5 Benefits of Automated Payroll Software

Save your company the hassle of manual payroll processing 

Software for payroll management comes with its advantages. Whether you’re a small business with 50 employees, or an enterprise with over 1,000, payroll software can streamline and automate the process to benefit every company and its employees.  This article looks at the top 5 reasons that payroll software can be beneficial for every company – no matter what size. 

Payroll Software saves you Time

Payroll is a tedious and time consuming process. The more employees a business has, the more time is devoted towards payroll completion. With automated payroll software, you can process payroll through a computerized system. Payroll software makes the task simpler, while speeding up the process. Companies can save even more time when employers take time in purchasing high quality software with the right features, such as direct deposit functionality. The best option for companies is custom payroll software that caters to the specific needs of the business. Custom off-the-shelf software only takes care of the basic necessities, and oftentimes companies pay for features they don’t need, while lacking features they do.

Payroll Software saves you Money

Payroll software automation will save your company time and money. With manual payroll, configuring, modifications and customization are all additional fees to keep in mind. Automated payroll software can improve your ROI, as custom development solutions are able integrate with your website, CRM, or other software currently in use.

Greater Efficiency & Reduction of Errors

When payroll isn’t done correctly, Uncle Sam can penalize the company for errors. For this reason and others, it’s crucial that payroll processing be done accurately. With payroll software, common mistakes are reduced significantly, which keeps the IRS from knocking at your door. 

Employee Record Safety 

Companies must keep employment records for a mandated period. Manual systems are less secure when it comes to employee records, as employees have to file data by hand. When using a payroll software system, the software creates and stores confidential records and offers high IT security standards (depending on the quality of the payroll software system).    

Tax Preparation 

When payroll isn’t done correctly, Uncle Sam can penalize your company. For this reason and others, it’s crucial that payroll processing be done accurately. With payroll software, you can greatly reduce the manual workload required to carry out these tasks, receive instant notifications, and updates for compliances. Automated payroll can also calculate tax withholding for each employee. No more tax errors or additional fees from the IRS or the state tax agency.

"WHAT IS SITECORE?" & OTHER QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY SITECORE DEVELOPMENT & INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Source: http://www.chetu.com/blogs/technical-perspectives/Sitecore-CMS.php

“What is Sitecore?”
You may have asked yourself this question in your search to find a new marketing platform, or if you currently use Sitecore to manage your website, but don’t know how to harness all of its digital marketing advantages. You may have also heard about Sitecore if you are currently a SharePoint user, and are looking into why Microsoft has recommended Sitecore as an alternative CMS.

Whatever your reasons for asking “What is Sitecore?” you can find your answers here!

Sitecore is a robust digital marketing system that combines a content management system with contextual intelligence and omnichannel automation technologies. It offers marketing automation tools that allow you to manage your website, or multiple sites, and reach your customers when and where it matters.

Sitecore’s contextual intelligence features keep track of customers’ locations, interactions, and behavioral patterns in the Experience Database (xDB) for real-time and historical analysis. Combined with automations of various marketing channels (web, mobile, social, e-mail, commerce, and print), this allows you to personalize every customer interaction at every stage of the customer lifecycle.

Sitecore effectively puts you in control of your branding and customer experiences so that you and your customers can “Own the Experience”.

“What is the difference between Sitecore CMS and Sitecore DMS?”

In your research you may have come across terms such as Sitecore CMS and Sitecore DMS. While these aren’t the official names for Sitecore components, they are important for differentiating the kinds of capabilities Sitecore offers.

Sitecore CMS is short for Sitecore Content Management System. A CMS is the software platform used to create, publish, and manage content on websites. Another common term used is WCMS (web content management system) which specifically refers to platforms like Sitecore that manage external, customer-facing websites.

Sitecore calls their CMS the Sitecore Web Experience Manager, which is designed for enterprise-grade content management and scalability. Some of its features include the ability to write content once and distribute to every marketing channel (also a function of omnichannel automation), customizable rules for tailoring content to specific types of visitors, multi-site integrations and management (including even non-Sitecore websites), multi-lingual capabilities, and Mobile First responsiveness.

Sitecore DMS (short for Sitecore Digital Marketing System) refers to Sitecore’s contextual intelligence and omnichannel automation capabilities. Sitecore calls their DMS system the Sitecore Experience Platform, and it combines the Sitecore Web Experience Manager with customer intelligence and cross-channel delivery. The Sitecore Experience Platform enables you to harness data-driven customer insights and optimize your sites and branding for customer engagement and overall performance. Some of these Sitecore DMS features include a centralized data repository (Sitecore xDB and integrations with other databases such as your CRM), customer profiles, scoring, and various testing capabilities. Sitecore DMS also includes Sitecore Commerce, a natively integrated module for streamlining customer online shopping experiences. Sitecore Commerce has three options, all equipped to help you manage pre-purchase, point-of-sale, and post-purchase marketing experiences.

