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General Q&As /Travel & Subsistence
Q&As |
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Q |
What technologies do you use and what platforms? |
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A |
All our applications are developed in .Net 2.0 and connect to SQL Server Express
2005 of above; therefore we support Windows based operating systems. |
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Q |
Does eZworkforce interact with other accounting software applications than Sage? |
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Yes, if not by default then with a minor change, provided the other application
allows it. |
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Q |
I am not using the current version of Sage - is that a problem? |
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Not for our applications (we can connect to several earlier versions), but we
would recommend where possible keeping up to date with applications like Sage to
keep up with legislation. |
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Q |
My workforce increases and decreases constantly due to our industry, will
that be an issue? |
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A |
With eZworkforce Basics there are no limits on the database, only a license per
machine to use it, so in that case there is
no issue. eZworkforce is licensed
against employees so if you grow significantly there may be a small license
increase.
All our systems assume that a clients workforce can increase or decrease
significantly as contracts are won and lost and are built to cope with even
large changes without any technical, database or software issues. |
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Q |
How does eZworkforce help gain ISO9000 and other standards? |
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A |
By providing a complete centralized solution that can implement fixed
procedures. How eZworkforce operates (and how you wish to operate it) will form
a firm structured foundation for any procedure. |
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Q |
I have an internal IT Department, can they support eZworkforce, what can they
do with it? |
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A |
They will be able to support this application with greater ease than a desktop
office suite. Not only can they support it easily, they can install and maintain
it and even create modules and modify most of the application; and we can help
them and train them to do it. |
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Q |
I do not have any IT experience within my company, Will eZworkforce be too
complicated for me? |
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Absolutely not, we can install it and set it up for you. We will support you all
the way and the application comes with built in help, tutorial demos and is very
intuitive to use. There are a few core skills we will show you that just
make everything so much easier that you will be up and running in no time. |
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Q |
We are a small start up company and have no systems yet, is eZworkforce too
big for us? |
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Not at all, eZworkforce is designed for any size of company/organization; in
fact implementing eZworkforce when you do not have a system is very easy as we
do not have to extract data from other less friendly systems to get you going. |
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Q |
How easily can we include eZworkforce in our Business Continuity Plan? |
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Very easily; eZworkforce is supplied complete with its own SQL Database
Manager, that makes backing up at any time (even when eZworkforce running on
multiple PC's across the network) as simple as clicking a button in a wizard.
The databases are normally quite small and can be backed up onto flash drives or
other media instantly. The Library can also be automatically backed up using
standard windows tools like xcopy; we can help with all methods.
The Bottom Line is that you can have your entire eZworkforce system up and
running on another network within an hour. In an emergency you could run up to
ten PC's of a Single database installation on 1 PC. |
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Does it matter that my company operates in multiple industries? |
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Not at all; in fact one benefit of eZworkforce is that you can centralize all
your processes for all you branches, industries and sections in the one system
and separate them only where you need to such as separate pay or invoice runs. |
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Q |
What return on investment can I expect? |
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Simplifying and efficiently managing processes with eZworkforce will provide a
quick return on investment; take invoicing for instance, production of a hundred
invoices each with their own breakdown for tasks carried out at client sites
takes seconds for eZworkforce, and it takes only seconds to send them to Sage.
This means that invoice processes that without eZworkforce that take days, will
be completed in the time it takes to make a cup of tea.
Because everything is linked and all financials are calculated dynamically,
everything is quicker and there is no need for double or even treble keying.
If you are fortunate enough to qualify for HM Revenue and Customs dispensation
for Travel and Subsistence you could be looking at saving hundreds of pounds in
employment costs per employee every year. |
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Travel & Subsistence Q&As |
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Q |
What is Travel and Subsistence? |
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A |
Normal workers on permanant contracts to a single location have a fixed cost to
their travel and subsistence (meals etc.); however staff employed on permanant
contract but employed to temporarily work at 3rd party sites, have variable
costs. Due to these variable costs, HM Revenue and Customs
can grant
dispensation. This allows payment of a fixed scale rate Subsistence based on
hours worked, and travel to and from the site. There are parameters within
which you have to operate to qualify and remain compliant, that is just one way
eZworkforce can help. Dispensation removes the need to enter the details covered
by the dispensation on form P11d. |
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Q |
What is Salary Sacrifice? |
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This is a method of sacrificing an amount of pre tax salary, in return for post
tax benefit, effectively an amount of a salary is therefore paid without being
subject to Tax or NI; this also reduces the employers NI.
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Q |
How does the employee benefit? |
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An amount of salary is sacrificed against a subsistence rate and perhaps travel,
this is then paid without incurring Tax or NI. The result is a higher Net Pay. |
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How does the employer benefit? |
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They pay less employer NI, that is a clear benefit; the net benefit to the
employee can also be shared to cover costs.
But there are other benefits, such as paying a higher net to employees
helps with recruitment and retention and reduction of employment costs can help
maintain a competitive edge. |
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Q |
Why do I need eZworkforce to implement T&S? |
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A |
If you have dispensation for T&S then you need a way to manage compliance and
automate things as much as possible to keep administration down to a minimum;
calculating routes, mileage and subsistence entitlement and complying with other
rules and parameters is essential in running such a scheme and eZworkforce does
it all with ease. What makes our system even more valuable is all the
benefits of running a complete workforce management system.
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Q |
Can you help with getting dispensation? |
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Yes we can advise you and run pre-assessments and audits where required. |
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Q |
Will you continue to audit and ensure compliance once installed? |
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Yes. we will perform regular and spot audits to check compliance. |
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Q |
Is it legal? |
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Yes, of course we would not implement T&S with any company that does not qualify
for and have dispensation, and our system will not pay T&S to non qualifying
individuals.
There are umbrella companies that are operating the scheme illegally and sadly
that makes people question its legality, but there are many companies that do
operate such schemes properly.
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