The Solution: Data Sync Manager and Variance Monitor

What was needed was a solution to reduce the time and effort, with automation being the key driver. The University chose EPI-USE Labs’ Data Sync Manager (DSM) and Variance Monitor to accomplish these goals.

Why Data Sync Manager?

Data Sync Manager copies selected data to nonproduction systems. It was selected for its high-speed capabilities and its convenience and security in the testing of support packs and updates. Up-to-date, valid, and accurate production data is easily transferred to a testing environment for testing while downtime is a thing of the past.

Why Variance Monitor?

Variance Monitor compares SAP HCM data according to tolerances you set. It can compare systems, clients and payroll periods, and even compare with data in a file.

Variance Monitor has two primary uses in an HR system:

• Firstly, during configuration changes or SAP upgrades, it reduces the risks associated with allowing improper configuration into a production system.
• Secondly, when used daily for a pay period frequency, it compares existing pay with the last pay period and highlights any changes made to the system, such as new benefit plans, new union rules and any new wage type or configuration.

Variance Monitor is invaluable for reducing risks and costs involved with change, enabling administrators to ensure that the changes affect only the people and systems that should be affected.

Daily use of Variance Monitor

Whether payroll is run weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly, there is always a chance that data changes will impact one or more employees’ pay. Most of the processes use subsets of employee data owing to the large amounts of data, which means there is the risk of missing the actual issue. Recouping pay is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.

Variance Monitor reduces all these risks. It allows the University to review data for their entire employee population, check for both percentage and dollar value variances, and drill down to search for the reason for the variance. The University can now test the entire population in just 2 or 3 days.

The benefits of Variance Monitor

With Variance Monitor the University can:

• See fluctuations in detail or view a summary to resolve problems before they happen
• Create multiple rules to determine problems on a large scale
• Repeat comparisons easily from period to period
• Run in simulation mode to check configuration changes
• Catch issues for correction before they open payroll

The overall benefits to the University

The University of Tennessee’s testing process is thirty times faster – what previously took two to three months, now takes two to three days. They are thrilled with the great time savings, as their resources are able to focus on other priorities. Most importantly, they can use DSM and Variance Monitor to check system changes proactively, and detect and fix payroll issues before they become a problem, so their payroll is now accurate.