Recommendations

Friends of the Family Child Care Center has taken several steps to implement changes to their business so they can function more efficiently. Having to use an Information System with limited capabilities, they have acquired another which combines features of many different softwares into one (such as Accounting, Clock-In). With these changes, even though their information system ProCare is extremely effective, there are other measures available that can help add value to FOTFCCC.

Payroll Software

       With the use of ProCare, the employee can handle everyday payroll activities as well as print out employee checks. This would eliminate the usage of a third party payroll system such as ADP Payroll Services and help save time.

           Currently, Friends of the Family Child Care Center uses ADP Payroll Services which is a third party vendor that handles the payroll services all the way to printing out the checks for the employees. This service seems like a good idea that should streamline the payroll process but it also has its share of gaps. In order to process payroll, the employee needs to first enter information into the FOTFCCC’s ProCare System and later enter it a second time into the ADP Payroll Service. This leaves a door open for errors and it wastes time by having to enter the information a second time and then wait for the delivery of the checks a few days later from ADP.

           

          By switching to the Payroll System that ProCare has to offer, it would become a streamlined service where the payroll employee enters the information then prints out the checks for immediate delivery to the other employees. The information would also be precise since the employee would not need to re-enter information and check for any errors.

The Cloud

           At this time Friends of the Family does not use any Cloud Hosting software. Instead they have all of their information stored on their own computers. This leaves the day care center's information at risk, due to the threat of the computers crashing or another type of mishap that would knock out the use of the computers.

            The solution would be to back all of the information up at a secure location. Although an alternative might be to use external hard drives, they can be unreliable and more than likely would need more than one to store all of the information on. They also need to be stored in a secure location where they will not be lost or destroyed. A more reliable option would be to use The Cloud, which is an add-on option offered from ProCare, the information system that the daycare center already has installed on their computers.

           By using the cloud, Friends of the Family Child Care Center can safeguard themselves from any threats to their computer systems by storing their company's information at a remote site which will be maintained by ProCare. This also gives Friends of the Family an advantage because if ProCare were to ever have a problem with their cloud hosting, ProCare would be responsible, not Friends of the Family, whereas if Friends of the Family did not have a backup, they would be the ones at fault.

          The only downside to these services offered would be cost. This should not be a concern however, because the cost of an error in payroll or losing all information due to no actual backup would far outweigh any extra cost Friends of the Family would have to pay for the services. Therefore it is strongly recommended that Friends of the Family use this alternative that ProCare has to offer.

Keyless Entry System (Security)

           “Child care security at its best” - A Keyless Entry System is available from ProCare. It’s a system that limits the access to anyone entering your building. It authorizes entry to staff and family and makes it close to impossible for any intruder. Each person is assigned a unique access code for entry. Doing so eliminates the worry and cost of losing a swipe card or a physical key. While connected to a computer, ProCare’s Keyless Entry System can track a record of who enters the building and at what time and a daily log is stored. You can store 2,000 security codes and chose 3 to 6 digit formats. The lock is activated during business hours only. I recommend this hardware/software for FOTFCCC because safety is becoming more of an issue in the schooling systems.