Best-in-Class Workforce Management Software from Industry Experts
Header

Every few years your company sets aside some time to review demos and understand the benefits of time and attendance. After a few weeks, you decide not to make a purchase and stay with your current excel and paper tracking time sheet process. Over the years, we at ATS have heard of numerous reasons why some companies do not want to upgrade to a solution can make their lives easier.

 Some these reasons include:
“Our current system is old but it works.”
“We have looked at this before and senior management does not want to spend money on a system like this.”
“I am not convinced we can streamline our process if we purchase this system.”

Based on our experience it is often the fear of change that makes companies reluctant to adopt something new. The antiquated method of capturing employee data, although comforting, leads to erroneous mistakes and wastes valuable resources.

ATS time management software is both efficient and affordable. Because of the flexibility of the system, it easily adaptes to any industry and lowers operational costs from the very beginning.

Sometimes being reluctant to implement a software solution that can streamline business processes can be attributed to a number of factors including; limited cash on hand, uncertainty about the current state of the economy and a fear of change. While a delay can sometimes be due to limited resources in difficult times and while this may, on the surface, appear to be a prudent course of action, the cost of doing nothing is costing companies thousands of dollars each year in lost productivity.

Both large and small businesses understand that in order to remain competitive in today’s marketplace, it’s not enough to merely do more with less. It means reviewing all current practices and utilizing resources wisely.  One of the most effective tools, to help that cause, is the implementation of an effective time and attendance solution that contains business intelligence and analytic reporting tools to achieve desired profits. 

To learn more go to our website and to view a demonstration, contact a software account executive.

 

 

In some of our earlier blogs we highlighted the difference between a legacy time and attendance solution that is installed on a company’s network versus a Software-as-a-Service (Saas) application. Today, many companies offering cloud computing and web-based technology products.

The inspiration behind this blog has to do with a recent conversation one of our support representatives had with a prospective customer. This company had been looking for an employee time tracking software for several months and could not decide on a solution that would meet their needs. While they were enamored with the idea of a hosted time and attendance application, they were concerned about privacy issues and downtime. In our view, these are legitimate concerns and should be discussed before deploying web-based workforce management software.

We recognize that some companies have reasons for choosing a legacy application over a Software-as-a-Service time management system and that’s fine. It should be noted that ATS espouses the virtues of web-based technologies because it quickly adapts to the needs of today’s modern enterprise and is also highly configurable.

Listed below are some differences between a time and attendance software installed on a company’s network or office PC versus accessing the application through an internet browser.

Software-as-a-Service Workforce Management Software:

  • Implementation is quicker because there is no software to install on a company’s network involving your IT department and more than likely the purchase of a new Server
  • There are no additional costs for maintenance agreements and software updates
  • Companies with multiple sites do not need to build remote access to an existing network. All that is required in a remote location is a computer with access to the Internet
  • Mobile workers can record their time and review accrual balances through any smart phone: Apple iPhone®, iPad®, and the iPod® Touch, BlackBerry® and Android Phones
  • Our hosted time and attendance can be deployed at a much smaller cost

Time and Attendance Installed on a Company’s Network:

  • Annual maintenance costs for the software is generally between 15%-20%
  • A company is prepared to undergo a 6 -12 month implementation process, depending on the size of the organization
  • Large out-of-pocket expenses for the initial investment
  • On going maintenance of a company’s network and the resources of an IT person or department to manage the software
  • Costs for software updates or upgrades

The ATS Software-as-a-Service time and attendance solution offers companies the ultimate in flexibility, a quick ROI and low total cost of ownership. However, we suggest a company evaluate and decide what’s best for their business.  For some companies, software installed on their network and managed by their IT personnel is more suited to their organizational structure. For others, their ability to access the software from any web browser without having to upgrade servers aligns with their corporate goals.

You can download a white paper on the difference between an On-Premise versus Software-as-a-Service Workforce Management Solution on our website. To speak to one of our account representatives call us at 1.866.294.2467.

The National Payroll Week is held each year by one of Canada’s largest and most respected governing bodies The Canadian Payroll Association.

