Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

The Power Of The Cloud Makes The Choice Easy

The growth prospects of cloud-based applications has surpassed all previous projections, and is finally is being realized by businesses the world over. Traditional IT spending on heavy computing servers and software licenses has been usurped by businesses shifting to cloud computing solutions. According to a recent report by Gartner, the amount of money spent on cloud services in 2016 grew 25% over 2015 to $148 billion, and this is number is expected to grow to $216 billion in the year 2020.

The availability and user acceptance rate with cloud-based applications like ATS TimeWork OnDemand have exploded in recent years.

The Power Of The Cloud Makes The Choice Easy

Here is what you can expect from the power of ATS TimeWork OnDemand:

Flexible Deployment Options
ATS implementation team’s approach to our cloud-based time and attendance solution is unique. We offer a best-of-breed cloud deployment for ATS TimeWork OnDemand that encompasses multi-tenancy, single tenancy, and an industry-changing dedicated tenancy model that offers cost savings to our customers and is second to none in the cloud space. This provides our customers with unrivalled levels of choice and scalability on a platform that is specific to their industry.

Scalability
ATS TimeWork OnDemand opens up new capabilities for new and growing organizations. The solution can be scaled in accordance with an organization’s business demands, and financial agility. ATS TimeWork OnDemand provides companies with an opportunity to focus on the core aspects of their business, while knowing, that their time and attendance is always on, accessible 24/7, and always up to date.

Built-In Analytics
ATS TimeWork OnDemand is designed for modern businesses, enabling customers to streamline their mission-critical business processes. And, with real-time insights into key business performance indicators for a unified view of the organization, you will never go back to manual punch clocks or paper timesheets. That’s the power of the cloud.

To learn more about ATS TimeWork OnDemand, go to our website, where you can download a demonstration, or register for a bi-monthly webinar. To reach us by phone, call: 866.294.2467

Analytics, ATS TimeWork OnDemand, Cloud Computing, Gartner, Time and Attendance

Want A Better And More Effective Alternative To Spreadsheets? We’ve Got It

Tracking and monitoring the time of employee hours sound straightforward, but in reality, it can be a quite difficult process to manage. The complexities and globalization of today’s organizations, translates to increasing regulations, and these are just a few of the factors contributing to challenges in time and attendance tracking. Knowing when your employees are working or not, is only the starting point; and, along with daily employee activities, you also have to carefully maintain accurate readings of overtime hours, statutory holidays, vacation days accumulated, and sick days used.

In an effort to increase accuracy and productivity—and decrease costs—many of today’s organizations are not only integrating sophisticated time and attendance applications with their existing applications but they’re also carefully considering how to collect employee data to feed these applications. The right time and attendance data collector can help you automate time-consuming payroll and HR processes and provide both your employees and managers with more options. New, innovative data-collection tools, like ATS biometric time clocks, are helping organizations improve the management of data capture. Technologies like these can help you more easily manage various types of employees, reduce payroll cost and employee theft, and mitigate risk.

Welcome to the World of Innovative Data Collection
Beyond a modern time and attendance solution, ATS PeoplePoint Plus™ delivers rich graphics and video on a 7″ widescreen display. Optional speakers and camera, a fast processor, and expandable memory will allow users to interact with detailed content.

With ATS PeoplePoint Plus™ users can easily navigate employee self-service functionality on the generously sized screen. Custom programs, training videos, video chats, web browsers, and other custom content have a new, more effective platform now. PeoplePoint Plus™offers exciting programming and content delivery opportunities.

To download a brochure or demonstration of ATS workforce management software, go to our website. And to attend one of our bi-monthly webinars, you can register here or contact an account representative at; 866.294.2467.

Biometric Time Clock, HR, Overtime, Time and Attendance, Workforce Management Software

Does Your Current Time and Attendance Solution Give You The Warm And Fuzzy?

Choosing the right time and attendance solution is like finding your perfect match, or in business terms, a solution that properly aligns with your company’s requirements. And, just as important, is to ensure you get the right results so that can enjoy many happy Valentines-anything short of that is a clear recipe for heartbreak.

So, in the spirit of Valentines Day, your time and attendance solution should be one that can;

Does Your Current Time and Attendance Solution Give You The Warm And Fuzzy?

