HUB logistics provides tailored logistics solutions for its customers, ranging from smart warehousing and in-house logistics to wooden packaging and supply chain consulting. With Nepton, time tracking and shift planning were unified across all business units, including roles governed by collective agreements from three different industries.
When the group’s previous worktime management system no longer met its needs, Erle Jaaska, HR Specialist at HUB logistics, began evaluating alternative solutions. One of the key limitations of the previous system was the lack of shift planning functionality, and several stages of worktime management still had to be handled manually.
The goal was to find a solution that would meet the following requirements:
- A browser-based, fast, and user-friendly worktime management solution
- Integration with the HR system to ensure easy management of employee data and user access rights
- The ability to configure individual settings and user access rights for each of the 16 business units
- A clear and straightforward way to configure system settings
- Support for the requirements of collective agreements across different industries
- Fully automated and accurate working time calculation
- The ability to manage and track annual leave and other absences
- Versatile and user-friendly clock-in and clock-out options for employees
- A clear and simple process for reviewing and approving hours
- Simple and flexible transfer of hours to the payroll system
- Comprehensive and easy-to-use reporting features, along with clear user guidance
Best-in-class worktime management and shift planning features led HUB logistics to choose Nepton
“Every feature in Nepton was ahead of the competition, and overall it was the solution that best matched our needs,” says Jaaska, who serves as Nepton’s key user at HUB logistics. He particularly appreciated Nepton’s ease of use and its ability to support the automation of shift planning, time tracking, and payroll processes. “Another major advantage was the detailed guidance available for key users,” Jaaska adds.
Shift planning was a particularly valuable addition compared to the previous system. “What makes our day-to-day operations easier is that key users no longer need to create new shifts themselves. Instead, individual business units can create and schedule shifts independently,” says Jaaska. Mobile clocking was another new feature, and it has been widely adopted and well received by employees.
“Erle had done an exceptionally thorough job defining the requirements and had a very clear vision of what was needed. Our role was to ensure that the system would meet the needs of all business units across the group,” says Jussi Halonen, Key Account Manager at Saarni Nepton Oy.
A phased rollout of time tracking and shift planning supported the organisation through the transition
The collaboration on the system transition began in 2021, and Nepton was rolled out to the final business unit in spring 2023. Today, the system is used by approximately 400 employees, managers, and shift planners. The implementation was carried out in phases, with each stage aligned to the relevant collective agreement.
“We configured the first business units together with a Nepton specialist, after which I continued learning and working with the system independently. I created the core settings to align with the collective agreements of the retail sector, technology industry, and woodworking industry,” Jaaska recalls.
The implementation also represented a comprehensive change in ways of working, requiring extensive preparation across different business units. For this reason, the system was introduced in phases to support the organisation throughout the transition. The process began with an implementation plan and the configuration of group-wide settings.
“Together with the business units, we reviewed the detailed implementation schedule and assessed their existing configurations. After that, I was able to complete the remaining setup in Nepton. Whenever needed, I received support from Nepton’s specialists. They were always ready to help and provided excellent support throughout the implementation,” says Jaaska.
Integrations with the HR system and payroll system make managers’ work easier
Nepton is integrated with both the HR system and the payroll system. Through these integrations, employee data is transferred automatically from the HR system to Nepton, eliminating the need to maintain employee records in two separate systems. This has made managers’ day-to-day work easier. The simplified and more transparent processes for approving hours, managing absences, and transferring working hours to the payroll system have also received positive feedback.
Operations have become more transparent, as employees can now view their scheduled shifts and monitor the accumulation of their working hours through Nepton. Planning can also be carried out based on skills and specific job roles, which has significantly simplified day-to-day work.
According to Jaaska, everything has gone smoothly, both in building the integrations and in collaboration with other external partners and the payroll provider. Overall, work related to worktime management has become easier and more efficient.
Worktime management and shift planning processes were standardised with Nepton
Although the business units had to adapt their approaches to shift planning, Jaaska believes the benefits have been well worth the effort. “We now have consistent processes and ways of working across the entire group. Our ability to analyse and monitor working hours has improved significantly, and we can better track accumulated hours as well as the hours worked by temporary staff,” says Jaaska.
The reliability of working time data has improved, while shift planning has accelerated the approval of hours and made it much easier to identify exceptions and discrepancies. The reliability of reporting has also received positive feedback, and the management of part-time employees is now more efficient than before.
“Nepton’s speed, clear processes, and ease of use have exceeded our managers’ expectations. The support service is also excellent, and support tickets are responded to quickly. You’re never left to solve issues on your own, as there is always someone ready to help and take action,” Jaaska says.
The automation of processes has freed up time that was previously spent on administrative tasks, allowing managers to focus more on leadership and operational management. This has delivered significant business benefits. “I really appreciate how quickly the system continues to evolve. The ongoing development also helps us improve our own business operations. I couldn’t be more satisfied with Nepton,” Jaaska concludes.
