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Clearing up the Confusion about SaaS and On-Demand Time & Attendance

January 18th, 2012 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Cloud Based Time Management Solution | Payroll | Time and Attendance On-Demand | Web-Based Time and Attendance | Workforce Management Software - (0 Comments)

These days the words “in the cloud” and “on-demand” have become ubiquitous with many companies. You can now download music or movies from “the cloud” or get them “On-demand” They both refer to the same method of obtaining information. ATS SaaS software offers a reliable and robust alternative to traditional time and attendance solution.

SaaS stands for Software-as-a-Service and is sometimes referred to as On-Demand. Essentially it means the software is hosted at a data centre and is licensed for use, by the company. ATS SaaS time and attendance provides the benefits of workforce management software without the IT infrastructure requirements (server hardware, security management, database, system management, service packs, data backups, and patches, etc.). The ATS solution is deployed without any software on your employee workstations or network.  

Benefits of our SaaS time and attendance:

Deployment
There is no software installation or special setup necessary. Simply open your browser and click on URL assigned to you by our implementation analyst.

Special Requirements
You can access the software from any computer that has an Internet connection through any of these browsers: Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera or Internet Explorer.

Ease of use
One of the biggest advantages to the ATS SaaS time and attendance is its simplicity. Our system is used by: the retail and hospitality industry, manufacturing, distribution and logistics to fortune 500 and 1000 companies as well as oil and gas and service base organizations.

Software Back-Up
Protecting your software has never been easier. Your information is backed up daily by our servers and a copy is readily available any time you need it. You also have the ability to download your own back-up.

Support
Our support is available via phone, online or onsite. Our customers have access to the software 24/7, 365 days a year.

Instant Updates
Updates to the software are free and will never disrupt your operation.

Payroll Interfaces
The ATS SaaS time and attendance contains an import utility for any number of payroll, ERP or HR applications.

To read more or to download a brochure about our SaaS time and attendance go to our website.

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Top 7 Time and Attendance Questions of 2011

December 30th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Absence Management | Benefit Accruals | Biometric Time and Attendance Facial Recognition System | Biometric Time Clocks | Business Software Automation | Cloud Based Time Management Solution | Employee Time and Attendance | Employee Time Attendance | Employee Time Clock | Employee Time Tracking | Employee Time Tracking Software | Hosted Time and Attendance Software | Payroll | Time and Attendance | Time and Attendance Blog | Time and Attendance Software | Workforce Management Solutions - (0 Comments)

Many people tend to use the end of the year as a time of reflection. We, at Apex Time Solutions, decided to compile of a list of questions received from businesses over the past 12 months. In some cases, these questions came from companies who were unhappy with their time and attendance vendor. We also received several calls from prospective customers who were using manual time sheets and wanted to understand the benefits of automating the attendance process at their organizations. This list is not exhaustive. It represents a small fraction of the many queries we received during the course of this year.

1.    Do you offer support across different provinces and/or states?
Yes. In addition, we also provide support in different time zones. When selecting a vendor, make sure they can not only answer this question but have customers who can attest to this as well. Support made it to the top of the list because this question came up numerous times from prospective customers.

2.    I am told fingerprint readers are better than other biometrics, is that true?
Based on our experience that’s false. The data collector (employee time clock) should be recommended based on   your company’s needs. There is range of things that should be taken into consideration when deciding on which data terminal will work best for your company.

3.    Can we implement payroll, ERP and time and attendance at the same time?
We would not recommend a company implement several modules or different systems at the same time. Each product requires its own project plan and testing. The implementation of business automation software should be given careful consideration and all the facts laid bare prior to deployment.

4.    Would you recommend web-based software over an on premises solution?
That depends on a company’s corporate culture and internal resources among other things. Recommendations are made based on a the needs of a company.

5.    Can your system interface to our payroll software?
This question is usually followed up by: “Are you sure, your software is compatible with our payroll application?” We have created interfaces to 300 plus payroll HR and ERP systems. Today’s software applications have import utilities that allow for interfacing to third-party programs.

6.    How fast can you implement our system?
There are many variables to consider prior to deployment of workforce management software. Once we have a full understanding of your needs, we will be in a better position to give you a timeline.

