Tanda Blog

Rosie Ramirez

20 March 2019    |   

Josh, a manager at a local restaurant, is doing his payroll. He has 30 employees working different shifts at different wage rates. They had to do overtime a couple of days because the restaurant was pretty busy. A couple of people missed their shifts and he doesn’t know why. They have a time clock, but it crashed last Wednesday. Lucky they have a logbook for the employees to sign, right? Josh settles in for a long day of encoding clock ins and outs, and calculating pay. He takes the tips into account. He has to make sure everything is right because wage theft can get them sued. He barely leaves his office to check on the restaurant that day. He goes home well after hours to make sure the employees are paid on time. Sounds familiar? Many managers in America go through the same tedious process every single pay period. Encoding different information from various sources and calculating the correct pay takes time and money. Spending a good chunk of your administrative resources on doing the payroll can certainly make a dent in your overall profits. So how do you cut the process down and free up your managers’ time to do more important tasks instead? 1. Have a reliable time clock The biggest hurdle in creating an accurate timesheet is unreliable attendance records. Traditional punch clocks are prone to time theft. Buddy punching, time clock deception, and extended breaks cost companies millions. In 2017, a PollFish survey revealed that the U.S. economy loses approximately $373 million to time theft every year. Investing in a reliable time clock helps insure companies against this. While some companies still use inefficient fingerprint scanners, most forward-thinking ones use electronic time clocks with a photo verification feature. Read more: Time Theft: Top 3 ways employees steal time and how to stop it 2. Use a timesheet calculator A timesheet calculator is the easiest way to manage the hours your staff is working. You only need to enter the hourly rate and start and end time of your employees. This free online timesheet calculator will work out the total amount of hours worked and the wage amount for your staff. You can even factor in the breaks they take during the day. So put your calculator away and let the online timesheet calculator do some of the work for you. Add as many employees as you want and print the results when you’re done.   Read more: Wage Theft in the US: How to stay compliant with labor laws 3. Invest in automation technology Having a reliable time clock and using a timesheet calculator can only get you so far. While these automate some processes, you still need to do a considerable amount of administrative work. If you have reliable time clock records but they don’t produce a timesheet, you will still need to transfer that data. This can lead to costly mistakes down the line. If you have a timesheet but it can’t be exported to a payroll system, you are going to be stuck in that back office for a long time. Investing in time and attendance automation technology can address these problems immediately. Tanda users find that saved employee data cuts down the administrative work to a fraction of the time. They publish schedules from the platform to avoid miscommunication. Then, they monitor their staff easily from their desktop, tablet, or mobile phone. Once the pay period is over, they simply export the processed timesheets to an existing payroll partner. They have more time to train their employees or engage their customers as a result. Read more: Breaking into Workforce Success with Spyder Surf Don’t let timesheets take up too much time Timesheets have always taken up the resources of managers across all industries. It’s a tedious but necessary part of running a business. Successful managers know how important it is to balance labor costs against delivering customer promise. Getting it right means expanding the bottom line faster. Transitioning to automation technology doesn’t have to happen all at once. Try it out with a free time clock, scheduling template, or timesheet calculator first and see what difference it can make. Once you know your way around it, you’ll be ready to explore the full range of features that will revolutionize how you do business.

