FEATURES AND BENEFITS



HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

The system requires an IBM PC or PC compatible computer with 512K memory, a
printer, and 1/2 meg of disk space on a hard disk.


SYSTEM BENEFITS

 $ Increased accuracy in Payroll calculations
 $ Reduction in Payroll Preparation Time
 $ Improved efficiency in labor allocation
 $ Timely reporting of errant behavior
 $ Improved forecasting using historical data


SYSTEM FEATURES

 * Customized workrules
 * Reporting by client specified groupings
 * Menu and screen driven
 * Live tutorial
 * Pop-up validation tables
 * Query and Report Writer capabilities
 * Transmission capabilities
 * Interface with General Ledger and other popular
   software
 * Customized programming
 * Support Network

SYSTEM OPERATIONS


 The emphasis on ease of use is demonstrated in the ergonomically designed
user interface. Functions are easily selected using 'point and shoot' and
scroll bar technology. The Menus provided serve as acontrol center for
functions performed daily and on an interim basis.


Daily

 The daily process includes the iterative process of collecting employee
punches, producing edit reports and making the necessary modifications to
employee time records and schedules.


End of Period

 On a less frequent interval (eg. weekly), the current period is posted, final
reports are produced, transactions are archived, and changes are made to
employee schedules for the upcoming week.


On demand real time

Since all reports are created dynamically the latest information is included
in reports.  This aligns with providing timely and accurate data.SYSTEM BENEFITS 



 Increased accuracy in Payroll calculations

 *   Elimination of clerical errors through computerized calculations.

 *   Instantaneous comparison of time records against predefined
     management or labor negotiated constraints.

 *   Data integrity through badge validation and edit routines that only
     allow posting of good transactions.

 **  Audit trail database shows what changes were made by who and when.


 Reduction in Payroll preparation time

 *   Automatic cost extensions for gross pay, overtime and differential
     calculations.

 *   Transmission of time records directly into computer files.

 *   Reduces staff clerical requirements freeing up personnel for other
     activities.

 *   Provide on demand, neat, typed reports for presentation

 **  Provide transmission capabilities of data to Payroll department and/or
     Service bureaus

 Improved efficiency in labor allocation

 *   Timely information allows for immediate reaction to avoid unnecessary
     costs such as overtime.

 *   Historical database easily massaged to aid in forecasting and
     budgetary needs.

 *   Dynamic changes to employee schedule, workrules and job assignments.

 *   Record department / location, and job costing changes via time
     clock punch


 Timely reporting of errant behavior

 *   Edit reports show employees reporting late, leaving early, extending
     breaks, etc..

 *   History files can be used to highlight trends and document past
     behavior.

 *   Instant access tells which employees are absent or late for current
     shift.


 Improved forecasting using historical data

 *   Determine average labor costs per job class within specific locations.

 *   Show cyclical trends to aid forecasting of labor requirements.

 *   Built in report writer and the ability to export data to graphics, 
     packages, statistical software and spreadsheets provides unlimited
     processing capabilities.
                    
 SYSTEM OPERATIONS 



Daily Process

 *   Employee(s) records arrival, breaks and departure at time clock.

 *   Operator selects the clock for transmission of data to computer or
     sets up for night time transmission.

 *   Operator runs the Transfer and Time Card Validation report to produce
     a report of time records failing validations as determined by the
     assignment of workrules to each employee.

 *   Operator distributes reports to supervisory personnel for confirmation
     and authorization of errors.

 *   Operator adjusts time card records accordingly using the Time Card
     Maintenance function.

 *   Management requests various reports to determine weekly hours,
     approaching overtime, scheduled hours and other employee data used to
     make quick schedule adjustments.



End of Period

 *   Processes all records in the system for the current period and prints
     out final Time Sheet reports.

 **  Transactions are posted to the General Ledger trial balance.

 *   Active file is closed and archived to the cumulative history files.

 *   Employee Master Schedules are modified and rolled forward for the
     upcoming week.

 *   Vacation and Sick time accruals are calculated.
SYSTEM FEATURES 



Customized Workrules

 *   Group employees together with similar edit rules such as the same
     start and ending times, lunch and break durations, grace periods for
     arrivaland departures, overtime and differential calculations and
     more.

 *   Modified at any time.