7.    If there is a certain report we want, can you build it?
Absolutely! We have no shortage of expert programmers who can build any report you want. We do, however; recommend that customers first browse through our library of reports as it may already exist within our software.

The ATS Time & Attendance manages absences and accruals, streamlines payroll integration and eliminates time fraud/buddy punching. For more information about workforce management software go to our website.

As the year comes to a close we would like to take this opportunity to wish our customers a Happy New Year!  

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How is your Business Carbon Footprint?

October 31st, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Hosted Time and Attendance Software | Web-Based Time and Attendance Software - (0 Comments)

Many of today’s businesses and governments have embraced the importance of the environment and the compelling science behind it. At Apex Time Solutions, we are proponents of green technology and its many advantages. Our Web-Based Time and Attendance solution provides customers with the ability to access their data on any web browser. With an ATS hosted time management solution this means you no longer need time sheets to track employee hours.

The ATS Workforce Management Software is a powerful suite and provides broad-based capabilities to help companies better manage their business and their labour force.

This solution was designed to meet the challenges of today’s complex and ever-changing business environments. By using the ATS Web-Based Time and Attendance in their workforce management operations, customers will be able to:

  • Accurately collect and report time and attendance data for payroll and other data integration
  • Produce accurate business forecasts to calculate staffing requirements
  • Extract key workforce and business data to create management reports that provide comprehensive feedback

The ATS Web-Based Time and Attendance Solution have the power to optimize your workforce and:  reduce labour costs, improve employee productivity and provide low total cost of ownership. With an ATS hosted time management solution you will no longer need to track employee hours with time sheets and that will save some trees.

To read more about our Software-as-a-Service Solution go to our website. You can also follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn for news and other software product updates.

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Software-as-a-Service versus On-Premises Installation

October 26th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Hosted Time and Attendance Solution | Hosted Time and Attendance System | Time and Attendance On-Demand | Web-Based Time and Attendance | Web-Based Time and Attendance Software | Workforce Management Software | Workforce Management Solutions - (0 Comments)

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.

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Time and Attendance Software for the Hospitality Industry

October 24th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Employee Self Service | Employee Time and Attendance | Employee Time Tracking | Time and Attendance On-Demand | Time and Attendance Software | Web-Based Time and Attendance Software | Workforce Scheduling Software - (0 Comments)

One of the hospitality industry’s biggest challenges apart from controlling costs is the ability to schedule the right people at the right to meet business volume. Whether it’s a quick serve chain, a large resort or urban hotel, the inherent challenges mirror each other. In a time of persistent economic uncertainty and intensifying competition, finding the right tools is essential to help control costs, increase revenue, and sustain customer satisfaction.

The ATS Time and Attendance Solution delivers real time activity based costing and helps to govern and automate the entire process from punch to pay. The pay rules library and flexibility allow for 100% automation of rules without costly changes to the core code. Hours and wage rule compliance is consistent and automated with alerts when a threshold for violation is approached – providing proactive reconciliation. The self-service capability of time and attendance increases productivity and managers will spend less time managing administrative tasks and more time focusing on customers.

The ATS Hospitality Workforce Management Software suite provides the following benefits:

  • Tracking of overtime, on-call shifts, premiums and tips
  • Labour forecasting and optimization
  • Employee scheduling by preferences, seniority and certifications
  • Tracking and managing split shifts and location of staff
  • Ability to configure and maintain various collective bargaining agreements through the software code
  • Schedule versus actual labour
  • Recognition of the real hours worked by individual employees
  • Elimination/reduction of manual processes e.g. timesheets and spreadsheets
  • Efficient processes through accurate transfer of data to payroll
  • On the spot human resources and labour reports
  • Accurate alignment of resources with the needs of the business

ATS Workforce Management Software for hospitality enables customers to accurately collect and report time and attendance data for payroll generation and benefits administration, produce enterprise-wide forecasts of upcoming business, calculate staffing requirements, automatically generate optimized schedules that meet forecasted workforce requirements, and extract key workforce and business data.

To read more about our hospitality time and attendance software suite or for a demo go to our website.

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How to save on Labour Costs in a Slow Economy

October 19th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Absence Management | Employee Self Service | Employee Time and Attendance | Employee Time Tracking | Hosted Time and Attendance Software - (0 Comments)

We are in an era of budget restraints, cost cutting and reduced work hours for employees. That’s a clear indication that many companies have not escaped the economic slow down.

