It happens with some regularity. I send an MPulse trainer onsite to help a new customer configure their CMMS software, and the trainer returns to report the customer wants the CMMS to do payroll time tracking. In some cases, they want to replace an existing timecard system. In others, they\u2019re eager to use their new software as their first time tracking system. In almost all cases, it\u2019s a bad idea.<\/p>\n
Here are three good reasons not to do it:<\/p>\n
1. You won\u2019t capture all their work hours on work orders.<\/strong><\/p>\n A typical rule of thumb is that only about 65% of available hours accrue to work orders. This \u201cwrench time\u201d is the heart of what your maintenance technicians do, but it\u2019s not all they do. Whether it\u2019s safety meetings, shop cleanup, snow removal, or other time spent on non-work order activity, it won\u2019t be captured for payroll.<\/p>\n 2. You\u2019ll create unnecessary administrative headaches.<\/strong><\/p>\n Integration between systems is easier than ever; so getting data from your CMMS into the accounting department\u2019s payroll system would be a snap. But do you really want to volunteer to be the person responsible for ensuring they have perfect payroll data? As the CMMS system owner\/administrator, that\u2019s what you\u2019re doing if you use CMMS for payroll time tracking. Do yourself\u2014and your hourly wage employees\u2014a favor, and leave that to the bean counters and the systems they\u2019re responsible for.<\/p>\n