MDE Improves Time Management and Increases Profit with Web TimeSheet

Company Profile

Michelle Durpetti Events is a Chicago based event management firm that provides event coordination services to non-profits, corporations, and individuals for projects of any size and complexity. These industry experts handle product launches, venue openings, holiday parties, destination weddings, street festivals, and fundraising galas. MDE has a history of successfully executing projects ranging from small, intimate gatherings to events hosting thousands of attendees.

The Challenge

According to MDE business manager Tiffany Crociani, each of the firm’s associates used to keep hours in their own way. Generally this involved simply jotting down time by hand in a notebook whenever they had a minute to spare. Every project had a binder where all receipts and time tracking paperwork accumulated to be sorted through later for billing purposes.

There was no formal system or software application in place to provide visibility into project details. This made it unnecessarily complicated to organize project information, review progress, and invoice clients promptly.

With the company’s busy schedule, monitoring who was in or out of the office at any given time was also a challenge. Tracking vacation days for each team member to manage and approve time off without an effective shared calendar system created difficulties as well.

The Solution

The company decided it was time to look for an application that could solve all these problems. The recommendation to contact Replicon came from an IT professional who had experienced the benefits of using the software. Crociani was warned away from a competing vendor’s program by a friend who had found it difficult to use. Based on the information from these trusted sources, MDE decided to give Replicon the first shot at providing a solution.

The Results

Instant Ability to Use Time Reporting Tools

The company’s business manager used one word to describe the implementation process: “Immediate”. The software was up and running for this client on the same day. Full adoption of the system by the four associates was accomplished easily inside a week. Crociani credits the application’s straightforward interface and design that makes it simple to enter time and review the calendar.

She also praised Replicon implementation specialists who were involved in providing training as needed. “They were very good about answering questions and they always called me back quickly.”

SaaS Hosting Ensures Continuous Access

MDE originally had Replicon software installed on-site. However, the limitations of the client’s host system were making user access to the application intermittent. Rather than having to send out daily updates to employees on the current IP address to use to access the software, Crociani decided to simply switch to the SaaS version. With the software hosted on Replicon’s servers (with guaranteed 99.5% uptime), the access issues were completely resolved.

Better Time Coordination

With an integrated calendar, everyone at MDE can see who has requested time off. This makes it less complicated for individuals to coordinate their schedules. Plus, vacation days are easily accounted for and managed with a clear record of how much time off each employee has available.

Hours worked and business expense records are now entered and stored virtually where the information is readily accessible for billing purposes. The client plans to integrate their Replicon Project & Billing software with an invoicing application to eliminate the need for manual invoice generation.

Flexibility in Workforce Expansion

With all of Replicon’s products, new users can be added at any time. This is important for MDE since their company hires temporary staff members on an as needed basis for larger projects. The Time & Attendance module is always available to track these workers’ time and determine hourly wages due.

Effective Project Management

Crociani pointed out the following about the software’s reporting functions, “Now we can tell who is doing what and see which areas are taking more time than they should.” With this heightened ability to monitor employee activities effectively, the company now has the opportunity to reduce time spent on non-billable tasks and manage budget expectations for billable hours.

The client believes their company is still in the transformation phase made possible by implementing Replicon’s webbased project management solutions. MDE anticipates seeing an increase in profitability with their newly acquired capacity to identify areas for improvement.

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