Net at Work Client Schuster Benefits from Net at Work’s Focus on Its Core Values

Schuster Enterprises is a privately held company and Burger King franchisee in Georgia and Alabama.  Starting with a single store in 1967, the company has grown to sixty-seven stores and over 3000 employees, making it an important employer in the area.

For almost twenty years, since 1999, Schuster had processed their biweekly payroll using Sage Abra Suite.  Net at Work, through Dresser & Associates, provided support and assistance as Schuster grew during that time.  Our consultants had to be analytical knowledge-seekers and problem solvers as we learned about the fast food industry.  We worked collaboratively with Schuster to overcome obstacles as their business became larger and more complex. Throughout this period, we worked creatively with Schuster’s payroll and IT team, offering practical problem-solving advice to keep their system up and running effectively.  However, there loomed on the horizon an issue that could not be avoided.

According to LaDania Norton, Payroll Specialist, Schuster had never missed a payroll, despite the complexities of paying 3000 employees in 67 different locations, with constant employee turnover.  Beginning in 2015, however, it was clear that the days of Abra Suite were numbered.  Sage had introduced the next generation, Sage HRMS, and sooner or later Schuster was going to have to move to the new platform.  LaDania knew Abra Suite inside and out.  Would Sage HRMS be a success for Schuster?  They could not afford to miss a single deadline or payroll.

Once the decision was made to migrate, Net at Work assigned one of their most seasoned consultants to the project, Paralea Boose.  From their first meeting, Paralea made clear to LaDania that she was a promise keeper and would be there for her.  Paralea demonstrated a level of commitment and integrity throughout the project that lead LaDania later to remark that “she would have gone crazy” if it hadn’t been for Paralea’s support and can-do attitude.  Paralea kept her grounded, according to LaDania, with her practical advice and collaborative approach throughout the project.  Paralea brought a situational fluency and understanding of Schuster’s unique needs based on her deep experience.  Moreover, as an inspiring coach, Paralea helped LaDania more deeply understand the new system, get comfortable with it and excel at her job.

Schuster went live with Sage HRMS and Employee Self Service in July 2018.  Since then, Paralea has continued to provide support and advice as issues have emerged and been dealt with.  In the meantime, Sage HRMS and ESS have helped Schuster be more productive.  With the introduction of online check stubs, store managers are no longer taking time away from customers to hand out checks during business hours.  Employees are happier and more productive since they have access to check stubs and other information through ESS with less time spent requesting information from the payroll department.  And at a very practical level, LaDania pointed out that Schuster was spending $13,000 and $14,000 per year to distribute the pay stubs.  Those are savings that Schuster can apply to better serving their customers.  Additional savings have come with hours saved tracking down payroll errors and by answering questions about checks.

If you would like to learn more about how Net at Work can make your Sage HRMS migration a success like Schuster’s – or any employer solutions projects – speak with your Net at Work Account Executive or contact us at info@netatwork.com