The association describes National Payroll Week with these words: “National Payroll Week (NPW) is the CPA’s largest annual public relations initiative. Now in its 17th year, NPW is designed to recognize the accomplishments of payroll professionals, the payroll community and the Association by building greater awareness of the size and scope of payroll and its impact on business, government and employees across Canada.”

Payroll Professionals from across the country, and in virtually every industry sector, participate in this annual event. The importance of payroll in a company should not be underestimated. After all, everyone who works for a living loves to get paid!

The Canadian Payroll Association goes on the say: “Canada’s 1.5 million employers count on payroll professionals to annually pay:

  • $810 billion in wages and taxable benefits
  • $250 billion in statutory remittances
  • $90 billion in health and retirement benefits
  • While complying with more than 191 federal and provincial regulatory requirements 
  • Payroll is mission-critical. Its size and scope impact business, government and employers across Canada from both a monetary and a business perspective.
  • Payroll professionals are the key communications point for employees and management on salaries and benefits.

Payroll professionals are responsible for paying employees accurately and on time while complying with more than 191 federal and provincial legislative acts”.

When you consider how important payroll professionals are to an organization, giving them all the tools, necessary to do their jobs will optimize the productivity of your company. ATS time and attendance accurately records: time worked, calculates vacation and sick time, and transfers data to your payroll software. Our hosted time and attendance system enables you to prepare your payroll more quickly and accurately, so you can spend more time on other important tasks.

Testimonial:

“Our time and attendance system continues to run smoothly and the ease of use is beyond my expectations. Your Company’s after sales support is both courteous and helpful. The prompt resolution of our problems and concerns keeps our system running smoothly and thus, the management and staff of our organization are extremely satisfied. Not only were we able to abandon the manual practice and move forth with technology, but you were able to customize the use of the software to meet our specific needs.  Please treat this letter as our solid support for your system and the Apex Time Solutions team. If any potential customer is interested in your products and services, I will be more than happy to provide a reference.

C Stone, Finance Manager, Community Health Services

To read more about our time and attendance system go to our website. To participate in our weekly webinar on time and attendance solutions and workforce management software join our LinkedIn group  and to speak one of our account executives, call us at 1.866.294.2467.

We all know that time is not static and so, metaphorically speaking, sticking your head in the sand will not stop change. In today’s rapidly changing world almost every process is automated. In fact, most businesses would be hard pressed if they had to resort to paper and pen for all of their daily operations. It is still surprising to find a significant number of companies using paper based time sheets to track employee hours. Today’s technological advancements allow business executives, HR managers and financial controllers to be more productive and efficient. In a recent conversation with a business executive, he confessed that to change from the punch clock system, to an automated time and attendance solution would be a cultural shock to his entire organization. Change, in this instance, was just too painful to bear, despite the fact, the cost of tracking employees hours manually were insurmountable to their bottom line.

Managing your workforce’s labour should be the least of your worries. ATS Time and Attendance Canada offers industry-leading software solutions that provide the knowledge, tools and support needed to optimize the deployment of your workforce.

If your business is still using paper-based time sheets, chances are you have not been introduced to the advantages of an automated time management system.

Cost savings and benefits of an ATS time and attendance solution include:

Track and Manage Labour Costs
ATS web hosted time and attendance, measures labour ratios and reduces unnecessary costs.

Vacation/Personal Time Off
Personal Time Off with our TimeWork software synchronizes requests and approvals and ensures adequate coverage.

ERP, Payroll and HRIS Data Integration
ATS hosted time and attendance seamlessly integrates to any ERP, Payroll and HR system.

Data Synchronization
Employee time clock synchronizes in real time, with the ATS workforce management software. No more adding up of employee hours using a calculator.

Stop Employee Time Theft
Using paper-based time sheets or an antiquated punch clock can cost a company thousands of dollars a year in productivity and human error.

Notifications
Alert notifications trigger in real time to alert managers of issues requiring immediate attention.

Human Resources Information
TimeWork can be used to track employee information such as: certifications, uniforms, asset tracking, training and next of kin contact information.

ATS integrated workforce management software saves time, cuts costs and aligns employee performance with your operational business goals.

The ATS time management solution automates and integrates ERP, payroll, HR, scheduling, forecasting and labour analytics. Even the most cost-conscience organization can find ways to use their workforce more efficiently. Our time and attendance system helps you plan, deploy and track your employees and their performance on one single platform. The result is enhanced productivity, and better, more informed decision-making.

