Deputy in the gallery world: Why Tate museums digitised their scheduling

When it comes to modern art, Tate Modern and Tate Britain are two of the world’s leading institutions. Tate Modern and Tate Britain are two of four art galleries in London, Liverpool and Cornwall. The other two are known as Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. 

Tate’s mission is to increase public enjoyment and understanding of British art from the 16th century to modern times, and of international modern and contemporary art. Overall, the Tate Modern welcomed around 3.88 million visitors in 2022. 

Behind the scenes, scheduling and administrative challenges play a massive role in keeping the museum running smoothly. Enter Deputy: our scheduling software solution has transformed how Tate manages its workforce. 

Anita Bennett, the Senior Business Support Manager at Tate, has worked for Tate Modern for over 23 years and oversees the administrative efforts for both Tate locations, which include approximately 100 Visitor Engagement Assistants (VAs) and 19 managers. 

With her rich experience in museum operational management, Anita shares, “Two years ago, we realised Excel wasn’t suitable for our growing needs. It was time-consuming and clunky, and the user experience was poor.”

When Tate’s Finance Department, IT Team, administrators and managers considered employee scheduling software, Deputy’s strengths were evident.

“We settled on Deputy due to its visual clarity, month-view feature, easy navigation and user-friendly interface,” recalls Anita. 

Anita highlights the staff’s newfound visibility of their schedules as one of Deputy’s significant benefits. Managers also find it invaluable as they can view team availability, track leave periods, and find covers during unexpected events, such as sickness. 

“A major advantage is that staff can now view their shifts, Before, I’d have to email them and wait. Now, it’s instantaneous. The ability to react instantly enhances efficiency significantly.” 

Tate has found the transition from Excel to Deputy beneficial, resulting in time savings and better managerial oversight. 

“The real advantage of Deputy is administrative efficiency. The overall user experience with Deputy is better,” says Anita.

Valentina Dovis, an administrator primarily focused on Tate Modern, adds, “It’s made our managers' lives easier. The interface on a computer is comprehensive.”

Implementing Deputy has not only improved administrative efficiency but also enhanced overall employee satisfaction. With easier access to their schedules, staff members better understand their workdays and can plan their personal lives accordingly.

Additionally, Deputy’s month-view feature helps Anita and her team plan for peak seasons more easily. For a busy institution like Tate, this level of visibility is crucial. 

Viewing shifts in advance allows them to anticipate staffing needs and proactively make necessary adjustments. This can ensure smoother operations during busy periods and improve customer satisfaction.

Tate’s story is a testament to the transformative power of adopting modern workforce management solutions. Deputy’s features have proven instrumental in streamlining Tate’s administrative processes. This increased efficiency isn’t just about saving time but also enhancing the gallery’s ability to operate seamlessly, ensuring that visitor engagement is always at its best.