 *   Flexibility ranges from having zero edits to a vast combination of
     individual factors.

Report by Groupings

 *   Three levels of reporting: Corporate, Company, and Workrule

 *   All reports may be executed for groupings and other delimiters such as
     date and hour ranges.

 *   All reports are dynamic and may be executed at will and as often as
     desired to assure the most up todate information.

 *   Powerful Query and Report Writer can produce most reports imaginable.
     Works with any DBASE type file.

Menu and Screen driven

 *   Latest technology using popup windows and highlight bars makes system
     easy to use.


Written in Popular PC language

 *   Source Code available.
Live Tutorial

 *   Practice system is based on a group of practice workrules and
     employees assigned during training sessions.

 *   Practice system may be invoked at any time while the real data is
     safely stored on a separate area of the computer.

 *   Provides all the features of real system.

 *   Integrated with system.


Popup Validation Tables

 *   Data entry validated against tables to avoid errors in recording.

 *   Tables are accessible from within data entry mode to access desired
     values.

 *   User defined codes for Time Codes, Authorization overrides,job classes
     and workrules.


Query and Report Writer

 **  Access window to data that allows operator to design his/her own data
     groups that may be printed or displayed on the CRT terminal.


Transmission Capabilities

 **  Payroll transactions may be transmitted to headquarters.

Interface with QUE General Ledger and Payroll

 **  System can be linked into QUE Accounting General Ledger or Payroll.

 *   Data may be converted to other file formats used by popular
     spreadsheet programs and other systems.

 
Customization

 **  Any part of the system may be modified to meet the individual
     customer's needs. Functions may be added or deleted as desired.

 **  Other systems development and consulting services available.

 *   Solely owned, developed and maintained by QUE Accounting.

 **  Customized manual


Support Network

 **  Telephone support by experienced computer users.

 **  Remote linkup capabilities enable support from afar as if the support
     individual were physically on location.




** If desired by client, these features can be easily implemented. The base
version does not include these items.FUNCTIONAL DESCRIPTION



INTRODUCTION


The Time and Attendance (T&A) system is used to collect, store and validate
time card entries as they are entered into the computer via an electronic time
clock interface, through the keyboard or converted over from another computer
system.


In order to use the system properly, a strong functional understanding is
needed. That is the intent of this section as well as to introduce you to the
various terms and concepts used throughout this manual.


This section groups the various functions into four main areas:


      SETUP
      DAILY PROCESSING
      PERIOD END PROCESS
      UTILITIES



If you wish to skip this section and begin entering your tables proceed to the
MT section of the operator's manual.


SETUP 


T & A requires that applicable rules and regulations be set in table formats
recognized by the system. As an added benefit, this exercise forces a rethink
of payroll policies and many times highlights inconsistencies and
inefficiencies resulting from the implementation of the manual system.

The table and rules listed below constitute the SETUP section. They may be
changed as often as needed but are rarely modified after the initial setup. 

These tables are presented in the order in which they are to be entered. The
sequence given facilitates the SETUP process since certain files depend on the
entries of other files for completion.

System Tables

     Time Code Table
     Setup Table
     Job Class Table
     Override Table
     Holiday Table
     Workrules
     Employee Master
     Employee Schedules 
     Clock Menu


Time Code Table

The Time Code Table contains the time codes and calculation factors recognized
by the system. Certain predetermined values must reside in the table for the
system to function properly. These codes are:
     
    Code    Description     Factor

     HOL  holiday records    1.0
     REG  time card entries  1.0
     VAC  vacation time      1.0

The file may be expanded to include overtime codes, sick time, personal time
off and other categories.  Only codes residing in this table may be used in
the system

     150  time and a half    1.5
     200  double time        2.0
     SCK  sick time          1.0
     PTO  personal time off  1.0

Usage:

Time codes are assigned in the workrule file for overtime and differential
calculations and are required when entering time entries. Entries retrieved
from a clock are given REG default values.

Holiday records are assigned Time code='HOL'

Vacation records are assigned 'VAC'

The factor field designates how many times greater than the individuals's pay
rate will be used in calculating the employee's gross wages.
Setup Table

The Setup Table contains many fields which control processing. Each company in
your system must have a separate company record in this file.

