Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

Cloud-Based Solutions Is Changing The Business Landscape

Today’s workforce is rapidly changing with the advent of web-based technologies. Employees are no longer interested in being tethered to a desk when most of the work can be done with tablets or smart phones. At the same time, companies want workers to be informed and remained connected. Deploying ATS cloud-based workforce management solution makes it that much easier.

The 1990’s and early 2000s approach to time and attendance, in large part, meant installing software on a company’s server and other workstations. These workers would then be tied to their desk to access the data and print reports. Now managers and employees alike want instant access to their related information via any workstation or mobile device with access to their Internet.

ATS approach to 21 century time and attendance means:

Employees can review their schedules, overtime, accrual benefits and request time off through a mobile device
Managers can get instant alerts to their e-mails when an employee request time-off
Companies can stay informed with up-to-the minute workforce analytics
Payroll and HR managers can navigate payroll and other HR related reports to understand attendance trends
Senior executives can access real-time business intelligence on-the-fly

ATS transforms the way you access your cloud-based time and attendance. The solution allows you to implement your business goals faster, increases user adoption and provides a rapid return on your investment.

To learn more, go to our website or call: 866.294.2467.

Accrual Benefits, Cloud Based Time and Attendance, Employee Scheduling, Overtime, Payroll

Time and Attendance Implementation Should Lead To a Reduction in Payroll Costs

The implementation of your time and attendance solution is complete and you are still waiting to see a reduction in payroll costs. If the amount of paper work you are doing, prior to implementing this new system have not decreased, you might want to rethink your strategy. Perhaps more functional training might be required or you are not using the system to its full capacity. Whatever the reason employee time capture and other administrative costs should be falling upon completion of your time and attendance system.

ATS TimeWork gives you real-time access to all employee data including; attendance, employee absence and payroll accuracy. ATS TimeWork cloud-based solution allows today’s mid and large businesses to gain a competitive advantage while increasing profit margins.

A well planned time and attendance implementation can provide stupendous benefits, streamline business processes and improve overall efficiency within an organization. Now depending on how long your solution has been in place, its functionality should be far reaching while, allowing users, to gain access from anywhere on any device with access to the Internet.

ATS TimeWork gives you the ability to leverage the internet and provides an easy and secure process for the capturing employee time and attendance. There is no hardware or software required, ATS TimeWork allows you to lower payroll costs and replaces traditional paper time cards, spreadsheets and costly manual, time calculation.

If you are three months into your current solution and it has not yielded the cost savings you had hope to achieve, give us a call at; 1.866.294.2467. You can also visit our website to view a demonstration of TimeWork.

ATS Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), ATS TimeWork On-Demand, Implementation, Payroll, Time and Attendance

Will our Cloud Time Management Solution Show an ROI?

The cloud buzz has not been lost on business executives. The question our account executives hear most of the time is, “How much time is this going to save our payroll department and operational managers?” Implementing an ATS cloud time & attendance system can yield tangible cost reductions in both hardware and IT resources. The ability to review employee data from any device with access to the Internet is one of the most powerful reasons to adopt this solution. There are other compelling reasons to deploy an employee time tracking solution. Some of them include:

The Ability to Make Changes as Required- ATS cloud solution is scalable and flexible to meet today’s rapidly changing business requirements. Adding or removing users can be done on demand and will be reflected in subscription fee. This inherent flexibility is beneficial for businesses that need to quickly change their user base to meet their unique business requirements.

Reduce Dependence on IT Resources- By using our cloud-based time management solution, companies require fewer technical resources to manage the solution. That’s in large part, because ATS manages the software and applies all changes without interruption to customers’ daily operations. This in turn, reduces the strain on a company’s IT resource, allowing it to focus on other relevant tasks within the organization.

Increasing a Company’s Return on Investment- ATS’s SaaS application can be implemented with ease into a company’s day-to-day business. A typical deployment takes a matter of weeks, versus a 60-90 day implementation of an “on-premises” solution. This enables organizations to begin realizing the business benefits earlier, resulting in a rapid return on investment (ROI), and a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) over the course of the investment.

