Hagel and Company Human Resources Blog - California, Idaho, Washington State HR News

When the economy slows, businesses tighten their belt and look for ways to cut costs and get more work accomplished with fewer resources. That’s why more companies today are challenging their human resource (HR) departments to make more strategic contributions to the organization. While HR is traditionally viewed as a cost center saddled with time-consuming and paper-intensive administrative tasks, it’s a necessary burden in order to comply with governmental regulations that require specialized reporting. The question is this … how can you streamline your HR processes to minimize that burden and transform HR into a model of efficiency with meaningful impact on the bottom line? For some, the answer is automated HR software. Let’s take a closer look.

Technology Maximizes Limited Resources

Most small and midsized businesses have limited staff to manage the many aspects of human resources. In fact, HR staff typically spends far more time performing routine administrative tasks than strategic objectives. But the simple fact is once those routine administrative tasks are automated, it has a profoundly positive impact on both the HR department and company overall. And that’s where Sage Abra HRMS comes in.

Sounds Interesting, But What Does It Do?

First things first … HRMS stands for Human Resource Management System. In the same way that ERP software automates your accounting and operations, Sage Abra HRMS automates all aspects of managing your workforce including Employee Benefits, Time and Attendance, Training, Recruitment, Compensation Management, Compliance, and more. You get hundreds of standard reports, customizable templates, automated workflow, and a full range of features that will reduce the cost of compliance, eliminate redundant data entry and paperwork, automate repetitive processes, and have your HR Department running like a well-oiled machine.

Consolidate And Digitize

Many companies rely on a combination of paper, spreadsheets, and file cabinets to manage employee information which means that hiring data, payroll records, and benefit plan elections are probably stored in multiple places. Each employee change needs to be replicated across a variety of files … a record-keeping nightmare. But with Sage Abra HRMS, all of your employee data is digitized and consolidated into a single database. This results in fewer errors and potential fines, elimination of duplicate data entry, and more timely reports and analysis.

Contact us to learn how Sage Abra HRMS can have a positive impact on your bottom line.

December and January are the months to end the year and start a new year with your HR and Payroll software.  There is no better time to make sure you are ready for the year ahead.

Hagel & Company has the expertise to help you accomplish your goals.

We have designed two discount packages that will give you flexibility to have one of our expert consultants assist you in the following areas: 

• Package A:  10% Discount on a Half Day (4 hours) of Consulting 
• Package B:  15% discount on a Full Day (8 hours) of Consulting  

Take advantage of these special discounts when booking your consulting days by January 22^nd 

Please call Aaron Simon at (253)572-2439 x 301 or click HERE to book your time now.

*Any additional time will be billed at our regular rate

**Travel expenses may be in addition to package rate

photo credit: Ludo29880

Human Resource technology adoption is often driven by small projects aimed at specific business problems that, when solved, provide a very clear return on investment.  As an example, Employee Self Service technology, or ESS, has evolved as a fantastic solution for an HR staff that is burdened by the repetitive administrative task of responding to routine employee requests.   In this article, we’ll take a look at ESS, explore the benefits it offers, and briefly introduce the ESS module for Sage Abra HRMS.

What is ESS?

ESS technology provides a central location for company personnel to view and update important personal data and company information. As the name suggests, ESS enables employees and managers to “self serve” (rather than contacting the HR department) for routine tasks or inquiries such as time-off requests, review of current benefits, updating dependents, review record of attendance, and more.  ESS access is typically delivered over the internet or company intranet.

The Benefits that ESS Offers

By automating employee activities such as time-off requests & approvals or dependent/beneficiary changes, companies can save considerable administrative time and expense associated with paper-based forms and manual processes.  Other benefits of ESS include:
Elimination of Duplicate Data Entry and Better Accuracy – By allowing employees to enter    routine record changes themselves, you eliminate the need to have HR staff re-enter the same information on a paper form or into an HR or payroll system.  This also helps to reduce errors.
Reduced Transaction Costs – Partially or completely replacing paper-based processes reduces (or completely eliminates) the time and costs associated with copying, routing, printing, mailing, filing, and storing paper.

Improved Focus – ESS technology allows HR staff to focus on more strategic initiatives, such as employee retention strategies or developing competitive benefits packages, rather than getting bogged down by routine administrative functions.

Introducing Sage Abra ESS

Sage Abra ESS will streamline your company’s HR processes and give employees ownership of their personal information.  Employees can request time-off, review benefits information, access performance reviews, update specific fields, and review payroll information.  Managers can view a direct reports’ personnel file, view and post employee notes, review attendance information, and approve time-off requests.  Companies can also post important documents and messages for employees to review.  Perhaps best of all, submitted and approved changes are automatically updated from ESS to the Sage Abra database which eliminates duplicate data entry and possible errors.

