Employee Timesheet Software

- The New Integration and Employee Timesheet Software

In the ideal IT World, one Web system and a single enterprise database would contain all the information required to manage projects, resources, and financial data. The same database would track project and resource related timesheets, expenses, budgets, and billing information.

Until now, organizations have been faced with two choices when it came to selecting and implementing enterprise software such as Employee Timesheet Software: adopt a single vendor solution or opt for a multi-vendor best of breed strategy. Regardless of the chosen path, the results have been less than desirable. There is extensive documentation and surveys that show how both approaches have serious drawbacks, deficiencies, and unanticipated costs.

With the advent of Web services and pressure from unsatisfied customers, a quiet revolution is taking place at Timesheet, leading to
a third option that finally provides organizations with a compelling alternative. A new paradigm in integration has arrived.

Single Vendor Employee Timesheet Solution

The organization selects and deploys the software from a platform vendor such as SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft. The key benefit is integrated reporting and an effective holistic view of the organization's operations. The software is usually massive in size and complexity and takes years to fully configure and deploy. There is tremendous resistance to any upgrade due to cost and complexity, and the number of organizational areas affected.

Best of Breed Employee Timesheet Solution

Customer selects best of breed applications from multiple vendors and then undertakes the arduous and expensive task of integrating these disconnected applications. Best of breed applications are usually less expensive to purchase and are faster to roll out and upgrade when necessary. The point of failure is the integration of best of breed applications and the need to rely on multiple vendors to support the enterprise solution.

Best of Breed Timesheet Applications Connected with Web Services

The New New integration provides a third and innovative option. Web Services strategy creates the possibility for the large platform vendors and smaller best of breed vendors to co-exist and to pre-integrate their applications using their own resources. The data is always synchronized in real-time and without ever having to manually import or export between two disconnected systems.

While the idea is quite simple, this level of integration removes much inefficiency. A great example of this is the integration between project management and accounting systems and an Employee Timesheet Software which provides the combined advantages of best of breed and single vendor strategies.

Benefits to the organization:

• Significantly lowers costs, creates more healthy competition and collaboration between best of breed and platform vendors
• Can quickly implement and integrate new enterprise software
• Option to upgrade any module without upgrading the entire system when such a move leads to a competitive advantage or other tangible benefits

Benefits for system administrators:

• The cost of training users, managers and administrators on one pre-integrated system is significantly lower than training users on multiple decoupled systems and their inherent integration pitfalls
• Possibility to provide dashboards and centralized reporting using Web Services and portal technology

Benefits for end users are:

• Our Employee Timesheet will allow you access to the latest best of breed solutions, yet pre-integrated.
• Users in various departments no longer have to compromise and accept software modules just because a single vendor offering does not provide the features, and/or the depth of functionality they need

In these times of globalization, rapid technological change, and extreme competition, companies are looking for solutions that will leverage their current investments, yet reduce costs and improve reporting and access to information. Solutions that promote sharing/collaboration, lead to a significant competitive advantage, and quickly result in tangible benefits along with a return on investment are ideal.

With the advent of Web services and real time integration, the trend is towards this new integration paradigm with Web Services architecture, real-time synchronization, no more manual import/export, and a solution that offers a unique and measurable value proposition. One of the best places to see this new paradigm in action is to take a look at how best-of-breed Employee Timesheet Software integrates with accounting and project management systems.