Decisions, Decisions: 10 Key Considerations When Purchasing a Time & Attendance System

Transcription

1 Decisions, Decisions: 10 Key Considerations When Purchasing a Time & Attendance System An Analysis of Workforce Management Technology

2 Introduction Life is full of tough decisions. As a human resources, IT or finance professional who is responsible for selecting the right automated time and attendance system for your company, you are dealing with one of the most important decisions you ll make during your career. There is certainly no shortage of time and attendance systems available in the marketplace to consider. Evaluating all of your choices can seem daunting. So while you review your options, you will undoubtedly want straight-forward and honest answers to questions like: Technology is constantly changing... what guarantee do I have that the time and attendance system we choose won t be outdated the week after it s purchased? Can you explain in-house hosting vs. SaaS? What kind of return on our investment can we expect and how fast? The questions can seem endless. This white paper will walk you through 10 key considerations to make while evaluating which time and attendance system you ll end up selecting. We trust that you ll also experience some added peace of mind in the process. Legiant Partners in Time Page 2

3 10 Key Considerations When Purchasing a Time & Attendance System 1) Getting the most out of your investment These days, every business is watching costs. But price alone shouldn t be the sole determining factor when shopping for the right time and attendance system. Write down what you think would be the ideal system for your company. Then, go about determining which system is not only robust enough to provide all of the capabilities you need now, but will also adapt to your growing company. When looking at cost, be wary of vendors who charge for add-on modules or options that are not offered in their core product. For example, many vendors charge extra for such features as mobile phone apps or XML API (allows separate programs, software and systems to communicate with each other). In addition, look for a vendor who implements a system for one fixed price with no additional fees that can result in unexpected costs. 2) Gaining a fast return on your investment (ROI) Without a doubt, purchasing feature-rich technology is an important investment. Ideally, with any new technology, you expect to receive a healthy ROI as quickly as possible. Be sure to ask your vendors how fast they typically complete their implementations. Your time and attendance system implementation should take around 60 days on average, and certainly not six months! The faster you become automated, the sooner you will experience a sound ROI. 3) Upgrade requirements and changing technology As with any time and attendance system, flexibility is a key concern. And with all technology, it s always changing and improving. Ask the vendors you are evaluating to share real-world stories from their customers about how satisfied they are with the system they originally purchased whether it was a few months ago or even a few years. Ask if they stayed with the original system for any length of time, or if they conducted periodic upgrades. Additional Legiant Partners in Time Page 3

4 functionality is a great option, but you should never be pressured into upgrades or threatened with losing support on your system s current version. 4) A system that will grow with you As your company grows, your time and attendance system needs to keep up. By purchasing one system that can handle your current and future needs, you can eliminate the need to search for another system due to an unexpected increase in employee numbers. Also, keep in mind that some time clocks can be leased-to-own through your time and attendance vendor providing an incredible savings over time. 5) The difference between in-house hosting vs. SaaS hosting When considering a time and attendance system vendor, you typically will have the option of hosting your own system within your network or allowing the vendor to host it for you using the Software as a Service (SaaS or ASP) model. There can be strong arguments for both hosting options, so the best way to approach the issue is to align your IT resources with your overall organizational goals. Your system vendor will help you determine which approach in-house vs. SaaS/ASP is best for your company. Should your business needs ever change, your vendor should also be able to provide a seamless migration from SaaS/ASP to in-house hosting. 6) Ease of self-service for managers and employees No one likes technology that is hard to understand and difficult to use. This is especially true for time and attendance systems that are designed for use by management and employees. Your managers need an easy-to-understand tool that will allow them to track their employee s time, schedules and attendance records in real-time. Employees of all backgrounds and education levels also need a system that won t have a negative impact on their productivity or make their jobs more difficult. Legiant Partners in Time Page 4

