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Kronos Workforce Central at a large research University
Updated January 24, 2014

Kronos Workforce Central at a large research University

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Software Version

6.3

Modules Used

  • Workforce Timekeeper, Integration Manager, Accruals, and Employee

Overall Satisfaction

Kronos
Workforce Central is used across the University and is the timekeeping system
of record for all hourly employees. Workforce Central was selected to replace a
legacy, in-house developed system that was nearing end of life. The Kronos Workforce Central solution provided additional
functionality, while also allowing the University to apply a consistent application
of rules for rounding, leave tracking, and compensatory time tracking.
  • Workforce Central offers an array of time collection options, including physical time clock, web time clock, mobile, and a pay from schedule option. Departments have the flexibility of choosing the time collection option that meets their need.
  • Workforce Central time cards have an impressive audit trail and reporting capability, allowing supervisors to determine how an employee's punch was added to their time card.
  • Kronos is enhancing the mobile capabilities withing Workforce Central, allowing additional flexibility to those departments and employees that need this option.
  • Workforce Central supervisors interact with the system using a web browser. Advanced time card options require the client PC to use the Java Runtime Environment (Java). Kronos has struggled over the years to keep up with the Java updates and at times, this has been a source of frustration for our campus supervisors. Java related issues include very slow system response times and in some instances, a failure to access the system completely. In fairness, many vendors have also struggled with Java updates. Preferably, vendors would move away from the Java requirement.
  • On a University campus, student employees often have multiple jobs. These part-time jobs are in various departments with different funding sources and supervisors. The Workforce Central product historically did not work well for employees with multiple jobs. Kronos has begun to offer new software enhancements that are designed to address this issue, but the updates are an additional cost and not included in the base Workforce Central product.
  • While the Workforce Central solution contains many standard reports, adding custom reports is not easy and requires billable support from Kronos.
  • Workforce Central has allowed the University to manage compliance at a higher level with the consistent application of rules.
  • Workforce Central has allowed insight into the time collection process at the University with a granular audit trail.
  • Support for the Workforce Central system requires a partnership between campus IT and the functional (payroll) employees. The system cannot be installed and forgotten and must be actively managed.
Once an enterprise system is purchased, configured, deployed, and accepted at a University, changing or replacing that system becomes very difficult. The sunk costs of training supervisors and employees and creating a support model become a road block for future changes. Kronos Workforce Central does its job at the University and will be the time collection system of record for the foreseeable future.
It is important to understand your workforce and the needs of the employee and department supervisor. Workforce Central is a very good product, but understanding how it will be used in your environment is key. Workforce Central works very well in auxiliary units that use time clocks but is less effective in academic units with student employees that work multiple jobs.