Pension e-news

August 17, 2015

APS continues to prepare for Next Gen

As you know, APS made the decision to extend the November implementation of Next Generation, including the Employer Portal.

Many factors were considered in this decision but, ultimately, we will not compromise on quality for our clients. At the same time, no matter how well-intentioned, APS recognizes this decision may have caused disruption for some of our employers and apologizes for any inconvenience your organization may have experienced.

We want to reassure you that we continue to work diligently toward the implementation of Next Generation and the benefits it will provide.

Since August 7, we've spoken with many of you and have heard several commonly asked questions. We'd like to share these questions -- and the answers -- with all employers:

- Do you know when the new go-live date will be? Re-planning activities are currently underway but a date has not been reached. Many factors will be considered in setting a new go-live date. We recognize how busy employers are during Q1, and will certainly keep that top of mind as we plan a new date.

- Does anything change for the 2015 year-end reconciliation? You will reconcile the 2015 year-end in EOS. As always, the ability to test your files still exists and we encourage employers to take advantage of this opportunity. If you would like more information on testing your year-end files, please contact your Employer Services Representative.

- Our organization is using a UTF format for the new Employer Portal; does any of the work we have performed need to change as a result of the change to the go-live date? The decision to move the go-live date will not change any of the specifications you have been given. None of the work you have done to date will be discarded.

- We have seen demos of how the portal will work; will any of this information change? The functionality of the portal will not change from what you have seen in the past. All of the great benefits will remain consistent.

- What is occurring for the fall training sessions? The sessions, originally scheduled to start on August 18, have been canceled. Replacement dates will soon be announced. You can expect to see modules on year-end reconciliation and Employer Compliance, as well as a sneak peek of the new Employer Portal at that time.

Thank you for your understanding. We will keep you apprised of any new developments as we continue to prepare for the launch of the new system. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to your Employer Services representative.

Troy Diakow, Executive Director, APS Client Services