Frontline HCM (Aesop Online) vs. Iris HR Software

Frontline is well suited for an organization such as a school district where teachers sometimes need to put in for a substitute at the last minute or especially early in the morning. The system also helps with substitutes in picking up the jobs when a teacher puts in an absence.

Incentivized

Our staff is kept updated with more company policies and we are able to track their holiday and sick days much better. The help and support of their contact support are super good. They reply super fast and are very kind. Also, their sales department isn't pushy like other services they are very knowledgeable and kind.

Incentivized

• Easily submission process. Select the day you need to schedule on the listed calendar, mark the type of request, and submit.
• Works on different digital devices including phones, tablets, and computers.
• Easily track your balances by looking at your account history.
• Delete requests you have already submitted.

Incentivized

• It's simple. I really appreciate that the layout of Octopus HR isn't something I have to question. I know where to look for something because it's clearly labeled, that's more than I can say for a lot of other HR systems I've seen.
• Support. If I ever have a question about setting something up, or if something goes wrong, they're always on top of it. For instance, I had no idea how to set up employee photos on our accounts. I tweeted them and they responded right away, I'm based in LA and they're a UK company, I was impressed that they were able to respond right away. They make sure their customers are taken care of.
• Great self guide. If there's ever an ordinary question I need answered their "Octopus Guide" is very thorough and walks you through everything.

Incentivized

• Teachers cannot cancel their own absence. We have to ask the office staff to do so. This is irritating when an absence must be canceled (Due to a canceled professional development, for example).
• Sometimes absences go unfilled. It would be great if AESOP could have a roster of qualified substitutes to cover absences.
• You cannot assign your absence to a particular substitute if you know he or she is available and a good fit for your absence.

Incentivized

• It can take some effort to understand
• Perhaps the price can go down a bit
• Menu layout

Incentivized

Long time customer with Frontline Absence Management. Product support has been excellent, integrations easy to work with, & suite of products mesh together well.

Incentivized

Employees don't complain about it! If anything they've commented on how nice of a tool it is to have.

Incentivized

While we have had minor issues logging in as our organization has its own login page, the site and its application are very easy to use. So long as members of a group log in through the appropriate page, navigating and using this site is quite easy. With the transition from Aesop to Frontline, the page also seems to have worked through any glitches found with the previous page and its app.

Incentivized

There have been several times the system was unavailable. When there has been an issue, Frontline HAS NOT notified us....which has been disappointing.

Incentivized

No issues reported by end users of slow or not loading pages.

Incentivized

Internal support is provided by EDU Staff based out of Grand Rapids. Whenever I have had an issue they are very responsive to my needs. For instance, there may be conflicts in the amount of money that was listed for the contract. There may be questions about the length of an assignment such as 1/2 day, full day, or early dismissal. The school will sometimes enter the wrong information. Very good IT support, but sometimes you are on hold for 5 to 10 minutes because they do not have enough workers in their Call Center

Incentivized

Our Implementer/Trainer was a product line expert. He (Connor) walked us through every step with confidence and explained everything in detail. Frontline provided written documentation, cut-n-paste emails to staff, and a test environment for us to play in. We were able to test unique scenarios without actually sending emails, notifications, alerts to staff. This was very useful.

Incentivized

Our Frontline implementer was an expert in the field & knew the product in & out. We had very little issues going live.

Incentivized

Frontline seems to be the industry standard for this software in the education industry. I am not familiar with any competitors or what was evaluated prior to implementing Frontline. For it to be the industry standard, I would assume that its cost is fair in relation to competitors and that the onboarding process is simple.

Incentivized

I would say the pricing is good but it could be better. Also, the customer service is amazing they do such a great job and you can tell they know what they are doing. Visually it is very easy to use and looks very professional. It is a quick set up and they do their best to give you what you want and need.

Incentivized

Our district has approximately 300 substitutes & 1,800 employees. Size has never been an issue with Absence Management. There are other districts much larger using Absence Management with no problems

Incentivized

• It's given staff direct access to inputting their absences and secure coverage quicker, whereas before they had to make a call to a person. That person had to secure coverage for the entire district at different levels. Sometimes that person was absent or unable to provide coverage.

Incentivized

• Employee efficiency. There's never a question of who I request my time off with. The program sets up line managers who take in all the requests.
• Less wasted time. Contact info and photo are very visible and easily accessed.

Incentivized