Grow with you-who does not want a solution that’s going to scale with their business? As your business grows, you want a partner that understands the ebbs and flows of your organization, and can provide modules that matches with the growth.

Provide Enhanced Reporting and Analytics-It’s critical that your time and attendance solution can provide business intelligence data, how and when you need it. After all, your business is dependent on getting the right information at the right time.

Show Flexibility– If you want to transition from an on premise to the cloud, your time and attendance solution should have that ability. And from data migration to forecasting and budgeting, employee scheduling, job costing and benefit accruals-that’s flexibility at its core.

In short, your time and attendance should become an integral part of your business. And, that is what should give you the warm and fuzzes

Happy Valentines Day!

To learn more about ATS Time and Attendance call a representative at 866.294.2467. And to view a demonstration or attend one of our bi-weekly webinars register on our website.

Analytics, Business Intelligence, Cloud, Time and Attendance, Valentines Day

CEOs Are Shifting Their Organizations Towards The Cloud

It wasn’t too long ago that getting CEOs to adopt the cloud took a lot of work, and many of these executives who resisted adopting a time and attendance in the cloud had good reasons, some of which included; a general fear of the unknown, privacy and availability of their data to name a few. It’s also noteworthy that some of the initial fear that senior executives had, emanated, from some IT personnel who were not yet comfortable with the idea of having data stored outside of the company’s domain. Eventually, as it became clear that migrating to the cloud offered superior advantages and streamlined costs, many CEOs began to pay attention- and embrace the technology, along with their IT personnel.

CEOs Are Shifting Their Organizations Towards The Cloud

If you are still on the fence about a cloud time and attendance here, are five outstanding benefits that might just change your mind:

Software Updates-Using a time and attendance that’s in the cloud means you no longer have to do software updates and patches. ATS applies updates to the application with no disruption to your daily operations. Your company can spend its time on other important matters, like growing the business.

Access the Application from Anywhere-With ATS TimeWork OnDemand— whether users are on a desktop computer or mobile device, the cloud provides instant access to data anytime, anywhere there is an Internet connection, 24/7 365 days a year.

Reduce Operating Costs –Adopting the cloud, means a company no longer have to worry about software equipment (like a Server), licensing and maintenance fees.

Easy Integration to ERP, Payroll, HR, Talent Management and CRM-ATS TimeWork OnDemand has a built-in integrator that’s compatible to all third-party applications for the purpose of transferring data. So, if you currently key employee hours manually from a spreadsheet into a payroll application, you can breathe a little easier, ATS TimeWork OnDemand makes that a thing of the past.

Cross-Functional Reporting and Business Intelligence-ATS TimeWork OnDemand allows you to align all levels of your organization with up-to-the-minute decision-making reporting. Senior executives, managers, and employees automatically see cross-functional analytics for historical, current, and forward-looking insights. ATS TimeWork OnDemand reporting tools provides financial data for a deeper view into your business.

ATS TimeWork OnDemand provides organizations with a best-of-breed workforce management solution that leverages robust cloud infrastructure technology, to deliver solutions that address specific industry challenges.

To learn more about ATS TimeWork OnDemand, go to our website. You can also register one of our bi-weekly webinars and hear from existing customers how they managed the transition from spreadsheets to cloud computing TimeWork OnDemand.

Analytics, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, CRM, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), HR, Payroll, Talent Management, Time and Attendance, TimeWork OnDemand, Workforce Management Software

Is The Demise Of Manufacturing A Reality Or Overblown Rhetoric

Depending on who you talk to, manufacturing has been on the decline for the last 15 years and counting and there is no end in sight. But despite the doom and gloom, The Institute for Supply Management’s report, which is highlighted by Industry Week, begs to differ. And, many of today’s manufacturing companies, especially the ones who came out of the 2009 recession, albeit leaner, in terms of workforce and production process are likely breathing a sigh of relief at this piece of news. Michelle Jamrisko article for Bloomberg on state of manufacturing, states in part;

“Manufacturing expanded in December at the fastest pace in two years, reflecting firmer output and the biggest pickup in orders growth since August 2009. The Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday that its index increased to 54.7, the fourth straight advance, from 53.2 a month earlier. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for 53.8. Readings above 50 indicate growth. The ISM’s measure of orders surged 7.2 points, while its gauge of prices paid for materials climbed to the highest level since June 2011.”

