SUCCESS STORY: HIGH-END RETAIL
December 13, 2022
TCP Delivers Big Savings & Better Time Tracking for Luxury Retailer
Inefficiencies + Outdated Systems = Time for New Tech
The time tracking and leave management system a well-known high-end retail brand had been using for its 375 corporate and retail employees was not meeting its needs. The team had separate systems that did not integrate, forcing employees to manually enter data multiple times. In addition to employees’ frustration at the inefficiency, this process meant that managers couldn’t verify hours worked and HR couldn’t track labor law compliance.
The retailer had not upgraded the system in eight years, and its vendor would no longer support the old version. The retailer had a choice: undergo an expensive upgrade to a newer version still not guaranteed to meet its needs or find a new system altogether before the old one expired and the retailer lost its time tracking and leave management functionality.
Though the retailer had a limited window to act before the old system expired, the Human Resources project management team decided to search for the right solution to fit its needs—one that improved scheduling capabilities, better controlled labor costs, and tracked leave and accrual data.
We heard back really quickly from TCP, which gave us the confidence to move forward with an accelerated timeline to switch solutions.
TCP Forges Strong Relationship with Retailer from the Start
The HR team evaluated about 20 different solutions as it searched for one that integrated time tracking and leave management and offered enhanced scheduling capabilities. The team found TCP in early 2020 and quickly realized that TCP’s TimeClock Plus software met all the retailer’s top priorities. TCP’s prompt response to the retailer’s request set the stage for what would be a great experience on both sides.
TCP’s TimeClock Plus software gave the company the ability to:
- Require timesheets from non-exempt employees only
- Integrate timesheet and PTO requests
- Extract and/or delete data
- Provide different access levels depending on the employee role
- Calculate overtime by state
- Manually create fields as needed, such as add new store locations, without having to reach out to support
- View PTO balances after future schedule dates
- Create a company-wide vacation calendar
- Produce robust reports
In addition to meeting its basic requirements, the retailer also needed a secure SaaS platform that was SOC 2 compliant or equivalent—a requirement our TimeClock Plus software also met.
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TCP Reduces Impact of COVID-19 Disruption & Cuts Costs
Shortly after the retailer began building a robust implementation plan with TCP, the COVID-19 pandemic forced much of the world into shutdown. The team refocused on its immediate needs—time tracking and payroll integration—and temporarily deprioritized the scheduling enhancement features. The entire implementation needed to be done quickly and remotely, leaving little time for the testing that is standard in most deployments. Thankfully, this turned out to be a non-issue as there were no major roadblocks or hurdles to overcome as the new system was rolled out.
Not only was the implementation seamless thanks to smooth collaboration between the two teams, but TCP sped up the timeline and got the TimeClock Plus suite up and running
in six weeks, before the old system was decommissioned. No downtime between the systems meant there were no payroll gaps during this especially stressful time.
TCP also customized its TimeClock Plus software to accommodate the retailer’s specific requirements. For example, employees needed temporary role permissions to act on behalf of others, such as a manager taking over time approvals or granting leave requests while a director was on maternity leave— TCP created exceptions for this.
TimeClock Plus…[[gives] us end-to-end control over the employee management aspect, which is huge in retail.
TCP’s Web-Based Solution Pays Off In a Big Way
The company couldn’t have managed operations remotely with its old system—but with TCP’s solution, the retailer’s corporate employees could work remotely while employees working from re-opened stores could clock in and out via TCP’s WebClock or MobileClock apps. This capability gave everyone the same access to the same information and systems, no matter where they were.
Additionally, the company cut costs significantly compared to its old system, a critical benefit when COVID-19 conditions required retailers to control costs as much as possible. The TimeClock Plus platform has also given the company a better understanding of when hours have been adjusted, particularly important in a retail environment where employees are clocking in and out every day, often multiple times a day. This also provides more control over auditing, so the team can find any abuse within the system if it exists.
This was probably one of the most fun software implementations I’ve worked on.
Looking Ahead with TCP
As the retail industry starts to normalize, the company plans to reprioritize employee scheduling enhancements, especially as it opens additional locations. The retailer intends to consider TCP’s Humanity scheduling tool so it has one system that integrates time tracking and schedules for better reporting and compliance monitoring—creating even more workflows easy for both employees and administrators to manage.
For more information on TCP’s comprehensive time tracking and employee scheduling solutions, schedule a free consultation.