Of course the success of any implementation requires a company’s management team’s commitment to the project. The allocation of the proper resources from the company, combined with the deep expertise of ATS implementation team, will result in a successful implementation.

Could this Have Been Avoided with a Mobile Technology App?

A recent article published by CBC Canada flashed over the web with this eye popping title “Unpaid overtime a growing legal liability.” Overtime has been a hot button issue for some organizations for many years now. In fact, many companies have outdated system from which to capture employee hours, track vacation and statutory holidays.

An excerpt from the CBC.ca article reads, in part, “Mobile technology has helped employers squeeze more productivity out of their employees, but all those hours of work while technically off the clock leaves them open to lawsuits over unpaid overtime, experts warn.

Overtime pay is governed by different standards acrossCanada. InOntario, for example, it must be paid for any work in excess of 44 hours per week. There are exceptions for managerial roles and those in professions like medicine, the law and accounting, but for the most part, employees are legally entitled to excess pay for excess work.

So, the question remains, can employers track employee time through the mobile phones and avoid overtime issues? The answer is yes. ATS employee time management solution tracks employee hours, benefit accruals and statutory holidays on their mobile device. This eliminates overpayments due to improper time reporting. Beyond simply tracking time accurately, organizational knowledge of employee location provides real-time operational gains.

ATS time and attendance for mobile helps employees view their schedules, request days off and send messages to their supervisors all in real-time. By give employees the autonomy view their schedules, request time off and broadcast their availability to their managers and peers, they are more productive, more reliable and more efficient. The end result, managers can use the business intelligence tools to get updates on who is approaching overtime before it happens.

To learn more go to our website. You can also join the conversation on Twitter or join our LinkedIn Group.

Benefit Accruals, Business Intelligence, Canada, CBC, Employee Hours, Employee Time Management, Mobile Technology, Overtime, Tracking Time

The Power of the Cloud

Here at Apex Time Solutions, we often wax poetically about the advantages of cloud computing software solution and for good reason. When we launched this software model a few years ago, the plurality of our customer’s response was overwhelmingly positive. On-premises or client server solutions have been the choice of businesses for decades. With no substantial upfront fees, large and small organizations are finding that a SaaS time and attendance model are often easier for corporate budgets to absorb.

ATS SaaS time and attendance software has the ability to grow with the evolving needs of companies. The flexibility of our software solution allows it to integrate easily to Talent Management, HRIS, Payroll and ERP applications. ATS SaaS time and attendance saves on the server costs and IT personnel, both of which are typically required when deploying an on-premises solution.

Benefits of the ATS SaaS Time and Attendance:

Unlimited support
Rapid deployment and scalability
A lower cost of ownership reduces the complexity with the ATS SaaS time and attendance model
Our solution delivers embedded business intelligence that provides unparalleled access to labour analytics and reporting
Free software updates are painless and transparent
Daily managed backups
Multiple models like employee self-service, human resources information system, forecasting and attendance management can be added with ease

The ATS integrated software solution helps you manage your workforce and track employee time and attendance more efficiently. When combined with employee data collectors, our solution delivers embedded business intelligence that provides unparalleled access to enhanced reporting and labour analytics.

To learn more, about our SaaS workforce management software, go to our website.

Attendance Management, Business Intelligence, Employee Self Service, HRIS, Labour Analytics, Payroll, SaaS Time and Attendance, Talent Management, Time and Attendance On-Demand

Software Implementation: Are All Users Onboard?

It is well documented that software projects fail for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the best laid plans go awry when circumstances beyond stakeholders control arise. Some of the reasons projects fail include: numerous changes during implementation, unrealistic expectations, unclear objectives, incomplete specifications and a lack of resources. Another reason projects fail is a lack of user acceptance. Gaining user acceptance at the start of the time and attendance project increases the likelihood of its success. End-user involvement can ease the difficulty that some organizations face when implementing a new workforce management system.

ATS TimeWork is the industry’s leading SaaS Time and Attendance solution. TimeWork is a robust, a flexible and easy-to-use employee time tracking software. Our solution has a plethora of modules that are scalable for companies from 50 to 100,000 employees. TimeWork streamlines payroll costs and helps companies manage their staffing levels and human resources activities for optimal efficiency.

