Even though your organization may have invested a hefty sum in its Workforce Management (WFM) software, statistically speaking, your frontline team may only ever scratch the surface of what that technology can do.
Underutilization of technology is one of the most significant issues organizations face today when implementing a WFM application. Specifically, with UKG Workforce Timekeeper, underuse can be tied to common factors such as inadequate training, poor user adoption, misplaced application use, or a combination.
Taking the time to evaluate how your team uses your software and identify critical configuration gaps can immediately improve your team’s efficiency as well as your system’s overall ROI. While a comprehensive analysis is required to assess and optimize an entire UKG system, here are three easy shifts you can make immediately to avoid underutilizing your tools.
The first step in assessing your use of Workforce Timekeeper is taking a closer look at the specific managerial needs within each department. To do this, collect data on the cost and budget factors that surround the management of the employees' time and the cost of manual and off-cycle payments.
By taking each manager’s tasks into account, you can develop methods and Genies within Workforce Timekeeper that will accommodate the unique needs of each department. Most managers underutilize Workforce Central (WFC) Genies. Genies allow managers to quickly see total hours, OT, shifts, PTO time, and timecard approval—all in one location.
Workforce Timekeeper also allows managers to build and schedule reports sent to them via email to verify timelines and requirements. Giving managers access to automated reports enables them to see data such as missed punches, gaps in time, overtime, time off, and other workforce insights that allow them to manage employee time more efficiently.
Another way to optimize Timekeeper is by reviewing Pay Rules. It is essential to consider if your current Pay Rules are leveraging all the automation features of Shifts, Zones, and Pay Codes to ease the burden of time review. The process should start with an overall evaluation of the Pay Rules vs. Internal Policies and State, Federal, and Union rules.
If the Pay Rules are only capturing a part of internal policies, there may be manual processes in place siphoning some of your efficiency. The manual processes, in most cases, can be automated by the Pay Rules if there is an aspect of the rule or policy that allows for a qualifier to be placed within the rule. Most companies have generalized policies that are easily captured within the Pay Rules. Still, items within specific policies, union contracts, or state policies make things more complicated.
The more complex situations can cause manual and off-cycle payments and higher costs. Gathering as much information as possible from descriptive policies and contracts and user processes will allow for a comparison revealing any gaps that should be addressed.
Comparing what your departments are doing manually versus what you can move to the Pay Rule to be automated will do wonders for your department's use of Timekeeper and ease some of the burdens of closing out your cycles.
A final way to avoid the underutilizing Workforce Timekeeper is making sure your team has had relevant training. The complexities inherent in UKG training are often ignored. Organizations can forget that training invests in one of the most valuable resources: people! Maximizing the potential and skills of your employees can optimize all other aspects of your application.
If there's a clear lag in your system's efficiency, it could be tied to a lack of user adoption. Learning a new or updated software takes a significant amount of time and energy that your employees may not be willing to invest in without good reason.
One way to flip this common scenario is to take the time to understand the daily responsibilities of the managers and UKG Admins who use Workforce Timekeeper. Understand their complaints, pain-points, what they do well and don't like doing.
If you understand the root issues, you will be able to clearly explain how the application will make those daily responsibilities more manageable and more efficient, eradicating some complaints and pain points.
You may be introducing new workflows to your employees, so plan to make their first impression positive. A new or updated version of Timekeeper can be intimidating to employees, so make sure your training plan is comprehensive and all-inclusive.
Improv can help with both! We're fluent in all things UKG Workforce Central and UKG Dimensions, including customized training plans to boost user adoption and internal efficiency! Give us a call today!
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