HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.a. Timekeeping Project 7.a.
1,11)Central C ntrCosta Sanitar District
February 1 2017
TO: ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
VIA: ROGER S. BAILEY, GENERAL MANAGER
PHILLIP LEIBER, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE ANVADMINISTRATION
FROM: JOHN HUIE, IT MANAGER
SUBJECT: TIMEKEEPING PROJECT
Background:
In the months of October and November 2016, staff has been pilot testing the
ExecuTime time keeping system. The purpose of this system was to automate the
timekeeping process and to eliminate the need for paper time cards and leave requests.
ExecuTime software was selected as it was recommended by Sungard and is sold by
Sungard as their timekeeping system partner. While Central San viewed user demos of
both ExecuTime and ADP timekeeping, it elected not to go through a full RFP process
which would have included a needs assessment. Initially, the ExecuTime team assured
Central San staff that it would decrease staff time/work while increasing overall
efficiency. Based on the interrelationship and promised compatibility between SunGard
and ExecuTime, staff felt it was an appropriate decision to use the ERP vendor-
recommended tool with the thought process that this would simplify the integration with
Sungard.
During the pilot, feedback from staff was that the system is much more difficult to use
than anticipated and that it is not meeting business needs. Staff was not experiencing
the promised time savings to complete timecards or increased efficiency for the payroll
process. After testing, it is now clear, the new vendor did not provide a complete
software package or deliver the ease of use as promised.
Response from Central San Staff:
The IT and Payroll staff identified 15 serious areas of concern and categorized them by
level of criticality and provided them to the ExecuTime team for review. The ExecuTime
team was told that if these critical 15 issues were not addressed, the project would be
pulled. The response from the ExecuTime team was not satisfactory, as they were only
able to address two of the items identified and admitted they were unable to address the
remaining issues.
Timekeeping Project
January 3, 2017
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The ExecutTme team has been notified that Central San is stopping the project. A
refund was requested to fully credit back the amount that Central San has paid for
software as well as 50 percent of the implementation costs. If accepted, it would result
in a credit of $42,040 of the original $50,910 contract. At this current time, staff is
awaiting a response from SunGard/ExecuTime about this proposed settlement.
Next St
Central San is in the process of developing a formal RFP for a new timekeeping system.
By going through a formal RFP process, it is hoped to find a system that is much more
tailored to specific Central San needs. Top vendors will conduct user demonstrations
where staff can ask questions and see the products working "live" to ensure that they
work as advertised. IT staff will also be following up with reference sites to obtain
customer feedback.
In addition to timekeeping considerations, the scope of the RFP will be broadened to
include the possibility of using the vendor for expanded services beyond timekeeping,
including: payroll and tax filing, benefits administration and HR Management. After a
vendor is selected, IT will negotiate a contract and begin implementing the new system
within the current fiscal year. The implementation phase is anticipated to take
approximately three to four months.
Analysis Work Has Improved Understanding of the District's Needs:
While the ExecuTime tool has not worked for Central San's needs, this effort has
enabled staff to document its processes, business rules and needs going forward.
Payroll staff and the end users in the pilot project have gained a better sense of what
tools are necessary for true staff time savings and process efficiency. This information
will better prepare staff to select a system to meet long-term needs. Much of the effort
already expended will simplify work going forward as a new vendor is selected.
Attached supporting pport" a Document:
1. ExecuTime Functionalities/issues
ATTACHMENT 1
ExecuTime Functionalities/Issues
Level: Critical
l. Time off requests bvsupervisors:
Supervisors' are able toapprove their own time off requests.
Z. Users need tomanually adjust regular hours for partial days off:
Since we are using hour duration instead ofdocNn/out times, users will have to edit
their regular hours on partial days off. Currently in Excel, this adjustment is
automatically made toregular hours.
A different situation occurs if the user has not yet saved his timesheet and the time-off
request was approved bythe supervisor, the regular time entry isreplaced bythe partial
time entry. After the time off request isapproved,the user has toremember togointo
his timesheet entry and create a regular time entry with the remaining balance of hours.
3. Users need to delete regular time transaction for whole day time-off request:
If approved time-off request is for whole day, users need to remember to manually
delete the regular time transactions. Currently in our Excel timesheet, the regular time
transaction isautomatically removed.
4. Need to manually add recurring daily differential shift hours:
We need to be able to build schedules on more than just regular hours. ExecuTime
states that since we are not using clocking-in/out and using hour duration, that we lose
the functionality of setting up rules. The issue is such that now users will have to
manually enter shift differentials for each day. This should be something that we can
build into the employee's schedule since they are recurring hours. We need the ability
tobreak the day down between regular and capital hours for the engineering group or
build in stand-by time.
Level: High
5. Exceeded week's max hours alerts:
Alerts on exceeding the week's maximum work hours are posted next to valid time
entries confusing users and it does not help them identify which entries may have
caused it.
6. Tlme'offrequesis spanning weekend:
The user should be able to submit a time off request that spans over weekend instead of
having to create separate entries. If we have set schedules, then the system should be
smart enough to deduct the normal days off from the total hours in the time off
request. This will allow the Supervisor to only approve the one request, Alsol if a holiday
falls on an employee's normal day off, then the system should be able to change it from
regular holiday toholiday comp earned.
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7. Show Job Costing Splits checkboxand Initials/Approve signature box:
|nthe Time Approval tab, ifthe Show Job Costing Splits checkboxischecked, the
supervisor cannot approve the timesheet because the Initials/Approve signature box
does not appear. The Initials/Approve signature box should always be visible and allow
the supervisor to approve the timesheet whether the Show Job Costing Splits checkbox
is checked or not.
8. Auditing and reportcustomization:
The reporting functions are not customizable. There is not an efficient way for Payroll to
audit timesheets before the upload. Since we cannot automate proper pay code usage
or OT calculation, timesheets need to be reviewed one by one. What is needed is an
interactive Payroll Approval process.
8. Creating group filters ofemployees:
When creating group filters ofemployees, ExecuTlmedoes not allow selection of
specific employees, for example, bvfirst and last names. Using last names tofilter adds
other unintended employees who have the same last names or matches part of the last
name.
Level: Medium
lO. Pay codes and project numbers:
Pay codes "CR" and TO" are specific to job costing. I was hoping that ExecuTime would
have the ability torequire aproject number when using those pay codes.
11. Lack ofability toproject future benefit accrual earnings:
Having the ability to project accrual earnings into the future can help an employee
when time off is requested months in advance, to know the real future balance can be
calculated.
12. Able to delete vacation days: .
A basic user, Steve 0ethe|m, was somehow able todelete his/her vacation day.
13. Mouse hover pop-ups and turn-around time tofix:
For some usen� the mouse hover pop works erratically; sometimes bshows the pop-up
dialog and sometimes not. The turn-around time tofix this according toExecuTimeisaL
least two (2) years out.
14. Time-Off Request tab shows holidays:
The Time-Off Request tab shows the list of District holidays along with the employees
requested time-off entries.
15. Default pay period:
Allow control of the pay period that shows on timesheet entry. It always defaults to the
current pay period when switching between tabs.
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