Contact Us to discuss whether Sage Abra ESS can save you money.

We are proud to announce that we’ve been named to the Sage America President’s Circle again!  This is awarded to the leading sales producers among SBS business partners representing a host of segment-leading brands, including Sage Accpac ERP, Sage Timberline, Sage MAS 90 ERP, Sage SalesLogix, Sage Abra HRMS (human resource management system), Sage FAS Fixed Assets and others.

I attribute the company’s success to the dedication and hard work of all the employees of the company and to the loyalty of its 500+ customers across the Western and Southern United States.

Thank you to everyone who helped us achieve this goal!

Frank Hagel has been elected chair of the 9 member Sage Software Employer Solutions Business Partner Advisory Council for 2009-2010. The ES Group publishes Sage Abra HRMS, including HR, payroll, training management and recruiting software.

Johnny Laurent, Vice President and General Manager of the Employer Solutions Group said, “The council was established to provide a vital communication link between Sage and the Employer Solutions Business Partner channel. It will advise Sage management on matters impacting and of mutual interest and concern to the client community and the Business Partner channel within the North American market. The ES BPAC addresses issues dealing with sales effectiveness, product issues and needs, market conditions and the competitive landscape surrounding the business.”

Congratulations Frank!

Hagel & Company would like to send out a general notice to Sage Abra customers who are encountering the following error at Login:

LOGON line 50 API Library is not found.   Error 1726

We are aware of this error that has been caused by an update to the Symantec Endpoint Protection anti-virus software, which has incorrectly identified an Abra file (AFWREG.FLL) as a Trojan Horse and removed it from the Abra program.

This file is NOT infected, and this is not a fault of your Abra system.  Anti-virus companies now have to go much further to protect against malicious programs, and occasionally this will impact existing safe programs.  Symantec has been contacted to correct this issue with their software.

Meanwhile, Customers should create a Central Exception for the Abra Programs directory within their Symantec settings, then restore the files from quarantine.  The file identified is:  AFWREG.FLL.

Should Symantec have deleted these files, they can be restored from the Abra CD after the central exception has been put into place.

Specific instructions for central exceptions are found on Symantec website:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ent-security.nsf/docid/2008030423280248?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=1

If you need further help, don’t hesitate to contact Hagel & Company, contact Sage Customer Support at 800-829-0170 or access Sage Abra SupportPlus.

PRESS RELEASE
Hall Web Services, Inc.
Hagel & Company Announces Second Annual User Group Meeting at Safeco Field

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Puyallup, Washington – Hagel & Company (http://www.hagel.net), a leading provider of Sage North America’s award-winning Sage Abra HRMS (human resource management system) since 1993, today announced their second-annual Sage Abra users group conference to be held August 13, 2009, at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington.

Part of Hagel and Company’s ongoing commitment to fostering a community of Sage Abra users, the event features information sessions on Sage Abra, free time for users to exchange information with other users, dinner, and the opportunity to watch the Seattle Mariners play against the New York Yankees. The event starts with pre-conference classes from 8:30-11 a.m. PST, and continues with conference sessions in the afternoon. An optional QA, dinner, and attendance of the baseball game are available for interested users.

“We were very pleased with the attendance and results of last year’s event,” said Frank Hagel, President of Hagel and Company. “We found the user conference to be a great way to allow our customers to meet each other, learn, and have an enjoyable time. Given the state of the economy, efficient HR has never been more important and we know that Abra users are looking for more ways to save time and money using their HRMS.”

Similar to last year, the conference will have three 45 minute or hour-long learning sessions, with two options available for each time slot. In addition to these main conference sessions are two pre-conference classes on Crystal Reports and benefits planning for Sage Abra.

Sessions cover timely issues key to modern HR departments, including Cobra Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, talent management, employment law updates, and discussions of third-party products and modules available for Sage Abra. Sessions will be led by experts in the field, including Hagel and Company staff members Aaron Simon, Jeff Moan, Terri Greshem, and Kelly Jo Drllevich.

Full conference registration, including all sessions, dinner, and the baseball game, is $85 for the first attendee of a company, and $75 for each additional attendee from the same organization. Registrants interested in the afternoon sessions only, and not dinner or the game, can attend for $50 as the first individual in a company, or $40 as additional individuals. Online registration and additional information is available at Hagel and Company’s website: http://www.hagel.net/abra-user-group.asp.

