TimeWellScheduled Improves HR Management at New York Fries
Step into the world of New York Fries (NYF), where fry perfection meets irresistible deliciousness. Since 1984, when the first Canadian location opened at Scarborough Town Centre, the company's passion for fresh-cut, skins-on fries has been unwavering. What began with fries and cola soon evolved, introducing the iconic poutine in 1989, transforming the NYF brand into a hub for fries, hot dogs, and more.
by Daryn | September 16, 2024
Among the Company's 120 locations across Canada and beyond, Joanne Fennell stands tall as a proud franchisee. Since 1989, she's steered the ship across Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener, and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, employing 43 team members. Joanne takes pride in the exceptional quality menu offerings at her four locations. She explains:
"We are a quick service restaurant best known for our fresh-cut, skins-on french fries, an assortment of poutines and premium hot dogs."
TimeWellScheduled surveyed Joanne to learn more about her business and how our innovative time and attendance system helped optimize human resources management, staff scheduling and modernize payroll administration.
"We switched to TimeWellScheduled for several reasons; to improve the efficiency of signing in/out, the accuracy of paying staff for actual time worked over scheduled hours, to minimize the risk of payroll errors, and the ease of uploading the hours worked into our payroll software."
TimeWellScheduled improves sign-in and out accuracy by automating time tracking and reducing errors common among older manual data entry or punch-card-based systems. The cloud-based software ensures precise recording of hours worked, adhering to scheduling plans, and speeding up payroll processing and precision at all locations.
Challenges: Multi-Location Staff Scheduling
Joanne and the NYF team faced three challenges before implementing TimeWellScheduled:
Challenge #1: Missed Shifts & Payroll Errors
On occasion, managers forgot to make the necessary changes to the staff schedule. This resulted in the wrong employee being paid, or an employee was either under or overpaid.
Solution #1: Real-Time Attendance Tracking
TimeWellScheduled resolved this issue by implementing automated notifications for scheduled shifts, allowing real-time schedule adjustments by authorized personnel, maintaining detailed logs, and integrating seamlessly with payroll systems. These measures ensure accuracy in scheduling and payment, minimizing instances of missed shifts or payment errors due to human error. Joanne describes the experience:
"Since Implementing TimeWellScheduled, each employee logs in upon arrival, and out at the end of their shift, ensuring every employee is always paid exactly what they worked."
Challenge #2: Manual Schedule Updates
The old schedules were manually printed and posted on a bulletin board. Staff had to manually record their shifts two weeks in advance. However, occasionally schedules were subject to change (shift swaps, illnesses, doctors appointments, etc), necessitating regular check-ins from the staff. This system was labor-intensive and did not ensure that everyone was aware of their shifts.
Solution #2: Digital Scheduling & Mobile App
TimeWellScheduled solves the processing issue by digitizing schedules, eliminating the need for manual printing and physical bulletin boards. Through an online platform, staff can easily access their schedules, receive automated notifications of changes, and manage their shifts digitally.
This transition reduced labor-intensive tasks, ensured real-time updates, and enhanced staff awareness of their schedules, eliminating the need for constant manual check-ins. Joanne explains:
"Staff have the convenience of checking their schedules on TimeWellScheduled's app from their mobile phones. It made it much easier for them to stay informed about any shift changes, providing a more efficient and accessible way to manage their work schedules."
Challenge #3: Time-Consuming Manual Payroll
The manual summarizing of employee hours worked was time-consuming and made it a challenge to accurately input the calculations into the old payroll program. Furthermore, The manual process increased the likelihood of potential errors or discrepancies making it crucial to find a more efficient and accurate method for managing payroll data.
Solution #3: Automated Payroll Integration
TimeWellScheduled resolves the issue by automating the tracking of employee hours worked, eliminating the labor-intensive manual process. The software seamlessly integrates with the payroll system, ensuring precise and error-free calculations, thus reducing the risk of discrepancies in payroll data. The shift from manual to automated processing saves managerial time and significantly enhances payroll processing accuracy. Joanne explains:
"TimeWellScheduled played a significant role in reducing the likelihood of error when inputting payroll information. This improvement streamlined the process and provided greater accuracy in managing payroll data."
Transitioning & Data Migration From Old System to TimeWellScheduled.
When franchises switch from older systems to new platforms like TimeWellScheduled, they typically grapple with challenges such as data compatibility and accuracy. Training staff and managers to adapt to the new technology and ensuring error-free integration of existing data. Joanne notes her experience with TimeWellScheduled's customer-centered approach to the system implementation and the transition process:
"TimeWellScheduled made sure transferring our data was smooth, efficient, and accurate. This is a testament to a well-executed transition plan. Again, the whole process was carried out seamlessly."
In addition, timely data migration and robust technical support are crucial to minimize disruptions and ensure a smooth transition, maintaining operational continuity during the shift to the new system. Joanne explains:
"TimeWellScheduled caters to the specific needs of our business, especially with multiple locations and shared staff. All locations are seamlessly linked to one payroll process ensuring accurate payment to each employee, regardless of where they worked. This level of integration greatly simplifies our payroll process."
Implementing a cloud-based time and attendance system like TimeWellScheduled may encounter training hurdles. Employees often struggle with adapting to a new interface and understanding the system's functionalities. Training needs extend to remote access, data entry, reporting, and comprehending security protocols. Joanne describes her employee's experience with TimeWellScheduled:
"User-friendliness is crucial when implementing any system, TimeWellScheduled made it easy for our employees to access and view their schedules from anywhere. Having a centralized system for employee vacation requests ensures that requests are efficiently managed without the risk of misplacement. And, TimeWellScheduled has made it easy for all our employees to use the online app."
TimeWellScheduled brought transformative changes to New York Fries' HR management, notably improving operations at Joanne Fennell's Ontario franchise locations. Challenges like missed shifts, outdated scheduling systems, and error-prone payroll were effectively resolved.
The system streamlined scheduling accuracy, modernized payroll processes, and enhanced overall efficiency. Joanne highlighted the user-friendly interface and centralized features, emphasizing the software's positive impact on operations and employee experience. Joanne's advice to business owners and leaders:
"I would recommend TimeWellScheduled to all business owners. They have had a significant, positive impact on our payroll process and overall operations. They have revolutionized our time and attendance tracking system; it works so well for our business needs."
