RE: HR/Payroll Systems -- MIDRANGE-L

Addition to the comments by other folks about RELIABILITY.

We have separation of IT duties. The guy who manages our Windows network is on vacation, and I do not want to bother him. It has been flaking out intermittently for some co-workers several times a day. I have not had access to e-mail at work, or Excel on company shared servers since Dec-21. I can't remember how many years since we have had AS/400 go down unexpectedly. All our problems have been due to phone line downage, power outages, people not knowing how to cope with printers.
I am amazed we cope so well. The Microsoft server is being bombarded with tens of thousands of virus laden spam every day.

This past weekend on our AS/400, I have completed
* End Day
* End Week
* End Month
* End Year
* Dump in Physical Inventory Tags
* Restructure our Costs from the Business rules of 2007 to those for 2008
* Backups at key points
* Upgraded a dozen programs to access the changed cost structure

I only had a mild disruption in 400 access during a power outage, over that dammed phone line. I have trouble believing the work I just did would have been doable, in same time frame, on a Windows network that has the rate of problems we have.

During weekend, I also managed to get several nites of sleep.

I think these are all iSeries applications. Not sure if any have an employee self-service. I happen to also be in the market for a new HR/Payroll system along with Budget/GL/AP so I had this list already....

http://www.ngsi.com/company/concertseries.html

http://www.optimum-solutions.com/

http://www.unicornhro.com/renderers/softwarePlus/jsp/index.jsp/site/SWP

http://www.gamma-software.com/

http://www.2020software.com/products/SAP_Business_One.asp?tse=Google&tst=sap+financial+B&CMP=KNC-Google

http://www.infor.com/solutions/fms/

http://www.oracle.com/peoplesoft/integration.html

http://www.daprex.com/daprex/products/index.htm

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Booth Martin
Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 3:04 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: HR/Payroll Systems

Once they switch, they'll never admit there error and go back. If it
doesn't work the innocent will be blamed, then fired, and life will move on.