When employees are asked to work reduced hours they want to be assured they are paid for every working hour. Meanwhile, employers want assurance that their labour costs are in line with expected business volume. Corporate culture notwithstanding, a manual time keeping system does not provide accurate attendance records. Manual collection and calculation of employee hours through time sheets is both cumbersome and time consuming.

Our Time and Attendance system helps you manage your workforce and track employee attendance more efficiently. ATS industry leading, integrated Workforce Management Software, takes into account your organization’s specific requirements, collective bargaining agreements, work rule policies, labour laws and shift patterns. Our software solution enables you to streamline payroll preparation, improve wage and hour compliance, and optimize your labour investment. That, in and of itself, is a tall order for any manual timekeeping system. 

Benefits to using an Automated Timekeeping System:

  • Minimize employee inquiries to HR for attendance and accrual information with Employee Self Service
  • Track and maintain employee attendance records
  • Cost savings through the automatic tracking of attendance,  overtime, and eliminating human errors
  • Eliminate payment for unapproved overtime
  • Accurate payroll calculations assure correct pay for actual hours worked
  • Minimal administrative tasks through the automation of processes
  • Identify exceptions such attendance and absenteeism

The ATS Time and Attendance solution helps simplify employee time tracking by giving you the tools to ensure workforce compliance and also helps streamline your labour costs.  Our workforce suite includes tools to schedule employees based on skills, preferences, availability or other demands of your business. 

To speak to an account representative call us at 1.866.294.2467. You can also join the conversation on our LinkedIn group for product updates.

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Eco-Time Solutions- Anywhere, Anytime

October 18th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Employee Time and Attendance | Employee Time Tracking | Hosted Time and Attendance Solution | Payroll | Time and Attendance On-Demand | Workforce Management Software - (0 Comments)

Collecting and analyzing attendance data, reducing labour costs and improving compliance are strategies for industry leading companies today. Software as a Service (SaaS)-based time and attendance solutions offer strategic advantages to businesses in a variety of sectors.

ATS Time & Attendance is an integral part of our Workforce Management Software suite. This web-based solution captures time and labour and automates the most complex pay rules. With this hosted solution companies avoid costly server purchases on which to host the software, licenses and version upgrades. Instead, companies can free up internal resources to focus their time on the day to day operations of their business.

Web-Based Time and Attendance Solution Features:

  • Online time card captures employee time and management adjustments
  • Data integration to a variety of Payroll, HR and ERP application
  • Labour analytic reports cover all aspects of attendance, absence and overtime
  • Employee Self Service allows employees and managers access to data based on authorization levels
  • Overtime equalization calculates which employees are eligible for overtime and when
  • Tracking of attendance through time clocks such as: biometrics, smart phones and badge collectors
  • The automation of accruals accumulates; vacation, sick days, jury duty, etc.

ATS hosted Time and Attendance is an eco friendly solution that automates and tracks essential processes that include: work hours, overtime, sick leave, vacations attendance and absences.

To read more about ATS measures to reduce our impact on the environment go to our website. Follow us on Twitter or join our LinkedIn group for Eco-Time Management solution product updates.

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Tracking Employee Time Off

September 14th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Absence Management | Web-Based Time and Attendance Software | Workforce Management Software - (0 Comments)

BBQ season is just about over. The cottage will be closed in a few weeks, and we will be putting away our summer clothes in preparation for fall and of course, winter. Over the last several years the words “work-life balance” has entered the vernacular of today’s workforce. An article by Elizabeth Landau, “why your brain needs vacations” pretty much sums up the health benefits to taking time off. HR managers have been trying to find an effective tool that allows their company to track employee absence request.

ATS integrated cloud-based workforce management software might be just the answer. Our time and attendance solution helps streamline the cumbersome attendance process to bring about an efficient and time-saving practice. Our powerful employee time tracking solution includes the absence request module.

Some of the benefits that numerous companies enjoy from this solution include:

Employee Absence Requests: through a web browser employees can submit their absence requests. The absence request is instantly sent to the appropriate supervisors for action. Employee receives the absence request status: approved, denied, or pending, is displayed on the employee’s page.

