Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

Workforce Management Software Implementation: It’s All In The Process

A common phrase used by some of today’s sports teams is, “trust the process”. That’s another way of saying that the team has a plan and if everyone embraces (including management) the plan it is, likely to succeed. Of course, plans do go awry sometimes so sports teams should always expect the unexpected. It’s no different with software implementation in business.

In the world of workforce management software, the central feature is that of a shared database that supports multiple functions used by different business units. In practice, this means that employees in different departments or locations, such as; distribution, engineering, HR, payroll and finance can rely on the same information for their business process needs.

Implementation stages
The process that encompasses workforce management software implementation can be simple or complex, based on factors like size of the company, the project’s complexity and expectations.

Workforce management software implementation that takes advantage of the cloud, can skip some of the traditional steps that an on-premises deployment involves. ATS manages the infrastructure, allowing organizations to focus on data migration, process changes and employee training. The added steps of hosting the application is handled by ATS.

Project Team
The project team is responsible for the overall health of the implementation project, overseeing day-to-day initiatives and timelines. And, depending on the size of the company, the project team will look different.

Complex implementations for larger enterprise will likely have a steering committee. The committee might consist of the senior executives and departmental managers, who will establish the strategy, goals and priorities that justify the investment.

The budget
The success or failure of a workforce management software implementation project can sometimes, hinge on a realistic budget. And, one of the reasons that a company might go over budget is the expansion and scope of the project.

Implementation Costs
Initial costs are typically much lower for cloud computing solutions like ATSTimeWorkOnDemand, because you only need to focus on the software requirements and connectivity to the system. And, that’s because ATS hosts and maintains the application, thus minimizing demands on time and IT resources.

Application Design
If your company is migrating to a cloud application from on-premise solution the new solution will need to connect with other platforms, like HR, talent management, CRM or payroll. The ATS programming team will need design and develop the APIs before any data integration is established.

Migration
Data migration is crucial to a successful implementation, but transferring data from one system to another can be cumbersome and present unanticipated roadblocks. The ATS project team can make this process more efficient by coordinating with a company’s project manager to ensure a smooth data and mapping analysis is performed.

Training
It’s important to unlock the benefits of your workforce management solution. In order to do so, you need to ensure your employees, understand how to leverage the new system. ATS training is comprehensive and is available to employees through a combination of online learning opportunities.

Testing
ATS software engineers and other users from your company’s project team test connections and validate data integrity, fine-tuning adjustments so the software solution runs as you would expect, before the final data transfer and go-live date.

And…We’re Off
By now, most of the glitches (if any) have been dealt with, the system has been configured according to specifications, data has been transferred and onboarding activities have occurred, and testing is complete.

Support
Post-implementation support is the final step in the project. Sometimes everything does not go as planned, you can rely on ATS team of industry experts to help you navigate through implementation wrinkles.

No matter the type of organization, implementing a workforce management solution is a critical project that demands careful planning and commitment from the entire organization.

To learn about ATS workforce management software in the cloud, go to our website. To reach an account representative, call: 866.294.2467

Cloud Computing, CRM, HR, Payroll, Talent Management, Workforce Management Software

What Can ATS TimeWorkOn Demand Analytics Do For Your HR Department?

Accurate HR data delivered with up-to-the-minute analytics is vital to the success of an organization. ATS TimeWorkOnDemand cloud computing analytics application can help you make the right business decisions by providing a invaluable information and deep insights, using intuitive tools like automated real-time reports and easy to configure dashboards.

Here are 3 reasons why HR managers love ATS TimeWorkOnDemand:

Intuitive Dashboards

Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for the entire workforce through a set of intuitive dashboards
Create, update, and print reports in various formats and through the dashboards
Keep the executive suite and departmental managers informed across the organization, with scheduled up-to-the-minute reports and dashboards

Real-Time Insights

Enable rapid identification of trends using graphics with easy-to-use data visualization tools
Gain up to the minute management insights of workforce through comprehensive analytics. Drill down for more detail and utilize what-if analysis
Spot potential business problems before they occur, by gaining instant visibility with early warning systems reporting-so you can make better, informed people decisions.

