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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    APS

    Score1.4 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    APS is a national workforce management and cloud-based HR solution provider. The platform includes core HR, payroll, time and attendance (including manager and employee self-service), compliance tools, and onboarding.N/A

    Calamari

    Score9 out of 10
    Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
    Calamari is a workforce management software system offered by Chrobrus.

    $10

    per month

    Pricing
    APSCalamari
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Leave Mgmt
    Starting at 10
    per month
    Clock In/Clock Out
    Starting at 20
    per month
    Leave Mgmt + Clock In/Clock Out
    Starting at 30
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    APSCalamari
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsThe Payroll solution is offered as a standalone service, but additional solutions must be used in conjunction with the Payroll solution.
    More Pricing Information
    Features
    APSCalamari
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of APS and Calamari
    Feature
    APS
    9.1
    33 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Calamari
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation10.032 Ratings00 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors8.013 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment10.04 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.822 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files10.032 Ratings00 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management8.024 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reimbursement management8.913 Ratings00 Ratings
    User Ratings
    APSCalamari
    Likelihood to Recommend
    1.0
    (36 ratings)
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.7
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    9.5
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.8
    (5 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.7
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    APSCalamari
    Likelihood to Recommend
    APS
    APS Payroll is an easy to use payroll system, and integrates well with some things such as the APS Hire feature, which handles onboarding, and the eSelfServe timeclock feature. It exports well to Quickbooks, but is only ok with NetSuite. (It works but is a completely manual process and takes a lot of setup.) Our tax registration and filing has been fine and we're always apprised of any tax discrepancies such as small Unemployment overages/underages when filed compared to what was withheld.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    Calamari is constantly striving to account for and provide useful, practical, and simple solutions to its employees that everyone can use without significant inconvenience. Always seeking to be in an active business environment that allows them to manage the various labor policies that exist in each region and company where they work.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    APS
    • It's fast and intuitive. Our previous contractors were ADP and Paychex and neither were intuitive. Our payroll runs have less errors now than with previous vendors. Payroll prep time is down from 5 hours with ADP to 2 hours with APS for the HR Manager.
    • The limiters are great. I'm always afraid of that error that no one caught. Let's assume that you add a $200 limiter to overtime. Any time that a staff member is about to receive more than $200 in overtime for that pay period, a red flag goes up for the HR manager to double check.
    • We have 3 programs in public schools that block certain ports. APS has a 2nd feature using GPS so that staff can only check in for their shift while they are in the designated GPS range. Great for someone who has to report to a remote location. Just add the GPS coordinates and they can't check until they get to the project.
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    Calamari
    • Complex rules to define each team member's PTO allowance.
    • Overview of remaining allowance and when it is has been requested for.
    • Easy login options.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    APS
    • Reporting - We have six different business units and the reporting is separate for all three. Most reporting I do requires information from all business units so am running six reports and then copying and pasting to get the report I need.
    • Multi-state taxes - We have a number of employees who live in New York and work in New Jersey. APS OnLine is designed to accommodate one state withholding so ability to have "worked in" state and "lived in" state taxes withheld went away. This was a shortfall.
    • The Carrier connection setup took much longer than expected. After a year, we are still having some issues with some items transferring over to the GL.
    • The CA overtime calculation does not calculate after 8 hours per day, only on the 40 per week so we override each week.
    • Reporting - when running Benefit reports, it recognizes employees who formerly carried the plan but may have dropped it. To get around this, we have to delete off the employee's record so the history is not readily available.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    • Lack of a mobile app.
    • A little tricky at first to use.
    • Need HR-friendly features to add.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    APS
    I have been using the system for over a year now and feel more comfortable with the functionality of it. I have just recently implemented the benefit administration portion.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    APS
    The APS Payroll software is very easy to use, and it is easy to train new employees on it. The APS Payroll support team is very helpful and response time is quick. It is easy to enter/change employee information, adjust salaries and benefits, etc. New features have also been added that makes it even better, such as being able to set up your own income/deduction items.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Reliability and Availability
    APS
    I haven't had any outages
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    APS
    Very quick
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    APS
    I had to learn APS on my own, and the support team held my hand. They are still there when I have an occasional question. Anytime I need support, I can call my rep or send an email and help is on the way, without failure. The support team is awesome
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    Working with my rep is so easy and has been the selling point on this platform. I like that I don't have to think about it much, love the Slack integrations for my team and how easy it was to transition from our old process into Calamari. It's simple, clear, and for a small team, it has everything I need. The customer support team has always responded promptly when I need anything, and we were even able to extend our trial period in the beginning and converted to a paying customer shortly after.
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    In-Person Training
    APS
    Even if it wasn't in-person on location, we felt like we had our trainer in the room with us.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    APS
    We had great webinars.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    APS
    It would have been helpful to understand the phases of the implementation up front so I could have prepared differently for enrollments, billing, and transfer of information to payroll. At the end of the day, I'm happy with the selection and the system and anticipate I will like it better as we go along. We have done a number of other system implementations in the past few years, and this has been pretty painless, however, I've had a few surprises.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    APS
    We had used ADP for years and had always struggled with their customer service. With over 20 locations (20+ W2s, quarterly filings, etc) we had a lot of questions. We would have to call and sit on hold for long periods of time to talk to someone who couldn't always answer our questions. Then we would get different answers from different people or have to re-explain our issue. It was a major time suck for my employees and they dreaded having to call all of the time. For us - the final straws for us to switch providers were: +Numerous year end filings with incorrect names and addresses (they couldn't keep our 20+ locations separate even though our paperwork was completed correctly) +Incorrect SUI rates for several locations that resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in overpayments which was a lot of money for small hotels. We had sent in numerous requests for them to fix this but it never happened +Lack of care - even though we were having all of these issues, nobody would work with us to get them all resolved and make sure to remedy the situation. We had to seek out a manager to get them resolved but even after this, we still had more issues. Overall - DON'T stick with ADP or even think about switching to them. They might be able to slash prices but their poor customer service and lack of care will cost you in the end. It's not worth it. APS does everything ADP had the capability of but we don't have the errors or headaches we did before. I am really looking forward to this year end!
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    Our HR department used Excel and paper request forms for our vacation management, and tracking working hours didn't exist. We were only obliged to sign a list when we were entering the office. Calamari is a huge improvement in every aspect of time tracking and vacation management for your company. We're loving it!
    Incentivized
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    Scalability
    APS
    I've never had a problem with the system nor in finding the right information.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    APS
    • We were able to transition quickly and continue to successfully hire and onboard new hires for several Clubs that opened within weeks of moving to APS.
    • We do struggle a bit with the ease of reporting simply because our locations are all under separate EIN and that can make it difficult to easily combine data queried under custom reports, so the volume of reporting that I might wish to be able to push through weekly in order to help address 'real time' trends is not always available.
    • The lack of effective dating for position and wage changes does mean that HR and available APS data is not 'real time' accurate and that HR does need to return to the system to update changes well after-the-fact, which is not ideal.
    Incentivized
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    Calamari
    • It is quick and simple to provide application training to employees.
    • When there are problems with the connection, it is possible to record that the user does not mark their exit or accounts for extra time.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    APS Screenshots

    Screenshot of workforce planningScreenshot of expense management

    Calamari Screenshots

    Screenshot of Calendar with detailed information about upcoming absences, holidays, and remote work.Screenshot of Online Timesheets with all the details about employees' working time. Employees can clock in/out, call a break, add projects, and take notes.Screenshot of Clocking in/out and displays all the details about the work day.Screenshot of team management features.Screenshot of the integrations that are possibile using the Calamari API.Screenshot of company document management features.