Time and Attendance Blog, Workforce Management Software

The Benefits Of Embracing Technology For Finance Executives

In a recent study by CFO magazine, titled “Supporting Growth with New Technologies” it surveyed the responses of financial executives in the USA and United Kingdom and the response in support of technology was overwhelming. It’s not uncommon to hear of companies using antiquated systems and while they know, that if they were to upgrade, it would help their business process-they remain reluctant to do so.

Sometimes companies are forced to change their current system, because it stopped working all of a sudden. This might cause panic to the finance executive who need a report that highlights labour costs.

Another of CFO.com most recent articles titled “Machine Dreams” makes a direct reference to survey and states in part that; “During the recession, IT was primarily seen as a source of efficiency and cost reduction. But as the economy revives, companies are evaluating how emerging technologies, from Big Data analytics to cloud computing to mobile platforms, can support growth initiatives.”

It also pointed out that “An overwhelming portion of respondents, 77%, agreed that over the next year, their companies will need to make much better use of mobile technology. Senior finance executives also know what they’d like the technology to help them achieve — namely, improved access to and use of financial and business data. A plurality of respondents (37%) said that mobile technology can provide users with better data-query and data-retrieval capabilities than their current systems do.”

ATS TimeWork On-Demand tracks attendance with employee time clocks, reduces manual errors and provides financial executives with reports in real-time. Delivered in the cloud, ATS TimeWork On-Demand is a unified workforce management solution that includes a full range of payroll and time tracking capabilities with real-time business insights, and fully auditable process management.

With ATS TimeWork On-Demand, you can:

Improve workforce productivity by reducing manual and timely administrative tasks.
Minimize business compliance risk by enforcing and tracking complex work and pay-rules compliance including; collective bargaining and government regulations
Control payroll costs with across-the-board work polices and pay rules

So why go with ATS? Because our solutions are completely automated, easy to own and deliver the high-quality information you need to make better decisions.

ATS TimeWork On-Demand offers intuitive, employee and manager self-service features to help you effectively schedule, and pay your workforce. You can find out more through our resource library or download a demonstration from our website.

Employee Scheduling, Employee Time Clocks, Payroll

Mirror, Mirror, Is There An Easier Way To Process Employees Time?

Yes, there is and several companies who have moved away from paper timesheets are now enjoying the benefits of an automated time and attendance system. Their HR and payroll practitioners have access to a best-in-class solution that can be accessed from any smart phone, tablet or workstation-anytime, anywhere.

These forward looking companies have deployed the self-service module and now, their employees, can submit leave requests online. The Employee Scheduling and Vacation Planning Modules allow managers to view at a glance, employee preferences, availability and vacation requests. Employee manual time sheets are now online and administrators can view attendance and absences in real-time. The tracking of jobs and departmental transfers can be analyzed through a variety of business analytic tools.

If your company still love using paper time sheets consider the following; studies conducted by Aberdeen Group and The Canadian Payroll Association have concluded that companies, using an automated time and attendance solution, has historically decreased the time it takes to prepare payroll by about 80% and has saved companies 3-5% on their net payroll costs.

To learn more join us for one our live webinars in the upcoming months and our team will help you explore the benefits of automating your manual time and attendance collection.

To speak to an account representative, call 866.294.2467.

Mirror, Mirror, Is There An Easier Way To Process Employee Time?

Business Analytics, Employee Scheduling, Overtime, Payroll, Time and Attendance

The Grey Areas Of Employee Recruitment

In an era of automating business processes that were previously done manually, many companies are taking advantage of recruitment and applicant tracking applications to help them filer resumes based on a set of criteria. These can include; years of experience, schools attended by the applicant, ability to travel etc. If you are not sure what kind of questions to ask, consult your HR department, an employment lawyer or the local Human Rights Commission in the state or province where you do business or hope to attract applicants. Questions that might be permissible in one state may not be permissible in another province or country and this could land a company in hot water.