Rosie Ramirez

13 March 2019    |   

When you think of the average American worker, who comes to mind? Did you imagine a waitress on her second shift in a big city bar? Or did you picture a plant worker in an automobile factory? Over 80 million workers aged 16 and above work in these types of jobs and are paid at hourly rates. They represent 58.3 percent of all wage and salary workers. For managers of American businesses, scheduling hourly workers has always been difficult. They need to balance workers’ skills and availability with the requirements of the business. They also need to make sure that the labor cost doesn’t hurt the company’s’ bottom line. In the past, managers had to schedule everything manually. They would draw up the week’s schedule on paper and leave it on a board for the employees to see. In case there were changes, it was difficult to communicate them. And when it came time to pay the employees, each time card would be scrutinized to create paychecks. Even for small companies, all of this would take hours and hours of administrative time. For larger companies, entire departments would be dedicated to the task. Today, managers use a variety of tools to optimize the process. From paper to screen: modern scheduling process Many managers have experienced scheduling employees through simple pen and paper. This manual process involved a considerable amount of time and resources. As a result, they would be spending more time on administrative work than really managing their employees. With the availability of computers, managers have shifted from paper to screen to get the work done. One way that managers do this is through free scheduling templates. A scheduling template can easily be uploaded and shared with employees. A typical scheduling template requires you to input the employee’s name, wage rate, shift start, and shift end. The template will automatically compute how many hours you scheduled them for that week. It will also show you how much you’re going to pay them for these hours. You can distribute this to employees via the Google Sheets sharing service, control their access according to your desired effect, and restrict them to view-only, allow them to comment, or even let them make edits. However, it has several drawbacks. First, because you are scheduling on a Google Sheet, you will be responsible for tracking conflicts. You will need to check if somebody has filed for leave or unavailability on a separate database. It will also not flag you if you’ve scheduled somebody over or under their regular hours. Second, you will need to manually compare this sheet with your time clock data and then use another sheet to compute for pay. Third, it doesn’t keep you updated on changes in US labor laws. It may be a step up from pen and paper, but there is still a considerable amount of administrative work. That’s why many businesses opt for software that can address all this and more instead. Read more: Wage Theft in the US: How to stay compliant with labor laws Taking it to the next level with workforce software A free scheduling template can only give you so much. While some tasks are automated, you still need to do manual scheduling, attendance tracking, timesheets, and communication with employees. With the fast-paced business world, simply getting by with manual scheduling is not going to cut it. Investing in modern employee scheduling will give you unprecedented control over your workforce. It’s not just about getting the schedule out anymore. Now it’s all about making that schedule work for your business. With Tanda’s Scheduling Software, you can save shift templates and set cost schedules to make sure you never go over budget. You will be able to see, in real-time, how much each employee will need to be paid for any shift. You will also be able to publish schedules instantly. Employees will receive their shift via SMS, email, or in-app notification. This is especially useful for cities and states that have already implemented predictive scheduling laws. With Tanda, you will never fail to comply with an advanced shift notice. Read more: Building a Solid Shift: Predictive Scheduling Laws across the US But why stop there? Time and attendance automation technology has come a long way. Tanda’s Employee Time Clock App can be used on any tablet and allow staff to clock in and out, photo verification included. It automatically generates costed timecards that you can export to multiple payroll add-ons like Xero and Quickbooks. That means you don’t need to communicate schedules, monitor attendance, transfer data, or compute for pay. You can do all the tedious administrative work on one platform at a fraction of the time. You can even approve shift swaps, use demand data to adjust staffing levels, and pool tips. The future of the American workforce US employment went up by 213,000 jobs in January 2019. The service-producing industry reported 46,000 new roles. The goods-producing sector reported 35,000 new roles. Employment is robust, and there are plenty of opportunities for hourly workers in America. But this rise in employment and the fact that many workers hold multiple jobs also means managers need to step up. Managers need to upgrade the way they schedule, monitor attendance, and pay employees. The old manual methods are just not going to cut it. Workforce management software like Tanda empowers both managers and employees to grow the business. Managers can spend less time on administrative work and more time training employees. In turn, employees need not worry about missing their shifts or being paid less than they should. Investing in good software eliminates many common management problems. It also improves efficiency, transparency, and sustainability. The future of the American workforce looks bright, and harnessing technology is going to determine which businesses will be able to take full advantage.

