TimeFiler - Xmas cheer to Mercy Hospital pay days

TimeFiler brings Christmas cheer to pay days at Mercy Hospital

Media release, 12-Jan-2009, Enfinit Software, Christchurch, New Zealand:

Enfinit Software's clever online timesheet-management software, TimeFiler, has won the hearts of 180 staff at Mercy Hospital in Dunedin.

The new Software as a Service (SaaS) product has generated tremendous buzz in New Zealand and Australia since it was commercially released in August last year, and Mercy Hospital is the latest to end their war on paper-timesheets. Savings with TimeFiler alone are estimated at 16.5 minutes per employee, or roughly 50 hours per fortnightly payroll.

Not only are Mercy staff happy to be rid of filling in paper timesheets, they like being able to check and request their leave online and having access to all their personal details such as payslips, training courses, rosters, and hospital events. Managers and payroll staff especially are relieved that they no longer have to check 4680 paper timesheets a year against individual employee contracts. All this is the result of an integrated online timesheet, payroll, rostering and HR solution.

After a short 5-week pilot trial TimeFiler proved so reliable at eliminating errors (from a 15% fortnightly average to 0%) that Mercy decided two parallel payroll runs were enough to be 'very satisfied' with the software's ability to interpret their many individual and complex employment contract conditions (including reimbursement for allowances, overtime, unsociable hours and collective agreements.)

Using a local supplier was important to Mercy Hospital for the simple reason of support. However, prior to seeing the TimeFiler demo, it was touch and go whether Mercy would stay with their existing payroll provider PayGlobal, as they couldn't find a local provider who could solve their timesheet issue.

Les Weir, finance & administration manager at Mercy Hospital, says "Our aim was to provide staff intranet access to all their HR details, as well as Mercy hospital information including policies, patient management system, hot links, and more. We were already using the PayGlobal Payroll module so we were keen to implement their other HR, Training and Health & Safety modules as well. But without an integrated timesheet-management solution, we would need to look at other options.

"We wanted to replace the labour intensive task of processing paper timesheets with a software solution that would interface seamlessly with our rostering system and enable staff to review rosters, enter leave requests and complete their timesheets online from their PC or at our HRSS kiosks (HR self serve kiosk) in the staff tea rooms. The solution also had to calculate and submit the payments automatically from the timesheets and into the payroll system. Our objective was not so much to save time, but to get all employee information into one system," he says.

Linda McKay, IT administrator & project coordinator, says "It was fortuitous timing when we were referred to TimeFiler, as we were reviewing our options at the time. We were sold from the first demo in Dunedin and, by end of November this year, with collaboration between the teams at TimeFiler and PayGlobal, our new fully integrated system was installed. It was a very slick implementation."

One of the other major benefits of the new system has been mitigating the 'single point dependency' risk, says Weir. "We have one person in payroll who would collate and process the timesheets for approval. As this task is now automated we no longer need to rely on one person to get payroll out each fortnight. In particular the finer details of collective employment agreements are no longer locked up in the heads of payroll staff, as they are now built within the rules of TimeFiler."

"Getting staff buy-in was also a huge plus, as we didn't need a change management programme," says McKay. "Only 80 of our 180 staff had recently used a PC in their job, so we expected some hesitation from the other 100 - some of whom had never even held a computer mouse. But we needn't have worried as everyone responded very well and now loves the new system. TimeFiler particularly is very intuitive and easy to use."

"The mid-January payroll will be final proof of the Christmas pudding when TimeFiler has to score another 10/10 with everyone's holiday leave. There may be a few tweaks, as we have set up some very complex rules within TimeFiler to cater for the many varied employee contracts, but I'm confident that we will be fine," says Weir.

Enfinit CEO Ian Johnson says, "Mercy Hospital is our first client in the health sector and our first Dunedin sale, though they are not our only client using PayGlobal. Avsec (Aviation Security Service of NZ), Canterbury Meat Packers, and Solid Energy NZ are also benefiting with an integrated TimeFiler online timesheet and PayGlobal payroll solution.

"We've thoroughly enjoyed working with Mercy Hospital and the project has been a great test of TimeFiler's ability to handle complex employment agreements. We're very excited to work with other providers like Mercy."

About Enfinit Software Ltd

www.timefiler.com

Founded in 2005, Enfinit Software is based in the Canterbury Innovation Incubator in Christchurch and currently employs four full-time employees. Enfinit's flagship product, TimeFiler, is a flexible timesheet management application featuring 100% online access, automated data entry, payroll integration, customisable rules and layouts, real-time reporting, and email alerts. TimeFiler provides companies of any size with a single solution for roster, leave and timesheet management accessible from any computer with an internet connection.

Enfinit's client list includes TNS Asia Pacific, Solid Energy, Avsec, Canterbury Meat Packers, Mercy Hospital, Christchurch International Airport, and iDesign among others.

About Mercy Hospital Dunedin Limited

www.mercyhospital.co.nz

Mercy Hospital is a not for profit organisation founded in Dunedin New Zealand by the Sisters of Mercy in 1936. The 66-bed hospital is renowned for its commitment to providing the highest standards of care through its focus on values, safety and service in accordance with the philosophy and mission of the Sisters of Mercy.

Mercy is also committed to providing a quality work environment that encourages and cares for all staff, and promotes a community culture with social and philanthropic events occurring within departments and hospital wide. Any surpluses are channelled back into the hospital for ongoing equipment replacement and for the provision of quality care and support for patients.

The hospital, which is currently expanding and renovating its facilities to include a new operating theatre, is accredited with Quality Health New Zealand and has tertiary status with ACC for Workplace Safety Management Practices.

ENDS

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