Is The Demise Of Manufacturing A Reality Or Overblown Rhetoric

The world of manufacturing is constantly evolving as it has had to keep pace with stiffer competitor and tighter margins. And, so in order to increase profits, many of today’s successful manufacturers have had to embraced cloud computing, robotics and business intelligence thus enabling them, to streamline production flows – and ultimately reduce their costs.

So, as the manufacturing sector continues to evolve here are three trends that will continue to dominate that industry in 2017:

Cloud Computing
Major new technologies especially ones built on the cloud will be take precedence over on premise applications by manufacturers. Deploying a cloud-based solution provides a rapid return on investment, and streamlines payroll costs across an entire supply chain.

Predictive Analytics for Real-Time Decision-Making
Today, unlike several years ago, manufacturers have access to a wide array of analytic and Big Data tools at the push of a button– that can be hugely valuable for business decision-making and process enhancements when used correctly. From budgeting and forecasting to employee production scheduling and benefit accruals – these tools, allow manufacturers to harness data properly and with ease and efficiency.

New Technology and Innovation
Traditional, version-based time and attendance solutions prohibited organizations and their users from sharing freely and collaborating, because the data always resided on a Server and it was incapable of integrating to other applications-thus, creating nightmares for users. Workforce management software built for the cloud is the network of the future. Open-mind manufacturers will continue to move away from Server-based software solutions and instead opt for cloud computing solutions—which is the future of software deployment.

ATS Workforce Management for Manufacturing is industry-built and helps drive business outcomes by engaging your employees, streamlining payroll costs, increasing productivity, and minimizing compliance risk. With ATS Workforce Management for Manufacturing, your business has access to a proven cloud platform that is secure, scalable, and mobile — allowing you to do business when or where you choose to access its power.

To learn about ATS Workforce Management for Manufacturing, go to our website, you can also download a demonstration and see why many of today’s fortune 500 companies choose ATS.

Big Data, Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, Manufacturing, Robotics, Time and Attendance, Workforce Management Software

Halloween Nightmare Signs That Points To Your Current Time And Attendance System

Companies switch to ATS time and attendance solution for a variety of reasons, some include: They are fed up with the nightmare of an outdated time tracking system, inaccurate spreadsheets or using a solution that cannot keep pace with the growth of their business. Below is a list of some of the horror stories we hear from some customers, before they made the successful switch to ATS:

Manual time tracking
Who does that in the 2016? It turns out, some companies still do. If your time and attendance process is not automated this simply means, your company is exposed to human error.

Payroll day nightmares
Processing employee hours for payroll can feel like a recurring nightmare especially if you are using an antiquated system along with keying that data manually. These types of processes can inhibit a company’s growth prospects and frustrate your payroll practitioner.

Halloween Nightmare Signs That Points To Your Current Time And Attendance System

No data integration
Outdated time and attendance solutions are not sophisticated enough to integrate to third-party applications. And, as your business grows, you will need to keep pace with compliance and work rule policies. Do yourself a favour and toss that paper time sheet.

Executives are not happy
Business executives need tools that will help them make informed business decisions. These tools should come in the form of, up-to-the-minute analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs)- because frankly, no business leader wants to make ghoulish decisions.

Real-time reporting
If you are using paper time sheets then real-time reporting is not an option. And, while some workforce analytics can be somewhat tedious, you could be creating your own torturous horror show when you are using a manual time tracking system. These types of systems are prone to human error and yes, that includes employees being under or overpaid.

Halloween is supposed to be about trick or treating and a fun time for kids. And, if you are using the right solution the nightmares will go away. For more information about how ATS Time and Attendance solution inspires growth in small and midsized industries, you can download a brochure, view a demonstration or call us at 866.294.2467.

Halloween Nightmare Signs That Points To Your Current Time And Attendance System

Analytics, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Time and Attendance

Are Today’s Manufacturing Companies Embracing Analytics? You Can Bet They Are!

April 12th, 2016 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Time and Attendance Solution | Workforce Analytics | Workforce Management Solutions - (Comments Off)

Today’s manufacturing companies are faced with increasing competition including, global competition, price wars and rapid consolidation. And because these trends show no signs of abating, manufacturers are embracing analytics to help them streamline operational costs and increase revenue.