Rosie Ramirez

15 January 2019    |   

Even with the advent of online shopping, brick-and-mortar stores still line the streets of many American cities. These stores command a powerful share of the market. An estimated 15% of Americans are employed in these retail establishments, supporting millions of families across the country. Retail workers typically work unstable schedules to match labor to incoming traffic, increasing profitability in the process. However, irregular or overlapping schedules can cause a considerable amount of stress for managers and employees alike. The Fair Workweek Initiative has been on this side of the issue for years now, which is why their main advocacy is to give workers control of their schedules in their respective jobs, giving employers and their families alike the opportunity for a healthy work-life balance. Needless to say, for managers, keeping track of multiple employees or stores can result in errors. This includes badly made schedules and late notifications. Unfilled shifts are more likely in this scenario. For employees, not having a schedule ahead of time can cause lower job satisfaction and greater instances of work-family conflict. Both scenarios can lower profits and put thousands of livelihoods in jeopardy in the long run. In large part, some local governments and states in the US now implement predictive scheduling laws. This is also known as ‘fair scheduling’. What is predictive scheduling? Predictive scheduling laws require advanced notice when posting a schedule. This ranges from 48 hours to two weeks, depending on state law. They also restrict or ban employers from scheduling on-call shifts and adding pay incentives for these shifts. As of 2018, four cities and one state have enacted these laws. They are: San Francisco, New York, Seattle, and Emeryville, and the State of Oregon. Fair Workweek began its influence in the cities of San Francisco and Santa Clara County, CA. In 2014, people working hourly jobs in these cities have been given the basic standards for work-hours policy, i.e. Predictive Schedules, Opportunity to Work, Healthy Schedules, and Flexibility. Some business giants have also started taking initiative. Last November, Walmart announced predictive scheduling for all US stores. The bottom line for all of them is to make schedules both more predictable and flexible for everyone. Predictive scheduling across US cities City of San Francisco The first city to have a predictive work scheduling law, San Francisco’s ordinance covers retail stores, fast food franchises, and restaurant chains that have at least 40 establishments worldwide. Any contractors who provide janitorial or security services to these businesses are also covered by this law. It requires employers to do the following: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month; Provide the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules (2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts; and Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 7 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Two (2) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts less than 4 hours long Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the scheduled shift, for shifts over 4 hours long New York City New York City has different predictive work scheduling laws for retail businesses and fast food establishments which came into effect on 29 November 2017. Retail businesses that sell consumer goods and hire at least 20 employees are covered by the law and are required to: Provide employees with a written work schedule at least 72 hours before the first shift; Pay a penalty of $300 per employee if they fail to do so; Eliminate all on-call shifts, and pay a penalty of $500 per employee if they fail to do so; Permit employees to trade shifts, which is beneficial for employers and employees alike; and Make all changes 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. Retail businesses are prohibited from canceling a shift 72 hours before it is scheduled to start. The predictive scheduling law also covers fast food businesses that have at least 30 establishments nationally. Employers are required to: Give staff their schedules 14 days (two weeks) in advance; and Ensure there is a minimum of 11 hours between each shift, to avoid “clopening” or consecutive closing and opening shifts. City of Emeryville For the City of Emeryville, retail and fast food employers should conduct regular calculations to determine whether or not they are covered by the Fair Workweek regulations. Retail firms with 56 or more employees globally, and fast food firms with 56 or more employees globally and 20 or more employees in Emeryville are required to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month and the days and hours of those shifts, including on-call shifts; Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, whether through a public post at the workplace or electronic methods; Give “Predictability Pay” of: One (1) hour at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 14 days but more than 24 hours after the advance notice Four (4) hours at the regularly hourly rate for changes made less than 24 hours before the shift starts; Allow the employee to decline work hours if it starts less than 11 hours after end of previous day’s shift. City of Seattle In Seattle, covered by the predictive work scheduling law are retail and foodservice establishments that have at least 500 employees worldwide, and full-service restaurants that have at least 500 employees and 40 locations worldwide. They are required to: Provide staff schedules 2 weeks in advance, including on-call shifts Give an extra hour’s worth of pay at their regular hourly rate if: Extra hours were added to the schedule The start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Give one-half of the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Employer subtracted hours from an employee’s schedule Start and end times are changed resulting in loss of hours Shift was canceled Scheduled on-call shift is one they don’t need to report for Predictive scheduling in the State of Oregon In July 2018, the State or Oregon became the first to implement statewide predictive scheduling laws, which requires retail, food service, and hospitality industry employers with at least 500 employees worldwide to: Give new employees a document with a “good faith estimate” of their minimum number of scheduled shifts per month;he days and hours of those shifts; Provide staff schedules 7 days in advance from 1 July 2018; Provide staff schedules 14 days in advance from 1 July 2020; Give 1 hour of pay at the regular hourly rate if their: Employer adds more than 30 minutes of work to their shift Start and end times were changed with no loss of hours Employer schedules an additional work shift or an on-call shift Give one-half times the employee’s scheduled rate of pay per hour for any scheduled hours the employee does not work if their: Shift was canceled Shift was shortened or their scheduled hours were reduced Oregon employers have the option to invite staff to a “voluntary standby list” who can work extra hours, but the additional compensations don’t apply to them. Make Predictive Scheduling hassle-free With these key changes in scheduling employees in the retail and fast food industries, other employers can only expect that similar laws will be implemented in other cities and states. Employers need to be prepared to manage schedules efficiently to not incur any penalties and increase overall productivity. While predictive scheduling sounds like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be. Workforce success platforms that specialize in creating schedules and communicating them to employees are already readily available in the United States. One such platform is Tanda, with a Scheduling Software that eliminates manual scheduling work. With Tanda, employers can build schedules to match customer demand, see staff availability in real-time, save templates, and set targets and cost schedules to make sure the schedule is never over budget. Laws will soon require schedules to be provided one or two weeks in advance. Conveniently, custom schedule templates can be saved and applied in seconds. Thus, compliance is a given every time. Informing employees of their shift is also a breeze. They can receive published schedules instantly through Tanda’s Scheduling App, or even via SMS and email. Tanda also has a Cognitive Scheduling feature which takes schedule management to the next level with smart algorithms and proprietary logic to weigh employment types, pay rates, age, skill level of staff, and much more to generate the best schedule that maximizes all resources. Employers can run multiple scenario testing against qualified data inputs to suggest an optimal output. This, and multiple other features, ensure a hassle-free schedule that fits all staffing requirements. They can even be sent to employees at the touch of a button. Technology is the future of workforce management, and Tanda is built to get you there.

