Best-in-Class Workforce Management Software from Industry Experts
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Many companies track and maintain employee time, hours and other data with spreadsheets. Spreadsheets are also used for creation of pie charts, bar chart and line graphs. Spreadsheets do perform an important role and based on their history will not be going away anytime soon. However, we have noticed that too many businesses rely on this type of tool to track employees’ time and other data for payroll processing.  The problem with relying on spreadsheets to handle employee hours is that it comes with inherent risks. Manually keying employee hours into payroll, ERP or HRIS can lead to numerous unintended errors.

 Say good-bye to your spreadsheets! ATS SaaS Time & Workforce Management Solutions is a fully integrated software suite that does a great deal more than just track employee time. Our software helps organizations minimize payroll errors and automate time-consuming workforce management processes associated with time tracking, job costing, employee scheduling, attendance and labour distribution.

 Solution Benefits:

  • TimeWork is robust yet flexible enough to adapt to your company’s changing needs
  • System redundancy provides frequent backups and ensures complete data availability
  • ATS data terminals provide hours instantly and in real-time and allows managers to review relevant data
  • System updates at no additional charge to ensure you are in line with technological advances
  • TimeWork ensures compliance with necessary labour laws while accurately tracking time and attendance of employees
  • Forecasting and budgeting modules align with company’s objectives
  • Labour distribution captures activities performed by employees at various departments or jobsites
  • Absence requests facilitate adequate coverage
  • Labour analytics provides managers with a variety of workforce data

 ATS Software as-a-Service (SaaS) solution automates employee time, labour tracking and scheduling. Companies can access the data at anytime, anywhere and from any web browser.

To discuss the benefits of moving from a spreadsheet based time tracking to an automated solution, go to our website.

A recent article by Gartner on how cloud computing is becoming the preferred option for many businesses and consumers caught our eye. Detractors to this report and others like it lament that people, by nature, are slow to change. While this argument holds credence, it’s clear the tide is changing, albeit slowly, towards cloud computing technologies like; hosting music on the cloud and Software-a-Service (SaaS) time and attendance solutions.

The report by Gartner is titled “Personal Cloud Will Replace the Personal Computer as the Center of Users’ Digital Lives by 2014”. In this report, Gartner espouses the virtues of today’s trend in cloud computing. One of the strongest points in this article states the following:

“Today, mobile devices combined with the cloud can fulfill most computing tasks, and any tradeoffs are outweighed in the minds of the user by the convenience and flexibility provided by the mobile devices. The emergence of more-natural user interface experiences is making mobility practical. Touch- and gesture-based user experiences, coupled with speech and contextual awareness, are enabling rich interaction with devices and a much greater level of freedom. At any point in time, and depending on the scenario, any given device will take on the role of the user’s primary device — the one at the center of the user’s constellation of devices.”

ATS’s ability to embrace innovation while simultaneously adapting to changing trends means, customers can deploy a solution without the additional costs associated that’s inherent in client-server installations. ATS SaaS time and attendance is hosted and maintained securely via cloud computing technology at one of our data centres.

To learn about the advantages of deploying a web-based time and attendance solution, contact one of our representatives or go online to view a demo.

Small and mid-size enterprises (SME) form a large part of the economic engine in North America and employ a large percentage of employees in many industries. Their impact on GDP has not gone unnoticed by economists and the investment community, in general. Over the years, there have been countless studies done on the impact SME have on the overall economy.

This excerpt from Statistics Canada offers a glimpse of small and mid-size enterprise contribution to the overall economy.  “SME In Canada, small and medium-sized businesses (less than 500 employees) accounted for $576.9 billion, or 54.2%, of business-sector GDP in 2005, while large-sized businesses (500 or more employees) accounted for $486.7 billion, or 45.8%, of business-sector GDP in 2005 (Table 1).  In the United States, small and medium-sized businesses accounted for $4.7 trillion, or 50.7%, of business-sector GDP in 2004, while large-sized businesses accounted for $4.6 trillion, or 49.3%, of business-sector GDP in 2004.” 

Small and mid-size companies want software solutions that are both scalable and attuned with their organization’s needs. ATS hosted time and attendance is a flexible solution that integrates to existing applications across an entire organization – including: payroll, human resources information systems, enterprise resource planning, financials and customer relationship management.

ATS hosted time and attendance offers a true, shared multi-tenant platform that can grow (or shrink) with your business and budgetary needs as they evolve. The deployment of the solution is done in a matter of days not weeks. Customers can choose from a variety of data collection terminals and workforce management software modules. Our hosted time and attendance solutions helps you meet the challenges of managing a dispersed workforce- while complying with federal, provincial and state regulatory work rule policies.

To read more about our time and attendance solutions for SME, go to our website.