Here are three steps manufacturing companies can take to ensure they are making good use of analytics:

Evaluate your Current Analytic Capabilities: You should use analytics to measure your company’s performance and make strategic business decisions that affect the success of your organization. For example, using an outdated employee time tracking system or paper time-cards will inevitability, inhibit your company’s growth prospects. A modern workforce management solution allows you to use analytics, thus, creating performance benchmarks that will improves your plant floor operations, and workforce productivity.

Are Today’s Manufacturing Companies Embracing Analytics? You Can Bet They Are!

Performance Is Key: Manufacturing companies are in business to make a profit and so, having a defined set of business metrics at your fingertips are the keys to understanding operational excellence. Your metrics should including, plant floor productivity, hours worked by employees versus job costing rates, product quality and overall financial results. With ATS Workforce Management Software for Manufacturing, you have access to intuitive dashboards that displays up-to-the-minute results that includes, employee data capture process, plant floor project costing and data integration.

Adding value through Processes: Manufacturing companies understand the value of lean production, thus, their processes should save time and money while using resources wisely. An example of lean in manufacturing is using an automated time and attendance system as opposed to manual system, which waste time and require more resources.

If you are a manufacturing company who has not deployed lean production throughout your organization, it’s not too late. With ATS Workforce Management Software for Manufacturing, your company can take advantage of real-time analytics- while at the same time, streamline plant-floor operations and saving valuable resources.

Want to learn more? Download a Lean Manufacturing Time and Attendance demonstration.

Are Today’s Manufacturing Companies Embracing Analytics? You Can Bet They Are!

Job Costing, Lean Manufacturing, Workforce Management Solution

What’s Keeping Business Executives Up at Night?

April 6th, 2016 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Benefit Accruals | Overtime | Payroll | Time and Attendance Solution - (Comments Off)

Many businesses are unsatisfied with their current time and attendance system, yet feel trapped with a maintenance contract from their existing vendor that inhibits their ability to find something better. Does your business fall into that category? If so, you probably made a considerable investment with both time and money in your current system. And, while the thought of finding a solution that’s better suited to your business might seemed like a daunting task, because you will have to devote resources to the project, you will be better off in the long run. After all, payroll is the largest controllable expense of any organization, one which most business leaders like to keep under control.

What’s Keeping Business Executives Up at Night?

If you are losing sleep over payroll expenses, here are a few things to consider when shopping for a new time and attendance solution:

Keep an open mind when it comes to a cloud-based solution
The evolution of technology and the emergence of the cloud, makes moving to a new time and attendance solution easier than it once was. To put this in proper context; you no longer have to worry about software updates, purchasing a Server on which to house your application or go through the archaic process of having to poll your time clock in order to obtain an overtime report. Your time and attendance should give you the ability to access your data anytime and anywhere and on any device that’s connected to the Internet. Additionally, the time and attendance system you choose should make it easy for your employees to request time off, see how many hours they have worked in any given period and/or communicate with their managers quickly and seamlessly.

Focus on your business requirements
There is nothing wrong in finding out why other businesses in your industry, deployed a cloud-based solution, but do not lose sight of your own business goals and needs. When choosing a system identify how you are planning on growing your business. If you are expecting your organization to add employees and locations over the next year, then it is important to choose a time and attendance solution that does not require a dedicated person to manage it on a day-to-day basis.

Gain insight from organizations that are using the product
Once you begin your search, ask your prospective vendor if you can speak to customers who are currently using their system— ask for customers who are in your industry and those that are not. The purpose here is to find out how flexible this system is, if at all. Ask the references, how the vendor handled the business requirements? can the solution be accessed through any device? What are the challenges with customer service? These types of questions can help you decide before you announce your engagement to the vendor.

In conclusion; in today’s rapid changing business environment, growth means doing more with less and increasing productivity. Having a solution that evolves with your business should be a deciding factor when choosing a time and attendance solution. And, although, choosing a new time and attendance solution can be an overwhelming process, if you do your due diligence and your focus on your business requirements, finding a solution will be less difficult.

To learn more or to join one of our upcoming webinars, go to our website. And, to reach an account executive by phone, call (866) 294-2467.

Payroll, Productivity, Time and Attendance

I’ve Got This Feeling, Somebody’s Watching Me. Really? Who’s Watching You?

