Improv-Fans Weekend Kronos Update

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2009-02-28T15:51:00.001-08:00

http://www.improvizations.com/kronosblog/

5 Things You MUST Do During Your Kronos Implementation

2009-02-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

Over the years I’ve found that the obvious, simple things are missed when starting and then during an enterprise ERP or other software implementation (or upgrade, customization, etc.) It's crazy, I know, these are the things people learn first, and then ignore because they think there is no time or budget for them. They are wrong. But, still, right away I apologize for the following:

You probably know this
This information can be found in myriad places on the internet, in the classroom and in the corporate PMO
It’s longer than I like a blog entry to be

I’ll come up with the other reasons to apologize for later…
So here’s the list. Aargh. I’m getting tired of lists like this. The 10 things to make you rich! The 100 steps to self esteem. The 4000 steps to a successful project implementation… oh, that’s us. Well, I’m only using five so this part doesn’t have to be an apology.

One: Have a serious project manager.
To me this is obvious; however in most projects I come across the PM is the vendor (not good), the Payroll Clerk (worse) or an IT analyst (yikes!) None of these perfectly nice folk know squat about Implementation Project Management. Grab someone who’s at least got a standard methodology that’s proven in previous projects and is focused on keeping things simple. One I like right now is JPACE, and it’s simple. Justify, Plan, Activate, Control, and End. (Don't ya LOVE a project that ends!) The PM drives the project though these steps. She or he (‘he’ from here on out to mean either) motivates management, the core implementation team and the users the project outcome. He is not just a PMP. He is a team leader, a bodyguard (Risk Management) and most importantly a communicator (OK, sometimes a cheerleader.) He is one that is able to clearly speak with the steering committee in their language of ROI, Statistics and Business Impact, the IT geeks in SQL (or whatever) and the functional users as the real folk the project will most affect.

He does NOT need to have managed the exact project as you are dealing with. Who cares if he’s done a 5.1 – 5.2 Kronos Workforce Timekeeper Central upgrade for a Retail organization on SQL Server 2005 before? If he’s a great PM, and you have a good solid team, it doesn’t matter. To quote Chris Freeman, a Sr. PM for Farmers Insurance from a LinkedIn post,

“… companies consistently look for and hire Technical Leads to be project manager. We all see ads looking for skills in a particular industry, but I always remind my clients, look for a good PM, and they'll learn the lingo and the buzz words of the industry as they go along.”

Have the PM help build the team of people who know how to execute. Yes, they actually have to do stuff. Not just fill in project plans and come up with clever TLA's (Three Letter Acronyms) and produce pretty charts with lots of color. People who know Connect, SQL, and who know how to spell HR are crucial. Without them, your project will fail (although you'll look good doing it). Get people who know how to deliver, tell them clearly what you want, and let them do their thing.

Two: Have support and cheerleaders all over the organization
The next most common mistake is implementing Kronos in a silo.
Improvizations often does implementation audits after a failed or subpar implementation and almost every single one shows a lack of participation in the process by those whom the software will affect most.
This software is one of those few that are used in some manner by every person in the enterprise. Build a cone of teams, not a cone of silence! We work to build three teams during an implementation which I’ll outline briefly in case it’s not obvious.

The Core team at a minimum = PM, the Project Sponsor, the IT implementation team, consultants, HR person, PR person, Operations representative, Finance representative
The Requirements team expands this group out to a slightly deeper version of the same. Management in each of the core team areas should be added in (unless part of the core team, then add a clerk or analyst) Also bring in someone from Facilities, Security and some Supervisors from each of the departments and locations. Think of this group as part of the Analysis, Design Review and Alpha Test team
The Extended team builds upon the requirements team to include simply more people. We want to have the test plans run by a greater number of employees after other teams have tested. Consider them Beta Testers. Every step of the way the PM requires complete buy-in from the appropriate team to continue.

Three: Document everything clearly and implement change control early
It’s 2009! Use the tools available to us. Start the project right with a SharePoint or other collaboration and document management site. Be sure the system handles change control for the documentation. If changes are made to the configuration after the document has been approved, then update the docs to match. This seems like a lot of work but I PROMISE it will save you overall time and $. Nuff said.