Recruitment applications are not unlike workforce management solutions in that, what comes out correlates to the data that was keyed into the application. So before, before you post job vacancies, go over the criteria carefully and seek the advice of an HR person that understands the region where you are doing business, to make sure you avoid the topics that are illegal. Based on several studies and in no particular order, here is a short list of questions should be avoided on online applications:

Race: Why this question is even an option on a recruitment application is mind boggling. Since it has no bearing on an applicant’s ability to perform the job, why ask it anyway? Sooner or later, prospective applicants will start turning down jobs when this question comes up. They will also start telling their friends on social media which companies to avoid based on their initial experience, and we all know how fast negative news can travel. Diversity is here to stay and the companies who embrace it will be sought after by bright candidates from all walks of life. Avoid asking this question at all cost-it’s not worth the hassle.

Social Insurance /Security Number: If a candidate is eventually hired then this number is required for filing necessary taxes to the regulator tax agency. However, asking for this information on an online application is another question that should be avoided.

Political or Religious Affiliation: This also has no bearing on the applicant’s ability so avoid it and instead focus on the applicants’ reasons for applying for the particular position.

Gender, Marital Status, Family Status: Do not ask the candidate if he has plans for marriage or family, childcare. If these questions are part of your criteria on the application form-it shouldn’t be.

Sex of the Candidate: Does it really matter if it’s a man or woman who’s applying for the VP of Sales vacancy at your company? There is no justifiable reason to ask for the sex of the person on your application form. Trying to diversify a workforce should not amount to asking candidates about their sex or race on an online application.

The Alberta Government has a tip sheet titled “Human Rights and You: What Can Employers Ask?” It can be used as tool for businesses that are unsure about the questions that should be part of their criteria for posting jobs.

Once you have hired the right candidate, now it’s time to use cloud-based time and attendance, employee scheduling and workforce management software to keep track of attendance. You might also want to automate benefit accruals, vacation planning and time-off request and that’s where ATS comes in. To learn more, go to our website.

Benefit Accruals, Cloud Based Time and Attendance, Employee Scheduling, Social Media, Workforce Management Software

Increase customer service with an agile software solution

In the highly competitive retail industry, business executives must attract the best people, efficiently hire them, rapidly train them and retain them. Superior service can often be the distinguishing factor in achieving market growth and increasing revenue.

ATS cloud-based time and attendance solutions help retailers automate; scheduling, attendance management, forecasting, accrual benefits, and workforce analytics to accelerate revenue and customer service. Mobile solutions that includes the ability to access their schedules from anywhere, at anytime will empower your employees with the tools they need to perform their jobs, increase customer interaction, and communicate from the floor or from remote locations.

Solution Benefits:

Build optimal schedules- based on demand, government regulations, collective bargaining agreements (CBA), and employee preferences
Employee data collection—Collect employee hours in real-time to ensure adherence to schedules and job assignments.
Adhered to labour laws-improve productivity, streamline payroll costs, and minimize compliance risk
Tracking of overtime- Automate overtime distribution to employees based on established business rules.
Integration of data-integrate employee time and attendance data with enterprise resource planning (ERP), human resources information systems (HRIS), and payroll systems.

ATS workforce management software for retail improves scheduling for small and large scale organizations. ATS TimeWork provides an effective solution that’s based on an accurate labour forecast and automates your entire workforce’s employee time and attendance processes.

To learn more about ATS time and attendance retail solutions, register for one of our free webinars. To view a demonstration, go to our website or call us at 1.866.294.2467.

Employee Scheduling, ERP, Overtime, Time and Attendance, Workforce Analytics

Transform your Business with Confidence

Today’s organizations compete in an environment dramatically shaped by current economic conditions as well as ongoing challenges such as increasing customer demands, and escalating operational costs. Some of these organizations respond by deploying a time and attendance solution to help streamline payroll costs and find greater efficiencies across their organizations.