Payroll and HR Compliance

Supports Canadian and US compliance and regulatory payroll, HR and collective bargaining reporting requirements.
Permission-based features designed to enable executives, managers, supervisors and employees to support both themselves and their teams, through self-service portals while ensuring that sensitive HR data is visible only to those who need to see it
Integrate HR, CRM, talent management, ERP and payroll applications with ATS TimeWorkOnDemand, giving one source of truth for your people data. Use on demand reports, dashboards and analytics to keep track of all payroll, compensation and employee benefits data

To view a demonstration of ATS TimeWorkOnDemand analytics, go to our website. And to reach an account executive by phone, call 866.294.2467.

ATS TimeWorkOnDemand, Canadian, Cloud Computing, CRM, Employee Benefits, ERP, HR, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Talent Management

ATS Workforce Management Solution Helps Retail and Hospitality Industries to Thrive

By 2025 consumer attitudes towards retail will have dramatically changed. The rapid growth of robotics, cloud and artificial intelligence will permeate the retail and hospitality experience for both consumer and stakeholders. Anticipating consumer trends and deploying innovations that enhance employee and consumer experience and, simplify business operations will be vital to the long-term health and sustainability of retail and hospitality.

ATS Workforce Management for Retail & Hospitality provides these industries with an open, integrated, and best-of-breed application in the cloud, with state-of-art data collectors engineered to empower commerce. With ATS Workforce Management, organizations can streamline payroll costs and increase productivity, such as with a best-of-breed time and attendance, that’s demand-driven scheduling, and absence management software tools. Grocery operations, pharmaceutical, hospitality chains and retailers use ATS Workforce Management solutions to anticipate market changes, simplify businesses operations, and boost their bottom-line.

ATS Workforce Management Solution Helps the Retail and Hospitality Industry Thrive

Solution Benefits Include:

Employee Scheduling- ATS Workforce Scheduling, allows managers to easily leverage workforce data through an intuitive cloud-based interface, thus streamlining the scheduling process of their employees with roles-based self-service tools.

Workforce Analytics and Business Intelligence- ATS Intelligence (BI) analysis covers the macro picture down to the operating, financial and valuation information-and provides in-depth and economic factors that can impact decision-making.

Digital API Platform and Data Integration- ATS data integration tool, enables users to transfer data from one data source (such as text file, API, CSV or other data files) to an output destination. That output destination can be a text file, database, XML document, or another suite application. The key component of ATS Integration Manager is the interface that contains a set of steps, for the data transfer. By utilizing ATS data integration platform, companies can integrate to existing, ERP, Talent Management, HR, Payroll and CRM applications.

Budgeting and Forecasting- ATS Workforce Management for Retail and Hospitality, helps you eliminate costs, time, and errors with proper budgeting and forecasting on both short and long-term projections. The budgeting and forecasting module, allow you to integrate annual and periodic forecasting with weekly workforce management execution.

Next-Generation Data Collection- With ATS Workforce Management for Retail and Hospitality, you automate employee time and attendance processes to reduce payroll costs, comply with collective bargaining agreements and adhered to regulatory compliance. Some of ATS employee data collection include: face recognition time clocks, biometric hand punch, proximity and barcode time clocks and computer-based time clocks. ATS Workforce Management validates the collection of employee data, with up-to-the-minute reporting, to reduce overpayments.

ATS Workforce Management Solution Helps the Retail and Hospitality Industry Thrive

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To learn more, register for one of our weekly webinars, or download brochures or a pre-recorded demonstration. And, to speak to a representative, call; 866.294.2468.

Business Intelligence, CRM, Employee Self Service, ERP, HR, Payroll, Retail, Talent Management, Time and Attendance, Workforce Analytics, Workforce Management Software

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 There A Silver Bullet To Workforce Management Software Deployment?

The correct answer to a question of this nature is a whopping no! Claims of seamless deployment are just that, “claims”. Now with that being said, when an implementation is being planned out and both vendor and customer should take into account that there are going to be deployment gaps along the way. Without a doubt, every deployment will incur a small gap or two regardless of size or scope, however, when stakeholders and its partners, build contingency plans to mitigate the unforeseen, that’s when you the closest thing to a seamless deployment.

ATS Workforce Management Solutions has built-in accelerators designed to help companies implement more quickly and cost effectively. ATS deployment accelerators are pre-configured versions of our workforce management software, based on deep expertise and are industry specific.

