WSBC Integrates its Workforce Management Processes

The W.S. Badcock Corporation (WSBC) is one of the largest privately-owned home furniture retailers in the United States. Founded in 1904, WSBC has been operating for 104 years. Headquartered in Mulberry, Florida, WSBC employs nearly 1,300 corporate employees and has more than 300 Badcock retail stores in eight states.

Challenges & Issues

Prior to using WorkForce Software’s EmpCenter^® solution, WSBC used three homegrown systems for time and attendance. Timekeepers had to collect employee information from all three systems and then enter the data into the payroll system to generate paychecks. The process was lengthy, and getting information entered into the payroll system on time was a continuous problem.

“Every pay period was stressful for our timekeepers,” said Lisa Tobias, business solutions group manager at WSBC. “They were responsible for pulling employee time from the various systems, and then re-keying hours worked into the payroll system, and entering time-off or leave into the HR system. The process was unproductive, and when data is being re-keyed there is a higher risk for errors.”

Selecting WorkForce Software

WSBC chose WorkForce Software’s EmpCenter solution to centralize its employee data and streamline its workforce management processes. EmpCenter is a comprehensive workforce management solution that automates the collection and tracking of employee work hours, and the accrual of vacation, sickness, and other time banks. WSBC’s IT department valued EmpCenter for its flexibility and ability to integrate with other IT systems.

“From an infrastructure standpoint, EmpCenter followed our technology road map,” said Tobias. “Our other programs use the same technology – Java and Microsoft^® SQL Server database – which makes the maintenance and support easier to maintain. This was an important factor in our decision.”

Implementation

“The EmpCenter implementation was well-organized and the project was executed according to plan,” said Tobias. “The WorkForce team ensured the implementation progressed quickly and smoothly. We minimized surprises by running an EmpCenter pilot parallel to our existing systems. This was an important part of the project and helped make the transition seamless.”

The WorkForce implementation methodology compares an organization’s current workforce management processes against industry best practices to identify potential issues and help refine existing workflow to increase efficiency within the organization. WSBC worked well with the WorkForce team to adopt best practices and create a streamlined workflow for its workforce management processes.

Because it can be difficult for an organization to change existing processes, the WSBC team ensured that its people received the proper training on the new system and helped them integrate the new processes into their daily work routines. EmpCenter’s user-friendly employee interface made this transition easier.

Data Collection

Today, WSBC uses online timesheets and time clocks to collect hours worked and help manage employee leave for all its employees. The data is seamlessly transferred to the payroll and HR systems to ensure accurate information is maintained for each period and business rules are enforced.

“WorkForce Software’s EmpCenter is maintenance-free for the IT department.”
Lisa Tobias, Manager of Business Solutions Group, W. S. Badcock Corporation

Results

EmpCenter automates a variety of tasks for the timekeepers, including tracking of centralized employee hours, calculation of accrual balances, and management of FMLA and other leave balances. It also enabled WSBC to standardize and enforce business policies. For example, at WSBC, employees must use their current year’s vacation hours within 90-days past their anniversary date. Prior to EmpCenter, this was tracked manually for each employee. EmpCenter automatically monitors business rules, providing the HR and payroll departments with accurate and up-to-date accrual balances.

Using EmpCenter, employees can log into the system at any time to see their vacation and other balances, so timekeepers, managers, and HR and payroll personnel have more time to spend on other tasks.

“Now that we have a single reliable system, the weekly payroll process runs smoothly,” Tobias said. “Prior to implementing EmpCenter, the IT Department was called several times throughout the week to fix our disparate systems, but now we have a maintenance-free system.”