5 We live in a self-service-oriented society. Employees will easily adjust to the opportunity to manage their own workplace issues, like recording leave requests, recording time, reviewing their own schedules and work hours history as well as vacation and sick time. This self-service capability in a time and attendance system takes pressure off of HR departments from spending excess time answering HR questions and promotes increased productivity for everyone. According to a 2011 survey of HR professionals conducted by the Kings College London and law firm Speechly Bircham, Organizations that are able to understand and alleviate employee anxieties and provide effective ways to counter the impact of high pressure work environments will ensure that they retain more engaged and productive workers. 7) The need to stay compliant There is no miracle program that will keep your company in compliance with federal and state employment laws. What a robust time and attendance system will do though, is allow you to create and maintain a digital historical archive of your employees worked hours, leave requests and other important information. You certainly don t want to find yourself in violation of compliance laws such as the FSLA, FMLA, Sarbanes-Oxley and a host of other state-specific employment laws. According to a report by Aberdeen Group, a Boston research and consulting firm, more and more organizations are beginning to implement software for automating workforce schedules. Of the 200 organizations surveyed for the report, titled Workforce Scheduling 2011, nearly 25 percent cite adherence to collective-bargaining agreements and federal regulations as key drivers for using the technology. 8) Mobile capability and web browser access The future of automated time attendance is here, including being able to track mobile employees with mobile phone apps on smart phones such as the iphone and Android and the ability for every member of your workforce to access time and attendance software on any web browser. These are important capabilities that you don t want to be without. They can also have a direct impact on employee productivity. Legiant Partners in Time Page 5

6 As Dr. John Sullivan, a recognized expert on HR issues, explained in a recently published article about increasing employee productivity, technology, tools, and equipment can limit or bolster productivity even highly trained, motivated, and engaged employees can t be very productive when they are provided with insufficient tools and equipment to do their job. In an era where technology dominates almost every function, a failure to provide the technology, updates, or sufficient training can dramatically slow productivity. 9) Service after the sale Claiming to have excellent service isn t enough. Ask your time and attendance system vendor to provide evidence of quality customer service through testimonials or case studies. Service after the sale is a critical component of any technology system. Being able to call the supplier s headquarters office directly to talk to a live professional services team member builds trust between you and your vendor and provides you assurance that any problems or issues that may arise will be handled quickly and efficiently. 10) Training to keep you up to date Purchasing a new time and attendance system will ultimately lead to you having periodic follow up questions of your own. You need a vendor who offers a resource library with how-to articles, videos, case studies from satisfied customers and answers to frequently asked questions that you can access 24/7/365. A value-minded time and attendance system vendor will also offer free training tools, such as regularly scheduled webinars to keep you updated on the latest system developments. Legiant Partners in Time Page 6

7 Summary A new technology purchase for your business is an important decision and always includes more details to evaluate and consider than you might expect. That s why you need a well-established expert in the field of time and attendance systems who offers a system packed with value that can be tailored to your needs and budget, and who has a clear and proven track record of customer satisfaction. When your company is ready to make the move to automated time and attendance, contact us at to speak with one of our Time and Attendance Specialists. We can help walk you through all of the considerations you need to be aware of to ensure your new time and attendance system project will be successful and beneficial to you and your employees. Resources Increasing Employee Productivity: The Strategic Role That HR Essentially Ignores. Ere.net. < Threat to Employers Workforce and Productivity. PhysOrg.com. < Workforce Scheduling Aberdeen Group, < Legiant Partners in Time Page 7

8 About Legiant Legiant is recognized as an innovative leader in the time and attendance industry for its ongoing commitment to cutting-edge Workforce Management systems and world-class service. For over a decade, Legiant has been leading the way in the time and attendance industry with features like zero-footprint installation, automatic workflow notifications, web-based solutions, mobile attendance tracking, and much more. Legiant Timecard will reduce time spent on processing your payroll, provide your employees with self-service options, such as leave requests, and give management a look at real-time attendance tracking. 108 Wild Basin Rd. Suite 120, Austin, TX TOLL-FREE VOICE FAX Legiant, Partners in Time, Legiant Timecard, Legiant Express and the Legiant logo are trademarks of Legiant. iphone is a trademark of Apple, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. All other trademarks herein are properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Legiant Partners in Time Page 8