Automating Peripherals Installs Automated Time and Attendance System At Duke University Medical Center.

Business and Health Editors

HARTFORD, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2000

System Will Save $4.8 Million in the First Fiscal Year by

Automating the Collection and Processing of Employee Information

Automating Peripherals Inc. announced today that Duke University Health System (DUHS) has implemented the company's Payrollmation(R) series automated time and attendance system for 8,000 employees. Plans to implement the system throughout the entire health system are underway.

The solution updated or replaced computer systems that were not Y2K compliant, and will help DUHS to remain competitive in the healthcare marketplace. Payrollmation significantly reduces, and will eventually eliminate, the manual data entry of more than 15,000 time cards every pay period.

According to Kevin Sowers, senior associate chief operating officer at Duke University Medical Center, quick decision making often becomes difficult in a complex academic setting. However, the need for a 10 percent reduction in expenses assisted in a timely decision making and implementation process.

"Because the implementation schedule was so tight and the demands on any vendor selected would be so great, API was chosen based on their customer-service track record," Sowers explained. "We weren't interested in a vendor who was selling vaporware, or who deserted its clients after the sale. We wanted a vendor that was committed to its customers, so strong references were important. In the process of selecting API as the preferred vendor for this project, numerous API customer sites were contacted to verify that API had continuously demonstrated a high-level of commitment to its customers over the years."

Duke began the selection process in November 1998, selected API in December 1998, began the implementation in January 1999 and completed phase I in July 1999, which included going live for 8,000 employees.

"An implementation of this complexity and magnitude requires cooperation from both the vendor and the client," said Luis Garcia, chief executive officer of API. "The strong partnership between API and Duke resulted in this project's success. In fact, the implementation was completed 61 days from software delivery -- record time, especially considering the scope of the project."

Automating the Change

"Pay policies in healthcare are so different than the business world because of numerous complexities, such as multiple shifts and 24-hour coverage," said Sylvia Alston, R.N., project director at Duke University Medical Center. "We needed a time and attendance system that could handle the complexities of a multi-facility healthcare organization, but also be able to accommodate the needs of a university setting."

Not only does DUHS have to ensure that the right number of staff is available at each facility 24-hours a day to care for patients, but those employees need to be paid accurately for the time they work -- whether it is regular time, weekend shift differential or overtime. With more than 12,000 employees in the health system, that is a challenging job. API's Payrollmation time and attendance system automates the collection of hours employees work, ensuring consistent and accurate pay of employees for hours worked.

Each day, employees swipe their ID badges (dubbed the "Duke Card") through a badge reader upon arrival at work and when leaving. Hours are automatically collected, approved by the manager and sent to payroll, along with the appropriate pay rate and premiums. Off-site employees phone in hours or log into the system via computer. Employees have ownership and accountability for inputting work time and PTO hours, and can access information about their PTO banks by phone. Managers are able to override the system when necessary to make corrections.

API's Payrollmation Series incorporates all of the rules and policies surrounding each facility's employee population and payroll structure. The multi-facility option easily accommodates varying policies for Duke's multiple sites and payrolls. Parameters, indicators and tables within the system give users the flexibility to modify rules as changes occur. Powerful enterprise-wide reporting strategies manage the routing, retrieval and analysis of large volumes of data. While API's automated system ensures operational effectiveness and efficiency among business units, it also supports managers' ability to adjust staffing based on business requirements.

About Duke University Health System

For more than 65 years, Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) has been caring for patients throughout North Carolina, the Southeast and the world. Year after year, DUMC is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation's top hospitals and the best in the South. Today, Duke University Medical Center is evolving into a comprehensive health system that will be a model for the best in care for the 21st century. This new health system includes Raleigh Community and Durham Regional hospitals and physician practices. The organization's website address is http://www.mc.duke.edu/.

About API

API is a leading provider of payroll, human resource, time and attendance, education tracking, scheduling/staffing and access control software for healthcare organizations. Founded in 1982, API has more than 350 installations in the United States, with customers ranging in size from 500 employees to more than 15,000 employees. The company has a strategic alliance with Microsoft Corporation and is a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider. The company's website address is www.api-wi.com