Leibowitz, Larry wrote:
> With our current hr/payroll system for the past 60 pay cycles (2+ Years)
> I have been here, there have been no missed paydays, late checks or
> major screw ups and definitely no system (i) down time. I will indeed
> keep track of the new systems record.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Paul Nelson
> Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 1:30 PM
> To: 'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'
> Subject: RE: HR/Payroll Systems
>
> Payday gets especially interesting if you're a union shop where the
> contract
> allows for work stoppages if the checks are not delivered by a certain
> time.
>
> Heck, I've seen contracts that called for the guys to get paid in cash.
>
> Paul Nelson
> Cell 708-670-6978
> Office 512-392-2577
> nelsonp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Kevin.Brake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 11:50 AM
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: RE: HR/Payroll Systems
>
> Ah, happiness is being able to count on actually getting paid without
> waiting for your system to be fixed.
>
> The other side of this coin is that payroll software systems are
> maintenance intensive from a development perspective. Unless you are a
> payroll systems software company or have sufficient expertise on staff,
> they can be cost prohibitive. Consider that if you have customers who
> could
> be located anywhere or may have employees located anywhere, just keeping
> up
> with the tax law changes across 50 states, the fed, and Canada can be a
> full time job.
>
> My last employer was a ERP vendor specializing in mid size manufacturing
> -
> we were down to around 70 customers who had the payroll module. We
> offered
> a free interface to ADP or Business Pro and the like for anyone who
> would
> stop using payroll in the hopes that we could get out of the PR
> business.
>
>
>
> Kevin Brake, MSSE
> Applications and Business Analyst - Enterprise Solutions
> Information & Technology Services
> City of Goodyear
> 190 N. Litchfield Rd.
> Goodyear, AZ 85338
> 623-882-7857
> 623-882-7858 (Fax)
> kevin.brake@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
>
>
>
> "Leibowitz,
>
> Larry"
>
> <Larry.Leibowitz@
> To
> ced-concord.com> "Midrange Systems Technical
>
> Sent by: Discussion"
>
> midrange-l-bounce <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> s@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> cc
>
>
>
> Subject
> 12/31/2007 09:03 RE: HR/Payroll Systems
>
> AM
>
>
>
>
>
> Please respond to
>
> Midrange Systems
>
> Technical
>
> Discussion
>
> <midrange-l@midra
>
> nge.com>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Well of Course HR/Payroll have no clue and it will be up to I.T. to bail
> them out. Hopefully our I.T. VP and Director will have some sensible
> input but HR/Payroll is convinced it must change to make their lives
> easier and employees happier?
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mike
> Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 10:51 AM
> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> Subject: Re: HR/Payroll Systems
>
> Ah... well when giving them a price, make sure to add in the months of
> work
> to convert over. If this is a Windows solution, make sure to add in the
> cost
> of downtime. Then price out the cost of your programmers (if you have
> that
> skill set) to write a web front-end to whatever they want.
>
> >From what I have heard about Lawson on Windows AND Unix, it isn't as
> stable
> as it is on the System i. I can't say for sure with any other system,
> but I
> could only imagine similar problems with large and complex payroll
> systems.
>
> On Dec 31, 2007 9:42 AM, Leibowitz, Larry
> <Larry.Leibowitz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
>
>> That's exactly it Mike. Being we are a Small/Medium Size Company with
>> about 125 Corporate Employees and roughly 1000 Branch Employees and I
>>
> am
>
>> not quite sure of our annual Corporate Income since we a privately
>>
> owned
>
>> and I am not privy to that information. We currently use one of the
>> vendors mentioned below and they are indeed too pricy for us to enable
>> their Self Service/Web Enabled offering. So on to a Windows Based/SQL
>> Server Type of product HR/Payroll will lead us into. The gist of this
>>
> is
>
>> exactly what Paul has eluded to "HR was enamored with being able to
>>
> use
>
>> a mouse".
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mike
>> Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 10:27 AM
>> To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
>> Subject: Re: HR/Payroll Systems
>>
>> They could do stuff like request vacation, see their check stubs,
>> request
>> changes to address, deductions, direct deposits. Basic stuff, but
>>
> items
>
>> that
>> take up a lot of payrolls time in large companies.
>>
>> Infinium (or SSA Global) and Lawson Software had some decent
>>
> solutions,
>
>> but
>> you might find that while your package is quite expensive, moving to a
>> new
>> application will be more so. Possibly system upgrades as well.
>>
>> Depending on your shop, maybe you just want to write it yourself.
>>
>> On Dec 31, 2007 9:19 AM, <rob@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I am curious as to what the employee could self service? Don't
>>>
> assume
>
>>> anything. Like, if their name doesn't match their Social Security
>>>
>> card
>>
>>> EXACTLY when you send in your W2 information electronically then you
>>>
>> could
>>
>>> be fined $50/W2. At least that's the way it was back in the dark
>>>
> ages
>
>>> when I worked on the payroll system. Must be somewhat still in
>>>
> force
>
>> as
>>
>>> they made us drag out our SSN cards not too long ago to verify
>>>
>> spelling.
>>
>>> Maybe Direct Deposit information?
>>> 401K contribution?
>>> Income tax deduction?
>>> List of dependents?
>>> Emergency contact information?
>>> Life insurance beneficiary?
>>> Address?
>>> Phone #(s)?
>>>
>>> Rob Berendt
>>> --
>>> Group Dekko Services, LLC
>>> Dept 01.073
>>> PO Box 2000
>>> Dock 108
>>> 6928N 400E
>>> Kendallville, IN 46755
>>> http://www.dekko.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "Leibowitz, Larry" <Larry.Leibowitz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

>>> Subject
>>> HR/Payroll Systems
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Our HR/Payroll Department is considering moving from our current
>>>
>> System
>>
>>> i Software Vendor to a more Employee Self Service/Web Enabled
>>>
> Product.
>
>>> Our current System i Vendor offers the Employee Self Service/Web
>>>
>> Enabled
>>
>>> Product but at a much Larger Cost. HR/Payroll would rather switch
>>>
> than
>
>>> pay this cost. Does anyone have any suggestions on a lower cost
>>> HR/Payroll Application on the System i with the Employee Self
>>> Service/Web Enabled features? Other wise it's another application
>>>
> loss
>
>>> off of our System i and this does not bode well for me; the System i
>>> Administrator/Application Guy.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> TIA.
>>>
>>>