Achieved smooth attendance management by using API linkage function
More than 5 years since its introduction, the number of employees has increased from just 10 to 1650. KING OF TIME has a wide range of uses due to its abundant functions and API linkage, so it is suitable for organizations that grow rapidly and are constantly changing.
Mercari Co., Ltd.
Business format
The number of planning, development, and operation users of the flea market app “Mercari” is approximately 1650 (consolidated, as of April 2019) Number of bases 4 in Japan and 1 overseas
People Experience Team – Ms. Fujishita
Q. First of all, please tell us about your business.
Ms. Fujishita: In addition to planning, developing and operating the flea market app “Mercari”, we are also developing the US version of Mercari, the share cycle business “Mercari”, and the new financial business “Mercari”.
Q. What is the role of the People Experience team?
Our priority is to create a global tech company where each and every one of us is empowered to grow individually and as a group, and we want to contribute to that.
Among them, the People Experience Team (PX Team in short) is a team in which each Mercari employee exerts his or her strength to maintain and improve the environment in which the person, organization, and company can continue to grow in.
Specifically, we are considering and planning various measures such as evaluation system, flexible working style, globalization, and welfare measures while always being aware of the Employee Experience. In addition to that, we also carry out workforce operations reviews such as joining procedures, social insurance procedures, attendance management, salary calculation, and health and safety management, and we use “KING OF TIME” for attendance management of employees in Japan.
Q. Please tell us more about the flexible working shift.
I would like to continue pursuing a flexible work arrangement that is unique to Mercari, but at present, we have adopted a “flextime system with a core time of 12:00 to 16:00” so that staff can work according to my lifestyle. I think that we are introducing one concrete example of a flexible working style.
For example, we have a system in place to fulfil as much as possible the requests that some engineers prefer to go to work in the daytime, and employees raising small children want to work in a time that does not interfere with the pick-up and drop-off at the nursery school. It’s not just about being flexible, but we think that working face-to-face with everyone at core time will lead to more efficient work and more impactful work. .. This is in line with Mercari’s “All for one” value, and we are thinking about flexible work styles that are unique to Mercari while valuing value.
We are currently managing over 1650 employees, including foreigners, with a small number of people.
Q. How many people are in charge of attendance management at “KING OF TIME”? How are you using it?
Usually, only two people are involved. The end of the month is the employee’s attendance cut-off date, and employees themselves check for any omissions in the data. On the first business day of the following month, the manager checks the attendance of his team and closes it for each team.
Within the next business day, the PX team manager will check the contents and request the outsourcer to calculate the payroll.
Q. Do you feel that you are spending time managing attendance?
Due to a large employee base, there will inevitably be people who do not close their attendance. So it will take some time to confirm that, but I think that it is flowing smoothly as a whole.
Q. From the administrator’s point of view, are there any points that you are happy with or devised to use KING OF TIME?
I think it is good that there is API linkage and it is easy to connect with other systems. We use the API and make our own connections. (*Details will be described later)
Q. Your company has increased the number of employees, departments, and bases in the process of rapid growth. Is there any problem with attendance management?
We communicate closely with the person in charge at each base, and we can create data related to payroll calculation without any errors. For that reason, there is no problem in attendance management on the manager’s end.
Q. How is the reputation of “KING OF TIME” from employees?
The UI change made last year has improved the UX, and I feel that I can understand how to use it without a manual. The number of inquiries has decreased after the staff gets familiar and the number of people who say that it is good has increased.
Q. Did the introduction of “KING OF TIME” went smoothly for new employees?
During orientation after joining the company, I have experienced time-stamping once. In addition, we have introduced a mentor system so that you can consult someone easily about what you do not understand.
Furthermore, we also have an in-house Wiki so that you can check any questions about KING OF TIME. I think there is little confusion about the basic usage. This helps a lot.
Q. Are foreign nationals also using it?
Yes, our foreign employees use it as well.
I’m grateful that KING OF TIME has an English version, as there are many foreign employees who are new to working in Japan. However, we still want to give feedback to KING OF TIME for the naming of the leave. For example, it would be even more convenient if you could move the cursor to display the meaning of the vacation and remove the character limit so that the vacation name can be written in Japanese and English at the same time.
Q. Is there anything you have devised to manage overtime hours?
We have made API integration with Slack. Each manager and the labour manager of the PX team are in the chatroom of Slack. When overtime is likely to violate the 36 agreement, we have created a mechanism to automatically raise an alert and take measures.
We have many employees who are mainly using Slack and do not read emails very much. I think that we can realize efficient management with a small number of people. Since KING OF TIME is open to cooperation with external services, I find it attractive that the range of utilization can be expanded easily and the potential is there.
Q. How is the stamping done?
I use IC card stamping, but I also use Wi-Fi stamping in combination with it.
Q. Again, API utilization. Please tell me more about Wi-Fi stamping.
It was made by our engineer, at the earliest time when the company Wi-Fi was connected and the latest time when the connection was cut off are automatically submitted to KING OF TIME, and it is set as the time of arrival and departure respectively… If you carry an IC card and have it stamped, it will be a little troublesome, and you will miss the stamp sometimes. This is why the new method is highly popular.
Management efficiency has improved, and employees are happy.
Q. How about support?
I don’t use email much, and I often use telephone support. I think it is convenient to do online calls to share screen.
Since it is a service with many users, it is sometimes difficult to get through a phone call, but the quality of the response from the operators is very high, and everyone has been polite and pleasant.
There is always a call back if I dropped the call whilst waiting.
Q. Thank you. KING OF TIME is also focusing on FAQ content, but can you see it?
First of all, I try to confirm the question in the FAQ. It is convenient because it is organized by category and the contents are substantial. If you still don’t understand, the call is always available.
Q. How about the usability and operating speed of import/export?
Import/export in CSV is used when you want to update employee information in a batch, such as when you change departments or decide where to assign new employees. The speed is faster than other systems, so you can use it without feeling frustrated.
Q. What are you doing regarding work style reform?
I haven’t heard much about work style reform in this company (laughs). It is mainly in the form of environmental support rather than a form of working style, it is still a company with many engineers, so we are conscious of providing the desired PC and the latest equipment to create a more comfortable working environment so that we can get the best performance. We also offer English lessons while promoting globalization.
Overtime management is necessary from the perspective of labour management, but I think it is more important to continue to create an environment where it is easy to work and where employees can maximize their performance, rather than curbing overtime. In the unlikely event that we do, we can say that one of our efforts is to enhance downside support such as the merci box and create an environment where employees can work with a peace of mind.
Q. Last but not least, what is your company requirements for “KING OF TIME”?
As workstyles become more diverse within our company, it may be necessary to customize the settings for each department and each employee. Currently, the support people are helping me, but I hope that the management side will be able to control such things more and more.
In addition, we are grateful that your company can publish the API and customize the necessary information and the information you want to obtain. We look forward to more API releases in the future.
Even after the introduction, I had the opportunity to consider the services of other companies several times due to their outreach, but there were not many that were as easy to use as KING OF TIME.
Thank you for your continued support.
Interviewer: Thank you very much. Sincerely.