Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

Are Austerity Measures Working?

Today the words “austerity measures” have become ubiquitious with most economists and it appears the words are becoming part of their vernacular when trying to explain how theUSand other world economies had gotten themselves in financial trouble. Automatic spending cuts and tax increases (which is essentially the basis of the “austerity measures”) have become the norm for governments around the world. Some have blamed this approach on the “recession of 2008” Whether you are for or against government spending cuts and taxes increases, one thing is clear, since 2008, the world has changed and so, has the way in which businesses compete for customers.

For many of today’s companies, reducing costs is paramount and they see value in adopting a time management solution that can help them to achieve that goal. On the other hand, a small minority of businesses continue to hang on the old way of tracking employee time manually. Competitive businesses know that to compete in today’s global economy; they must adopt a time and attendance solution that improves productivity and increase profits while maintaining customer satisfaction.

Most companies strive to find a balance between risk reduction and accessibility of information. Implementing an ATS time and attendance solution can manage risk and replace outdated manual systems, making employee data transfer and access to information easier.

Many of ATS’s customers use our employee payroll time tracking software to solve the day to day challenges of departmental managers, HR and payroll personnel. For example, employees can access their schedules through the online portal to add vacation blocks, check their overtime hour status and update benefit accruals. With the use of our time and labour solution, business executives can take comfort in the knowledge that ATS time and attendance system can help their company find a rapid return on investment and increase profits.

To learn more or to download one of our time and attendance brochures, go to our website.

Benefit Accruals, Employee Self Service, Overtime, Payroll, Time and Attendance Solution

Streamlining Payroll Costs Can Help Your Business Grow

It is a well established fact that conducting your business processes on paper will lead to lost in revenue. In fact, blue chip organizations like Aberdeen Group and the Canadian Payroll Association have cited the overwhelming benefits over the years that can be achieved when a company implements a time management solution. ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance enables you to map your various business processes within the system, thereby increasing the productivity of your organization.

The new economy of today demands that rapidly growing businesses adhere to efficient processes – with no room for information gaps. ATS automated time and reduces labour costs by enforcing appropriate paycodes in accordance to a company’s work rule policy. ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance provides a complete integration into your company’s management processes and enable department managers, HR and payroll personnel to access this information within a standardized system.

ATS employee time and attendance can streamline your company’s payroll. By choosing ATS Time and Attendance software, you ensure that your company’s future and existing business processes will never have to rely on antiquated punch clocks and paper time sheets.

ATS Time and Attendance management allows payroll and HR staff to know who is present or absent for their shifts with the use of employee time clocks. Automating your business process helps reduces the administrative time associated with attendance exceptions and employee inquiries — all while minimizing overpayments and compliance risk.

Interested in learning more? Download the white paper on streamlining payroll costs on our website.

Aberdeen, Canadian Payroll Association, Employee Time Clocks, HR, Payroll, Time and Attendance, Time and Attendance Software

ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance is an award-winning workforce management solution that allows organizations to reduce payroll costs, work more productively and compete in today’s global economy. ATS time and attendance provides midsized and large businesses across Canada and North America with the tools to streamline your current business processes, and comply with collective bargaining agreements and labour law regulations. ATS Software as-a-Service (SaaS) gives you the power and functionality of an integrated application that includes the following imbedded modules: benefit accruals, overtime equalization, business intelligence, labour analytics, forecasting, employee scheduling and employee time clocks.

The Power of Web Deployment
ATS SaaS time and attendance deployment takes place in weeks not months or years. ATS intuitive software solution comes with inherent flexibility, power and security all managed and hosted by our state of the art data centre. The ATS SaaS time and attendance is ideally suited for organizations looking to have their system up and running quickly with affordable monthly payments in contrast to huge capital outlay. ATS SaaS time and attendance reduces the need for an internal IT infrastructure and provides a secure, cost-effective alternative for companies currently running critical business applications.

Data Integration
Customers looking to integrate their HRIS, Payroll, Talent Management, CRM and other third-party applications will realize this initiative with the ATS open database structure. For example, payroll can connect important business analytic information directly to operational managers and executives, HR connects key functional departments for better results and sales manager can track and control sales pipelines, resulting in shorter sales cycles, more closed deals, and higher revenues.

Add as You Grow
Our flexible deployment allows you to grow your company without growing IT resources. Add more users without worrying about installation, configuration, and support of additional hardware and software. With ATS SaaS time and attendance, you can extend your mission-critical business applications across Canadian and US regional offices without the need for local IT support or infrastructure.

Training and Support
Your solution is managed by a team of industry veterans with deep expertise in the world of time and attendance management and application hosting. Our ongoing maintenance and upgrades include a fully automated backup and a disaster recovery plan that protects your investment. Our North American network of implementation analyst and support representatives can provide you with on-site training, consulting and implementation assistance to help you realize a rapid return on your investment.

To learn about ATS Time and Attendance Solutions go to our website. You can also join the conversation on our Twitter or LinkedIn page.

CRM, Employee Time Clocks, HR, Payroll, SaaS Time & Attendance, Software-as-a-Service, Talent Management, Time and Attendance, Time and Attendance Canada

How to Choose a Time and Attendance Solution

Choosing a time and attendance solution is at best, a strategic decision for most businesses. Questions to consider include: can this system grow with our company? Should we start with the basics and add modules as we need them? Will the implementation fit within our timeframe? How robust is this application? Should we go for all the features of the system? All of these questions are normal when deciding which software application will best suit your organizational needs.

The true value of an employee time and attendance system lies in its integration across a company and the data gathered when using it. So why not start with a modern software solution that is able to meet your functional needs? It is a natural to want every conceivable feature and module when in actuality most companies only use a small percentage of the available features. Companies adopting a time and attendance for the first time would be wise to “crawl before you can walk”. If the right vendor is chosen, adding modules should be an easy process.

Here are the 5 strategies to use for getting the right system for your organization:

Stated Objectives- Companies should conduct an internal audit of all processes and policies before choosing a time and attendance system. If your company is small, this can be done by the project manager. For larger organizations, the steering committee can draft a plan.

Project Manager-The implementation of an employee time and attendance solution is as important as choosing the right solution and vendor. The importance of having someone within your organization spearhead the project should not be overlooked. If your company’s objectives are clear and all stakeholders are in agreement, the implementation will yield positive results.

Choosing the Data Collector-The common complaint we hear from some prospective customers, is that their time clock has never worked properly since it was installed. Some companies are so dazzled by the latest features of a software application that they fail to ask the most basic question of a vendor; will this employee time clock work for us? Today, capturing employees’ data has expanded to include: smart-phones, tablets, biometric time clocks and swipe card technology to name a few. Consider your environment and whether your employees will use the technology before choosing an employee time clock.

Informing stakeholders- Some employees view the deployment of a time management system as intrusive. This is particularly true if a company has long tenured employees who might struggle to understand why their hours are being tracked all of sudden. This can be diffused quickly by letting them know the reasons and the enhanced benefits of the system.

Choosing a Vendor-You should have a separate list that contains the criteria your company will use to select a provider. While a vendor who has been around for 100 years sounds nice, that in and of itself, should not be the only criteria by which you choose a vendor. Request the names of at least three companies who you can contact to discuss the product’s functionality and challenges. And if all that matters to you is the cheapest solution, be prepared to deal with software inefficiencies, a lack luster implementation and inadequate after sales support.

Choosing a time and attendance software should be an important decision for your company. Go about the process by “starting small” with a standard software solution the meets your organizational goals. As time progresses and your supervisors get used to the software, add modules to complement your growing needs.

To download the full 13 steps to choosing a time and attendance go to our website. Join the conversation on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Biometric Time Clocks, Employee Time and Attendance System, Smart-phones, Software, Swipe Card Technology

Advancement in Time & Attendance is designed for Today’s Businesses

Business executives are busy individuals and are concerned with shareholder value. When they plan to adopt workforcemanagement software, the application must complement their company’s goals and provide a rapid return on investment. Today’s businesses need a software solution that offers superior advantages, while providing scalability, flexibility and full integration.

ATS time and attendance solution is cost-effective and makes it easy to see critical business information in real-time without your supervisors having to wait for head office to update the information. For example, an employee time management system deployed at a corporate head office in Calgary should be able to connect to the branch offices inToronto,Vancouver,Atlanta,New York and other countries. Our software solution can handle multiple collective bargaining agreements, various business rules and multijurisdictional legislations.

ATS workforce management software is easily configurable with a graphical user dashboard complete with high-level information that assists department managers to monitor their operations and manage attendance by exceptions. TimeWork business intelligence allows HR and payroll managers to perform detailed analysis of their business performance with on-the-fly labor reports that are updated in real-time with the flow of day-to-day operations.

If your existing time tracking system does not meet your current and future plans, it’s time to source for an alternative. ATS TimeWork helps automate your company’s business rules and support decision making by incorporating a wide range of capabilities that improve usability. Many customers have claimed that after deploying our solution, they have achieved significant cost savings through increased productivity, better control of labor dollars, improved quality and reduced time calculating employee hours manually. These costs savings are all direct and measurable improvements that fulfill most companies’ capital expense guidelines.

To learn more contact us through our website or by phone at 1.866.294.2467. You can also visit us via Twitter of join our LinkedIn group discussion.

Business Intelligence, Labor Reports, Payroll, Time & Attendance System, Time and Attendance Canada, Time and Attendance Software, Workforce Management Software

Are Mid and Enterprise Businesses Adopting Cloud Solutions?