Over the years, a great deal of money and resources has been spent studying the challenges that daylight savings time presents, to the general public. While some argue the change affects shift workers more than others, the havoc it wreaks on the lives of many people who miss an hour’s sleep is undeniable.

 An article by the CanadianUnderwriters.ca says, “More than half of male drivers report getting enough sleep during the time change, which is good news, since they tend to have a higher crash risk.”

 A contributing psychologist to the article goes on to say, “The change in our sleep cycle can cause unique dangers on our roads as some drivers will feel more fatigued than usual,” said Dr. John Vavrik, a psychologist with ICBC.”

 The argument for and against daylight savings time in the 21st century will go on. The online petition by End Daylight Saving Time remains resolute in their claim that DST does more harm than good to humans biological system.

 Companies that operate in the non traditional 9-5 industries can opt for solutions that allow employees to punch in and out using their tablet PC, Smart phone or through a web browser. The use of these tools takes the place of employees having to report to the office on a daily basis. ATS software for tablet PCs, Smart phones and online time tracking is GPS enabled and tracks the location of the in and out punch by the employee.

 ATS Workforce Management Software is designed for organizations in a variety of industries. Our integrated time and attendance system delivers deep insight into all areas of an organization’s work rule policy promoting better efficiency and more fiscally sound labour decisions.

For more information or to download a copy of our time and attendance brochure, go to our go to our website.

Since the invention of the mechanical time clock in 1888, companies have used various types of time clocks to track employee hours. While the changes in time clocks have not been as fast as smart phones and tablet PCs they have made significant strides.  There are still companies, today who use the traditional time clocks that come equipped with a paper time card. When these paper cards are inserted into the time clock, it punches a hole in the card that represents time in, out and other data that’s relevant to the company. Although the fundamentals of employee time tracking remain the same, time clocks have evolved.

Today, verifying employee record of work comes in several forms that include: barcode and proximity, hand geometry, fingerprint, facescan terminals, online/web timesheets, telephones and smart phones and magnetic badges. The functions performed by today’s time clocks range from job costing and schedule reviews to departmental transfers. When combined with labour management software, these clocks store data for the calculation of overtime, premiums and various work policies.

In some cases, time clocks may not be conducive to the needs of an organization.  For example, it might be easier for employees who travel frequently to punch in and out, check their schedules and request time off through their cell phone. A construction company might also find it easier to use a mobile time clock for employees that travel to different job sites.  Companies with remote health care workers might find it easier to use telephony. Phone punch or telephony allows employees to punch in and out from any telephone- all guided by voice prompts.

ATS time clocks facilitate complex attendance and job reporting, including hours worked, breaks, tardiness and absences. These time clocks provide real-time query capabilities and an accurate picture of your employees’ attendance and absences.

For more information on employee time clocks and workforce management software, visit our website.

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.


 

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.

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.

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.

While it’s easy to get an expert in just about every field, it’s fair to say no one could have predicted how big the smart phone and tablet PC market would become. Sure there were signs of it but the success of these products has skyrocketed. Apple recently announced that the iBooks 2 will be equipped with electronic textbooks and the techworld is going gaga over this.

Our seasoned programmers at Apex Time Solutions don’t lack for big ambition. As a group, we remain committed to aligning our products with the latest technology for our customers. The ATS time and attendance solution for smart phones and tablet PCs has a robust set of features and capabilities. Companies with on-the-go workers can submit hours wherever they are and supervisors can track and enforce attendance policies easier than ever before.

This application is ideal for managers because it’s easy to use and lets them quickly accomplish tasks. Employees with smart phones can request vacation, review their work hours and schedules.  

 Benefits to ATS Tablet PC and Smartphone application:

  • Real-time SaaS time and attendance functionality
  • Software is available 24/7, 365 days a year
  • Employees can request vacation and review shifts remotely through the employee self-service module
  • On the spot reports for time costing, payroll summary and employee leave
  • GPS Coordinate collection : (see when and where punches take place)
  • Managers can deny or grant employee leave through their GUI
  • The application provides flexibility for HR and Payroll to process information more efficiently

Benefits of ATS TimeWork:

  • Workforce Scheduling helps align employee schedules to key performance indicators (KPIs), optimizing company performance
  • Cost savings by means of accurately tracking employee attendance, reducing overtime, and eliminating human errors
  • The ATS software enables an organization to analyze, forecast and optimize staffing requirements
  • Labour Analytics provides managers a summary of vital workforce data for better planning
  • Display of up to the minute real-time labour reports for workforce planning
  • Reduce operational costs by lowering overtime and premiums to a minimum
  • Software notifications triggers real-time alerts to managers regarding issues that requires immediate attention

ATS time and attendance improves usability for labour analytics, absence management and scheduling. To learn more go to our website.