In response to this selection process, Thinking Software implemented a
three-month “proof-of-concept” trial in the hotel’s food & beverage
department. The trial was successful, and early in August, Thinking Software
implemented a fully functional system across the hotel.
Heather was positive about the implementation — “Setup and installation were
seamless — the Support Team was professional, and covered each area in detail.
If we encountered issues, they took care to explain the solutions. They were
also careful to keep our existing data confidential.”
Before Horizon was implemented, each department would be in charge of
creating and managing its own Staff Rota. This created serious inconsistencies
across the hotel, and meant that error-checking and authorising employee
timesheets was a lengthy and unreliable process. Of course, this confusion
didn’t just waste admin time – it also increased our payroll costs.
Heather confirmed that Horizon was easy to use – which was crucial, because
many of her department managers weren’t computer wizards. She found that “even
the housekeeper of 30 years got on with the system” – a fact which Heather put
down to Horizon’s user-friendly interface.
As for other benefits, Heather has noticed that Rota Horizon gets staff to
the hotel on-time, and this ensures that her employees are paid for the
actual time they’ve worked.
The Horizon Department Rota is one of our favourite reports – although we
also love the costing and payroll summaries – the important thing for us is
that the reports in Horizon enable quick, accurate data-checking, and this is
vital when inconsistencies arise.
As I’ve mentioned, allowing department managers to plan ahead quickly and easily was always high on the agenda. With Horizon, these needs are more than met — managers are spending less time implementing and adjusting their daily rota, holidays are managed more effectively and instances of lateness and absence are monitored more closely. The time saving was quickly noticed and appreciated around the hotel, as was the mass of accurate and up-to-date information which hadn’t been available in the past. “Daily financial information, such as the projected payroll output, gives me a clear indication that we are operating on budget
Heather
Support at Thinking Software is also very good – they answer the phone, they know about us, and our tickets are dealt with very quickly. I’m impressed with their modern systems and infrastructure, and I’m always made to feel welcome when I call. Their online system is easy to use and their User Guides have helped me repeatedly with common tasks.
Heather
We love working with Thinking Software, and we wouldn’t hesitate to
recommend them to any business looking to save time and money.
Heather Jones, Human Resources Manager, Holiday Inn