Four: Test, Make it easy for people to test, test the test, validate the test before it goes out to the testers, then test some more
Then run it though a UAT, QA and any other acronyms you have access to.
A significant portion of your budget should be in testing. AAMOF, I think its analysis and testing that are most important to the project. Configuration, coding and the likes are driven by and then proven by those two items. Not that I don’t think the code jockeys are unimportant. Just the opposite. But they are framed by the two tasks that I deem vital. And Yes, I’ve been all three of those so I can say that!

Like each part of the System Development Methodology, including for this example; analysis, design and config/code, testing must be targeted at multiple levels. Think the cone again! After the config is completed the core team runs through the test plan and the test scripts. Only after they approve does it go out to the Requirements team. Then the test/break/fix cycle happens again. Once the Requirements Team approves it can move out to the Extended Team.

Five: Implement the software generically
Even if the ROI is dependent on the fancy smangdangle “Special Supervisor Holiday Request Self Service with Java code doing wild things in the background,” don’t do it. EVERY TIME I come across a project doing just this, it’s a failing project. It’s simply too much to ask. Put it in the project plan along with everything else. (I do mean everything should be in that plan. All the modules of the software even though you are only implementing one at a time, those 300 other locations; no you are only rolling out one to begin with, everything should be in that plan reviewed and approved by at least the Requirements Team (and the Steering Committee if you’ve left them out of your teams [g].))

Well that’s it. I promise it’ll be shorter next time. Hey. If you like this. It’s what we do ya know. Implementing, configuring, and developing for Kronos Workforce Central products. All of ‘em including Timekeeper, HR, Payroll, Scheduling, Attendance, Accruals and Leave. Call me at 970-396-7529. If you didn’t like this, well, that’s ok too. Consulting firms make a lot of money when these simple suggestions aren’t followed [g]

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Check out the accompanying SlideShare Presentation

5 Things You Must Do In A Kronos Implementation

View more presentations from Bryan Desilva. (tags: erp implementation)

Kronos is still the market leader, by far, and for good reason

2009-02-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

I just read an article which supports my theory that even though Kronos has downsized and not grown so much recently, they are still the market leader by FAR with what, 30k clients? They are also in an excellent position to challenge the ERP vendors in the workforce management arena given all the acquisitions in the past few years. I mean, we've got not only the traditional Workforce Central stuff like Timekeeping, Accruals, Leave, Attendance & Scheduling. Now there's a slowly improving HR/Payroll package, a bit of recruiting/talent management and other bits that snip at the heels of PeopleSoft and SAP.

It's a good read. Check it out.

Kronos finally breaks the chain!

2009-02-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

After an incredible run Kronos finally didn't GROW as much as the last posted quarter. Check out the Boston Business Journal article I just read.

Change the Logo displayed in Kronos WFC Timekeeper

2009-02-02T15:54:00.000-08:00

I just posted the Slideshare which will accompany the upcoming Fans eZine in case anyone wants to take a look. It's a short tutorial for changing the logo you see on the login screen and the main WFC Timekeeper window.

Post on the wall or leave a comment. Let me know what you think!

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Changing the Database and/or DB Passwords for Kronos Workforce Central 5.2 / 6.x

2009-01-26T18:44:00.001-08:00

So should one do a complete reinstall to make sure all the little tiny bits are set right or simply make changes to the systems settings and ODBC settings? That's the question I've heard often enough lately that I decided to post it here. I suppose you think, despite what you've seen in previous posts that I'm actually going to answer that question. Well, yes and no, because like so many other things the answer is, "It depends!"

If you have a clean, zero problem installation then we choose the settings change option. How many people can claim that though? Still it's fast and easy. Try it in TEST first.
Perhaps you want to use this as an excuse to reinstall so that you can ferret out the gremlins. We are talking Kronos Workforce Central here so this is often a good idea.
You have a version before 5.1. This is easy. Reinstall and use the opportunity to upgrade to 6.x, or at least 5.2 to get the infrastructure improvements.

So the rest of this article is really just screenshots of the appropriate places to modify the setup. They are posted in a SlideShare here for your viewing pleasure. Ping me back with any ideas to improve this and I'll update the SlideShare for you.

Change The Wfc Db & Password

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: kronos timekeeper)

Below are a couple of password change and system account links on the Kronos customer support site that might prove helpful.

How To Update Tkcsowner And Suprkron Passwords In Workforce Applications?

How To Change The Password For TKCSOWNER (Oracle)

Database And System User Accounts In Workforce Central

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Twitter - Do You Tweet?