The fields include:

Company Code       The Company Code and Password are
Password           used to gain access. With the
Corporate Access   Corporate Access set on, the person
                   logging into this company may access
                   records in other companies.
Number of periods  The total number of periods (weeks,
Current period     months,etc..) and the current period
Week Date          in the year. The Week Date is the
                   week ending date of the current week.
Screen Header      This text will be printed on top of
Report Header      each screen and report and usually
Printer Code       includes the company name. The
                   printer code is used to send a
                   sequence to the printer to compress,
                   bold or italicize print.
Automatic Backup   When this field is turned on then
  and Restore      anytime the computer is disrupted 
End of Period      (eg. rebooted) during an update
  Status           a warning message will come on and
Bar Code for Gantt an automatic restoration of files
    Charts         from the last 'good save' will occur.

                   The Barcode field is used to define the sysmbol 
                   desired in the Gantt charts.
Job Class Table

The Job Class Table contains job classes, job descriptions and pay rates for
all the valid job classes accepted by the system. Job classes are entered in
the Employee Master file and when needed into the actual time card entries and
employee schedules. All records coming from an electronic clock are
automatically assigned the job class in the employee's master record when no
temporary assignments have been entered on the clock.

When a Job class other than that of the employee's master record appears in a
time record a 'TJ' (temporary job) is marked in the validation matrix of the
Validation report. If the job class doesn't exist a 'IJ' (invalid job) is
noted and the record is
marked as an error(*).

In determining gross pay on the Time Sheet report, the higher rate between the
temporary and master job classes is used in the calculation.

Example

    Jobclass Description  Rate

    CASHR    Cashier      7.5000
    COOK     Cook        12.5000
    PANTRY   Pantry cook  9.7500
    DISHWR   Dishwasher   7.2500

Usage:

Used in Time Sheet to produce gross pay, validated in the Time Card Validation
report and entered in the Employee Master, Time Card and Schedule.

The Job class may also represents cost centers, works in process and
departments. 
 
Override Code Table

The override code table is a collection of codes used to track authorization
of exceptional time entries such as overtime, leaving early and working in
another job class. The appearance of an override, as entered in the time card
function, overrides the otherwise normal error suspension associated with that
record. 

One predetermined value is assigned for generated records. When holiday
records are created or entries are pulled from the employee's schedule, a GEN
will be placed in the override field.

Example

     Code  Description 

     GEN  generated record     
     OT   authorized overtime
     LOK  late arrival OK
     EOK  early arrival ok

Usage:

Overrides error flag in Time Card Validation report and is entered using the
Time Card option in EM.

Holiday Table

The Holiday table is a collection of dates for paid holidays in the coming
year. Whenever a period is processed during a holiday week, time records are
generated for all individuals that receive holiday pay and meet the before and
after rules specified in the Workrule.

     Date     Description

    01/1/90   New Years
    1/16/90   Martin Luther King
    4/13/90   Good Friday
    7/04/90   Independence day

Usage:

Used to create Holiday pay records and identify schedule conflicts in the Time
Card Validation Report.

Workrules

The workrule file contains records for groups of employees that share the same
policies, overtime and differential calculations. The record is used in the
validation report process to determine:

        late and early arrivals
        long and short lunch period
        late and early departures
        lunch period deductions
        daily and weekly overtime

In the Time Sheet report, the workrule is used in calculating:

        overtime rates(daily and weekly)
        differentials based on day of the week and for
         selected time ranges
        pay for holidays actually worked




A more extensive description of each category is provided in the Operation
Manual.

Employee Master

Each employee in the system must have a record in the Employee Master file.
The master file keeps track of an employee's demographics and pay information.
Notably, address, name, social security number, status,
pay rate and job class are stored here.

A workrule and job class entry are required for employees. Both values must
pre-exist in the appropriate tables before entered. The pay rate field,
automatically transferred over from the Jobclass Table during an Add, may be
overriden, so that, seniority and other differences between employees may be
noted without requiring a new job classification.

The Vacation, Sick time and Personal section is used to record accruals and
the amount of hours needed to earn an hour of each.

The Schedule section is used for those employees with rotating schedules.

Usage:

Used to store information related to an employee. Controls processing.