Enrique Estagle

13 November 2017    |   

Today we’re going to take a closer look at how Australia, the UK, and the US implement maternity and paternity leave. Australia Parental Leave According to the Australian Fair Work Ombudsman website, employees are entitled to 12 months of unpaid parental leave when they or their spouse or partner gives birth. Regular employees are qualified for parental leave if they have been working for an employer for at least 12 months before the date of birth. Casual employees are also qualified if they have been working for their employer on a regular basis for at least 12 months before the date of birth. Australia also has paid maternity leave. According to the Department of Human Services, qualified mothers get 18 weeks pay at minimum wage while recovering from childbirth and taking care of their newborn. This is funded by the government but paid through the employer. The business has to register in order for their staff to receive this benefit. UK Parental Leave The United Kingdom has different guidelines for maternity and paternity leave, as stated on the gov.uk website. UK Maternity Leave Qualified mothers are entitled to up to 52 weeks of maternity leave, broken down as: First 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave, and The last 26 weeks of additional maternity leave Mothers are not compelled to take the entire 52-week entitlement, but they are required to take 2 weeks time off after the baby is born. If the mother works in a factory, they are required to take 4 weeks time off. They can start as early as 11 weeks before the expected birth week. In addition, mothers are entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay or SMP up to 39 weeks of their leave. They’ll receive: 90% of their average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks, and £140.98 or 90% of their average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks To qualify, the mother has to be classified as an employee (which they can find out here.) There is no minimum time a mother has to work with her current employer the government requires in order to receive this entitlement. UK Paternity Leave Qualified husbands or partners of the newborn’s mother can get up to two weeks time off from work. They can only start after the birth of their child and must end within 56 days after the birth date. Throughout their time off, husbands or partners receive statutory paternity pay of £140.98 or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. To qualify, the husband or partner has to be classified as an employee and has been working for their employer continuously for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. US Parental Leave On the Federal level, the United States Family and Medical Leave Act or FMLA entitle 12 weeks of unpaid maternity and paternity leave for qualified mothers and their partners. For employees to be qualified, first they have to be working for a “covered employer.” They should either be: A private sector employer that has employed 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks in the current or preceding calendar year A local, state, or Federal government agency, regardless of the number of employees it employs A public or private elementary or secondary school, regardless of the number of employees it employs The employee also has to be working with the employer at least 12 months with at least 1250 hours of service before their leave. Finally, the employee must work at a location where the employer has 50 employees within 75 miles. Different states supplement this federal law with their own version of parental leave laws, with some offering partial pay. Stress-Free Parental Leave with Leave Management Software Tanda’s leave management feature makes it easy to file and approve maternity and paternity leave. Administrators can create a special leave type in Tanda for maternity and paternity leave that their staff can apply for via the employee portal. Once filed, managers instantly see it on the dashboard for their approval. The maternity leave request in Tanda can then be linked to your accounting system and paid out to the employee.