Here are three benefits to ATS Workforce Management Solution Deployment Accelerator:

End-User Experience
ATS TimeWork offers pre-delivered configurability and thus, organizations can keep core payroll and HR functions (payroll, CRM, ERP, accrual benefits and talent management) while enhancing them to provide an easy-to-use, and mobile design that can blend with cloud-based applications. ATS Workforce Management Solution enables companies to deliver time and attendance functionality across any device while providing the same user experience.

Payroll, Finance and Workforce Analytics On Display
ATS award-winning Workforce Analytics can helps companies to manage and keep up-to-date on workforce and compliance issues, while creating value and rapid return on investment (ROI) for the business. ATS Workforce Management Software Accelerator helps create a phased approach that provides enhanced and ready-to-use data, visualization, business analytics, and statistics.

Built-To-Use Data And Cloud Migration
Migrating from paper timesheets or other applications can be done with ease with ATS data migration (import and export) capability tools. ATS Workforce Management Software Accelerator helps organizations close the cloud and data migration gap with a solution that was built to work with today’s applications in an era of cloud computing and, at the same time, effectively addressing the key areas that extend the software implementation process.

Bottom Line- ATS Workforce Management Software Accelerator is an important and useful tool that can be used by companies who want a quick implementation, are not interested in fancy features, and have no need for software customizations. Note, we said “customization” and not “configuration.” Companies are encouraged not to look for silver bullet implementations because they simply do not exist.

To learn about ATS Workforce Management Software Accelerators go to our website. You can also register for one of our weekly webinars or contact an account executive at 866.294.2467.

Accrual Benefits, CRM, ERP, HR, Payroll, Time and Attendance, Workforce Management Software

Can Cloud-Based Time And Attendance And Lean Manufacturing, Work Together?

Lean manufacturing is about a set of process that helps the elimination of waste. The fundamental principle of lean is adding value. The “value” is described by Wikepedia in this way “Working from the perspective of the client who consumes a product or service, “value” is any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for”.

So, what’s the correlation between lean manufacturing and a cloud-based time and attendance? Using a cloud time and attendance solution means; a company does not have to purchase software licenses, or have a Server dedicated on which to host the application. While there are other similarities, it’s clear the adoption of cloud-based solution gives lean manufacturing companies-a distinct advantage over their competitors.

According to IDC Manufacturing Insights, more than 22% of surveyed manufacturers said they are running cloud services in their organizations and another 44% said they are currently implementing or intend to implement cloud computing to enable process optimization and cut cost. The survey also showed that the percentage of companies managing traditional infrastructure spending will fall to about 38% from 54.8%. Although the number of cloud adopters in recent years has increased, a significant portion of manufacturing companies are still missing the benefits of things like; workforce analytics and efficiency improvement that the adoption of cloud software can create.

Today’s lean manufacturing operations are also adopting cloud-based strategies for its 24/7 mobile access and its ability to provide seamless integration to; Talent Management, Payroll, ERP and CRM applications, thus optimizing workforce allocations across local, regional and global manufacturing centres.

Bottom Line:
The goals for implementing lean manufacturing standards and that of a cloud-based time and attendance are the same, value. That’s why many organizations are now adopting a cloud-based solution like ATS TimeWork OnDemand to streamline key areas of their business, and allowing management to focus on growth activities, not just operational tasks.

You might also like:

Ye Shall Practise And Embrace Lean Manufacturing

Manufacturing Companies Are Embracing AI, Robotics And Other Advanced Technologies

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

Can Cloud Time And Attendance And Lean Manufacturing Work Hand In Hand?

ATS TimeWork OnDemand, Cloud Based Time and Attendance, CRM, ERP, Lean Manufacturing, Payroll, Talent Management

Removing The Complications Out Of Employee Time Tracking

We at ATS continually espouse the benefits of an automated time and attendance, but we have also stressed that it does not have to be a complicated process. And, while it’s true that an organization with multiple locations, different collective bargaining agreements, and its adherence to regional and federal work rules can increase the complexity and amount of time it takes to install such a system, sticking starting with the basics can make a world of difference.

