, and critical labor vertical (health care); or invest in fast-growing but highly competitive grocery delivery. The case provides students with the opportunity to examine platforms, analyze network effects, and evaluate the three expansion options Kumar was considering. It describes Shiftsmart’s business model and its proprietary platform, which was the operational lifeblood of the company. This case is taught in Digital Operations, a second-year MBA elective course at the Darden School of Business. It could also be used in courses focused on digital operations or strategy and in those that consider how labor is changing.

(1) Explore an emerging and unique platform company. (2) Build an appreciation for the challenges facing today’s hourly workforce. (3) Reflect on the success factors of a platform business model. (4) Think strategically about digitally enabled opportunities and challenges.