Employee Schedule

The use of employee schedules is optional. Simply speaking, if a schedule is
set up in the current period it will be used by the Validation report to edit
start and ending times and/or create time card entries. Up to 9 schedules may
be defined for each employee but only one is active at a given time.

The operator has the option of using one or all of the days within the current
period. To skip a day, leave the start and end times blank, and the default
values in the Workrule will be used for early and late time checks.

To use the daily record for creating records place a 'T' in the ADD field. The
next time the validation report is ran for that employee two records will be
created for each schedule entry with a "T" ADD value.

Schedule created records can only be deleted from the time card file through
the F5 time card function.

Example

     10/10/89 10/11/89 10/12/89 10/13/89 ...
Start  07:30   -----    08:00     09:00
End    15:00   -----    16:00     12:00
Add      T     -----      F         T
Job   DISHWR   -----   DISHWR    CASHER
Code   REG     -----    REG       REG

Usage:

In the above scenario, two of the entries would create records on the time
card file. The entry marked with a 'F' ADD field would be used as a schedule
validation only. The blank entry for 10/11/89 would default to the entries in
the workrule for starting and ending time validations.


Clock Menu

The clock menu includes several functions that provide the mechanism to bring
time card entries from electronic time clocks and other computerized systems
into the QUE Time and Attendance package. It is a safe assumption that the
communications software needed to bring records to the computer is provided by
the external company.

QUE works with any ASCII type file that is produced by other systems. ASCII
files are a standard on PC compatible machines and should present little
problem for any vendor dealing in this environment. However there are those
companies which chose to keep file structures proprietary. In this case QUE
Accounting is willing to develop the 
necessary communications software.
Certain field lengths and other criteria exists as defined in the operation
manual.

Usage

To interface the system with outside input from time clocks and/or other
systems.

Daily Process


This section describes the functions which are done on a day to day basis.
Depending on your volume they may be done more or less frequently. Frequency,
therefore, is a function of demand and not a limitation of the system. 

Collecting data

Time Card entries constitute the basic level of information used by the
system. The data can be entered using the F5 Time Card function within the EM
module or collected externally from time clocks using the transfer process(TR)
on the CK menu. Also by using the special ADD function within the employee
schedule function, records can be generated for vacation and other time-off
categories.

 An employee's schedule serves two purposes; 

     1) to monitor starting and ending times for
        variable shifts
     2) to create records in the time card file for
        vacation and other time-off categories.

The schedule is interactive and is read each time the Validation report is
executed. Therefore adjustments may be made on a daily basis. If however,
records were created in the time card file by error through the scheduling
process, they must be deleted through the Time Card function (F5 EM).

Each shift's entries must include at least two card entries; an arrival punch
and one for departure. Additional entries may be made for logging in and out
of breaks and temporary assignments to other departments and/or job classes. 

Time is recorded in military format ranging from 00:00 to 23:59. 

The acceptable punch values are '1','9',' ' and '2'. The punches are
automatically set by the time clock but must be entered if entries are keyed
through the Time Card entry function.

For systems obtaining clock records from electronic time clocks or other
systems, the TR function on the CK menu must be used to transfer time card
records into the system. Certain crucial edits are performed in this process
and displayed on an edit report. They include duplicate time card entries and
records with invalid or disabled badges.  These records are not transferred
into the system amd must be entered by hand after correction.


Modifying data

Once in the system records can be added, changed or deleted through the Time
Card function F5 in the EM module. Certain validations are automatically
performed as data is entered. These includes job class and override code
verifications, and correct time and date values. An audit trail can be
established for all records changed through keypunch. 

Validation report

The validation report performs the various edits established in the Workrule
file and calculates the hours worked for each employee and day within the
selected period. The report provides also for the selection of individual
workrules and date ranges to accommodate the need to have several supervisors
inspect employee reports simultaneously.

The edit restrictions are based on workrule values and if used, employee
schedules. The range of edits may be extensive or liberal as need be for
individual situations.
 The basic edits include:

     automatic rounding of actual time 
     short and long break durations
     early and late arrivals
     early and late departures
     job class validations
     missing or duplicate punches
     daily and weekly overtime

Each shift must contain at least two punches. The system begins counting a
shift when it detects a '1' punch and determines the end of the shift with the
first subsequent '9' punch. Any punches in between must constitute break
durations (spaces) or interdepartmental transfers ('2' punches).

