Sandvik: Timesheet App
The Problem
Sandvik is a large multinational company with a workforce in the hundreds, each who filled out and submitted timesheets on physical paper, requiring payroll staff to manually key timesheet details into payroll systems. This led to mistakes in the system and employees not getting paid correctly. The frustration of the process from both sides drove this company to seek out a digital solution to decrease mistakes and time spent on payroll. The client had specific business and technical requirements for their timesheet app with complicated processes and legislated restrictions, requiring a custom app to be built specifically for their organisation.
What we did
The app digitalised the payroll process using an employee app and a staff portal. This allowed frontline employees to input their timesheets via the app while they were on the go, ensuring they could submit it as they remembered so no time was forgotten (so they got paid correctly and clients got billed correctly). The service employee app communicated with the timesheet, the employees line supervisor, and also the payroll portals for synchronised data. Consistent data was accessible on the go and ensured the timesheet entries were accurate every time.
One of the most important things for the app’s design was that it had to be simple and intuitive. With the employees being less tech savvy than the typical person, we took a minimalist approach to design. The app, as all good apps should, required no tutorial with employees able to quickly learn how to navigate it due to use of the tunnelling bias. On initial opening of the app, functionality looks small and bite sized, with more revealed as the user explores the app and is guided through its processes. This keeps users comfortable with the level of complexity, ensuring greater satisfaction and engagement.
Functionality
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Timesheet submission
Service employees input their hours and rates to ensure they are paid correctly. They can edit and resubmit timesheets.
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Calendar overview
Service employees could see past timesheet records using a calendar view to quickly find the information they require
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Approve timesheet
Approvers approve or reject a timesheet submission after checking the details. Service employees can see the status of their timesheets.
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Timesheet, rejected
Employees are able to edit timesheets that require editing and adjustment before payment.
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Team member management
Accept or reject a service employee onto an approver’s team.
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Delegate
Delegate approver responsibilities to another approver while on leave.
Technology
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App technology
Flutter is cross platform and allowed us to write 90% code for both Android and iOS at once, reducing time and costs. Hot reload allows us to speed up development time by instantly seeing what our code does on the app, saving time and money without compromising quality. The platform allows us to create beautiful UI easily, with great support for animations and layout.
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Backend technology
Amazon Web Services (AWS) supported our app and portal with data stored in Australia, an essential for the company’s incredibly high security standards. Compared to its Microsoft equivalent, AWS offers a larger depth of services so we can do more with it.
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