How to choose the right Time and Attendance solution provider
When it comes time to choose a Time and Attendance solution provider, it may seem like your options are endless. With each provider claiming that their devices and software are superior, how do you pick the best solution provider for your company?
Midex Software’s team has been helping timekeepers save time and money with software and time clock solutions for 15 years. When you start comparing vendors, consider these 4 things:
- Software Stability
- Customer Support
- Reputation
- Value
Like most software, there will be glitches. They’re pesky and annoying and can really impact productivity. The question is, how frequent and severe are they? Your primary concern should lie in how your provider deals with these glitches. Is the company continuously working on enhancing their time and attendance application? How fast can any problems with the software be addressed and fixed? Will they be addressed right away, or will you be required to submit a support ticket? Once reviewed by a level one person, will you be directed to a 2nd support level before making its way to a developer? This can leave you waiting for a month or more before your issue is resolved.
Before a little bug turns into a big business pest, do your homework. Choose a provider that provides expertise in developing timely custom software solutions within the Time and Attendance industry.
Updates
Updates provide new and useful features, while also enhancing and improving old ones to provide the best customer experience.
Unlike patches, which follow an irregular frequency, product updates are typically scheduled regularly (ie: monthly). Regular updates indicate a healthy product lifecycle and an eye towards the future.
As technology develops at an exponential pace, updates are crucial for your software to stay beneficial. Out-of-date software can impact integrations and reports. If updates are infrequent, or there hasn’t been one in over a year, then ask yourself if this vendor is going to help you down the road.
At the same time, you need to consider the cost to upgrade both software and devices.
Will upgrading to these new versions force you to empty your wallet, or will they be free of charge? A system may seem cheap, but if you need to continuously pay for upgrades, your cheap solution may soon become an expensive problem.
Customer feedback
Many new and useful software and product features result from customer feedback – both positive and negative. Companies that value and seek out this input implement features their customer’s need and want, improve the features customers enjoy, and address the features that are problematic or not even used. If a company doesn’t collect customer feedback, or worse they ignore it, ask yourself if they are motivated to deliver the best possible user experience, or simply motivated by collecting money?
Support
Today’s customers demand real-time answers to real-time problems whenever they happen. They also want the ability to self serve, getting answers however they like, whether it’s online or off.
If you encounter a problem with your software or have any questions or concerns, how will you contact your system provider?
Will the provider be able to assist you immediately, or will you get stuck on hold indefinitely? Will calling customer service connect you with an actual person or an artificial intelligence interface? Can you even connect live or is chat and/or email the only option?
Choosing a provider that connects you with real people, real fast, will not only allow you to deal with problems quickly, but effectively.
Automated services can be tedious, and oftentimes of no help. Having to explain your problems over and over again each time you call into support to someone who is unaware of your situation and who may lack the knowledge on how to help you can lead to frustrating conversations, a lack of useful support, and a waste of your time. Having a dedicated support person, who is familiar with your account, leads to a quick and effective action to solve your problems.
Reputation
If two companies offer the same products and services at the same prices, then you need to figure out which one is right for you and your business.
A provider may claim they offer the best products and services, but do their customers agree? Look for customer testimonials and reviews. Get referrals from colleagues and LinkedIn Groups. Remember, the customer is always right. If you’re reading about deal-breaking flaws and negative experiences they had with a provider, chances are you’re going to experience the same thing. Use the internet to your advantage to help you get the best provider at the best price.
You may also want to consider how long your solution provider has been around. A company with a good reputation and has been around for at least 10 years, is more likely to stand the test of time than a company with only a few months of experience. And don’t be afraid to ask for (and follow up on) references and referrals.
You may ask yourself, why should I switch from my current solution if it gets the job done? In order to determine the value of staying with your current solution or switching to a new provider consider the fact that a small business with only 100 full time employees could save over $62,000 a year (that’s 2 full-time employees) with Midex Time Control Small Business edition, while spending just $1 per employee/month.
According to the American Payroll Association, generally, overpayment due to human error ranges from 1% to 8%. With 100 full time employees at $15/hr, even with error at 1%, you’re losing $2,600/month.
Try our ROI Calculator and see the numbers for yourself. Be prepared. The results might startle you.
Are you still using manual paper-based solutions like punch cards and timesheets?
While the cost of a punch card is just ten cents, the average time spent calculating timesheets to enter into the payroll program is 6 minutes. Depending on the frequency of your payroll and how much you pay your timekeeper, you could be wasting hundreds and hundreds of dollars – and hours – each month.
What about your monthly loss due to rounding errors? The average employee is estimated to get paid an extra 4-12 minutes/day. Even at 4 minutes per day at $15 an hour (given your business has 100 employees), your monthly loss due to rounding and overtime adds up to over $2,000 a month.
Time sheets may also be losing you money. Employees who come into work late and/or leave early might not reflect their true shift hours on their time sheet. Instead, they write down when they were supposed to be on shift – leaving you paying for time not spent working.
If you think this may be happening in your company and want to see how your payroll is being impacted, use our ROI Calculator and see how much more money you can save with Midex Software.
Don’t let your business fall victim to time theft from buddy punching or timesheet discrepancies.
While you may be happy with your current solution provider, that doesn’t mean there aren’t better options for you. With more than a decade in business, the Midex team has expertise in developing custom software solutions within the Time and Attendance industry, as well as providing IT consulting and support. Our flagship product, Midex Time Control, allows companies to track employees’ time at work, paid time off (sick days, vacation, statutory holidays, leaves of absence, etc.), overtime, shift scheduling, part-time/seasonal labour.
The solution is ideal for businesses using time clocks such as HandPunch devices, as well as Fingerprint, Facial Recognition and Card Readers, to reduce payroll processing time, eliminate “Buddy Punching” with biometric time clocks, manage overtime, and eliminate human error.
Different solution providers will treat you differently. At Midex Software, we’re committed to providing you with the best possible customer support. If you are experiencing trouble with your software or hardware, not sure how to use some features or how to make changes to the device settings, Midex Software IT specialists are an email or a phone call away. All of our editions come with free, unlimited Support and Maintenance.
Start a free trial today, and see why choosing Midex as your time and attendance solution provider is the right choice, right now.