2009-01-22T12:06:00.000-08:00

This is reprinted from our newsletter so you can respond more easily - Do you Tweet?

Visions of Tweetybird seeing a puddy tat aside, do you Tweet?

Social networking has become the "in" thing. MySpace (or Facebook for us older types) is rapidly becoming the way to keep up with family and friends. Business social networks like LinkedIn are impacting the way recruiters find people, people find jobs, and groups with a common cause unite.

Recognizing the power of social networking, the Obama campaign was heavily invested in social networking sites, including Twitter. In fact, their grassroots campaign was effective in raising money, organizing local support, and getting out the vote using new technology in an unprecedented way.

It's been noted that he now has a database of literally millions of users with whome he can instantly communicate, mobilize on issues, and keep active and engaged. The best part? It's all mostly free.

I've been looking at Twitter as a means for us to brand Improvizations and our Kronos services. I'm curious - do any of you use Twitter for business contacts? How do you use it? Has it been helpful or is it a timewaster? I'd really love to hear your thoughts/input. Email: news@improvizations.com or reply to my post to the kronos-fans blog. Thanks everyone!

Amy "The Improv Marketing Chick"

"Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Achieves 110% ROI with Kronos HR and Payroll Software"

2009-01-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

I just read this article. As you might know, I'm one who goes in and does pre and post implementation audits for HR/Payroll and related software. My company focuses on Kronos Workforce products implementation, best practices and support.

So as you might imagine, I'm often interested in numbers such as are in this article. Part of my job is creating or validating them. Still, one must ask when presented like this, "Who says there is a 110% ROI and how were those figures calculated?" In my experience ROI is such a soft number that it's really only useful for internal slapping on the back. Not that I doubt the ROI numbers. They're just not useful without detail. Same thing for reducing payroll error by 90%. My first question isn't about the validity of the number it's more, "Why not 100%?". Yea, call me crazy, but I think Payroll should be right, all the time. So scream at me cause you've got 30k employees and how can it be!

It can.

It should be.

It's math, processes, training and math. Put in the proper effort and it will be.

Kronos Layoffs, Unemployment, and Networking

2009-01-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

Kronos is laying off 8% of its workforce. Nationally, the unemployment rate is running a little above 7%. Scary? Yep, it can be terrifying – especially if you don’t have practices in place already that can help secure your current job – or help you find a new one.

What type of best practices do you follow today to make yourself memorable? How many recruiters know and remember you personally? How many hiring managers think of your name when they have a question or better yet – an open position? Do you have to start from scratch every time your contract ends? Or if you are laid off?

I remember an IT Project Manager that I interviewed once. Why do I remember him in particular? Because he is the best networker I have ever met, bar none. Once we met personally, I became part of his network. He periodically sends out emails to his network with updates about his current job, job openings that he knows, or – when he was laid off – about his job search. He asks for help when he needs it and offers help when he can. He's the first guy I call when I'm looking for a certain skillset or if I come across a position he might want to know about. Now THAT’S the kind of network you want to have.

Those of you who read this blog and are part of Kronos-fans already have a built-in network. Are you using it? Here are a few quick networking tips that I hope you find helpful. As always on our blog, comments and questions are welcome!

It takes a long time to build effective professional relationships. Start now.
Find the people who know lots of other people. I don’t need to know 50 Kronos programmers – I need to know 2 or 3 excellent Kronos programmers. They know (and can refer) everyone else to me.
Stay in touch with people you like and respect even if they can't help you immediately. Don’t let the next time they hear from you again be when you desperately need something.
Have business cards and give them out. If you have a specialty or a niche, make sure it’s on your card. And yes, it IS worth the extra few dollars to make sure your card stands out. For example, if I’m at a networking event, I may come home with 20 or 30 new business cards. The card that says “John Doe, specializing in Kronos Time and Attendance installations” is the one I’ll remember.
Be consistent. Sending out one email won’t get the same results as sending out a monthly or quarterly status email. Attending an industry networking meeting once won’t get you the same recognition factor as showing up for several meetings.
Join networking clubs and/or associations related to your job and volunteer so you can establish yourself as a subject matter expert. Can you write a column, prepare a presentation?
Join linked in . It’s an easy way to stay in touch as well as a great place to find groups related to your career. I have one good friend who now recruits exclusively using his linked in network.
Set aside dedicated time each week to maintaining your network. It might only take an hour every Friday afternoon but the long-term results are worth it.
And remember, if it were easy EVERYONE would do it. I won’t lie. It’s not always easy. It will take time, persistence and dedication. Nevertheless, in this uncertain economy the strength of your network might make the difference between being employed or being between contracts/jobs for a very long time.

