There are a few things that keep me up at night that need to be solved: that weird noise my car sometimes makes, my hairline, and, to keep this list short, business structures. Every organization I’ve worked with is different. Sometimes, even organizations in the same region and industry can have wildly different organizational structures and reporting needs. In my role as a solution consultant, we review the requirements and help map out and later create the business structure (shorthand BS), which becomes the backbone for a time and attendance system.
Getting Started with Business Structures
So, where do we start? Really, we start at the top or bottom. We know that the company or entity as a whole rests at the very highest point of the business structure. At the bottom of the business structure, we will have the job.
We know our start and end, and now we must embark on this journey together!
This exercise typically leads us to our most straightforward yet strictest question: What do we need for the general ledger (GL)?
What is a Business Structure?
Our business structure is a map of the organization, and every employee’s hours worked in their job will count towards the total number of hours worked in that job. If we choose to have departments in our business structure, then we can also summarize how many hours worked in that department. Our GL experts will typically have specific requirements on which department/function/section/division they need from the timekeeping solution.
Confirm the Business Structures
Now we have an idea of the levels that we need, but is that correct? Who in the organization really cares about how employee hours are being spent? Our guidance is to ask your first-line or second-line managers. These managers see employees punch in, transfer, and take time off daily, so they can be invaluable resources. Be sure to ask, “What are employees actually doing that we may not be capturing?”. If you have multiple locations, maybe we want to get more granular, but keep in mind that the more levels you add, the greater the complexity and maintenance. The business structure is like a plant that needs ongoing maintenance.
Dealing with Hierarchy
Hopefully, our managers were able to give us another organizational level or two that we want to add to our business structure. One of the most complicated pieces to wrap our heads around is hierarchy. The hierarchy, we know, has a start and end. We are ready to set up the organization with a simple company, division, department, and job hierarchy. But the team throws a wrench in that plan. They also want to see the cost center as part of the business structure.
Now, where does that sit as part of our business structure? Is the cost center above or below the division? Your team will need to ponder these questions because every organization is different. Our general advice is to keep broader parts of the organization higher rather than lower, so if each division rolls into a cost center, we have a pretty simple answer. It can be more complicated, so start thinking about who your stakeholders are and what your needs will be.
Will the Data Fit?
Alright, we got it all solved, and everyone is happy. We know how we want our business structure to look and are ready to continue full steam ahead! One last piece to remember before we’re off to the races! Our business structure will be built using the current employee data. Any employee assignments that are incorrect now will be wrong in the new system. Data integrity is a crucial part of the business structure, and we want to make sure that we start on the right foot. It is important to review the assignments before we load employees and their data into our new system.
The creation of business structures is critical to the success of your WFM project. It can be a different process for each client, but our teams have a depth of experience and are ready to help answer any questions. We have experience handling organizations from mid-market to large enterprises. Our consulting teams recognize the importance of the business structure for the system and will help you get it right. We look forward to working with you and your team and getting many more business structures configured and loaded!
Is your organization looking to migrate from Workforce Central to UKG Pro WFM? Read more about our experience with the many clients we assisted with their migration.
Or it is time to review your HCM and WFM systems to ensure they meet your organization’s current and future needs? Contact us to learn about our strategic services offerings for People, Process, and Operations Assessment (PPOA) and system evaluation and selection.
About the Author
Diego Navez is an Implementation Manager at HRchitect. He has extensive experience configuring various workforce management platforms and diligently develops solutions that meet complex client requirements. Behind the scenes, Diego works with his team to mentor and assist them with their clients’ projects. He especially enjoys celebrating his team’s accomplishments.
When not at work, Diego can be found outside pursuing one of his many favorite activities, including biking about 50 miles per week.
Learn more about Diego on LinkedIn.