In this type of competitive environment, your business cannot afford to do nothing or it can quickly become dormant. ATS TimeWork time and attendance solution can help transform your business so you can embrace change with supreme confidence. ATS TimeWork time and attendance delivers increased agility so your organization can adapt quickly to change. ATS TimeWork drives long-term value for your business through a strong return on investment (ROI) and lower cost of ownership (TCO).

You can Transform Your Business By;

Getting more from your ATS Time and Attendance Solution
ATS Time Management solution is a great investment. It will improve the way your business performs, helping you maximize your investments with complementary modules that include: employee scheduling, forecast, job costing, leave management and overtime equalization. The solution will help ensure fast a rapid return on investment (ROI) and is backed by ATS industry-leading support.

Protecting Your Investment
ATS Business Care Plans offer a broad range of after-sales support benefits. For instance, your gold plan can provide unlimited training, access to self-service support portal and transitional upgrades and new releases.

Moving with Confidence into the Future
Companies can count on ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance for ongoing innovation and predictable product releases that provide long-term satisfaction. In addition, ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance solution is backed by a committed team of product managers, programmers and deep industry experience.

Find out why leading companies use ATS Workforce Management Solutions to achieve operational excellence.

To learn more go to our website and for a demonstration of our solution call us at; 1.866.294.2467.

Employee Scheduling, Job Costing, Leave Management, Overtime Equalization, Time and Attendance

Cloud-Based Solutions Is Changing The Business Landscape

Today’s workforce is rapidly changing with the advent of web-based technologies. Employees are no longer interested in being tethered to a desk when most of the work can be done with tablets or smart phones. At the same time, companies want workers to be informed and remained connected. Deploying ATS cloud-based workforce management solution makes it that much easier.

The 1990’s and early 2000s approach to time and attendance, in large part, meant installing software on a company’s server and other workstations. These workers would then be tied to their desk to access the data and print reports. Now managers and employees alike want instant access to their related information via any workstation or mobile device with access to their Internet.

ATS approach to 21 century time and attendance means:

Employees can review their schedules, overtime, accrual benefits and request time off through a mobile device
Managers can get instant alerts to their e-mails when an employee request time-off
Companies can stay informed with up-to-the minute workforce analytics
Payroll and HR managers can navigate payroll and other HR related reports to understand attendance trends
Senior executives can access real-time business intelligence on-the-fly

ATS transforms the way you access your cloud-based time and attendance. The solution allows you to implement your business goals faster, increases user adoption and provides a rapid return on your investment.

To learn more, go to our website or call: 866.294.2467.

Accrual Benefits, Cloud Based Time and Attendance, Employee Scheduling, Overtime, Payroll

Stuck with a legacy software that’s dragging you down?

The fast-moving and uncertain global economic environment demands that today’s time and attendance software solutions be user-friendly. In this digital age, people are accustomed to using well-designed applications through smartphones, tablets and other platforms in their personal lives. In business, these same consumers have little patience for vendors that boast about the number of years they have been around, yet, trot out applications that are cumbersome to use and difficult to understand. While functionality remains important, the key for most companies is the usability of the software.

ATS TimeWork On-Demand is an integrated workforce management software suite that combines business value, web-based funcationality and deep industry experience into a business solution with a low total cost of ownership. TimeWork On-Demand is a best-of-breed solution that runs on Apple iPad, Samsung, Android, Surface tablets and any workstation with Internet access.

Solution Benefits of ATS Cloud-Based Time and Attendance Include:

Data Integration- Upload time entry information to; Human Resources Information System (HRIS), Payroll, Human Capital Management (HCM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and other third-party applications via CSV and other data tables.

Workforce Analytics- ATS workforce analytics provides up to the minute information that makes it easier to access and understand with graphical displays for deeper insight. This analytic tool was designed with the user in mind, allowing them access a variety of labour metrics and to seamlessly, navigate through relevant data with ease of use.

Employee Self-Service- Through the use of ATS TimeWork On-Demand employee portal, employees can view daily timecards and submit vacation requests through the internet. ATS employee self-service eliminates the need for employees to submit time-off requests with a paper-based system.