How do I disable Java Update during installation?

2009-01-06T15:57:00.000-08:00

OK. I'm on a roll. Here's the detail. JRE installation packages are built using InstallShield Developer 7. The JRE installation executables include built-in support for silent (unattended) installations. In the command line we can do all sorts of fun stuff, but let's focus on topic. Here's a command line sample.

j2re-1_4_2_06-windows-i586-p.exe /s /v"/qn IEXPLORER=1 ADDLOCAL=ALL UPDATE=1 /L C:\jre.log"

Here is the command for silent installation, turning off automatic updates:

.exe /s /v "/qn[ADDLOCAL=jrecore[,extra][,other_US] | ALL] [IEXPLORER=1] [NETSCAPE6=1] [MOZILLA=1] [INSTALLDIR=:\] [REBOOT=Suppress] [JAVAUPDATE=0] [EULA=1]"

The options are described below.

.exe is the single executable installer for the JRE
ADDLOCAL is either jrecore[,extra][,other_US] or ALL
IEXPLORER=1 indicates that the JRE should be registered with the Internet Explorer browser
NETSCAPE6=1 indicates that the JRE should be registered with Netscape 6 or later browsers
MOZILLA=1 indicates that the JRE should be registered with Mozilla 1.1 and later browsers
INSTALLDIR specifies the drive and path of the installation
REBOOT=Suppress indicates that if locked files are encountered the computer should not be rebooted
JAVAUPDATE=1 indicates that Java Update feature is enabled
EULA=1 indicates that End User License Agreement will be displayed on first use and not during installation

See all the details for installation options at the Java web site.

Chelmsford’s Kronos cuts jobs

2009-01-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Anyone notice this article ? I've been hearing for months that sales have gone on well despite the recession. What have you heard? Realignment? Removal of dead wood? Reduction of sales?

Java stuff - the beginning

2009-01-06T14:32:00.001-08:00

What a great holiday! I feel so invigorated after a few days off. Luckily it doesn't take much.

So I’m thinking about Java these days as I’ve recently been performing so many implementations and upgrades in dramatically different environments. Below are my notes from all over including Kronos.com, Kronos-Fans and all my friends and work buddies.

So what version of Java do we need?

Firstly, well, I’m not going to answer the first question because it’s changed so much over the years. Hopefully someone out there has created a little table and will post it here. I can point you to the latest bulletin I’ve read though so we’re all on the same page. ‘How To Set Java Plugin Settings in WFC 6.0.8 for a Mixed Environment of JRE 1.5 and JRE 1.6’. This will actually answer both questions. Workforce Central 6.0.8 supports JRE 1.6.0_5 or higher.

Can we run more than one Java Client version on a machine?

Yes! Some sites may not want to push Java 1.6 to all clients. Instead, they will have a mixed environment to allow more flexibility while clients migrate to the latest Java Run Time environment. How can the Java plugin settings be changed to allow Workforce to use JRE 1.6 if it is installed, but otherwise use JRE 1.5?

Firstly, the site MUST utilize the Family Class ID system as outlined by Sun Microsystems. This system and its implementation were described in this Technical Advisory.

Note that only ONE version of the plug-in can be resident in memory on a client at a time. This means that when 1.6 is used for a non-Kronos application, and the user wants to open WFC, they must close ALL browser windows on the client, then open a new browser for use with WFC. This will ensure that the 1.5 plug-in can be loaded into memory and used with Workforce.

Rich asked in Kronos-Fans, “I went in and updated the Java Plugin settings as indicated below and when I try running with 1.5 and then on another PC with 1.6 it seems to actually load a lot quicker for both versions of Java. Have you tried this at all? Is it safe and does it make any difference do you know?”

He was reading from the document mentioned above from customer.kronos.com. I’ve not tried it yet but I’ve gotten confirmation it’s safe and works well. What I’m unsure about is that my notes show this particular CLSID to be the Universal one. It will use the latest version of Java installed on the client. Therefore, if JRE 1.6.0_5 or later is installed, it will launch JRE 1.6. In all other cases, it will use JRE 1.5.

