Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

How will Time and Attendance Biometrics Change in 2103 and Beyond?

The introduction of time tracking biometric technology to companies in 1999 was a hard sell. Some of these companies felt that the use of this technology to track employee hours would give the appearance of “big brother” watching over them, or infringe on employees rights. Of course, that is no longer an issue since many of these companies have come to understand that biometrics for employee time and attendance matches the image of the user (hand, eye, face etc) to a number keyed in by the employee. Once the match is validated, a company has access to real time labour analytics. The concern that some companies and their employees have about privacy issues with the use of biometrics is a valid one. However, the data gathered through the use of an ATS employee time tracking system through biometrics cannot be used by law enforcement agencies. Data is used for the purpose of: tracking employee hours, vacation time and benefit accruals. Once this information is assimilated it is sent electronically to the payroll software to process employee pay.

Today, various types of biometric technology can be found at airports, healthcare institutions, and many border agencies. In fact, some laptop computers come equipped with a finger or eye scanner. To access the laptop the owner is prompted to have his/her eye scanned or put a finger on the scanner. If that laptop is lost or stolen, it cannot be accessed unless the owner is verified through the use of the biometric device. Biometrics has become ubiquitious in everyday society and most private and public institutions have embraced it to streamline their manual time keeping process. In a recent article titled “It’s possible to have both facial recognition and privacy” all indications points to biometrics satisfying privacy concerns, while at the same time, it has helped companies reap its many benefits.

ATS’s scalable time and attendance system is designed for today’s businesses. As companies grow beyond their antiquated, spread sheet time tracking systems, they need a solution that ensures that they receive the most accurate information. ATS workforce management software helps companies collect, analyze and take immediate control of payroll costs, all online and in real time.

To learn more about employee biometric time clocks, go to our website.

Biometrics, Employee Time and Attendance, Time and Attendance System, Time Tracking Systems, Workforce Management Software

NFL Embraces New Technology

In a world of Smart phones, social media and an app for just about everything, it was no surprise to read an article about sports teams embracing technology. According to an article in the Toronto Star and NFL.com, NFL latest to abandon old media for iPad, apps “20 of the league’s 32 teams have implemented iPads for playbooks or video study, a trend teams and developers say saves time, paper and, most importantly, money.”

Does this mean that all sports leagues will be rushing towards this new technology? It would be great if they all did, but change is difficult for many people to accept. More importantly, the issue of security will be top of mind for most NFL executives, coaches and players. Another quote from the article cited the following; “In the US, Stanford University’s football team recently converted to digital playbooks, citing a desire to save money and reduce the team’s carbon footprint.”

In the National Football League where the playbook is regarded with the same level of security as the CIA and FBI affords the President of the United States, teams adopting new technology want to make sure their data is secure.

Is your company still using paper-based systems when technology could save you time and money? Join the conversation on Twitter. To learn more, go to our website.

Carbon Footprint, iPad, National Football League, Playbooks, Stanford University, Time and Attendance Canada, United States

Avoid Fruits from the Low Hanging Tree When Making Your Selection

Today, more than ever, companies are keenly aware what type of functionality that need in an employee time management solution. Oddly enough, when shopping for a time and attendance system, these same companies forget their requirements and opt for a solution based on its price. We do agree that price is important but when selecting a time an employee time management solution, it is important to make sure the product matches your requirements. Otherwise, you will be selecting a solution that meets some of your requirements while everything else is blurred by the attractive price point.

Every company has specific needs when it comes to a time and attendance comparison. And, assuming every solution is the same can be costly and present problems when it comes time for implementation. You may have determined that the multiple spreadsheet approach to keeping track of employee hours, vacation and pay policies has become too complicated and time-consuming. It’s important that you get your key operational personnel involved as you assess the needs of your organization pertaining to your time and attendance comparison.

After sales support should be an important element within any time management solution comparison. Look for a company that can prove a level of support that meets your company’s expectations and ask for references that support such claims. All too often companies rely on flashy demos that create an illusion of what’s to come. And when a time and attendance solution is selected is based on flash you are usually buying a bill of goods.

Of course some companies have had bad experiences but, that’s not only with time and attendance. Has your company purchase a CRM, Talent Management or HRIS software based on price? If so, is it still meeting your needs? If not, why? Share your stories, good and bad.