About Hagel & Company
Hagel and Company, a Sage Certified Business Partner, is the source for Sage Abra HRMS, timekeeping systems and talent management applications in the Northwest, Southwest and Northern California areas of the United States. Hagel and Company’s Sage Certified Trainers bring decades of human resources (HR) and payroll systems experience to assist with software implementations, as well as hands-on, on-site, personalized software training and support services. For more information, please visit www.hagel.net.

Federal Minimum Wage Increases July 24, 2009
June 23, 2009

On July 24, 2009 the Federal minimum wage will be increasing from $6.55 per hour to $7.25 per hour. The Federal Minimum Wage Law establishes a minimum wage rate per hour for all non-exempt workers.

This marks the final leg of a scheduled three phase increase. The increases took place as follows: $5.85 per hour as of July 24, 2007, $6.55 per hour as of July 24, 2008, and $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009.

Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s minimum wage provisions are required to comply with the law (state or federal) that allows for a greater minimum wage to be paid to the employee. Many states have minimum wage laws which are more stringent than federal regulations. If this is the case, employers must comply with their state-specific minimum wage requirements.

Many states have also chose to increase their minimum wage rates to $7.25 per hour effective July 24^th in order to coincide with the federal change, including:

• Maryland
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• South Dakota
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia

Tip Credit:

Employers are required to pay tipped employees (defined as employees regularly earning more than $30 per month in tips) no less than $2.13 per hour, provided each employee earns enough tips to bring their average hourly wage to at least the State minimum wage. Any deficiencies must be supplemented by the employer so that the employee’s average hourly wage with tips reaches the minimum wage level.

“Opportunity” Wages:

Employers are allowed to pay an “opportunity wage” of $4.25 per hour to employees under 20 years of age during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment. However, employers are strictly prohibited from displacing employees in order to hire youth at the opportunity wage rate.

Posting requirements:

Employers subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act must post the Federal minimum wage notice in a conspicuous place. An updated poster will be required if your current minimum wage poster does not include the federal 2009 minimum wage rate of $7.25 per hour.

HR411 Membership

This information was provided by HR411 and Hagel & Company to help you. If you would like a complimentary membership to HR411 please email angela@hagel.net with HR411 in the subject line. Thanks!

Sage Knowledge Sync Enterprise Edition

Business Activity Monitoring – every business has critical information that needs monitoring.   Sage Knowledge Sync monitors your Sage Abra employee information and identifies and responds to conditions that fall outside of an organization’s standard operating procedures to “Alert – Automate – and Synchronize Information”. Alert – email notifications to specific individuals or organizationally defined recipients such as Supervisors or Training Managers- notify Supervisors when follow up action is required for specific employee events like certifications that are about to expire.  Automate- using the industry-standard Crystal Reports – Sage Knowledge Sync generates forms and documents when needed – or when business conditions demand it – and delivers this information to the right people at the right time.   Does your Human Resources Director want a Head Count Report the first of every month? Does your CFO need a Ranked Salary Report the first day of each quarter?  Let Knowledge Sync automate your Crystal Reports for Sage Abra and other ODBC compliant databases.  Synchronize – Sage Knowledge Sync does more than just send alerts and reports; it triggers “workflow” to update your applications, schedule intelligent tasks, and move information between an organization’s disparate software systems.  Whether you need to update your time keeping system with new hire information from Sage Abra Human Resources or update your Learning Management System with Job changes – let Sage Knowledge Sync do the work.

Hagel & Company is proud to announce that we will be exhibiting at the 2009 Skyline Conference and Exhibition for Timberline Users on March 12, 2009.  We will be highlighting the advantages of an integrated Sage Abra/Sage Timberline system, which enables businesses to efficiently synchronize Timberline Payroll Employee Master Files, deductions, fringes, and pay records with Abra Suite Human Resources employee master data.

The conference, presented by Skyline Business Systems, provides hands-on information to help companies gain software efficiencies in difficult economic times.  Educational sessions at the Skyline Conference will focus on advanced techniques for Sage Timberline, such as the use of change requests, amending and renewing leases, document management workflow, importing data, and creating custom reports.  The conference will also feature several sessions dedicated to the art of estimating, including general tips and tricks, useful tools, and reporting options.

We will be presenting the “Managing Employee Data with Sage Abra Human Resources” session at 10:45 am and joining several other exhibitors who feature third-party add on products than enhance Sage Timberline.  The all-day conference, held at the Bell Harbor Conference Center in Seattle, runs from 7:45am – 4:30pm PST.  Registration is available through Skyline Business Systems.