Ceridian Dayforce Review: A Deep Dive into Holistic HR and Payroll

published on 30 January 2024

Most organizations would agree that managing payroll, HR, and other workforce needs can be complex and time-consuming.

Ceridian Dayforce aims to simplify these processes by providing an all-in-one cloud platform for HCM and payroll.

In this post, we'll take a comprehensive look at Dayforce's capabilities to see if it can deliver on its promise.

We'll examine Dayforce's key modules and features for payroll, time tracking, benefits admin, and more. We'll also evaluate its implementation process, pricing options, and support resources to determine if Dayforce is the right solution for your business.

Introduction to Ceridian Dayforce

Dayforce is a cloud-based human capital management (HCM) platform that provides a wide range of solutions including payroll, human resources, benefits administration, talent management, and workforce management. This article provides an overview of Dayforce's key capabilities to help businesses evaluate if it meets their needs.

Overview of Ceridian Dayforce's Capabilities

Dayforce offers a comprehensive suite of HCM modules on a single integrated platform:

  • Payroll - Automates payroll processes including calculating pay, tax filing and payments, direct deposits, and more. Supports complex pay rules and schedules.

  • Time & Attendance - Enables employees to track hours worked, time off, and schedules. Managers can review and approve timesheets.

  • HR - Provides core HR functionality like maintaining employee records, organizational reporting structures, and compliance management.

  • Benefits Administration - Manages open enrollment, life events, carrier connections, and ACA compliance.

  • Talent Management - Includes recruitment, onboarding, performance management, goals alignment, and learning management.

  • Workforce Management - Features scheduling tools, labor forecasting, budget tracking, productivity reporting, and more.

Key Benefits of the Dayforce Platform

Some of the main advantages that Dayforce offers businesses include:

  • Increased efficiency through workflow automation, self-service portals, and real-time data and reporting. Reduces manual processes and paperwork.

  • Better insights for data-driven decisions using integrated HR, payroll, and workforce data analytics. Identifies trends and opportunities.

  • Enhanced employee experience through user-friendly self-service access, communication tools, and convenient mobile apps. Drives engagement.

  • Lower costs by eliminating redundant systems, streamlining processes, and optimizing the workforce. Cloud delivery also minimizes IT overhead.

  • Compliance assurance with constantly updated federal, state, and local tax laws and labor regulations across all modules. Reduces compliance risk.

Examining Dayforce's Core Modules and Features

This section will take a deeper look into each of the key components of the Dayforce HCM suite including payroll, timekeeping, talent management, HR services, and workforce management.

Payroll and Tax Management

Dayforce provides robust payroll processing and tax filing capabilities to ensure accuracy and timeliness. Key features include:

  • Configurable pay rules engine that supports complex earnings and deductions
  • Real-time visibility into payroll costs for better budgeting
  • Automated tax filing and payments
  • Support for global payrolls and localization requirements
  • Integration with GL systems for seamless financial reporting

By centralizing payroll and tax processes in Dayforce, businesses can reduce compliance risks and administrative burdens.

Time and Attendance Tracking

The Dayforce platform makes it simple to capture and manage employee time and attendance data with tools like:

  • Mobile time clocks for clocking in/out
  • Scheduling and shift management
  • Paid time off tracking
  • Overtime and labor rule automation
  • Real-time visibility into absenteeism and tardiness

These capabilities minimize payroll errors, enforce work policies, and provide managers with insights to improve productivity.

Benefits Administration

Managing employee benefits with Dayforce becomes more efficient through functionality for:

  • Streamlined open enrollments
  • Life event change processing
  • ACA compliance and reporting
  • Benefits education and self-service
  • Carrier connections for enrollment data

Centralizing benefits admin eliminates siloed processes across HR, payroll, and finance.

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Evaluating Implementation, Support, and Pricing

Onboarding and Implementation Process

Dayforce provides support to help businesses configure the system, migrate data, train employees, and test the platform during implementation. The cloud-based setup aims to simplify rollout.

Dedicated launch managers guide companies through the following key steps:

  • Planning - Assess business requirements and map processes to Dayforce functionality
  • Configuration - Customize screens, workflows, reports, etc. based on a company's needs
  • Integration - Connect Dayforce to existing systems to enable data flows
  • Testing - Thoroughly test configured processes and integrations before go-live
  • Training - Provide customized training resources and support for managers and employees
  • Go-Live - Launch Dayforce officially across the business after ensuring everything is ready

The structured implementation methodology helps ensure a smooth transition to the new HR and payroll system.

Ongoing Support and Resources

After launch, Ceridian continues providing customer support on an ongoing basis. Businesses can access assistance 24/7 via:

  • Phone - Call dedicated support lines to speak with knowledgeable representatives
  • Email - Submit support tickets for issues that are less time-sensitive
  • Resource Center - Access an online knowledge base with setup guides, user manuals, troubleshooting content, and more

Additionally, Ceridian offers on-demand training through the Dayforce Learning Center. Short courses, videos, and other resources help managers and employees fully leverage the platform.

Pricing and Contract Options

Dayforce uses a monthly subscription model with costs varying based on:

  • Number of active employees
  • Specific modules deployed
  • Contract length (month-to-month or 1-5 year terms)

The flexible pricing structure allows businesses to add or remove modules to meet changing needs. As the employee count grows over time, volume discounts can reduce per-head costs.

Ceridian sales representatives provide quotes based on each customer's unique requirements. The cloud delivery enables businesses to pay only for the functionality used without large upfront licensing fees.

Conclusion and Recommendations

Dayforce provides a robust, cloud-based HCM solution for managing a distributed workforce. For organizations seeking an integrated platform with AI-driven insights, Dayforce warrants strong consideration.

Key Takeaways

In summary, Dayforce enables organizations to:

  • Optimize HCM processes using a single database
  • Gain data-driven insights for better decision-making

Ideal Businesses for Adoption

Mid-size to large enterprises with complex HCM needs across a distributed workforce stand to benefit most from Dayforce's end-to-end capabilities.

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