“How do I implement Sitecore for my specific needs?”

The advantage of Sitecore is the ability to customize every aspect of your marketing pipelines. But with so many options, how can you leverage the best solutions for you?

That is where a Sitecore implementation partner like Chetu comes in.

When assessing your marketing and Sitecore needs, you may address several topics: your product or service, customer lifecycles, industry specifics, and current technologies. Every Sitecore implementation is unique, and requires an assessment of current systems as well as a plan for migrating legacy data, streamlining systems, extending platform capabilities, and optimizing marketing channels.

Chetu has implemented, integrated, and customized Sitecore platforms as well as other content management and marketing software solutions. We customize all of our services, from assessment of your current technology and systems to the selection of our industry specialized, certified Sitecore developers.

Some of Chetu’s industry specializations that benefit from Sitecore CMS and Sitecore DMS solutions:

Sitecore for Healthcare

Due to the healthcare industry’s organizational complexities, Sitecore’s unparalleled flexibility offers the most industry-appropriate solutions. Healthcare organizations serve large, diverse populations, and therefore must appeal to a variety of needs. With multi-site management and flexible templating, Sitecore CMS platforms allow healthcare marketers to customize and manage their content with ease. Sitecore DMS also offers in-depth analytics to provide healthcare marketers with the insights necessary to engage target audiences with relevant health information and healthcare resources. Additionally, Sitecore platforms are easily integrated to a number of pre-made APIs, and a knowledgeable development partner can custom integrate to the many systems needed to run online healthcare marketing campaigns.

Sitecore for Retail & E-Commerce

A logical relationship, Sitecore best serves retail and e-commerce industries with its customer lifecycle focus, experience management, and omnichannel automation features. The Sitecore Experience Platform and Experience Database collect and allow retailers and e-commerce marketers to monitor how customers are interacting with the brand across channels, with knowledge of device types, social media platforms, search histories, positions in sales funnel, and more. For instance, contextual intelligence uses session cookies to track devices and create user profiles. Based on collected user behavioral patterns, rules-based automations and more personalized targeting can be leveraged, strengthening overall relationships with unique markets. Retail and e-commerce marketers can also utilize the omnichannel automation and integration features to ensure that customers’ experience a seamless content experience across platforms, eliminating data duplication and inefficient pathways that result in site abandonment.

Sitecore for Education & E-Learning

Educational institutions, whether on campus or online, revolve around the delivery of content to their students. Sitecore CMS enables educators to consolidate student data into a single view, and reach out through e-learning systems (LMS, LCMS, MOOC, etc.), mobile learning (m-learning), social platforms, and other digital advances in education. Many schools also run custom-branded online systems and e-mail systems to keep students informed, which institutions can easily do using Sitecore CMS mass distribution features across a variety of channels. And in terms of marketing educational offerings and institutions to prospective students, personalized outreach and relationship-based engagements are essential for connecting with students looking for the best fit. Sitecore DMS offers the contextual intelligence and analytics features to meet both of these needs.

Sitecore solutions can be implemented in other industries such as manufacturing, financial services, automotive, travel, entertainment, and more. Chetu’s certified Sitecore developers are hand-selected for their technical and industry expertise to deliver customized services in each of these areas.

“What should I look for in a Sitecore implementation partner?”

Finding the best Sitecore services to address your needs comes down to a few necessities: Sitecore implementation experience, technology expertise, industry knowledge, and business-savvy customer service.

Chetu offers all of the above, with our end-to-end Sitecore services:

• We have implemented, integrated, and customized Sitecore CMS and Sitecore DMS platforms for customers worldwide including B2B, B2C, and small to large enterprises
• We have immediately available certified Sitecore developers, specialized by industry
• We are experts in the technologies that power Sitecore, including Microsoft .NET Framework, Visual Studio, ASP.NET MVC, and C# (C Sharp)
• Our “Concept to Code” services delivery model supports you in each stage of Sitecore implementation, from assessment of your Sitecore needs to code completion and delivery of your proprietary solution

Call or email us today to discuss your Sitecore needs with one of our knowledgeable solutions experts. Start the discussion that will help you to own the Sitecore experience!

CONTENT MIGRATIONS: SITECORE, SHAREPOINT, & CMS SOLUTIONS

Source: http://www.chetu.com/blogs/technical-perspectives/content-migrations-sitecore-sharepoint-cms-solutions.php

As of March 9, 2015, a countdown to the formal end of support for SharePoint Online Public Websites in Office 365 began. The end of the two-year grace period approaches on March 2017, and the question for many companies built upon SharePoint customer-facing websites likely is, “Where do we go from here?”