Just a few short years ago, there was a lot of skepticism about using cloud-based applications. Today, businesses are adopting cloud-based time and attendance solutions in growing numbers. That’s in part, to the advancement of technology and low total cost of ownership that comes with the deployment of cloud based applications.

ATS Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) enables companies to streamline business operations by offering flexible time and attendance solutions including: rapid deployment with user interfaces, business analytics, forecasting, overtime equalization, attendance management and employee self-service modules. Our TimeWork dashboard offers you tremendous flexibility to optimize your payroll and HR departments. The solution effectively integrates with Payroll, Human Resources Management System (HRMS), Talent Management and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to enhance electronic workflows that provide seamless data integration across every department.

Top five reasons customers deployed an ATS cloud-based time and attendance solution:

Access Anywhere – ATS SaaS time and attendance systems can be easily and securely accessed through the Internet, from any web browser including: Google Chrome, FireFox or Internet Explorer.

Software Updates – Our cloud-based solution is upgraded regularly in conjunction with our software developer releases, with no disruption to end-users.

Pay Only What You Use – ATS subscription based model means that companies only pay for the number of user licenses used each month.

Predictable Costs – Our hosting fees are known in advance and can be easily forecasted.

Robust and Scalable – TimeWork is robust and reliable software that gives companies a real-time view of their business. Our time management solution is hosted in an environment that can be dynamically scaled to meet our customers demand and deliver acceptable performance levels.

ATS cloud time and attendance software provides unparalleled coverage and access to operational intelligence. This allows managers to make decisions based on real-time data, and enables continuous improvement in business operations.

To learn more contact us at; 1.866.294.2467 or view a demonstration go to our website.

Cloud Time and Attendance Software, Enterprise Resource Planning, Human Resources Management System, Payroll, Software-as-a-Service, Talent Management, TimeWork

Telecommuting Versus Traffic Gridlock: Which One Would Your Employees Prefer?

Over the last 15 years traffic gridlock has increased throughout the GTA and outlying areas in astounding numbers. Why so many people have to drive to work remains a mystery. CBC Metro Morning anchored by Matt Galloway ran a week long expose titled “Joyless Commute”. The show interviewed everyday commuters, politicians and experts in the world of transportation in the hope of trying to find answers to cut down on gridlock. A recent article titled “Secret to Increased Productivity: Don’t Come to the Office” espouses the virtues of working from home and how more businesses could benefit if they adopted the practice.

Here at ATS, some of our employees who work from home are just as productive in getting projects done on time. The ATS employees who work from home use our cloud-based online time sheets that utilize state of the art technology. In addition, employees have cited things such as; not having to be stuck in traffic and fewer interruptions as factors that make working from home easier.

Of course, telecommuting is not for everyone and some employees find that working from home requires a certain level of discipline. At times it can be very hard to convince old fashioned, micromanaging, bosses of the benefits of working from home. Telecommuting will not solve all the traffic gridlock that we face each day in our cities. However, if businesses adopt a practice of having more employees work from home, even for one or two days a week, it could make a slight dent in the traffic gridlock and pay some small dividends to the environment.

The ATS time and attendance system is robust and helps management make faster, better informed decisions by providing up-to-the minute business analytics across all business areas. With more visibility, departmental mangers can quickly identify and take immediate corrective action. In addition these managers can focus on strategic planning and be more responsive to a changing business environment. Employees working from home or in remote locations can use employee self-service to check schedules, review hours and submit vacation requests.

Our monthly webinar provides an in-depth look at a businesses’ current environment and shows you how ATS workforce management software can grow to meet your organization’s changing needs. You will also discover how our flexible technology enables fast deployment, high interoperability, and streamlined management flows.

To learn more follow us on Twitter or join our LinkedIn Business Group.

Business Analytics, Employee Self Service, Environment, Productivity, Telecommuting, Time and Attendance System, Workforce Management Software

Paper-Based Tracking Systems Waste Valuable Time and Resources

During a recent tradeshow in which ATS participated, we were approached by several companies who showed an interest in exploratory discussions about automating their operations. What became obvious is that while many of these companies automated some parts of their businesses, payroll seemed to be one that was given the least attention. In a world that has seen an economy that refuses to abate, it was surprising to see that labour, the largest expense within a company, was the last to be automated.

ATS time and attendance system streamlines business operations to minimize payroll costs. By connecting our workforce management software to your existing; Payroll, HRIS, ERP applications efficiencies are gained by eliminating the need to rekey data. Productivity and customer service is improved by through better management throughout your organization.