To learn more, go to our website. You can also download a copy of our white paper “How to select a time and attendance solution”.

CRM, Employee Time Management, HRIS Software, Pay Policies, Support, Talent Management, Time and Attendance, Vacation, White papers

Is your Company Taking Advantage of Cloud-Based Time and Attendance?

The ongoing debate about the advantages of a cloud based solution and whether it can help businesses achieve its objectives while lowering operational costs continues. Some have argued, in the past, that the cloud was a “Johnny comelately” with no staying power. Cloud based services have not only eclipsed this argument but they have become an attractive option for mid-large enterprises that find the value in adopting a solution that cuts down on IT infrastructure.

Apex Time Solutions provides an integrated software-as-a-service (saas) workforce management software that includes the following modules: overtime equalization, forecasting, employee scheduling, labour analytics, job costing, employee self-service and benefit accruals. The core application of TimeWork provides functionality for data integration to such solutions as; talent management, payroll, enterprise resource planning, human resources information systems and customer relationship management.

ATS TimeWork is robust, simple to use and adapts to needs of industries in many verticals. Our cloud time and attendance solution alleviates your IT burden, risk and the variables associated with on premise deployments. You experience peace of mind with predictable costs, reliable system availability and regular software upgrades and maintenance with ATS time and attendance cloud solution.

Here are three reasons to deploy an ATS cloud time and attendance solution:

Portability – Allow you to access business intelligence data through the cloud in real-time. ATS Cloud time and attendance captures employee time and helps promote consistent policy enforcement while also helping companies comply with local, provincial and federal labour laws.

Implementation Independence – ATS workforce management domain architecture lets companies configure their applications environments with different legal entities and site combinations while consolidating different instances.

Software Access- Anywhere, Anytime –ATS cloud time and attendance can be access through any computer, Smartphone or tablet PC with Internet access. Browser compatibility includes: Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Opera.

If you are still not convinced about the power of ATS cloud time and attendance, contact us and we will put you in touch with some of our customers. To learn more, download a demo, or go to our website.

Cloud Time and Attendance, Customer Relationship Management, ERP, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Payroll, Smartphone, Software-as-a-Service (saas) Workforce Management Software, TimeWork

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

Is there any value to Key Performance Indicators?

Some have argued recently, that the words, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are a much maligned and overused term. While there may be some credence to this argument, there is no denying the importance of KPIs as they relate to a company’s strategic goals and objectives. In a manual based environment of tracking employee time, companies have a hard time measuring the time it takes to analyze and key in data into various repositories.

The use of ATS workforce management software allows companies to manage risks while simultaneously optimizing their workforce with our employee time and attendance system. The ATS solution intuitive dashboard utilizes Utilizing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), through a set of labour analytics that enables stakeholders to track an organization’s progress and take corrective steps as deemed necessary.

Benefits of ATS Workforce Management Software:
ATS Time and Attendance is robust and user-friendly and it tracks employee vacation time and integrates to HR and payroll applications. This module solution includes: Labour Forecasting, Employee Scheduling, Job Costing, Budgeting and Labour Analytics.

Reduction in Labour Costs- The solution streamlines manual processes and decrease labour costs through intelligent data capture. ATS workforce management software provides reductions in overtime while maintaining optimum staffing levels.

Comply with Multijurisdictional Work Policies- The ATS Time and Attendance Software automates the calculation and reporting of hours worked and paid time off based on your company’s pay policies, making it easier for you to manage labour costs, control overtime, and empower your workforce with self-service access to hours, schedules and vacation balances.

Process Flow-Through the use our solution, companies can no longer have to track tedious tasks manually. ATS time and attendance solution helps simplify employee scheduling by giving you the tools to ensure adequate staffing coverage, prevent employees from working outside scheduled hours, and avoid unnecessary overtime.

To speak to someone about our time and attendance system go to our website or click here to see a live demonstration.

Budgeting, Employee Scheduling, Job Costing, Labour Analytics, Labour Costs, Labour Foreasting, paid time off, Time and Attendance Software, Time and Attendance System, Work Policies, Workforce Management Software

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

The Case for Automating Your Business Process

Although the economy has been showing signs of abating in some sectors, managers are still grappling with the pressure of having to do more with less. In that same vein, the approval of some capital projects are being put on hold until the economy gets back to its pre 2008 state. No one can predict with statistical accuracy where the economy will be five months, much less a year. However, we can say with certainty say that automating your data capture and getting rid of the antiquated timesheets will save your company time and increase workforce productivity.

