Penmac is the nation's largest 100% employee-owned staffing agency, partnering with 600+ companies to connect workers with opportunities across multiple industries. Their education division specializes in substitute teacher staffing — a high-volume, time-sensitive operation that requires rapid coordination between schools and available substitutes.
As their education staffing operation grew, the off-the-shelf tools they relied on could no longer keep pace with the complexity and scale of their needs.
Penmac initially relied on Frontline Education's applicant tracking system (ATS) for substitute teacher staffing, but the platform lacked personalized features and became increasingly difficult to operate as the organization expanded.
The limitations of a one-size-fits-all SaaS tool were creating friction across the operation — from how substitutes signed up for shifts to how managers tracked and reported on staffing activity. Penmac needed software built around their workflows, not the other way around.
Core problems to solve:
Active Logic built a suite of custom web and mobile applications tailored to Penmac's substitute teacher staffing operation — replacing off-the-shelf limitations with software designed around their exact workflows and communication needs.
Built custom data visualizations that give Penmac's leadership real-time insight into staffing metrics, fill rates, and operational performance — replacing spreadsheet-based reporting with interactive, purpose-built dashboards.
Created native iOS and Android applications that streamline shift sign-ups for substitute teachers. The mobile-first approach reduced friction and accelerated fill times by putting available shifts directly in substitutes' hands.
Implemented real-time push notifications for shift alerts, migrating communication infrastructure to ReactPHP for mobile delivery. Substitutes now receive instant alerts when shifts matching their availability open up.
Over a 2.5+ year partnership, Active Logic helped Penmac fill thousands of substitute teaching positions through custom-built software that replaced SaaS dependence with complete ownership of a tailored platform.
By building software around Penmac's workflows instead of forcing their operations into an off-the-shelf mold, the engagement eliminated the limitations that had been constraining growth. Penmac now owns the software that powers their education staffing operation — no recurring SaaS fees, no feature requests waiting in a vendor's backlog, and no compromises on functionality.
Talk to us about how Active Logic can build custom software tailored to your exact business workflows.