The total time per shift is calculated as the difference between the arrival
and departure punches minus any break durations either as a result of time
punches or as an automatic deduction as noted in the Workrule file.


Automatic Rounding

Each record is rounded according to the time accounting unit in the workrule.
If the field contains a '1', rounding is done only at the conclusion of the
shift otherwise each time card entry is rounded to the next occurrence of the
time account unit. (workrule file).

Example

   Time Accounting Unit    Actual Time   Adjusted Time
                                        (after rounding)
          3                  7:31          7:30
          3                  7:33          7:33
          3                  7:34          7:36
          6                  7:31          7:31
          6                  7:33          7:36
          6                  7:34          7:36   
     
         

Rounding occurs both forward and backward and works in conjunction with the
arrival and departure grace periods.
Early and Late Arrivals and Departures

The early and late checks are performed on arrivals and departures. Each time
frame has an associated grace period composed of a before and after grace
figure.

These values are stored in the Workrule file as minutes and are applied
against the actual times entered in a shift and compared to the starttime on
the workrule or if employee schedules are used to the start time for the given
date. 

These two sided graces provide the means to avoid unnecessary labor expenses
associated with unworked time. Also with the application of a short before
grace on departure accompanied with a long after grace, employees are more apt
to leave on schedule. 

This same logic may be applied to arrivals to discourage lateness and early
arrivals.


Example

 Assuming the Time Accounting unit=6

Before   Actual Time   After   Schedule Time  AdjustTime

  -3         17:34        +15         17:30       17:30
  -5         17:34        +15         17:30       17:30
  -5         17:22        +15         17:30       17:24


The actual grace periods are 17:31 - 17:45
                             17:25 - 17:45
                             17:25 - 17:45  respectively.


Short and Long Durations

Lunch periods are deducted from the total hours per shift if the PAID FOR
LUNCH field in the Workrule is set to 'N'. As determined by the LUNCH REQUIRED
field, lunch is deducted using the actual punched values or the default
duration recorded in the workrule. If the value is 'N' lunch is only deducted
if there are actual lunch punches made. 
Applying the lunch grace to the total lunch period in effect increases the
time span. A 30 minute lunch with a 10 minute grace extends to a 40 minute
time frame. Any lunch period within the 40 minutes would constitute a 'within
grace' deduction of 30 minutes.

Durations below the thirty would be highlighted as a 'short lunch' (SL) while
times exceeding the forty would be marked as an 'extended lunch'(EL) on the
Time Card Validation report. 

Job Class Validations

Any time card entry may contain a JOBCLASS value other than what is normally
assigned to the individual in the Master file. This is to identify temporary
job assignments and allows for proper tracking of expenses by job categories.
If the value is different a check is peformed to verify that the value exists
in the valid JOBCLASS TABLE. If it  doesn't a 'IJ' is placed in the JC column
of the validation report, otherwise a 'TJ' notation is made. 

Missing and Duplicate Punches

There are certain punch values that must exist in sequence to signify a valid
shift. If a '9' punch is missing or a there are two '9' punches in succession
a missing or duplicate error is noted, respectively.

Overtime

The system will identify daily and weekly overtime by comparing actual values
to the limits imposed in the DAILY OVERTIME and WEEKLY OVERTIME  fields in the
employee's assigned workrule. Hours which are considered daily overtime are
not considered in the weekly OT determination. Each workrule has the option of
applying one or both overtime calculations.

Example

  Daily Hours      Over  Under  Over  Under  Over Under
                    8     10     10    12     12    24
    8.5               .5 OT
   10.5                             2.5 OT  
   12.0                                          4.0 OT    

Management Queries

One of the most used feature of the system is the ability to query against the
collected information.

The Approaching Overtime report is used in avoiding unnecessary overtime. The
selection screen to the report provides the ability to select a given group of
employees that exceed the time limit entered.

The Tardy and Late report can be used to track errant behavior on a timely
basis.*

The Time Sheet summary is used to track expenses over a period of time beyond
the current period. It produces the average hourly cost per job class and aids
in the budgeting process.*

Employee schedules may be produced in ghant chart style reports or vertical
text displays. The vertical display is a printed copy of what appears on the
employee schedule option in the EM function. Each employee in the range
selected will have a printed schedule.