Renée Mellish

22 February 2018    |   

  Tanda now has a mobile app, this means your employees have one simple location where they can see exactly when they are working and also let their managers know when they are unavailable or would like to file for leave. What your staff can do right now with the app As of now, your staff can: View their rostered shifts View and apply for leave Enter unavailability In the coming weeks and months we will be adding many more exciting features timesheet updates, as well as features for managers! How to get your staff to use the app Your staff can download the app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Just search for “Tanda Employee App”: There will also be links to the app at the bottom of the roster email when you send that out. What if my staff don’t have an existing Tanda login? That’s no problem, all they need to know is their Tanda email address (the one they use to receive roster emails). Once they have downloaded the app, they simply click “I don’t know my passsword” and they will be prompted to enter their Tanda email for instructions. From here, they will receive a password reset link. After creating a password, they can then log in to the app! If you have any questions about your employee’s account or how to get your staff to use it, please contact employees@tanda.co and we’d be happy to help.

Enrique Estagle

20 July 2017    |   

We at Tanda are excited to let you know that our Time Clock application is now available for the iPhone. This new version adds on our existing Android, iPad, and desktop time clocks. And just like those, this has the same set of features. It lets staff clock in with their unique PIN and a selfie. The Tanda Time Clock accurately records employee attendance and compares it with the weekly roster. It also updates the timesheets automatically to the cloud and stores it offline when the device is not connected. This added presence gives added flexibility to businesses currently using our app. You can add it to complement your main time clock, decentralizing clock-ins-and-outs. You can refurbish old iPhones to serve as time clocks, instead of it taking up drawer space. It can also be the backup if, and when, your office’s main Tanda Time Clock is unavailable. Remote employees with iPhones can also use this to record attendance, wherever they may be. Click here to download the Tanda Time Clock for the iPhone. Are you a new user? Signup for free here to use Tanda to track time and attendance for your business, and so much more.  

Rosie Ramirez

2 April 2019    |   

The lush valleys of Pennsylvania are home to a robust agricultural industry that generates employment on 59,000 farms in every county. Due to its mild climate, rich soils, and dedicated farmers, the industry generated a direct output of $83.8 billion in 2017. Among top outputs are chicken eggs, winter wheat, potatoes, oats, rye, soybeans, and barley. But one product stands out from the rest: Pennsylvania ranks first nationally in mushroom production. With an annual yield of more than 425 million pounds, valuing more than $330.7 million per year, the mushroom industry is a key player in the state’s economy. Nobody knows the significance of mushrooms better than the owners and staff of Palumbo Foods, headquartered in Avondale, Pennsylvania. Founder Tony Palumbo, having grown up in the mushroom industry, invested in his own company in 2008. A decade later, Tony is joined by several members of his family in overseeing more than 40 staff members. They sell over 350,000 pounds of mushrooms each week. Together, they supply mushrooms and seasonal produce to customers not just in Pennsylvania, but also in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, and Texas. Tanda asked Vice President, Shawn Palumbo about running this successful food business. Talented people behind a family business “We have a lot of talented people on the staff who really go above and beyond,” Shawn says. “And that goes from our office team to our dock employees who are building orders day and night to our over the road truck drivers. We have a lot of dedicated people and that’s really what makes it work.” Company founder Tony Palumbo is joined by his son, Shawn, and daughter-in-law, Kimiko. Besides providing fresh, locally grown produce, the Palumbo Foods team also emphasizes customer service. Indeed, the family business has thrived through the tight-knit relationship of the staff, not just with each other, but also with their customers. Shawn remarks, “A bunch of loyal customers believed in what Tony was looking to do and stuck with us to help us get started.  Years later, most of those customers still work with us.” Today, from locally grown mushrooms, they’ve branched out into seasonal produce like garlic, ginger, peppers, onions, cucumbers, and microgreens. Data-led improvements that matter Time is of the essence, especially in the food business. That’s where Shawn’s team encountered their biggest challenge. They thought they could make headway by keeping most of their staff in the first shift. “We always only operated with a first shift team, but we realized we were overloading them. There just was too much work for anyone to get done,” he recalls. Enter Tanda, a workforce management software with tracking and reporting capabilities. “The biggest key is visibility. Tanda gave us visibility to see where our hours were being spent and where we could place them,” he shares. From just having a first shift and seeing what needed to be done during the day, using Tanda allowed Palumbo Foods to see that they actually needed a third shift. “Looking at the numbers and seeing the physical data on paper and on the computer allowed us to make a decision that we wouldn’t have been able to make without Tanda so to speak,” he says. The team in charge of carrying out improvements relied on Tanda to make the decision to add a third shift. The results were astounding. “They’re coming in at night getting a third of the work done, so the team during the morning shift does not have as much pressure to get everything completed,” Shawn shares. The simple change decreased production errors and increased employee morale. “They’re less stressed and they’re more efficient. The quality has gone up to our customers as well. We’ve seen our returns decreased,” he adds. The addition of the third shift even allowed their trucks to leave earlier, which assists in completing their deliveries within service rule hours. Palumbo Foods uses Tanda to see where hours are being spent and how to improve operations Team visibility despite the miles “When I was younger, I worked at places and you grabbed the card, you put it in the machine, you put it back.  What visibility does that give anybody?” Shawn asks, recalling the punch clocks that most businesses used decades ago, and which some still use today. For him, Tanda’s Time Clock App increased visibility and engagement with their teams who are working 2,000 miles away. “As management is in Pennsylvania, we have cameras at our Texas facility, but no one is sitting here watching the cameras all day. With Tanda, we can see what time they’re punching in, and coming and going,” he shares. For Palumbo Foods, the increased visibility has allowed them to operate better. It linked them to a critical part of their operation without actually being there. “We could remotely monitor and verify the hours being worked and make the appropriate decisions based on that data,” he says. ,” It has also increased trust among team members. Before switching to Tanda, employee attendance caused some friction. “The staff is now operating 24/7 so staff can come and go, and sometimes it was not being noticed. It was causing issues between team members as some were showing up later and leaving earlier than others,” he notes. Now, they can look at the Tanda timesheets and resolve these conflicts easily. Growing with workforce technology In 2017, Palumbo Foods opened a facility in San Antonio, Texas, with 7 employees. They also service Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida. Now Shawn and his team are looking to open more distribution spaces and employ more staff. There’s room to grow for this small family business, and Tanda is helping them make sense of their operations. “Knowing that, at any time, we can look at these reports, from anywhere has been a big, big help for us,” he says. Pennsylvania continues to lead the mushroom production industry in the United States. Contributing to this boom is Palumbo Foods, a company that continues to flourish through its talented staff and loyal customers. As Shawn notes, “It kind of really grew this into something that no one ever expected it could be.” And with their investment in workforce technology that lets them track employees and operations accurately, they’re all set to keep providing quality produce to more customers in the years to come.