The content migration process can be a daunting prospect, especially for large websites. The good news however, is that more viable alternatives for public-facing websites are available, as well as knowledgeable website migration experts.

One of these options is Sitecore, a marketing automation and e-commerce site management platform recommended to SharePoint Online Public Website users by Microsoft. Sitecore is currently the leading platform for marketing automation and customer experiences, as well as built upon similar technologies to SharePoint. Sitecore and SharePoint Online share a .NET framework architecture and common structural elements which aid in site migrations.

No matter what your current or future CMS looks like, a content migration plan will follow certain steps. Our content migration experts have outlined a strategy here for migrating from SharePoint to Sitecore as an example, as well as detailing the important considerations for such a move.

1. Assessment of Internal Goals for Content

Your reasons for migrating from SharePoint to Sitecore are a mix of the obvious (end of support for SharePoint Online Public Websites, Sitecore's advantages as a WCMS, etc.) and the personal. Your first and foremost consideration is likely your unique content, current systems, and how a content migration plan should include upgrading and optimizing these. Before any other steps can be taken, a full business analysis and technology assessment must be made, including the inputs of the most important stakeholders: content managers, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), IT, in-house and outsourced developers, and upper management strategists to name a few. Once your core teams can determine what your end goal for content migration should be, you can move on to planning the actual logistics

SharePoint Online currently serves as an internal collaboration tool with cloud-inspired mobility features. Microsoft has enhanced it with features such as mobile app access, intranet and extranet team sites, business intelligence, and security. As such, SharePoint still maintains relevance for many users as an integral part of their processes. This is why Sitecore includes a SharePoint connector and seamless migration tools, allowing for SharePoint users to link their internal CMS processes with a newer, savvier customer-facing website via Sitecore. Once the internal migration plan is in place, customizations with Sitecore's CMS advantages can take priority.

2. Taking Content Inventory

The content inventory stage involves learning the in's and out's of current SharePoint architecture, including content types, destinations, analytics, and so forth, which can be automated for convenience (see next step). Current content metadata and relationships are also crucial to consider at this stage so that a logical map to the new Sitecore architecture can be designed. Understanding your content will also enable you to plan accordingly for the time a migration may need. Depending on content complexity and size of website (i.e. number of pages), content migrations can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes per page, not including QA and unforeseen complications that come with every multi-step undertaking.

SharePoint's current content design includes an array of content types, web parts, search schemas, and enterprise-level functionalities that make it ideal for internal collaboration. But its shortcomings in terms of facilitating customer experiences (branding, content editing, and marketing automation difficulties to name a few) mean that Sitecore's emphasis on these features make for an ideal environment upgrade. Sitecore architecture puts content first using omnichannel automation, contextual intelligence, and customer-centric analytics for reaching each customer wherever they are in the sales cycle.

3. Content Strategizing

After assessing your current SharePoint architecture, content inventory, and new Sitecore CMS migration paths, you can decide on the process for getting there. A combination of automated and manual processes is likely the best option for large sites, since the simpler beginning processes can be streamlined through logical programming. As mentioned in Step 2, an automated program for inventorying content enables you to get to the more important qualifying task: deciding what should be moved, what data needs to be cleaned, and where customizations should take place. Even with platforms as similar as SharePoint and Sitecore, not every piece of content will transfer automatically. Furthermore, this is the best opportunity to realign with your content goals and update any outdated information. You can also plan for broken links, 301 redirects, SEO maintenance, and other factors which

4. Migration & System Deployment

Once the content migration plan has been set, roles assigned, and processes solidified, the migration can officially begin. Important considerations for this step include ongoing quality analysis and testing, oversight from important stakeholders, and end-to-end project management for ensuring on task, on time migration and data integrity.

The best content migration solutions from SharePoint to Sitecore include a knowledgeable team of experts in these platforms, content migrations, and the business specifics and technologies that influence all affected systems. As a seamless back-end technology partner with industry-specific experience, Chetu fulfills all of these requirements, and offers a proven customer satisfaction model that includes concept to code services. Our on-demand developers include SharePoint, Sitecore, .NET, content management, and various industries experts who provide customized services including content assessments, inventory, migrations, QA, testing, and system deployments. We are also equipped with the custom software development experience to deliver any unique solution or customizations you may need, including CMS migrations other than SharePoint / Sitecore and custom CMS development.

If you are considering SharePoint content migration to Sitecore, Chetu can provide you with end-to-end services that will help you reach all of your business goals. Consult our experts for your customized services, and see how we can design and optimize your SharePoint migration plan!