The gantt selections are more useful in depicting schedule bottlenecks and
conflicts. The advantage of having bar charts is readily captured in both
formats; showing all employees for a given day or all days in the period for
each employee.

* Many more reports can be derived using the Query  and Report Writer.
PERIOD PROCESSING


This section describes the processes that occur at the end of a pay period.
Once a period is closed the time card records can no longer be modified but
may be displayed through the history queries. Only current period records are
deleted. If your system has the option to enter time cards for the next
period, they will be retained.


Time Sheet Report 

The TS module applies the time card records to the logic placed within the
workrule file and creates gross dollar figures for the period of time
selected. It shows all temporary job assignments, overtime, vacation and other
time off categories as separate entries for each day in the selected time
frame. A summary for these distinct categories is given for each employee, as
well as, a grand total for all employees in the selected range.

The TS function does not perform validations and assumes only good
transactions are being processed. As an added security measure, a check may be
made to force a good VR before this report can be created.

The chaeck is implemented by turing on the appropriate flag in the company's
Setup record.
The following example shows how Time Cards are transferred into Time Sheet
Entries.

             Time CArds           Time Sheet

           ADJ
  DATE   TIME PUNCH CODE JOB   HRS FACTOR RATE DIFF 
  
10/10/89 07:30  1   REG  COOK      
10/10/89 11:30      REG  COOK
10/10/89 12:00      REG  COOK
10/10/89 16:00  9   REG  COOK  8  1.00  8.00  0.00 64.00
10/11/89 07:30  1   VAC  COOK   
10/11/89 16:00  9   VAC  COOK  8  1.00  8.00  0.00 64.00
10/12/89 07:30  1   REG  COOK
10/12/89 10:00  2   REG  DISH 1.5 1.00  8.00  0.00 12.00
10/12/89 11:30      REG  COOK
10/12/89 12:00      REG  COOK
10/12/89 16:30  9   REG  COOK 6.5 1.00  8.00  0.00 52.00
                               .5 1.50  8.00  0.00  6.00
10/13/89 20:00  1   REG  COOK 
10/14/89 03:00  9   REG  COOK 5.0 1.00  8.00  1.00 41.00

At first glance its obvious there are less time sheet transactions than there
are time card entries. This is an expected outcome of the conversion process
which summarizes daily time records by timecode and jobclass.

Straight Transfer

On a normal day, such as 10/10, there will be one time sheet entry for the
total amount of time worked minus lunch if applicable.

An individual may punch out for lunch even though it is not deducted as well
as having lunches deducted automatically without any punches. 

Generated Records

On 10/11, a schedule entry was used to generate a vacation record. This is
signified by the GEN override code, which is also used to identify records
created for non-working holidays. 

Temporary Assignment / Job Costing

The 10/12 entry shows what happens when an individual is assigned to another
area. The time card entry at 10:00 has a job class entry of DISH. When the
time sheet program recognizes this break in sequence it assigns the calculated
period to the previous jobclass (COOK) and upon recognizing a second change
back to the original jobclass, calculates the time period spent in the
temporary assignment.

Daily Overtime

Also as indicated by this shift's entry is an overtime calculation of one/half
hour. This constitutes a separate overtime record with a payment factor one
and a half times greater (time and a half) than normal.

Crossing over Dates

The last entry in our example shows that shifts may expand over date ranges
without causing any problems.

The time sheet file is stored for future reference and is archived into the
yearly file during the PE Period End process.

Differentials

The differential calculations are based on the number of hours worked within
the valid time range in the workrule file.

Posting to General Ledger or Payroll

If desired, the gross pay for each employee can be transferred to the QUE
Payroll system or directly into the General Ledger. With the Payroll
intermediary step, taxes and other deductions can be removed in creating net
pay figures and labor cost posting can be done simultaneously with these
entries.

Closing a Period

When the current period is closed, the pay period range is moved forward,
current transactions are archived and erased and employee schedules, so
marked, are carried forward into the next period.

Historical data may be accessed through one of the 'can' reports provided in
the History Report menu or more flexibility and formats can be achieved using
the RW Query and Report Writer.

At the end of the year, the history file is archived into a file bearing the
current year's name (eg TAAA1989) and the records for that copy are erased
from the yearly history file.