ATS employee data collectors capture real-time information to maximize and improve processes flows. The collecting and analyzing of employee hours, reducing labour costs and improving compliance are the key time and attendance strategies for today’s leading industries. Our software application integrates with various input sources that helps companies streamline business operations, manage schedules, track benefits accruals, perform job costing and administer employee self service.

To learn how, time and attendance software can become part of your overall workforce management program, join our LinkedIn Group. You can also follow us on Twitter and download white papers and brochures from our website.

“We used paper time sheets for years and mistakenly thought it was effective when we had 50 employees. As our company grew over the years, we could no longer keep up with the daily adding up of employee hours, calculating vacation and overtime. The ATS time and attendance system is one of the best investments we have done in the last 10 years. Our departmental managers are happy because they are no longer spending time verifying hours on a daily basis. ATS support team is one of the best our group has ever dealt with.”

Jespite Manfuacturing Inc.
S. Mason, CGA-Chief Financial Officer

Benefit Accruals, Employee Self Service, HRIS, Job Costing, Payroll, Time and Attendance Software, Time and Attendance System

Three Reasons to Switch to a SaaS Time and Attendance Solution

ATS Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Time and Attendance is a subscription based solution that offers a superior advantage to large and small businesses. Customers can access this cloud solution through the Internet via any web browser. With this solution you avoid costly servers, version upgrades and software licenses. ATS receives feedback from its customers who rave about the ease-of-use in accessing the solution anytime they want to.

If your company has been considering switching to an automated time and attendance system here are three reasons to choose ATS:

Reduction of Labour Cost
Over the years numerous studies have shown that companies spend thousand of dollars each year to capture employee time with a manual tracking system. ATS SaaS time and attendance is configured to adapt to your work policies. The end result is a system that automates; overtime, benefit accruals and statutory holidays in your jurisdiction.

Business Intelligence and Labour Analytics
ATS cloud time and attendance provides scheduling, time and wage calculation, time card editing and approval. The business intelligence tool empowers companies to quickly and easily obtain the information required for improved operations and reporting across an entire business. The business intelligence eliminates manual report preparation, repetitive data extracts, and complex back-end data joins to provide you with up-to-date, accurate, and presentation-quality reports for informed decision-making.

Implementation
Unlike on-premises solutions, ATS SaaS Time and Attendance takes a few weeks and not several years to install. A simple web browser is all user needs to start using the software. The software enables your company to implement a fully functional management system at new sites, regions or production sites without investing in high-cost IT infrastructure.

To learn more go to join our LinkedIn group discussions, follow us on Twitter, or go to our website.

Benefit Accruals, Cloud Time and Attendance, Labour Analytics, Labour Costs, Overtime, SaaS Time and Attendance, Scheduling, Time and Attendance System, Time Card Editing

Time & Attendance and The Cost of Doing Nothing

Every few years your company sets aside some time to review demos and understand the benefits of time and attendance. After a few weeks, you decide not to make a purchase and stay with your current excel and paper tracking time sheet process. Over the years, we at ATS have heard of numerous reasons why some companies do not want to upgrade to a solution can make their lives easier.

Some these reasons include:
“Our current system is old but it works.”
“We have looked at this before and senior management does not want to spend money on a system like this.”
“I am not convinced we can streamline our process if we purchase this system.”

Based on our experience it is often the fear of change that makes companies reluctant to adopt something new. The antiquated method of capturing employee data, although comforting, leads to erroneous mistakes and wastes valuable resources.

ATS time management software is both efficient and affordable. Because of the flexibility of the system, it easily adaptes to any industry and lowers operational costs from the very beginning.

Sometimes being reluctant to implement a software solution that can streamline business processes can be attributed to a number of factors including; limited cash on hand, uncertainty about the current state of the economy and a fear of change. While a delay can sometimes be due to limited resources in difficult times and while this may, on the surface, appear to be a prudent course of action, the cost of doing nothing is costing companies thousands of dollars each year in lost productivity.

Both large and small businesses understand that in order to remain competitive in today’s marketplace, it’s not enough to merely do more with less. It means reviewing all current practices and utilizing resources wisely. One of the most effective tools, to help that cause, is the implementation of an effective time and attendance solution that contains business intelligence and analytic reporting tools to achieve desired profits.

To learn more go to our website and to view a demonstration, contact a software account executive.

ATS Time Management Software, Business Intelligence, Costs, Excel, Productivity, Time and Attendance System Canada, Time Sheet

Are Austerity Measures Working?

Streamlining Payroll Costs Can Help Your Business Grow

Visualize Your Business Adapting To the Changes of This New Economy

How to Choose a Time and Attendance Solution

Advancement in Time & Attendance is designed for Today’s Businesses

Telecommuting Versus Traffic Gridlock: Which One Would Your Employees Prefer?

Paper-Based Tracking Systems Waste Valuable Time and Resources

Time & Attendance and The Cost of Doing Nothing

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