Flexible Functionality: the employee interface makes it easy for employees to request a partial day off, full day off, or a range of days.

Accruals and Balances: employees can view time taken and the remaining balance for benefit hours (sick time, vacation, and soon) at their leisure, without asking for HR assistance.

The ATS time and attendance solution absence request process is configured based on company rules. The processing of Excel and manual time sheets is error prone, takes time and is unsatisfactory for both the company and the employee. Costs associated with this manual processing will be reduced with the ATS automated absence request module. The workforce absence request module is a great example of ATS workforce management software capabilities to automate the eligibility and approval process, manage external information and track activities, deadlines and timeframes.

To read more about the ATS workforce absence request module, download a free copy on our site. To join our weekly time and attendance solutions webinar, go to our website.

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Do You Back Up Your Time and Attendance Data?

September 8th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Employee Time and Attendance | Employee Time Tracking | Hosted Time and Attendance Software | Time and Attendance On-Demand | Web-Based Time and Attendance | Web-Based Time and Attendance Software - (0 Comments)

That’s an important question that most businesses cannot answer. Study after study has shown that most businesses cannot remember the last time they backed up their files. As companies are becoming comfortable with cloud computing software it has become paramount that businesses have a way to back up their important data. One of the most useful ways an organization can use cloud computing is for online data back up and storage. ATS cloud-based time and attendance storage offers companies many benefits, not the least of which is instantaneous data back up—a service that provides companies with both convenience and peace of mind.

Vendors like Apple® icloud, IBM® cloud and many others who offer Software-as-a-Service with a secure way to back up your data, support the prevailing theory of its importance.

ATS Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery model allows companies to reap the benefits of enterprise class software without the burden and extra cost of servers and an IT department to manage software. The end result, customers appreciate several key advantages from the SaaS delivery model and at the click of a button, can back up their own data.

An online demo of our cloud computing software is also available on our website. For additional information, register online to attend our weekly webinar.

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Controlling Labour Costs Will Improve Your Bottom Line

August 29th, 2011 | Posted by Apex Time Solutions in Employee Time and Attendance | Employee Time Tracking | Hosted Time and Attendance Software | Web-Based Time and Attendance Software - (0 Comments)

Recent talk of a double dip recession is the new norm among the so called financial experts. Many of these experts were the same ones back in late 2006 and the early part of 2007 who said there were no signs of a recession.  What has become apparent since our “Great Recession” is that businesses are becoming more vigilant with their expenditures. In that same vein, controlling labour costs is one of the greatest concerns for many businesses, regardless of their size. When productivity and labour costs are aligned with a company’s objectives, rosy forecasts and profits tend to follow. And so, as your business grows beyond manual time tracking and paper time cards, you need a time tracking software designed to ensure you receive the most accurate information. ATS workforce management software enables you to collect, analyze and take immediate control of your labour data – all online and in real time.

 At times, the business case for a time and attendance system, does not become apparent until a company’s paper time cards or antiquated punch clock show their inherent flaws. The question then becomes, can you really save time and money and see a return on your investment?

 Here are some benefits to using our employee time capture system:

 Elimination of paper time card costs

The costs associated with paper time cards include: storing them, distributing them, manually collecting them, routing them for exception checking and, for organizations with multiple locations, shipping them to central locations.

 Preparation of Employee Time Cards

When using a manual system, it takes an average of three to five minutes for an employee to fill out a time card for each pay period. When the preparation of these time cards is processed very quickly, employees are more likely to have inaccuracies. In contrast, it takes mere seconds to make an edit when using an ATS time management system.

 Reduction in the Payment of Unproductive Time

When using a manual time tracking system, it is difficult to track employees who leave early, come in late or take extended breaks. The use of a time management system shows the employees who have punched in or out. Companies that automate their time keeping business process reduce data entry errors.

 We have only scratched the surface you can get by automating your time tracking methods. The evolution of a 21st century time and attendance system is a distinct advantage for many businesses. By carefully examining your company’s employee data collection, you are likely to find other areas where you can improve the efficiency of your time collection process.

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

Download your free copy of “Benefits of using an ATS Time Management System.” To learn more about our software solutions visit our website.

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