Here is what one of our many customers had to say:
“Once again I must commend the work and dedication of your support department. Jackie was waiting at 8:00 am today to help fix the problem in the system. She worked for a good 2 hours to get everything back on track and had me test it to make sure from my end. I do not know what I would do without her. I assume you must have other clients that feel the same. Please add my name to that list for anyone who is interested in discussing ATS commitment to servicing its clients”.
Sheila P, Director of Payroll Operations- L Building Supplies

To read more about our time and attendance and workforce management software go to our website. To join our weekly user group session register online.

When bidding on projects many companies seek for better control over how their labour dollars and hours are allocated to those projects.  The ATS job costing module was designed to collect and analyze labour distribution and job allocation information.

The ATS job costing module provides an integrated and seamless method to collect, process and report on job costing data in addition to the standard time and attendance information. Job costing data collection is performed in the same manner as time and attendance data collection. The employee presses the desired function key, scans their badge and then scans the job number and project being worked on.

Functionality and benefits of Apex Time Solutions job costing module include:

The real-time visibility saves money through more efficient monitoring and administration, but also allows supervisors to anticipate and eliminate production bottlenecks.

Our system calculates the hours and costs of payroll in environments with complex business rules, including incentive pay policies. It is extremely configurable and is affectivity date-driven. When policies change, the software is flexible enough accommodate these changes.

Job Tracking Terminals uses input devices such as barcode and laser scanners for on-floor data collection. The job costing report allows sorting on all grouping levels, producing thousands of possible report combinations.

Job transfers can be tracked to many different levels. This job module can be set to several different configurations, allowing for single and/or multiple jobs at any period.

Time and Attendance reports can be combined with job costing reports. Writer module available for user defined reports.

 The ATS job costing module is great for tracking specific jobs for billing purposes, or when employees are paid for working in different departments or locations within an organization.

You can go online and read more about the ATS Job costing and Labour Distribution module.

Follow us on Twitter and join our LinkedIn group for updates on Time and Attendance Solutions and Workforce Management Software.

This is a hard question to answer without knowing more about a company’s culture and their environment. Some companies feel it is unnecessary to track their employee’s time since it might be misconstrued as a lack of trust by management. A few years ago, we received a call from the Director of HR of a 500 employee capacity company that was looking to replace their current system. Their current time and attendance system had been in place for a year. Naturally, we asked why. Their response “we installed several finger print readers across our plant and it has been nothing but a nightmare.” It turns out, the plant was a foundry and they had assurances from their vendor that the hardware would work quite well. In fact, the dust in this particular environment was not conducive to the sensitivity of the fingerprint readers.

Apex Time Solutions typically goes through a series of questions to understand which of our employee time clocks will best suit your company’s environment. During the site survey, our hardware technician further validates which time and attendance data collector will work best at the location in question.

Our workforce management software complements: Bar Code, Magnetic Swipe, Hand Punch, Fingerprint Readers and Facescan Time Clocks. Our time and attendance software provides detailed reports that reveal the number of hours spent on each absence type. The ATS time and attendance reporting allows administrative personnel to help resolve absenteeism by enabling companies to take a proactive stance in dealing with attendance.

Workforce Management Solutions by ATS include time and attendance, absence management, scheduling and labour analytics. To download a report on “Recommended Time Clocks” by industry type Click here. To learn more about Apex Time Solutions go to our website.

Companies in Toronto and other parts of the Canadian business landscape are finding out that one sure way to improve the margin between income and expense is to reduce expenses. These companies know that using time sheets and antiquated punch clocks create inefficiencies that can cause extra expense.  

Small companies in Toronto strive to meet many of the same workforce objectives as large enterprises: deploying their people effectively and proactively, paying employees accurately and on time, and measuring and improving the effectiveness of their workforce. The automatic calculations of our time and attendance system is based upon pre-set rules  that can save processing time, creating a more efficient and more accurate reporting environment. Our employee time and attendance system results in reduced overtime pay and can potentially avoid wage theft situations.  