The title of this blog references the popular song of the 80’s”Who’s Watching Me” by Rockwell. which brings us to the subject at hand, biometrics in the workplace. It wasn’t too long ago that the mere mention of biometrics being deployed at an organization, evoked fears of “Big Brother” mentality to the point that some employees offered a variety of reasons why they could not use this type of time clock. And, while a biometric time and attendance solution is becoming somewhat of an accepted practice in the workplace, it continues to have detractors, in part, because of misconceptions or because it was deployed in an organization that was not prepared for it.

An article by CBC Canada, that references Apple’s iPhone marketing campaign states in part; “Biometrics made a mainstream splash with the 2013 launch of the iPhone 5S, which featured a “Touch ID” that uses a person’s fingerprint to unlock the phone. But similar technology appeared in commercial gadgets a decade earlier when Sony introduced a thumb drive with a fingerprint scanner.” The article discusses fingerprint technology and FaceScan biometrics, among others.

If you are thinking about deploying a biometric time clock solution within your organization, we suggest talking to an experienced ATS time and attendance software engineer. Their dept of experience include; different industries with a multitude of pay policies, collective bargaining agreements, across several continents.

There are different types of biometrics and depending on your organization some work better than others. And unlike the biometrics mentioned in the cbc.ca article, ATS time and attendance biometric time clocks are solely, designed, to capture employee hours of work for the purposes of payroll.

To learn more about biometrics, download the white paper on the role biometric plays in the workplace. You can also join the conversation by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter or GooglePlus. And, to reach one of our account executives by phone call (866) 294-2467.

I’ve Got This Feeling, Somebody’s Watching Me. Really? Who’s Watching You?

Biometrics, CBC Canada, iPhone, Sony, Time and Attendance

Working Long Hours, Does It Improve Or Hinder Productivity?

The Industrial Age brought with it among other things, mass production of goods and manufacturing and also the introduction of the 9 to 5 work day. And with several decades gone, the Industrial Age has slowly become a thing of the past. And with the changes in the working world, one of the new norms have now become the 12 or 13/14 hour shift, which begs the question, can humans actually work that long and still productivity?

A recent article titled “12-Hour Shifts — Are They the Best Fit for Your Organization”? by Jason Gogel for Industry Week, an online manufacturing publication, wrote in part;

“After the Great Recession, many manufacturers had to find new ways to increase productivity and efficiency. Some changed their shift schedules from eight to 12 hours so they lost less production time on shift changes each day.”

Numerous studies including, one for Harvard Business Review, concludes that an individual’s health eventually suffers by working too many hours, with the end result being less productivity. Of course, we have all at one point or another, worked overtime for extended periods, in order to complete or implement a project and that means putting in extra hours but, that’s the exception and not the rule.

Working Long Hours, Does It Improve Or Hinder Productivity?

The Industry Week article continues by stating that; “The biggest concern with 12-hour shifts is lack of sleep and fatigue, which can negatively impact performance, productivity, and safety- on the job and at home. Health professionals typically agree that quality sleep is essential for maintaining good health. Most adults require seven to eight hours of sleep for optimal functioning; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 30% of the nation’s workers are sleeping less than six hours per day.

In addition to fatigue, not getting enough sleep can result in shortened attention spans, memory lapses, and irrational decision-making. According to sleep experts, other sleep-related problems are diminished psychomotor skills, slower reaction times, poor communication, and periods of micro-sleeping.”

You can read the entire article by going to Industry Week web page. Unless you are working for a company like Google and others of its kind, who provides nap rooms for employees who work long hours each week, your productivity will go down, if you continue working extended hours each day.

Another article you might find useful on this topic is called; “Whatever happened to 9 to 5? “ by Rex Huppke for the Chicago Tribune.

To learn more about ATS and how our time and attendance solutions can help your company manage pay policies and overtime hours, go to our website or call; (866) 294.2467.

Working Long Hours, Does It Improve Or Hinder Productivity?

Chicago Tribune, Google, Harvard Business Review, Industrial Age, Manufacturing, Time and Attendance

Want A Better And More Effective Alternative To Spreadsheets? We’ve Got It

Halloween Nightmare Signs That Points To Your Current Time And Attendance System

Are Today’s Manufacturing Companies Embracing Analytics? You Can Bet They Are!

What’s Keeping Business Executives Up at Night?

I’ve Got This Feeling, Somebody’s Watching Me. Really? Who’s Watching You?

Working Long Hours, Does It Improve Or Hinder Productivity?

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