Workforce Scheduling- ATS dynamic employee scheduling tool helps companies balance multiple constraints such as; qualifications, availability and shift preferences. The application generates schedules for individuals and departments across a single or multiple locations that comply with all local and/or union work rules. ATS employee scheduling supports multiple shift schedules operating concurrently, including variable patterns and other options all of which are easily user-configurable.

Time and Attendance- ATS Time and Attendance On-Demand provides data in real time, it can help your organization make decisions quickly, control payroll costs and improve workforce productivity. ATS time and attendance automates manual processes, while reducing data entry errors and frees supervisors and other employees to focus on other tasks.

Over time, organizations may find themselves running different proprietary software systems across multiple departments with little or no integration. Further complicating these issues are when these disparate systems are incompatible, too expensive to maintain, outdated and are unable to be serviced or upgraded. When it becomes apparent that your company’s time and attendance systems need improvements, this is when ATS cloud-based time and attendance solution begins to make business sense.

To learn more, call us at 1.866.294.2467 or you can view a demonstration on our website.

Cloud Based Time and Attendance, Employee Scheduling, Enterprise Resource Planning, Payroll, Workforce Management Software

‘Tis The Season To Automate Holiday Pay and Hours of Work

If you are in the food manufacturing, retail or hospitality industry, chances are, it’s the busiest time of the year for your company. And with the busy holiday season many employees are asked to work extended shifts, extra weekends and overtime. This can be a win-win both employee and employer. However, trying to remember which employee exchanged shifts or how much overtime pay employees have accumulated is sufficient to drive any business executive bonkers.

Here are 5 ways ATS TimeWork On-Demand can help your company automate holiday pay:

Workforce Management Software-ATS TimeWork On-Demand is a leading time and attendance solution that helps companies reduce payroll costs, automate overtime and premium pay, minimize compliance risks and increase workforce productivity.

TimeWork Absence Management- ATS absence management allows you to manage time-off requests and absence policies through employee self-service automation. Companies can improve the time tracking and reporting of time-off requests, view balances, accrued overtime, employees schedules and accruals in real-time with seamless unification to ATS TimeWork On-Demand.

ATS Human Resources Management- helps you manage employee information including: training & skills inventory, benefits information, performance administration, occupational health and safety. ATS HR management is designed to help you organize and maintain your workforce.

Workforce Analytics-ATS TimeWork analytics empowers companies to make more informed decisions on critical business issues. ATS forecasting and budgeting module contains predictive models to help companies understand business trends.

Data Integration- ATS TimeWork is a proven integrated platform, designed for building integrations to and from our time and attendance software solution. All integrations are deployed and managed in the ATS cloud based solution.

To learn more, go to our website or call 866.294.2467.

Employee Scheduling, Employee Self Service, Hosted Time and Attendance Software, Human Resources Information Systems, Overtime

Do You Really Know Your Company’s True Labour Costs?

This question always gets a defensive response when our account executives are engaged with prospective customers. One of the most common responses is: “Of course, we know our payroll costs. We get reports once a week from our payroll software.” If your company’s measuring its payroll costs on a weekly or monthly basis, chances are you do not have the right tools in place to help you stay competitive.

Today’s businesses need to be agile, flexible and responsive. Using paper time cards to track employees’ time is one of the best ways to accumulate inaccurate data. ATS time and attendance provides a full set of tools to help you forecast, record, track and control your payroll costs. We ensure visibility throughout your entire organization and provide a full integration with other systems that helps departmental managers get on-the-spot business intelligence data. Here are three ways in which an ATS employee time management solution can streamline payroll costs:

Improve operational efficiencies-Traditional methods of collecting employee time through time cards can lead to manual errors and employees either getting over or under paid. In contrast, using a 21^st century time and attendance solution can significantly reduce efficiencies throughout the enterprise, affecting manufacturing line workers as well as plant managers and administrators. Time consuming manual business processes silently erode worker effectiveness.

