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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Dayforce Powerpay

    Score9.2 out of 10
    N/ADayforce Powerpay allows small businesses to pay and manage employees. It is used to simplify and automate payroll processes with automatic payroll calculations and remittances to the CRA and RQ, and streamlines payroll with connected time and attendance tracking to help ensure people are paid accurately.N/A

    Skyward Student Management Suite

    Score8.6 out of 10
    N/ASkyward, headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, offers the Skyward Student Management System, a k-12 student information system which provides classroom tools (e.g. gradebook, attendance tracking, etc), Family Engagement tools with portal, as well as admin and student services task management.N/A
    Pricing
    Dayforce PowerpaySkyward Student Management Suite
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Dayforce PowerpaySkyward Student Management Suite
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Dayforce PowerpaySkyward Student Management Suite
    Considered Both Products
    Dayforce
    No answer on this topic
    Skyward
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    94%
    Would buy again
    15 Answers
    83%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    94%
    Delivers good value for the price
    15 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    94%
    Happy with the feature set
    15 Answers
    83%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    92%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    11 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    90%
    Implementation went as expected
    9 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Dayforce PowerpaySkyward Student Management Suite
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Dayforce Powerpay and Skyward Student Management Suite
    Feature
    Dayforce Powerpay
    8.9
    15 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Skyward Student Management Suite
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation9.115 Ratings00 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors9.24 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.79 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.75 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files9.013 Ratings00 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.812 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.97 Ratings00 Ratings
    Student and Faculty Administration
    Comparison of Student and Faculty Administration features of Dayforce Powerpay and Skyward Student Management Suite
    Feature
    Dayforce Powerpay
    -
    Ratings
    Skyward Student Management Suite
    6.9
    4 Ratings
    19% below category average
    Integrations with 3rd-Party Education Technology00 Ratings5.92 Ratings
    District Communications, such as messaging and alerting00 Ratings7.03 Ratings
    Roster Management00 Ratings8.34 Ratings
    Platform Customization00 Ratings3.12 Ratings
    Teacher Self-Service00 Ratings6.33 Ratings
    Student Data Security00 Ratings8.74 Ratings
    Community Support00 Ratings3.01 Ratings
    Class Scheduling00 Ratings9.02 Ratings
    State and National-level Reporting00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Teacher and Parent Mobile Application00 Ratings9.52 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Dayforce PowerpaySkyward Student Management Suite
    Small Businesses
    Patriot Payroll
    Score8.6 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    APS
    Score5.7 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    ADP Streamline Payroll
    Score6.1 out of 10
    Schoolmint Hero
    Score9.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Dayforce PowerpaySkyward Student Management Suite
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.9
    (15 ratings)
    8.6
    (17 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    8.6
    (10 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (4 ratings)
    6.0
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Dayforce PowerpaySkyward Student Management Suite
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Dayforce
    We are a small business - and even though we are small and don't make near use of all of the options in the program, I love it because all my remitting is done for me, all the calculating, all the vacation pay, holiday pay, overtime, everything is kept track of really well and I don't have to worry about missing information if I was to do this myself. I also love the direct deposit options and my employees love it and the paystubs and the ability to put messages on their paystubs! I honestly can't think of a scenario where Dayforce Powerpay wouldn't be suitable!! I wouldn't change companies, even if it saved me money as I love all the functions, the information and the ease of ROE and T4's.
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    There is nothing specific that I would say sets it apart from any other LMS, but once you are used to the user interface and various features, it does everything that is needed and integrates well enough with other software to function. Probably isn't necessary in a smaller setting, but for multiple building districts, it is certainly robust enough to handle data collection and storage.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Dayforce
    • Ceridian Powerpay simplifies the payroll process, very little manual work involved during each payroll run.
    • Ceridian Powerpay is mostly an intuitive interface with easy to understand workflows to allow for multiple users to be able to use the system if required.
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    • Flexibility. This multitude of fields available makes it easy to capture data the way we want or need to.
    • Quick response to trouble tickets. The company strives to reach out to the customer within an hour and start the process of resolution.
    • User focused. Improvements to the system always look at how the end user experience can be enhanced.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Dayforce
    • Adjustment - Reversal sometimes gives an error
    • Emergency Contact Comments field - would be nice if it would accept more characters in this field
    • A warning that 'no ROE will be created' popup when EI or other related fields are marked Exempt
    • Rate history on an employee's page would be nice
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    • Confusion when it comes to student grades- sometimes there are two different letter grades for a student for what is posted as "TR1" and "PR1." How does a teacher know which of these grades will be posted to a student's report card? How does a teacher know what the student's actual grade is for a particular course?
    • Switching between the Educator Access Plus and Student Management tabs can be complicated, especially for those new to the system. Why can't everything be in one place?
