TAM application: accurately measure needs before customizing

“Laurent Bellocq, Inetum’s pre-sales director for Chronotime (TAM software), advises: “As soon as you start thinking about a specific configuration, you have to consider the value it really brings. Does a feature really add value if it only concerns a few employees? Is it really necessary if it’s only used occasionally? Beware of hyper-customization: not only is it costly, it can also cause implementation times to explode.

“It’s better to opt for a common core model for each type of user – HR departments, managers, employees – without wanting to create specific uses within each category“, adds Gauthier Blanc. adds Gauthier Blanc, senior manager in charge of the TAM offering at HRConseil.

“Everyone needs to be on the same tool to guarantee the application’s usability and longevity.“

Regulatory parameterization: a must

Collective bargaining agreements, local memorandums of understanding, vacation calculation methods, absences… Each company has its own specific regulatory requirements, covered in the standard version by a customizable time and activity management tool.

“100% of our customers have dedicated settings for regulatory aspects, which is a must“, explains Laurent Bellocq.

Integrating time and attendance software into your information system will also require customized interfacing. A must.

Automate your own workflows

The procedure for requesting and validating leave is not the same from one company to another.

Who receives it? How many people give the green light?
The same applies to all internal processes, especially if they are highly standardized. These workflows, which are specific to you, need to be parameterized so that they correspond precisely to your needs.

The key: speed and fluidity.

Your own indicators for making the right decisions

The procedure for requesting and validating leave is not the same from one company to another.

At the parameter-setting stage, you can decide on all the indicators you’ll need to make the right decisions quickly.

Laurent Bellocq assures us: “Everything can be determined upstream on a host of points. But it’s particularly useful when it comes to planning.“

Who can fill an absence, take a night shift or work overtime? Set up typical profiles to be called upon in these cases. And many more!

Customized ergonomics: an option not to be overlooked

The ergonomic customization of the TAM application can clearly make the difference in the adoption of the tool. This includes adding or removing zones, modifying screens, simplifying ergonomics to match internal expectations and habits…

“It’s very important to ensure that the application is appreciated in order to be used,” notes Laurent Bellocq. “This is a strong ROI axis” [icon name=”quote-right” prefix=”fas”].

Gauthier Blanc can only confirm: “In 80% of the studies carried out upstream of an ATM project, user experience is one of the major challenges listed by customers, on a par with making time and payroll calculations secure and reliable.“

Speed of loading, reduced number of clicks, direct access to information without wandering through menus, intuitive data entry…

“The aim is to give them the ability to do things simply and quickly, so that they can be more productive in their core business.“

What if personalization were a permanent topic?

Regulations change over time, and so do internal processes and workflows. “A time and activity management application lives and breathes with the company,” confirms Laurent Bellocq.

So when it comes to customization, nothing is definitive. “The software must accompany these successive transformations if it is to continue to be used. A major challenge!”