Here three simple rules to follow once you have decided to deploy a time and attendance:

Reports
Find out which reports are most important to you. For example, if you need a report that shows which or how many hours employees worked on a; daily, weekly and monthly basis, this should suffice as a starting point. Other simple reports may include; exceptions, overtime, daily time in and out and, a few payroll reports to ensure you have the proper information before exporting employee hours to your payroll, CRM, ERP, HR or talent management software. This, however, is not to suggest, you should not explore the full library of reports within a time and attendance system, or look for a solution that has the capability to provide analytics and Big Data tools to support your organizational growth.

Employee Time Clock
When deciding which time clock to use, think about your organizational philosophy and, more importantly, your actual work environment. Would biometric face recognition be better suited or would or a proximity or magnetic time clock avail itself as the better option? These are considerations that should be given once you decide which time and attendance to deploy.

Project Manager
Traditionally this role has fallen to the IT manager or consultant. But, in actuality, HR and/or the payroll practitioner and to some extent, finance personnel are responsible for the management of employee time tracking. So, would it not make sense that such a project be headed by one of these individuals? That’s not to say the role of IT is less important, it just means that the very people who manage the daily tracking of employee hours would know more, than anyone else, about your company’s time and attendance requirements. And, so, it stands to reason, that their role when choosing a solution should be elevated- in short, they are the ones that should be your project managers, with the understanding that they seek assistance and/or guidance from other departments including; IT and other operational managers.

Whether you are moving from paper time sheets to an automated time and attendance solution or merely upgrading to a new solution, removing the complications will help the deployment go a bit smoother.

To learn more about ATS Time and Attendance solutions, go to our website. And to register for one of our weekly webinars, contact us.

Analytics, Big Data, Biometrics, CRM, ERP, HR, Payroll, Time and Attendance, Time Clock

Your Company’s Policy States It Will Not Deploy A Cloud Solution. Really? But Why?

It easy to become fearful of the unknown or listen to the naysayers when you are not certain-but let’s face it, the cloud is not your average “Johnny-come-lately” solution. In fact, it has been around for quite sometime despite the forecast of its demise by a few. And, much to the chagrin of the few doubters, it has not only endured, but has also won over the hearts and minds of many businesses executives who previously thought it was a fad.

Jo Bennett, contributor for Gartner, (the research and advisory firm) penned an article titled “Why a No-Cloud Policy Will Become Extinct” The article, states in part; “Businesses initially stepped gingerly toward the cloud, experimenting with low-risk applications. Today, applications for office productivity and CRM are tried and tested, and use cases are constantly developing in a wider sphere of mission-critical areas.”

Your Company’s Policy States It Will Not Deploy A Cloud Solution. Really? But Why?

Security has always been the concern for some businesses (understandably so) when weighing, the pros and cons of a cloud-based versus an on-premise solution. And so, on the topic of security the article continued; “Security concerns are most frequently the reason organizations avoid public cloud services. The reality is that cloud service providers typically have the ability to support more effective security systems and platforms than are practical for most individual businesses.”

ATS best-of-breed cloud-based time and attendance has helped thousands of businesses capture employee data in real-time with award-winning employee time clocks, and data integration capabilities to ERP, Payroll and HR applications. With ATS cloud-based time and attendance you get up-to-the-minute business intelligence, operational excellence and increase agility with a single global application that aligns to your business processes.

To learn more about ATS Cloud-Based Solutions or to read testimonials from some of our customers, or to download a free demonstration, go to our website.

Cloud Based Time and Attendance, CRM, Employee Time Clocks, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Gartner, Payroll, Public Cloud

Will This System Really Help Our Organization?

April 28th, 2015 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Absence Management | Employee Self Service | Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software | Time Management Solutions - (Comments Off)

Our sales reps have to answer this question often enough that they have the answer at the tip of their tongue. It’s always a resounding yes followed up with examples of how other companies are using the technology. However, the question remains, why would any company deny itself the use of cloud-based time and attendance solution to increase business processes when it has so many benefits?

An article titled “Convincing Skeptical Employees to Adopt New Technology” written by Rebecca Knight for Harvard Business Review, reads in part; “Bringing new technology and tools into your organization can increase productivity, boost sales, and help you make better, faster decisions. But getting every employee on board is often a challenge. What can you do to increase early and rapid adoption?”

