YOUR GUIDE TO

TIME

&

Attendance

SOFTWARE

Where To Start

Features & Options

Begin the process by clearly identifying your objectives. These may include improved efficiency within the team or reducing operational expenses. Once your goals are established, give thoughtful consideration to the integration of various functions such as Scheduling, Time and Attendance, Human Resources, and Payroll. Combining these elements into one comprehensive workforce management system leads to increased efficiency, reduced payroll stress and substantial cost savings.

Define Your Goals

Establish key objectives, such as enhancing employee accountability, minimizing time theft, automating compliance, or cutting costs.

Core Requirements

Clearly define must-have features for your business.

Secondary Features

Identify nice-to-have features that could enhance operations.

Compliance

Identify all regulations, compliance, union rules that must be accommodated.

Employee Control

What employee self-service functionality do you require, and from what devices?

Feedback

It's a good idea to consult all stake-holders within your business to get their feedback.

Consolidation

To increase cost savings consider consolidating into one Workforce Management system.

Suggestions

Be receptive to the vendor’s suggestions for enhancements or unconsidered alternatives.

Research

Once you have your plan in place, start researching vendors to create a shortlist.

What To Look For

Vendor Research

Choosing the right software isn’t just about the product itself; it’s also about the people behind it. The vendor’s reputation, their approach to training and onboarding, and their commitment to customer satisfaction can significantly impact your overall experience and the success of the software implementation.

Reputation

A vendor with a positive reputation, backed by credible reviews and a long business history.

Support

Strong support with regional, knowledgeable staff familiar with challenges specific to your industry.

Training

Comprehensive training tailored specifically to your organization and its practices.

Outsourced Support

Off-shore support staff that may not be as familiar with regional rules and regulations, or common business practices.

Wait Times

Long response/hold times that could delay payroll. Most email responses should be within one business day, and hold times less than 15 minutes.

Red Flags

Keep an eye out for warning signs, such as a vendor quickly agreeing to everything you say without hesitation.

What To Look For

Product Research

Investing in a new software system is a long-term decision. To ensure your investment pays off over time, it’s crucial to consider how well the software can adapt to your evolving needs. This includes not just its scalability, but also its ability to integrate with other systems and the support you’ll receive after implementation.

Demonstration

Schedule one-on-one demonstration with vendors in your shortlist. Ask many questions and request to see how your specific scenarios would be handled.

Free Trial

Free trials should be offered, however you should have the time to commit to it to give it a fair evaluation. Keep in mind garbage-in equals garbage-out, so don’t expect much unless you spend the time to properly configure it first.

Confirm Compliance

Confirm that the product can meet your compliance, must-have and as many nice-to-have requirements as possible.

Future-Proof

Since the future is uncertain and businesses and compliance regulations constantly evolve, opt for robust and adaptable systems that can grow with your organization, preventing the need for a replacement in the near future.

Flexibility

Systems with rule-based flexibility, customizable UI, strong import/export, custom fields, extensive API coverage, and an open-source nature are good signs that your data won’t be locked in.

Audit Logs

Easily accessible audit logs are invaluable for ensuring compliance and facilitating day-to-day troubleshooting, particularly following recent modifications and when multiple employees are using the system.

Canned Response

Canned videos or webinars with many attendees may give you a high-level overview, but demonstrations should be interactive and tailored to your specific business.

Restrictive Access

Systems that only the vendor can access or modify settings. This will complicate things and make you dependent on their support for change.

Red Flags

Modern software should support all computers and operating systems. It's a red flag if the vendor requires specific operating systems or web browsers to use their product.

Time To Clock-In

Before You Go...

Keep in mind that investing in a new software system is a long-term decision. The chosen software must not only meet your current needs but also adapt to your evolving requirements. Consider its scalability, integration potential with other systems, and the ongoing support you’ll receive after implementation. These factors will ensure your investment continues to pay off over time, helping your organization navigate the complexities of workforce management with confidence and success.

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What To Look For: Goals

What To Look For: Integrations

What To Look For: Core Requirements

What To Look For: Secondary Features

What To Look For: Compliance

What To Look For: Employee Self-Service

What To Look For: Feedback

What To Look For: Vendor Suggestions

What To Look For: Vendor Research

What To Look For: Reputation

What To Look For: Support

What To Look For: Training

What To Look Out For: Outsourced Support

What To Look Out For: Wait Times

What To Look Out For: Red Flags

What To Look For: Demo

What To Look For: Free Trial

What To Look For: Future-Proof

What To Look For: Flexibility

What To Look For: Audit Logs

What To Look Out For: Canned Responses

What To Look Out For: Restrictive Access

What To Look Out For: Red Flags