    • I recognize that Skyward logs out after a certain period of inactivity to preserve privacy of users, but is there a way to change those settings so that Skyward does not log out as frequently? It is difficult to keep having to log back in completely again.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Dayforce
    Powerpay exceeds my expectations: it's easy to use and does not 'eat' my time by wondering what the end result will be. I can see what each employee's pay statement will look like before I submit the payroll for processing. Monthly processing fees are not exorbitant and the service from support it top notch, quick and awesome when you need it! What's not to like? It's a terrific company to have on your side!
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    It is the system I am most comfortable with, so having to learn a new system outweighs any problems I have with Skyward.
    Incentivized
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    Usability
    Dayforce
    Dayforce is easy to use and intuitive. When things are less familiar, the chat support is speedy and friendly, so I never have to worry or struggle to figure something out. Once support shows me how to do something, it is easy to remember and not need help next time.
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    It takes some time to get used to navigating the features and layers, but once you know your way around it, it's pretty good.
    Incentivized
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    Reliability and Availability
    Dayforce
    I have never experienced application errors or unplanned outages. I do know that I could phone Dayforce Powerpay and give them hours and other deductions and they would do the payroll and I could either have them deliver the completed payroll by courier (there are small extra charges for this) or I could download the completed payroll on pay day. I have also been able to complete payroll our payroll at home instead of at the office. Dayforce is very accessible by phone or online.
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Dayforce
    Pages online load in seconds. Click and it's instantly there! I have never had pages not loading properly or taking time to load. Payroll reports also downloads quickly. We do not interface Dayforce Powerpay with anything else
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Dayforce
    Regardless the issue, the Customer Support team is offering outstanding services! When I am calling, the wait time is reasonable, and the team members will ensure you receive the right support in a timely manner, with politeness and kindness. If you reach out the team that it's a guarantee that your issue will be solved!
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    Overall great job, issues were taken care of. People in support do care.
    Incentivized
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    Online Training
    Dayforce
    I have used Powerpay before (at a previous employer) but a few years had elapsed. I had a quick online training session (less that 30 minutes) to recover basic knowledge and I was away. I still from time to time have to do something that i am not quite sure of and pick up the phone! Every one that works at Ceridian - now Dayforce - have been able to answer my question and tell me where to go in the program, click on what and do what I need to do. The support is out-of-this-world good!
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Dayforce
    I initiated the implementation. I answered all the questions I was asked, prepared the documentation and sent it off and it was done! Quickly, efficiently and done well!
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    Yes, I was part of the implementation team.
    Incentivized
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    Alternatives Considered
    Dayforce
    Being able to remit payroll directly to CRA reduces the number of steps in payroll processing. It also means that there is no way for us to forget a remittance. This is important to us because it's all-in-one software. I did like that QB would have the entry directly there so that I don't need to record it.
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    I, personally, have not used other Student Management Systems, but having used Skyward, I do not necessarily feel any overwhelming desire to seek out the competitive software programs. Skyward does what it says it will and provides my school district with an easy and organized way to share and access all of the relevant student and family information we need. It serves it's purpose well and meets our needs.
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    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Dayforce
    Pretty standard contract terms. Unit pricing is about 30% less than the previous provider - service is about 150% better with Dayforce Powerpay that with the previous provider! We are billed twice per month as we do payroll twice per month.
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Dayforce
    We have a small staff of less than 20 employees. We moved our payroll from a previous provided because of terrible and expensive service. Dayforce is much, much easier to use and costs about 30% less than the previous provider. Dayforce Powerpay also seem to have people that speaks clearly and are efficient in everything they do so that less time is wasted by phone calls that has you on hold for 3 hours!
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Professional Services
    Dayforce
    They are all professional, knowledgeable, very pleasant to interact with and extremely helpful. They consistently take customer services to a higher level. Great people to deal with!
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Dayforce
    • The return on investment has been substantial for our company. Having a payroll system that calculates everything for you, processes important documents, and only takes minimal time and effort allows us to focus more time on running the business and generating revenue.
    • Instead of having a user spend half a day (or potentially a full day) processing payroll, it only takes a couple hours (obviously depending on how many employees need to be processed).
    Incentivized
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    Skyward
    • Overall, Skyward has had a positive impact. One way is the student information that is shared and available to see. If I need to know something about a student’s academic history, Skyward has it.
    • Another way it has impacted our district is the way it has streamlined all of our payroll information. I can see check histories, different parts of my salary, and the year-end totals all in one place.
    • Skyward has also made a big impact on our district by making it easier to communicate with parents. All the parents’ contact information is available and email is even included in the program.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots