eLabor Time^TM by eLabor.com Inc.

 

To meet the needs of human resources professionals, eLabor.com Inc. creates hosted products that take care of everything from the reporting of absences to the coordination of contract employees to project team management.   E-Labour Time, noted as being "...the first Internet and phone-based service that automates all labour management processes including time and attendance monitoring and payroll preparation", was the first product created within the eLabor.com suite.   Employees, payroll mangers, and chief financial officers alike can enjoy the benefits provided by eLabor Time^TM.  

What is eLabor Time^TM?

eLabor Time^TM automates the following human resource management processes:

ø           Timekeeping with improved supervisory accessibility  

ø           Personnel scheduling including rotational and line schedules

ø           Business rules processing

ø           Employee functions including record maintenance

ø           Supervisor functions including instant reporting

ø           Personnel record keeping

ø           Accrual and accumulator tracking

ø           Payroll & HR system interfaces

 

As a human resource employee who briefly tried the payroll function and loathed it, the website´s "Say Good-bye to Payroll Stress Days" headline was one that caught my attention.   Applicable for both salaried and hourly employees, eLabor Time^TM can eliminate the stressful manual review of timecards along with the inevitable manual calculation errors, estimations, and potential payroll grievances.   The system also helps supervisors track overtime hours offered, accepted and worked.     The company notes that up to 80% of the time required for manual payroll preparation can be eliminated with eLabor Time^TM.    

 

A real advantage for companies using eLabor Time^TM is that it will exchange data with popular payroll and human resource computer systems including ADP, PeopleSoft, SAP, and Dun & Bradstreet.  

How does eLabor Time^TM work?

Once eLabor Time^TM is in place, the automation of tedious labour management processes begins.   Whether they are using their own computers, standard time clocks, or badge readers, employees working both on- and off-site can easily clock in and out of the system.   From any browser-enabled network station, supervisors are then immediately able to review the data.   If necessary, they can also make revisions in real time and can communicate with employees through voice or electronic mail.   Employees are able to review their own payroll records including year-to-date accruals and schedules, to request vacation time on-line, and to update contact information.  

 

The "Two Minute Manager" feature allows supervisors to simultaneously process data for several employees and to review attendance, approve overtime, deal with timecard exceptions, review warnings, or adjust timecards.   Valuable real-time reports can be generated easily to ensure that management is aware of any absent or late employees, of who is on the company premises, of timecard histories, of employees´ unused benefits, and more.  

 

The Vitals

How easy is eLabor Time^TM to implement?

The system is described as being deployable in minutes and exceptionally easy to use, without a learning curve.   It is designed to be flexible and intuitive, and allow the first time user to easily understand and move through the program without the need for expensive IT staff assistance.  

How applicable is it?

A must for any payroll system that I would want in place in my organization is the ability of the system to effortlessly integrate previously established company policies such as pay codes, pay period parameters, holiday calendars and processes for payroll adjustments and reporting.   eLabor Time^TM can accommodate these along with other specific company, union, and government rules.

What makes eLabor Time^TM competitive?

Rather than purchasing a licensed product, for a monthly fee that is revealed after E-Labour.com learns about the specifications required by the consumer organization, the company will host eLabor Time^TM.   In my opinion, this is a significant advantage over other similar types of software for many reasons.   Rather than having to always purchase the latest version or upgrades to remain current, eLabor Time^TM is hosted through the Internet.   Security is increased, bandwidth capacity is maximized, crash avoidance techniques are in place, and, to top it all off, a large initial cash outlay is avoided enabling you to realize your return on investment sooner.  

What about security?

The creator of eLabor Time^TM guarantees reliable accessibility and security by providing highly secured emergency backup equipment.   Security of data transfer is guaranteed with the use of 128-bit data encryption.   For the non-techno experts among us, this is the same level used by the U.S. Defence Department and many prominent financial institutions.   To optimize the system´s performance, load balancing is evenly distributed through a range of business object and database servers.  

How scalable is eLabor Time^TM?

This product´s scalability boundaries are limitless.   eLabor.com has successfully met the needs of companies of various sizes including those with up to 10,000 employees.   The product easily adjusts to a variety of companies in different industries including those that are structured by business units, centrally managed, or located throughout the world.      

How accessible is support?

Once an eLabor.com client signs on and receives a username and password, support can be accessed by using the Action Request System.   This includes access to the company´s protected support pages.   Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

What are the system requirements?

To get eLabor Time^TM up and running, the access points to be used require Internet access through POTS (telephone line), ISDN BRI, ADSL, or through a LAN connected to the Internet via T1, ISDN PRI, or DSL.   No other requirements are noted.  

Winning Factors

In comparison with other similar software systems, what wins me over with eLabor Time^TM is the hosting of the product and the company´s successful history.   As one that does not like to waste time on the mundane but necessary tasks of human resource management, this program seems to take care of many of the chores without a lot of hassle or expensive investment in either the software itself or in the maintenance.   eLabor.com has proven it is reliable and effective, else it would not have the following it does today, or the successes it has had to date.  

About the Company

Based in California, eLabor.com Inc. began in 1983 and has since grown to employ almost 200 people with sales offices in four U.S. locations.   The company and its CEO have won several prestigious awards for its rapid growth and success in delivering some of the largest labour management projects.   In the fall of 2000, the company was named one of the fastest-growing companies in                                         the United States by Inc. magazine.  

 

As a barometer of success, I like to learn about a company´s satisfied customers-eLabor.com did not disappoint.   Amid the more than 200 Fortune 500 and other mid- and large-size organizations eLabor.com counts as its customers are Canadian Suncor Energy, Howmet Corporation, and U.S. based Bath Iron Works.  

   

As a consumer, one of the best ways to assess any product is to try it out.   E-Labour.com´s on-line product demos can be found at www.elabor.com and are free with the completion of a questionnaire.