Rosie Ramirez

26 March 2019    |   

The charming city of Coffeyville, Kansas is a Bradbury novel come to life. From the striped storefront awnings, to the wooden balustrades of its brick buildings, the city’s history literally lines the streets. Formerly a frontier settlement on the Verdigris River, it was an oil and manufacturing town that played a large role in the development of the American Southwest. Today, iconic landmarks like the Condon Bank and Midland Theater are a couple of minutes away from automotive shops and fast food chains. And at the heart of Coffeyville is an unassuming three-story complex that tells a more recent story. In 2007, the Verdigris River flooded a third of the city and displaced hundreds of its residents. Shortly afterward, a 71-room property was built for the community by more than a dozen individual owners. Known as Sleep Inn and Suites, this cozy and conveniently located hotel is doing its part in modernizing Coffeyville’s hotel industry. Its multiple excellent reviews for cleanliness, comfort, and customer service stand out among several others in the area. We sat down with Sleep Inn’s General Manager, John Chevere, to learn more about their day-to-day operations. Multitasking with a Former Marine General Manager John is a former Marine who hasn’t lost his knack for efficiency. In fact, one of the first things he did was to look for a way to run Sleep Inn and Suites better. “What we were running into was a very complex payroll system […] Basically, the payroll system was all manual. We were using time sheets,” he says. “It just wasn’t anything I was used to and it wasn’t something I wanted to get used to. I thought it was kinda ridiculous from, you know, for us to be doing that way. So I started looking for a solution, and ran across Tanda.” Doing the payroll manually used to take John up to 4 hours. Most managers know that every minute is valuable because of all the moving parts that need supervision. Being stuck in a back office for hours on end takes away from time that could be spent training employees and engaging clients. After investing in Tanda’s workforce management software, the whole process was cut down to just 15 minutes. According to John, “From a management standpoint and from the ability to multitask, there’s nothing better than having your time freed up.” Read more: From Battlefields to Boardrooms: Finding Good Managers with William Gooderson Motivating a Lean-and-Mean Staff “The biggest obstacle I’ve ever faced is always managing people. It’s not managing processes, [because] you can put processes in place. The people are the ones you got to get motivated, and keep them that way,” John muses. To that end, they use their workforce management software not only to publish shifts and process payroll but also to increase employee engagement. “Everybody here uses the app,” he says, “We literally use Tanda for everything.” Tanda’s app has given John’s staff the ability to check their schedule and pay and file for time off, all from their mobile phones. “There’s really no reason for our staff to not ever have their schedule because it’s so readily available to them,” he adds. As a General Manager, he also knows how important it is to be able to motivate staff. “Again it goes back to the ability to manage your people,” he says. Through the program, he monitors his staff better, and notes how the team can improve. “Tanda sends me an alert to let me know that, hey, I’ve got two of my housekeepers that have run a pass on their target time”, he relates. Whereas monitoring used to involved guesswork, everything is now highly transparent. With the right data accessible in real time, John ensures all the work is done and the staff is paid correctly, at a fraction of the administrative cost. Read more: Why employees love Tanda’s Workforce Success software Modernizing Kansas Hotels John believes that workforce management software can do wonders for the hotel industry in Kansas and beyond. “As a manager, we always want to know if we’re hitting our numbers, especially in the hotel business. We want to know what our labor costs look like,” he says. Hotels, whatever the size, should invest in a one-stop-shop program that can schedule staff, integrate with payroll systems, ensure compliance, and even generate reports. “The other thing that I love about Tanda is that it will take your income per day and it will show you what your labor costs are. Those, once again, are things that you can’t get for that kind of money.” Today, the hospitality industry in Kansas makes up 9.2% of the total private sector employment, with a retail sales volume of $2.99 billion per year. It’s a robust and growing industry, with a notable boom in Kansas City, where more than 15 hotels are opening by 2020. John encourages all hotel managers and owners across the US to find workforce management software that works for them. “People would be very wise to go ahead and jump on board now, as opposed to waiting until this thing really takes off and then they’re going to spend more money [on a program],” he said. Doing so will enable hotels to use data to increase employee engagement and drive profits, while decreasing administrative costs. Read more:  3 Strategies to Master Your Wage Costs in 2019 Keeping Sleep Inn and Suites Future-proof Exciting things lie ahead for John and his staff with new investors looking at their hotel. Once they secure new contracts and grow the business, they’ll be able to use Tanda to their advantage even more. Tanda is no stranger to managing businesses of all sizes, with previously small operations taking Tanda with them upon expansions. Plus, with multiple payroll partners, there’s no conflict with existing systems. “With this new group, I will definitely have to manage my expenses probably a lot closer. Tanda is gonna really help me. And if there’s that revenue portion that can help me generate more revenue, that that’s going to help me in the process as well,” he says. Efficient, innovative, and future-proof — these are just three things that Sleep Inn and Suites can pride itself on. Coffeyville has been through its fair share of challenges, but the community has always pulled through. There is no better testament to this than this three-storey hotel on 11th street. It is even motivating local hotels to develop a whole new management standard. And with a promising hospitality industry that sees more local and international tourists checking in every year, success may well be here to stay in Kansas.