Next Generation Update

May 30, 2016

June is upon us! Based on your predetermined staggered entry date, the new Employer Portal will soon become availableto all employers

After the firstweek of Go Live, we've received great feedback on our new Employer Portal! Thank you for being open and honest during the transition. We are very happy with progress so far.

We want to thank you all for helping us get to this point. Going Live is just one step we will take in order to provide you with a new and improved pensions admin system.

We are listening, we are responding and we are improving - We are committed to providing you with regular updates on software progress and performance. We thank you for your on-going patience and support as we take this journey together. Here we go!

Staggered Entry

You should recieved an email regarding your staggered entry date and access details. If you have not, please contact your employer services rep. asap to recieve this information.

Employer Portal Access - Day One

Whether you access the new Emplyer Portal for the first time on your designated staggered entry day or anytime during the following two weeks, simply follow the registration email instructions your were given for access.
You're in the portal - now what?
All the transactions that you've held on to during the freeze period can now be submitted to APS. If you have an urgent transaction, please let your employer services rep know and we will help you expedite this.
As a reminder, we have asked you for your remittance details. These details are required so APS may set help you set up your first remittance. If you have not submitted the details to us yet. Please do this immediately.

Running into a problem?

Please follow these steps

Step One - Visit Pension e-guide
Step two - call your Employer Services Rep.
We have increased the number of employer service reps who will be available on the phone to answer your questions. If you have questions or concerns post Go Live, we would love to take the opportunity to walk you through your questions over the phone.
APS' Step Three - Field Rep.
As part of our support plan, we have training reps in the field, located throughout the province of Alberta to assist you in person if major issues arise. Our field rep. are working together with the employer services team to maximize support.

Call Us

At Go Live, calling Employer Services is the quickest way to get support if you have an urgent issue. For email correspondence, please send all messages to our general inbox: employerservices@apsc.ca

Updated Pension e-guide

In January, we launched the updated version of the Pension e-guide. The Employer Portalsection of Pension e-guide provides deatiled information on how to use the New Employer Portal. Based on your feedback and input, we have created specific learning tools that you will find throughout the content on the new portion of the Pension e-guides.

The Employer Portal secton includes:

• Administration access management (security) employer education workshops - what is available and how to register, file specification - field and file requirements, navigation of the system - site features, logging in and changing passwords.
• Member Profile how to view basic demographic information APS has on file for the employee
• Data Collections: how to process information, as well as how to make adjustments to information previously reported.
• Remittance how to submit regular and ad hoc payments and supporting details.
• Reports & Documents explanation of reports available - with samples, reports an employer can generate and how the information is provided. Validations are also included in this section.

Each of these sections includes an overview, procedures with workflows, detailed instructions and tutorials. The tutorials are short and only take a minute or two to view.

Please provide any feedback related to this section of Pension e-guides to employerservices@apsc.ca, including any gaps in information or questions not answered.

Approving Warnings

The new Employer Portal validates submitted data and returns that let employers know when the transaction is ready to be processed, or has warnings and/or errors associated with it. The warnings are meant to be prompt to let you know the information submitted needs to be reviewed, for there may be an issue with it. Once you have reviewed the transaction and determined that despite the warning. It is correct, you can "approve" it be providing an explanation.

These explanations should meet the following criteria: be specific, indicate that the informaiton has been verified and reviewed, and certify that it is correct. The following examples will help guide your explainations to ensure they meet these criteria and are consistent, easy to understand by your peers and APS staff, and provide additional infomation for any future compliance audits that are performed on the member's file or employee accounts.

• As a result of the employee contributions warning. I/we have reviewed the pay-period pensionable salary and certify that the contributions have been calculated correctly.
• As a result of the salary unreasonable warning. I/we have reviewed the pay-period pensionable salary and services and certify that the service has been calculated correctly. Service is based on x worked hours/x base hours.

Sincerely,
Troy Diakow
Executive Director, Client Services