An ATS time management solution offers the following:

Pay-As-You-Grow – With our solution your business pays for what you need. Our software allows companies to add modules as they grow. There is no reason to pay for something that you might not ever end up using.

Give Your Employees Flexibility- Get rid of the excel spreadsheet that is being used to track time off and give your employees access with TimeWork Employee Self-Service. With TimeWork employee self-service (ESS), your human resources department empowers employees with ownership of their personal information so they can view and update certain fields without needing help with routine inquiries. Automated workflow and customizable features enable employees and supervisors to manage time-off requests, benefits changes, job details, and training history—anytime, anyplace over the Internet or through your company’s intranet.

Software On-Demand- TimeWork is a robust and powerful solution that is delivered as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) in the cloud, TimeWork unites all components of a company’s workforce into one master system of record to one site or multiple locations across several countries. Companies who adopt our time management solution likes the unique, end-to-end functionality and 365 days a year 24/7 access.

Integration of Data Is at Your Fingertips- With ATS employee time management software, there’s no more need for manfully entering employee hours into multiple systems. Our intuitive solution exports data to a variety of HRIS, payroll, talent management and other accounting systems.

Business Analytics and Reporting– ATS workforce management software delivers real-time financial reporting and analytics that allows companies to monitor personalized key performance indicators (KPIs) and get access to the latest management and financial reports. Diagnose financial issues and quickly take action to drive business performance. Whether you’re a CFO, controller, finance manager or department manager, you can monitor financial measures that are commensurate to your role—through key performance indicators.

It’s clear that businesses can reap many benefits by adopting a time and attendance in a weak economy. After all, if the goal is to streamline process and find efficiencies, one place to start is analyzing how employee data is captured.

To download a white paper on advantages of automating your business with a time and attendance software, go to our website.

Business Analytics, Employee Data, Employee Self Service, Employee Time Management Software, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Software- On-Demand, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Do You Know What You Are Buying?

Purchasing a workforce management solution is an important decision that should not be taken lightly. Part of making sure this solution meet your expectations is doing your due diligence. The easy part is that flashy employee time and attendance software come a dime a dozen. You need to get past the smoke and mirrors and settle on a time management solution with the core fundamentals that meet your company’s needs.

Here are three powerful components you can expect from an ATS Workforce Management Software:

Enabling your business- Our time management software is equipped to handle challenges faced by many industries including; manufacturing, healthcare, oil and gas, distribution and retail. ATS TimeWork offers a set of core enterprise-wide workflow management software features that help you transform your business into a real-time, on demand organization, responsive to the needs of your customers.

Reduce cost and streamline operations– Our solution is both affordable and is designed to dramatically lower typical deployment system costs. Because TimeWork is easily configurable lowers your costs from the very beginning. The end result is cost-effectiveness combined with maximum functionality for your overall operation. The ATS Time and Attendance software will adapt to your information flow quickly and without additional software development expenses. Our solution, once deployed can easily be transferred to other sites while safeguarding the consistency of all your data and processes.

Increase productivity and grow your business- TimeWork interactive dashboard brings all the information that you need for your business right at your fingertips. Our workforce management solution allows you to consolidate the latest information within your organization – and make faster, better informed decisions on all levels. Our time and attendance software integrates all of your company’s management processes and enables users to access this information within a standardized system. This gives all employees access to all the information whenever they need it. Integrating resources is efficient and helps companies quickly react to new market trends.

ATS TimeWork is a best-of-breed time management software that offers the flexibility and functionality you need to manage a competitive business. Our solutions are designed for mid and large corporations with a focus on streamlining payroll costs.

To learn more go to our website or to speak to one of our software representatives call us at 1.866.294.2467.

Healthcare, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Payroll, Retail, Time & Attendance Software, Time and Attendance Canada, TimeWork, Workforce Management Solution

How will Time and Attendance Biometrics Change in 2103 and Beyond?

NFL Embraces New Technology

Avoid Fruits from the Low Hanging Tree When Making Your Selection

Could this Have Been Avoided with a Mobile Technology App?

Is there any value to Key Performance Indicators?

Time & Attendance and The Cost of Doing Nothing

The Case for Automating Your Business Process

Do You Know What You Are Buying?

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