The manual process of reviewing time cards, adding it to spreadsheets and then keying those hours into payroll software is prone to human error and lost of productivity. Our time and attendance system has a built-in metrics that can highlight inconsistencies easily.

Small companies with 20-100 employees, in Toronto, see a return on investment a month after implementing the ATS time tracking software at their organization. Companies in Toronto, with employees between 100-5000 and more see their return on investment in about two weeks after implemention of our time and attendance software.

“Our management team loves the system. Our ATS rep is very professional. He trained and set up our supervisors quite easily. The hardware and software works seamlessly and are both very easy to use with our payroll software”.
N. Rizzo VP of Operations- Dewar Construction Group

Our customers have told us over the years, that the introduction of ATS time and attendance software has reduced employee absence, improve productivity and ultimately, saving their organizations money.

ATS Workforce Management Software suite includes:

Time and Attendance
Workforce Absence Management
Employee Time Clocks
Employee Scheduling

Benefits Accruals

Overtime Equalization

Employee Self-Service Time and Attendance
Time & Attendance Pay Policies
Time Allocation and Job Costing

To read what companies in Toronto and other parts of Canada have to say about our workforce management software solutions go to our website. To learn about our time and attendance return on investment solutions you can contact us by phone at 866.294.2467.

 

In the manufacturing industry, “Overtime Equalization” is quite common. Companies within this vertical need an automated tool to help them distribute overtime to employees based on established business rules. Businesses need to identify, and take advantage of, every opportunity to reduce time and money spent on administrative tasks. Improving employee time capture is an ideal place to focus your efforts in any organization. Our Time and Attendance System reduces the manual and error prone data collection via time sheets.

 ATS Overtime Equalization offers sophisticated business intelligence to provide a window into the areas of workforce performance that matter most to your organization. Our solution highlights the overtime offered, refused, accepted and actual hours worked. ATS Overtime Equalization functionality highlights the ‘next eligible’ employee for overtime allocation. With this module, supervisors and managers have a concrete and objective way to allocate overtime hours.

Our Overtime Equalization Module provides managers with timely visibility into key workforce performance indicators such as labour, overtime, and attendance. Real-time alerts notify managers when performance thresholds are breached. This helps prevent labour issues such as excess overtime, budget variances and compliance violations.

ATS Overtime Equalization can also be used as a reward for employees who honour rules for attendance, punctuality, and workplace behavior. The ATS Overtime Equalization tool takes away the burden of assigning overtime and provides a fair and equitable system for all employees.

To download a copy of our Overtime Equalization brochure, click here or to learn more about our time and attendance software go to our website.

Surveys by leading organizations have consistently revealed that a large majority of organizations do not use any form of time and attendance to track employee hours. When you consider that labour is the largest expense for most organizations, this statistic leaves one to wonder why?

A company using a manual time sheet has to contend with the following:

  • Employees punching in/out for each other-Buddy Punching
  • Employees taking an extra 5 minutes for lunch
  • Arriving 5-10 minutes late once or twice a week
  • Manual calculation and keying of employees hours into a payroll software

Now it’s important to note that these studies revealed those using antiquated punch clocks, manual time sheets or “the honour system” included companies of various sizes. Theses companies ranged in size between 40-2000 employees. This is a staggering number when you consider the following benefits:

A time and attendance software will reduce the cost associated with creating and distributing paper timesheets. Cost savings result from:

  • Direct savings from reduced paper, printing, and distribution costs
  • Indirect savings from time spent handling paper timesheets
  • Elimination of duplicate data entry
  • History of dates when time off was taken
  • Fewer paycheque corrections
  • Fewer inquires to HR or payroll departments
  • Reduce the different levels of paper base tracking

How many employees complain if they get overpaid? If even a small number of employees keep their overpayments, it is costing plenty. And when employees get underpaid and complain, issuing a new pay cheque or adjustment is costly.

Without accurate information, you lose the ability to perform useful decision support. Pay is the biggest controllable expense in most organizations. You should have accurate information about hours worked, departments worked in, etc. for your decision support.

ATS customized time and attendance solutions help companies improve efficiency and reduce costs. To learn more about deploying a time and attendance system at your organization go to our website.

Can a Time and Attendance System Make a Difference?

Can a Time and Attendance System Make a Difference?