Today, companies face rapid and unprecedented technological changes whose velocity and breadth will impact every area of their business. And, emerging technologies, like machine learning and artificial intelligence, means even your customers, are more connected than ever before- thus, staying with the status quo is no longer an option.

The cost of a poor time and attendance implementation isn’t just about underutilized investments and missed business goals. It’s about not being able to access meaningful data when you need it and figuring out if your people are being utilized properly. So, what are the ramifications of not having a successful implementation? Here are 5 tips:

Plan: Set out a reasonable implementation timeline and scope. Do you have a project leader? If not, assign one and give the person the requisite amount of time to see the project through completion. If, on the other hand, the project is another task on the ‘to do’ list, competing with other priorities, expect that your implementation may take more time. Make good use of the ATS Implementation Steps which encompasses; process – plan, education, testing, validate, deploy. Don’t underestimate the time and resources it will take to complete the project successfully.

Obtain Management Project Support: Identify an executive within your management ranks who can meets regularly with your internal project team. What are the team challenges? Your management executive may not need to know every minute detail, but they need to be aware of the challenges (if there are any) that are causing unnecessary delays to the project, and they need to help prioritize competing tasks.

Accurate Data: Are you coming from old data gathering processes? For example: spreadsheets, an antiquated punch clock and/or manual time sheets? If so, you may need to clean up your data and understand the importance of setup in your new system with your implementation analyst. Your time and attendance system is only as good as the data in it. Use this opportunity to decide what data conversions or interfaces you will need: ERP, CRM, HRIS, Payroll or two-way interfaces.

Customize Only If It’s Required: Customizations equates to higher costs. ATS TimeWork OnDemand contains a plethora of analytic reporting and business intelligence tools, and in most cases, does not require customizations. If you feel that you need the system to be customized, just remember that it needs to be scoped and tested prior to implementation.

Validate And Go-Live: Upon completing your validation and testing, you should conduct a ‘User Acceptance Test’ of the data configuration. Users (HR, Payroll and Operational Managers) should be able to demonstrate their system knowledge prior to system implementation. As soon as you go live, allow time for the system to ‘settle out,’ then tackle the important items that surface to continue your business process improvements.

At the beginning of every ATS time and attendance implementation, organizations typically start with a vision of how they see their organization utilizing ATS TimeWork OnDemand to its fullest potential. The vision is often focused on streamlining processes, ease of use and providing strategic value to increase employee engagement. During a time and attendance implementation, it is important to remain focused on the vision; however, many other key factors contribute to a successful implementation.

To learn more about ATS Time and Attendance, or to download a demonstration or attend a bi-monthly webinar, go to our website. To reach an account executive, call; 866.294.2467.