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Pairing Kaba Benzing time and attendance solution
with SAP R/3® lets check printer save 2 percent on payroll
annually.
MIRAMAR, FL.- January 13, 2004- Kaba
Benzing, a subsidiary of 800 million Kaba Holding AG and worldwide
leader in time and labor management systems, today announced that
San Antonio, Texas-based Clarke American Checks, Inc., which employs
approximately 3,300 people at 21 sites in 15 states, is using Kaba
Benzing's B-COMM™ time and attendance and labor reporting software in
conjunction with the SAP® R/3® software solution to realize
increased productivity and decreased payroll costs.
"We
estimate that since call center employees began clocking in from
their desks, the company has saved approximately two percent of our
payroll costs in the past year," reports Gerry Smith, assistant vice
president of human resources for Clarke American. "That's because
employees are at their desks, ready to work, at the beginning of
their shifts. With so many employees, every minute
counts."
The check printing company consists of five national
customer call centers, fifteen manufacturing sites, and its
corporate headquarters. B-COMM™ software in conjunction with SAP R/3
is used to collect payroll information for hourly associates, which
make up about two-thirds of the Clarke American workforce. In
customer call centers, employees clock in and out on their desktop
PCs. Hourly manufacturing employees clock in and out via Kaba
Benzing terminals.
"Our main goal was to have a seamless
solution that would enable a quick and easy launch as well as simple
maintenance over time. We looked at several providers but found that
B-COMM™ was a solution with certified integration for SAP software
and virtually no customization was required," Smith says. "The Kaba
Benzing solution matched our company's needs, could handle desktop
entry and it seamlessly integrated with SAP R/3.”
A 2001
recipient of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality award in the
manufacturing category, Clarke American is very concerned with
quality. "Kaba presented us with a two-week implementation plan.
Usually only the very large software systems give their customers an
implementation plan," Smith explains. “It took Kaba Benzing's people
about four hours to get the program up and running."
Clarke
American uses approximately 30 Kaba Benzing terminals at its
manufacturing sites. At one location, they use magnetic stripe cards
and, at the remainder, employees use the keypad alone. The terminals
are also configured for proximity cards so the company can upgrade
in the future. Every two hours, all punches are transmitted
to
SAP R/3.
Each call center has a backup clock in case
the network goes down. The clocks, which have a battery backup and
their own hard drives, can operate independently of the server. As
soon as power to the network is back, the clocks communicate with
the
B-COMM™ server. The company has never lost a punch.
"We
consider our relationship with Kaba Benzing a strategic
partnership," Smith says. Looking ahead, the company is interested
in using B-COMM™ to track time in different cost centers. For
example, the company may want to determine how much time employees
are spending on production versus maintenance. Currently, such time
tracking is calculated manually. Clarke American is also considering
integrating B-COMM™ with its call center software.
"We are
very happy with B-COMM™ for SAP solutions," Smith summed up.
About Clarke American Checks
Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Clarke American is a
Customer Management Solutions company that provides checks and
check-related services, contact center services and direct response
marketing services to a growing portfolio of more than 4,000
financial institution partners. Founded in 1874, the company employs
approximately 3,300 people at 21 sites in 15 states. The company
fills more than 50 million personalized check and deposit orders
every year and provides 24-hour customer service. For more
information about Clarke American, visit www.clarkeamerican.com.
About Kaba Benzing
Located in MIRAMAR, FL., Kaba Benzing is a subsidiary of $800
million Kaba Holding AG and a worldwide leader in time and labor
management systems. From touch screen access and shop floor
terminals to complex labor costing algorithms and reporting for SAP
R/3 and other leading enterprise systems, Kaba Benzing offers an
array of time and attendance and production data collection
solutions. Kaba Benzing can be contacted in North America at
954-416-1720; website is www.kaba-benzing-usa.com. In Europe and
Asia, website address is http://www.kaba-benzing.com/.
For more information:
Rohini
Uppal
KABA BENZING
954-416-1720, x361
ruppal@kbm.kaba.com
Tom Brigham
BRIGHAM
SCULLY
818-716-9021
tbrigham@brighamscully.com
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