In answer to the speed question, again because of Rich's findings, I’m stumped. It seems to me that if we point to the specific instance we want to use, such as the JRE 1.6.0_7, it should be faster, but that’s not what he is finding. Anyway, here’s what you do if you want your Kronos apps to use this.

Log in to Workforce, on your TEST system, as a SuperUser and select Setup-->System Settings-->Java Plug-in Settings. Edit the site.java.plugin.CLSID.familyVersion to be:

clsid:8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93

Click Save, logout and back in to test.

This next set of settings, to put the above mentioned one in context, is for JRE 1.6.0_7

site.java.plugin.installer: jre-6u7-windows-i586-p-s.exe

site.java.plugin.version.minimalVersion: 1.6.0_5

site.java.plugin.CLSID.familyVersion: clsid:CAFEEFAC-0016-0000-FFFF-ABCDEFFEDCBA

site.java.plugin.type.familyVersion: 1.6.0

site.java.plugin.version.installVersion: 6,0,070,0

Check out the related article: How To Configure JRE 1.6 Support in Workforce Central Suite Service Pack 6.0.8 (6C4-JW2-0U2-79I)

Tips and Techniques December 11 Follow-up

2008-12-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

I need to follow-up on this Improvisations eZine article about the Kronos Workforce Central Timekeeper "Callable Totalizer" settings. I had a couple of people quickly respond to me about that article asking about the settings as they were eager to give them a try. So I grabbed my notes (screenshot #1 from v5.0 click to enlarge) and sent off a response, promising to follow-up here. Well it looks like I've been caught...

It seems that Kronos pulled the Callable Totalizer (CT) into the main Totalizer program with the Background Processor (BGP) starting at v5.1 or 5.2. My CT notes were from v5.0. I don't have a 5.1 system to look at right now but I'll check and report back later if someone here doesn't beat me to it!

The only choice we have starting with 5.2 (screenshot #2 from 5.2, click to enlarge) is to set the number of threads in the BGP to more than one. I've spoken to a couple of people from Kronos about this and neither one said that much is to be gained by messing with that setting. It's better to run a second BGP. Doing a little more spelunking I find that the best practice has more to do with maximums than minimums.

If you have a combined Workforce Timekeeper App/BGP server and testing shows you that the BGP isn't keeping up, you might find a benefit to configure two BGP threads. (If you do try two you might also need to increase the maximum number of database connections above the default.) If you have a standalone BGP you can configure up to four processing threads. More than that provides diminishing returns and one should consider another instance of a BGP.

Welcome to our Kronos blog!

2008-12-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our new blog. The Improvizations team of Kronos Implementation experts is going to use this medium to post random thoughts, ideas, questions and answers that just don't seem to fit in either our Yahoogroups (Kronos-Fans & PeopleSoft-Fans) or our monthly eZine "Kronos-Fans TNT (Tips and Techniques newsletter.)

Saying that makes me realize this would be a good time to define the various medium that Improvizations uses to communicate to the Kronos and PeopleSoft world.

1) Kronos-Fans : This is a Yahoogroup setup originally to assist our team and our clients with overall communication and support. Over time it grew too much and we opened it up to anyone. Topics include support of Workforce Timekeeper, Kronos HR-Payroll, all the Scheduling products and more. The group is moderated by Improv staff and group members and currently has almost 1000 members.

2) PeopleSoft-Fans: This is our original Yahoogroup setup for the same reasons as Kronos-Fans. With almost 10,000 members and hundreds of messages per month this is the premier location on the web for PeopleSoft support.

3) Kronos-Fans TNT: This is our brand new Tips and Techniques newsletter/eZine. This product has been created to provide tips and techniques for both Kronos and PeopleSoft products. In addition it will have articles on various topics of interest to everyone, including non technical, non product related goodies. One can subscribe via RSS and post comments on the site in response to articles. We hope to have many guest authors just like in the old days with the eZine.

4) Improv-Fans Weekend Update: This Blog. I want to open this up to the random musings of my trusted group of Kronos experts. I'm not limiting or controlling their posts in any way so you'll probably find some cool Windows tools here along side code to do the unbelievable in Kronos.

Please feel free to add comments to specific posts or even generic ones to help direct our future communication strategy. This stuff is all here for you.

Bryan deSilva
Founder, Improvizations & the Improv-Fans groups