Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is an American entertainment company that produces film, television and music entertainment. As one of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, CA.

Warner Bros. wanted to replace a paper based time card procedure with an automated Time and Attendance system.  The Studio already had implemented a mainframe based Hours to Gross Payroll Program, which automatically calculated gross pay (for both 52 union locals and non-represented personnel).  The objective was to replace the front-end time card procedure with an electronic interface into the legacy payroll program.

 

The end result was automated Unix timekeeping system via an RFID/Proximity badge system. Badges were produced using a windows badge creation machine, and was integrated with the payroll system, ensuring badges were for current employees and lasted only until end of contract. The timekeeping system would then report hours to the payroll system and employees would be paid accordingly.

To ensure Continuity of Operations, and data fidelity, a second remote site was set up in New York to mirror the California servers.

 

Milli Micro Systems, Inc. was responsible for a wide range of tasks to bring this project to a successful conclusion.  The following is a partial list of those duties:

1. Assisted with the development of the design requirements
2. Identified potential vendors and distributed requests for proposals
3. Assisted in the vendor selection process.
4. Assisted in the beta testing of the new system.
5. Supervised pilot test
6. Insured collected data was being uploaded for proper integration with the legacy mainframe distribution and payroll application.

 

The agreed upon solution required the use of UNIX and NT Servers with desktop clients (browsers, PC’s, and terminals, swipe card readers and badge printers using imaging technology.)  System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Methodology was used to:

 

• Document requirements
• Install purchased application package
• Integrate mainframe
• Enhance infrastructure and manage roll out

 

Substantial cost savings were realized. The automation of the front end eliminated the need for the Data Entry Department to input data and reduced the handling of paper documents in the Payroll Department.  The System saved the company 35% of budgeted costs (Approximately $3,750,000/year in savings)