Cost control and tracking – Enables the capture, tracking and analyzing of project tracking activities and highlights profitability in real-time. ATS TimeWork provides expected versus actual costs for job costing, overtime equalization and workforce absence requests data is easily extracted for regulatory reporting requirements.

Workforce planning and employee scheduling – ATS workforce scheduling provides proper execution of re-scheduling activities when business priorities and plans change. ATS workforce management scheduling allows for optimized scheduling utilizing demand forecasts, employee skills data and labor standards; individual and team performance tracking (with identification of training needs); and incentive calculations determined by client rules and governmental regulations.

So the question remains, why don’t more of today’s businesses track their labour costs in real time? One of the most common answers given by companies, is that such a system would be very costly, take too long to implement or that it would not fit with their corporate culture. When you consider how the 2008 global recession impacted many businesses, in particular the manufacturing sector, controlling labour costs should not be an afterthought.

To get a free copy of our ROI on the implementation of a time and attendance solution, call us at 866.294.2467. To view a demonstration, go to our website and to join the conversation, join us on LinkedIn or on Twitter.

Employee Scheduling, Labour Costs, Overtime Equalization, Time and Attendance, Workforce Planning

ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance FAQs

Many of ATS customers don’t have time to browse through the “How To” section of ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance. We thought creating this online forum would help. Of course, getting in touch with the ATS support team can be done rather quickly through a phone call, contacting a local rep in your area or submitting a request to our support department.

Here are answers to some of the most frequent queries about TimeWork Employee Management Dashboard Section:
Employee Management-The Employee Dashboard is where you will add, edit, delete, and maintain all pertinent data and information on your company’s employees. We suggest filling in as much information as possible on your employees. By doing this it will give you comprehensive reporting and tracking of employee hours and other related information. For example, The Employee Dashboard is set up with several sub-sections; Time & Attendance Profile, Employee Pay Rate, Timeclock, Human Resources Personal Information, Human Resources Profile, User Fields and Contact Information. Each of these sub-sections in the Edit Employee window can be accessed one at a time by clicking your mouse on the associated “tab.”

Employee Report-The Employee Report option is used to generate a report of employees entered in the ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance software. All information of each employee is listed. There are several items that you can enter to control what order and which employees are displayed. There is also a summary option which will print the report in a revised format.

Import Setup-This screen allows you to configure the importing of employees. Options available include such things as default field mappings, and default parameters to use on required data.

Import File Format Include:

Fixed ASCII- Each employee is on a separate line. Individual fields (Employee ID, last name, first name) are defined to start and end at specific columns.
Comma Delimited- Each employee is on a separate line. Individual fields are separated by a comma

Import Layout Report-This report is used to document the format that would be expected of the employee import file. Generally this report is used when you want to create an employee import file from another application. The output of this report will be affected by the configuration specified in the Import Setup screen.

Import Employee-This screen allows you to select a file containing employee information to be imported and perform the import. Additionally, you can perform a test to see if the import will be successful by selecting the “Validate Import File” option. The results of the import operation can be viewed in the Import Result Report.

Import Result Report-This report outlines the results of the importing of employees from an external import file. It will display information regarding the success or failure to import employee information, as well as what was updated.

In the upcoming questions and answers we will cover; Timecard Management, Labour Analytics, Payroll Management, Employee Scheduling and Data Collection.

To learn why leading companies choose ATS Time and Attendance solution go to our website. You can also join the conversation on our Workforce Management Group discussions through LinkedIn.

Employee Payrate, Employee Scheduling, Human Resources, Labour Analytics, Payroll Management

The Benefits Of Embracing Technology For Finance Executives

Mirror, Mirror, Is There An Easier Way To Process Employees Time?

Increase customer service with an agile software solution

Transform your Business with Confidence

‘Tis The Season To Automate Holiday Pay and Hours of Work

Do You Really Know Your Company’s True Labour Costs?

ATS TimeWork Time and Attendance FAQs

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