TimeFiler and TNS:
the epitome of
“thinking locally,
acting globally”

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First implementation of
TimeFiler automated time management system wins giant seal of approval from global market research company TNS.

 

In 2005, TNS were in need of a new time capture and reporting system to capture project profitability and usage of staff time. Why did TNS select TimeFiler over more internationally recognised software vendors?

Who are TNS?

Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) is a global market information and insight group listed on the London Stock Exchange, and is the third largest market research and consulting company in the world.

Across a network of 80 countries TNS delivers its clients high-quality information, analysis and insight that improves understanding of consumer behaviour. TNS customised services combine sector knowledge with expertise in the areas of product development & innovation, brand & communications, stakeholder management, retail & shopper and customer intelligence. The company is also a major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and audience measurement services.

Looking for a time capture solution

Four years ago, TNS began a lengthy search for the perfect time management system that could capture timesheets from its 2,300 consultants spread across 15 countries in the Asia Pacific region. Having created the strongest custom market research network in the region from Australia to Japan, China to New Zealand, TNS needed an effective system that would capture the time their several thousand staff were spending on projects.

“The trouble was across the region we had no consistency”, says Michael George, TNS North
Asia Finance Director. “Our in-house timesheet systems, including Excel based time sheets,
were disparate and inefficient for entering data and, as a service organisation, the inability to understand how time was being spent across
the region was a hindrance.”

The challenge

The challenge for TNS, however, was determining which system would work best across all regions.

The new system needed strong functionality, ease of use, compatibility with the Accpac accounting system that is used across the Asia Pacific region, and had to be flexible enough to be incorporated into other regional TNS systems.

Why did they choose TimeFiler?

By 2005, the TNS working group charged with evaluating the available time management systems had whittled the options down to two: TimeFiler by young Kiwi company Enfinit, or a system from Singapore.

“We had a formal comparison between the
two systems,” says Mr George, “we chose TimeFiler because TNS Australia, whose
operation we respect highly, were most
impressed by Enfinit’s capability to develop a scaleable system that would meet all our
needs. Moreover, TimeFiler’s creator, Toni Brown,
has an infectious passion for his product, and this came across well with our Australian staff. They gave a strong presentation and provided such a good argument that we agreed to purchase the system in 2005.”

What did TNS require?

TNS specifications for the new system were:

• Simple online timesheet data entry for researchers and consultants within TNS Asia Pacific region
• Multi-language versions
• Easy to use, with just one screen to enter data at the user level, not multi-layers
• Ability to integrate with multiple systems including Accpac, PayGlobal and SysPro
• Enhanced functionality at the back end to allow information to be analysed, recorded, allocated to departments, and given a charge out rate for individuals
• Good product support

The TimeFiler solution

Presented with the contract to develop the timesheet system for TNS Australia’s HRIS
system, Toni - who years previously had led
the development of the early PayGlobal HRIS system - saw the opportunity to scope and build
a commercial timesheet product and recommended the approach to TNS. Within a few months, shortly after Christmas 2005, the first rollout of TimeFiler was completed, and by mid-2006 all 2,300 employees of 15 TNS Asia-Pacific companies went live on TimeFiler.

“The first thing we noticed was the lack of complaint!” says Mr George. “Typically when large organisations implement a new system that isn’t significantly better than what was there before, staff will let you know. After TimeFiler was rolled out we didn’t hear a squeak from anyone, which says success to me.”

Enfinit’s product developer, Toni Brown, says, “What made this project all the more amazing is that all the scoping, development, installation and training was conducted from our New Zealand office. Although English is not the first language for most users (though it is the corporate language), the ease of use of the product meant we didn’t need to visit any TNS offices on-site.”

Two years on

Two years on, the unique time capture tool is meeting and exceeding the objectives set by TNS. With TNS as an excellent reference site, TimeFiler 2.0 - the commercial version – is ready to launch on the world market. Enfinit has achieved globally what most start ups strive to do locally: they have developed a world class time management system and have gained the approval of a global market research powerhouse.

“Thanks to TimeFiler we are now able to
capture and analyse employee time sheet data
in a common system across the region; it is one
of the tools that allows TNS Asia Pacific region
to be more profitable. While some country
offices were better at estimating projects than others, TimeFiler provides us with greater
consistency across board. The ability to reference time spent on previous jobs allows us to better understand department recoveries, review project profitability, and present more accurate project estimates,” says Mr George.

Looking to increase TimeFiler users & functionality

News of the positive impact that TimeFiler is having at TNS Asia Pacific had spread to other regions. TNS South Africa and TNS Latin America are now looking at rolling out the system to their researchers. And potentially, later this year, once new functions are added to the system, a further 2000 full time and part time employees in TNS Asia-Pacific will be using TimeFiler.

With an excellent combination of benefits -
ease of use, functionality, price and flexibility - Michael George believes the market potential
for TimeFiler is huge. He says, “TimeFiler is not just for organisations seeking to calculate
salaries, it’s ideal for those who want to better evaluate and price jobs, ensure they’re on track to meet estimated costs, and understand how
much time and resources are being spent on projects. Our staff find TimeFiler very simple to enter their timesheet data, and our managers find the resulting detailed information highly valuable.

“We’ve started on a journey with TimeFiler and are now beginning to drill down and look at the data in more detail to find further areas for improvement. I recommend TimeFiler for any service organisation as a valuable tool that helps drive efficiencies within a business.”

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