Solution Benefits:

Save 2-5% on labour costs
Build automated schedules based on various preferences
Intuitive HRIS, ERP and Payroll interfacing allows you to export employee hours, vacation and other accrual benefit information
Employee Self –Service portal allows staff to view schedules and personal time off
Upgrades are done free of charge and will not disrupt your daily operation
Ensure the correct mix of employee skills is on the time clock at all times, making every shift run smoothly
Implement work management policies across multijurisdictional locations
Automatic calculation of overtime, premiums and statutory rules based on company’s specific needs
Manage human resource processes such as regular employee reviews, training and certification, vacation requests, pay increases, awards, and more
Access to vital labour information when you need it — anytime, anywhere
Implementation is done in days and weeks, not months or years

The success of a time and attendance implementation is enhanced when the participation of departments managers who will be impacted, are involved. Moreover, when support, communication, training and cooperation are exhibited they lend credence to influencing user acceptance.

To learn more about our Apex Time Solutions implementation methodology contact us at: 866.294.2467 or go to our website.

Employee Self Service, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Human Resources Management Systems, Payroll, SaaS Time and Attendance, Software Implementation, Vacation Request

Does the Lowest Price Meet your Business Requirements?

Today, more than ever, consumers are bombarded with ads that promote low prices on everything from TVs to microwave ovens. The word “value” is used to lure customers into purchasing products that comes with such advertised tags that include; “lowest prices anywhere” or “best price value system”.

We surveyed some of our customers to find out if price was the deciding factor when choosing a vendor for their business automation solution. A sampling of their responses includes the following:

“Price is important to our company. However, our software is used for the calculation of employee hours and processing payroll. We cannot get this wrong, our leadership would prefer I spend a little more to get good service”.

“The system has to meet our needs; that’s key for us”. We can negotiate price with a vendor if we like their product, but we do not put price ahead of our business requirements”.

“We brought in a consultant who got us the cheapest solution on the market. The invoice for his services exceeded the cost of the product. Our CEO tossed the system out after 3 months. It did not meet our needs at the most basic level. We learned a costly lesson, one which this company will not repeat”.

A couple of sentences in an article by Richard Cartwright on the “Garden Center Strategies” blog caught our eye. “We all know the thrill of purchasing an item at a low price only to later be disappointed when the item’s lower quality fails to perform its intended purpose. When the item has to be replaced the money spent was actually wasted, not saved!”

Unlike a TV or microwave oven, Workforce management software is a long term investment that has a direct impact on a company’s payroll process. ATS SaaS time and attendance is a cloud based solution that takes away all the headaches of maintaining a server and an IT department to support it. The software can be accessed through any computer with a web-browser 365 days a year 24/7.

Solution Benefits:

Cloud Based application (No internal IT support required)
Configured to meet any company’s work rule policy including collective bargaining agreements
Export reports to either XLS, HTML or PDF format
New release and enhancements at no additional cost
Can be accessed on smart PDA’s and other mobile devices
Integration with any ERP, Payroll and HRIS Application
Personalized setup and unlimited support from your ATS implementation personnel

The implementation of an ATS SaaS time and attendance solution enables businesses to reap many benefits including: reduced overtime costs, improved employee engagement and low total cost of ownership.

To learn how Canadian businesses are deploying our best-in-class time and attendance solution, go to our website.

Payroll Interface, SaaS Time and Attendance, Web-Based Time and Attendance

Is Technical Support Aligned with your Expectations?

The lack of proper customer support is an issue in many industries. One of Canada’s most prominent and well known consumer advocates is Ellen Roseman of the Toronto Star. Her many columns highlight some of the Herculean challenges consumers have to overcome with their service providers to get answers. While not all companies have developed a reputation for poor customer service, the ones that do, tend to tarnish the reputation of other companies that operate within the same industry.

Any company purchasing a time management system should expect top notch support. At ATS, we believe providing customer support should be inherent in a company’s corporate DNA. If the company’s executives do not place value in servicing its customers, this attitude will trickle down to the front line employees who provide the day to day technical support. We constantly hear from customers about the difficulties they face in their attempts to get through a support rep. One customer recounted how she was directed to the vendor’s website to download brochures for training on a new module that had been installed a week prior. When the customer inquired, she was told that training is only provided one time only and that was at the original time of purchase. Training for additional modules or new managers came in the form of product manuals that customers had to figure out on their own.

ATS’s robust time and attendance enables companies to control payroll costs. Our solution uses intuitive data intelligence to: track overtime hours, schedule employees, forecast labour and control attendance management. TimeWork integrates with employee data collectors, employee self-service and ERP and HR applications in order to share and gather information.

The flow of information allows you to have up to date labour analytics and add your own constantly changing variables.

Benefits to an ATS Time and Attendance Solution:

Forecasting helps with coverage for scheduling and measuring labour
Employee self-service empowers employees to review worked hours and request time off
Benefit accruals award time off based on an employees work history approvals, reports, and exceptions that require action
Leave Management automates the employee leave process.
Enforces local, state/provincial and federal labour laws easily

To learn more contact one of our representatives and to download a brochure, go to our website.

Employee Self Service, Forecasting, Leave Management, Scheduling, Time and Attendance Technical Support

Does your company have the right tools to handle the current economy?

North America’s most recent job numbers might suggest an uptick is possibly on the horizon. The U.S. Labour Department reported the unemployment rate fell from 8.5 per cent to 8.3 per cent. It was also reported that the economy created 243,000 jobs, far higher than the 150,000 jobs that economists had expected.

However, some economists believe that the anemic growth of the economy is a better indicator of its current status. Today, more than ever, companies need a superior product that will help them report on labour costs and automate manual time and attendance processes.

Our software provides an integrated and flexible data import, including real-time payroll and business intelligence. ATS TimeWork provides robust workforce management analytics to facilitate strategic decision-making and improve business success.

ATS time and attendance system can be used in virtually any industry to track employee working hours and pay them in accordance with provincial, state and federal work policies. Managers can attach performance evaluations to the HRIS module, schedule work shifts, track work and vacation schedules and approve or deny leave through the absence request module. Our time and attendance software gives operational managers control over their workforce, while ensuring, compliance with labour regulations regarding proof of attendance.

The implementation of ATS time and attendance software provides organizations with a solution that helps reduce labour costs. By automating routine business processes, eliminating administrative tasks, and monitoring labour activities as they happen, you can make better business decisions that save your company money.

To read more about our workforce software go to our website. To speak to one of our representatives or to download one of our brochures, contact us by phone.

Employee Self Service, Payroll Software, Workforce Management Software

Simplicity Works Best

In some of our previous blogs we discussed how something as simple as a time management system is made complicated by industry jargon that confuses the customer. Quite frankly it doesn’t have to be that way. The tracking of employee time through our time and attendance software is a very simple process. However, some people make it seem complicated. Of course, we are not suggesting that you purchase for its simplicity and while ignoring its ability to adapt to your company’s work policies. ATS time and attendance software was designed to meet the most complex needs of an organization and at the same time, can be scaled down. The product is intuitive, user-friendly and has a modern look and feel that utilizes today’s web-based technology concepts.

The advent of automated time management was borne out of changing times. In years past, it was customary for a company with many employees to use paper time sheets or punch clocks to register attendance. Despite advances in technology, some companies still use antiquated methods to track employee time in the 21^st century.

Industry giants like the Canadian Payroll Association, American Payroll Association and the Aberdeen Group have been commissioned on numerous occasions to conduct surveys. The conclusion of these surveys has revealed that it costs businesses using paper based time sheets 1.5% to 10% of gross payroll.

Leading organizations of all sizes are implementing ATS automated workforce management system and as a result, are seeing a significant reduction in payroll and labour costs.

To learn more about our solutions go to our website.

Employee Time Management Software, Time and Attendance On-Demand, Workforce Management Solutions

Time and Attendance Implementation Should Lead To a Reduction in Payroll Costs

Could this Have Been Avoided with a Mobile Technology App?

The Power of the Cloud

Software Implementation: Are All Users Onboard?

Does the Lowest Price Meet your Business Requirements?

Is Technical Support Aligned with your Expectations?

Does your company have the right tools to handle the current economy?

Simplicity Works Best

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