The article espouses the virtue of technology with a fresh look on the best ways to get colleagues and employees alike to buy-in. We selected three paragraphs from the article and in no particular order, they are:

State your case “Persuading your team to adopt a new technology requires putting forth a valid effort. For example, if using CRM, will it enable salespeople to meet their quotas faster — which gives them the opportunity to make more money? Or increase productivity in a way that reduces weekend work?

Customize training
“Show that you are investing time in learning the new system. Some employees might prefer an online training session; others might need a bit more handholding and support in the form of a personal coach.”

Make it routine
If, for instance, you’ve recently introduced a new sales-tracking technology, start asking for weekly updates on the numbers. Of course, employees could still use provide the information without using the new system, but it would be more cumbersome and time-consuming.

The bottom-line, the use of technology and its adoption, in large part, have to do with how the benefits are explained to employees. If, as the article suggests, employees are told at the outset “what’s in it for them, there is a greater likelihood of them using the system. What will also be more impactful, is if employees are trained properly and then given reminded about using the system on a daily basis. Change takes time and since we are all wired not to accept change, it’s best to use the “carrot” approach instead of the “stick” when adopting new technology such as cloud-based time and attendance solution.

To learn more about ATS time and attendance system and training methodology, go to our website. You can also register for one of our monthly product demonstrations and to speak to an account executive, call us at 866.294.2467.

CRM, Time and Attendance System, Training

Does Your Company Have A Flexible Work Policy?

In 2013 when a leaked memo surfaced that Yahoo’s CEO, Marissa Mayer had directed one of the company’s HR executive to initiate a ban on the ‘work from home’ policy, the tech world went berserk. Several people within the tech industry are used to the flexible policy of working from home and so, it came as no surprise that the news was met with a heavy dose of resentment and bloggers galore took to social media and posted blogs all venting their disagreement with Yahoo’s policy. Whether your company is for or against the working from home policy this practice is not going away, in fact, it is increasing in numbers by some well established companies.

An article titled Office ‘Hoteling’: ‘Some Companies Offer Reservations, but Some Workers Have Reservations’ by Amy Whyte for workforce.com it states in part;

“Though hoteling has been around for some time — Crain’s Chicago Business reported on IBM’s switch to a desk reservation system in 1994 — the trend has recently picked up steam. “Big Four” accounting firms Deloitte and EY, formerly Ernst & Young, are among companies that have adopted office hoteling in the past year. Instead of assigned desks, companies like American Express Co. are offering employees storage lockers to hold their files and supplies. Rather than being tethered to landlines, employees at GlaxoSmithKline carry laptops equipped with Internet phones.

Even the federal government has gotten in on the trend with the U.S. General Services Administration using hoteling as part of its efforts to reduce federal office space and increase efficiency and collaboration. Charles Hardy, the GSA’s chief workplace officer, said the hoteling model has enabled it to assign 3,400 people to its headquarters, a building that previously only housed 2,200.”

A flexible work policy that includes employees working from home is not for every company. Just imagine an outside sales rep that is required to drive 2 hours or more each day, 5 days a week to sit at a desk and make cold calls to prospective customers. A company may have valid reasons for having this rep drive in to work each day. Perhaps the sales rep is below her quota and, so by closely managing this person, she might yield the desired result. With the advancement of internet phones, a cloud-based customer relationship management software (CRM) for a rep to add his notes and communicating by e-mails his superior and colleagues all day long, why would any company ask a sale rep to drive in each day to make phone calls?

In conclusion, companies who, for various reasons believe employees are better managed in an office will most likely frown upon a flexible work from home policy. In contrast, other companies who do not want to be burdened with bricks and mortar costs and see the value in such a policy will embrace this modern way of working, albeit with employees who do not need to be tethered to a desk. If you happen to work for a company that do not believe in a flexible work from home policy and you decide to approach your superior about it, make sure you have all the facts to back up the reasons why you should work at home. Change takes time.

To learn more about ATS go to our website. You can download product brochures and also register for one of our upcoming webinars.

CRM, HR, IBM, Internet, Yahoo

ATS Workforce Management Solution Helps Retail and Hospitality Industries to Thrive

Is There A Silver Bullet To Workforce Management Software Deployment?

Removing The Complications Out Of Employee Time Tracking

Will This System Really Help Our Organization?

Does Your Company Have A Flexible Work Policy?

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