The right solutions make all the difference
Multiple departments are now using Replicon to record employee hours and absences, and then manually export the data for HR. “The Replicon TimeCost and TimeOff solutions have really made a world of difference,” said Val D. “The solutions are configurable enough that different departments can use them for different uses. New IS employees are given a Replicon account right away, and it is mandatory to submit a timesheet every week. Contractors also use Replicon to track their time so we can make sure they accurately charge for time worked. Before Replicon, we would be way off on tracking costs and expenses for people’s time.”
Replicon also changed the way time is tracked in the PMO. There is employee crossover throughout different projects, which needs to be tracked properly so that time is allotted to the right budget. Rue said there are multiple users out in the field who use the Replicon application for internal IT projects and field projects such as pipeline construction and maintenance.
Increasing accuracy, visibility and productivity
IS strives to continuously improve to be more efficient and innovative, and Replicon’s cloud-based solutions are helping the team do so. “Since we’ve implemented Replicon, project managers say that time tracking is so much more accurate, and it’s easier to verify and approve timesheets,” said Val D.
Staff can easily edit and make changes, which helps to stem errors, said Val D. Ensuring accuracy intracking project costs tracking project costs has not only eliminated frustration, it has also increased productivity and saved man hours per project per month. Val D. said they used to waste time emailing back and forth with Accounts Payable to reconcile inaccuracies.
Rue is seeing similar results by using Replicon to track labour time and understand what is happening on projects. “When we receive invoices from contractors, we match them up to the hours in Replicon to confirm that they worked the hours stated in the invoice. This was much harder to do using a manual system,” said Rue. Staff doesn’t have to struggle with invoicing anymore because the Replicon workflow and approval process is easier and takes 95 percent less time.
Replicon is also helping with reporting on projects and budgets. The Replicon interface provides real-time insight into progress, including how many hours have been logged per project. As many projects can extend over a long period of time, Plains’ executives like to see these reports to track progress. With the application, Val D. and Rue can provide them instantly and provide a wealth of knowledge.
“With Replicon, we can slice and dice data on our top ten projects and break down tasks between employees and contractors,” said Rue. “We now have visibility on who is working on which projects, and we can make sure everyone is properly resourced. We weren’t able to report on all of that before Replicon.”
The ease of reporting has also cut down on the time it takes Val D. to get work done.
“Before Replicon it would take several hours to run reports on timesheets and filter by projects – now I can run monthly reports in 80 percent less time. It takes just 20 minutes instead of a couple hours,” said Val D.
Modern solution for on-the-go workforce
“Replicon is so intuitive and straightforward that we didn’t need any training. Everyone really likes that they can log in from a browser on their laptop or mobile phone, whether they’re at home, in the office or in the field,” said Val D. “That anytime, anywhere access is very important.”
“I can’t imagine going back to the time before Replicon,” said Val D. “If everything were manual again, it would be challenging when it came to accruals and estimating costs, and tracking holiday time, sick time, flex days and so on. We’re happy with Replicon, and considering implementing Replicon Resource Management within the next year to optimize our workforce even more.”
Plains Midstream Canada is an indirect subsidiary of Plains All American Pipeline L.P. (NYSE:PAA).
“With Replicon, we can slice and dice data on our top ten projects and break down tasks between employees and contractors. We now have visibility on who is working on which projects, and we can make sure everyone is properly resourced. We weren’t able to report on all of that before Replicon.
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