System Configurations Overview

The options under the System Configurations menu are items that need to be set up/ defined prior to using certain modules or features of HRplus.  

System Configurations Menu Options

System Configurations Updates: What's New?

This article provides a summary of recent updates to the HRplus Security module, focusing on key enhancements. These updates include new features, fixes and improvements designed to improve both user experience and the effectiveness of the module.

November 1st - December 2nd, 2024

1.     Pay Slip Options Self Serve: New Option 20 - Standard Pay Slip added.

2.     Workflow Definitions: HR Module Type can now be updated.

  Read more here.

September 13th - November 1st, 2024

1. Custom Import Processor: Event CSV files were tested.

  Read more here.

August 16th – September 13th, 2024

1. Company Imports/Custom Imports: Updates to company and custom import functionalities, enhancing data handling for system configurations. Read more here.

July 12th – August 16th, 2024

1. Custom Import Processor: New tools for managing custom import processes, improving integration capabilities.

Read more here.

February 6th – March 1st, 2024

1. DB Export: Enhanced database export options, making data management and reporting more efficient. Read more here.

January 3rd – February 6th, 2024

1. Pay Group Company Link/Custom Imports: Added functionality for linking pay groups to companies and improving custom import processes. Read more here.

November 4th – December 12th, 2023

1. ETime Imports & Contract Configuration: New options for configuring contracts, importing ETime data, and managing reporting relationships. Read more here.

October 8th – November 4th, 2023

1. Position Number Mapping & Additional Payments: Improved functionality for position number mapping and processing additional payments. Read more here.

September 1st – October 8th, 2023

1. Reporting Relationships/Custom Import Processor: Updates to reporting relationships and enhancements to the custom import processor. Read more here.

August 15th – September 1st, 2023

1. System Interface Codes: Introduced updates to system interface codes, enhancing system configuration options. Read more here.

July 3rd – July 27th, 2023

1. System Constants/Pay Slips: Updates to system constants, pay slip options, and feature management in the system configuration module. Read more here.

June 2nd – July 3rd, 2023

1. Custom Imports/ETime Imports: Enhanced import processes, including updates for custom imports and ETime data.

Read more here.

May 18th – June 2nd, 2023

1. Company Imports: New options for importing company data and managing employee information. Read more here.

May 5th – May 18th, 2023

1. Custom Imports: Enhancements to the custom import process, allowing for more flexibility in system configurations. Read more here.

April 17th – May 5th, 2023

1. Contracts: Updates to contract configuration options within system setups. Read more here.

January 9th – February 28th, 2023

1. System Codes & Exports: Improved export functionalities and the ability to update system codes. Read more here.

Mail Server for Office 365

SMTP Office 365 Relay Settings

SMTP relay lets Office 365 relay emails on your behalf by using a connector that's configured with your public IP address or TLS a certificate. Setting up a connector makes this a more complicated option.

Settings for Office 365 SMTP relay

TABLE 4

Device or application setting Value

Server/smart host                                   Your MX endpoint, e.g. yourdomain-com.mail.protection.outlook.com

Port                               Port 25

TLS/StartTLS                 Enabled

Email address               Any email address in one of your Office 365 verified domains. This email address does not need a mailbox.

If you already have a connector that's configured to deliver messages from your on-premises organization to Office 365 (for example, a hybrid environment), you probably don't need to create a dedicated connector for Office 365 SMTP relay. If you need to create a connector, use the following settings to support this scenario:

TABLE 5

Connector setting             Value

From                                 Your organization's email server

To                                       Office 365

Domain restrictions: IP           Your on-premises IP address or address range that the device or address/range       application will use to connect to Office 365

We recommend adding an SPF record to avoid having messages flagged as spam. If you are sending from a static IP address, add it to your SPF record in your domain registrar's DNS settings as follows:

TABLE 6

DNS entry Value

SPF                 v=spf1 ip4:<Static IP Address> include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all

Step-by-step configuration instructions for SMTP relay

1.     Obtain the public (static) IP address that the device or application with send from. A dynamic IP address isn't supported or allowed. You can share your static IP address with other devices and users, but don't share the IP address with anyone outside of your company. Make a note of this IP address for later.

2.     Sign in to Office 365.

3.     Select Domains. Make sure your domain, such as contoso.com, is selected. Click Manage DNS and find the MX record. The MX record will have a POINTS TO ADDRESS value that looks similar to cohowineinc-com.mail.protection.outlook.com as depicted in the following screenshot. Make a note of the MX record POINTS TO ADDRESS value. You'll need this later.

4.     Check that the domains that the application or device will send to have been verified. If the domain is not verified, emails could be lost, and you won't be able to track them with the Exchange Online message trace tool.

5.     In Office 365, click Admin, and then click Exchange to go to the Exchange admin center.

6.     In the Exchange admin center, go to Mail flow > Connectors.

7.     Check the list of connectors set up for your organization. If there is no connector listed from your organization's email server to Office 365, create one:

1.  To start the wizard, click the plus symbol +. On the first screen, choose the options that are depicted in the following screenshot:

2.  Click Next and give the connector a name.

On the next screen, choose the option by verifying that the IP address of the sending server matches one of these IP addresses that belong to your organization, and add the IP address from step 1.

3.  Leave all the other fields with their default values, and select Save.

8.     Now that you are done with configuring your Office 365 settings, go to your domain registrar's website to update your DNS records. Edit your SPF record. Include the IP address that you noted in step 1. The finished string should look similar to this v=spf1 ip4:10.5.3.2 include:spf.protection.outlook.com ~all, where 10.5.3.2 is your public IP address. Skipping this step can cause email to be sent to recipients' junk mail folders.

9.     Now, go back to the device, and in the settings, find the entry for Server or Smart Host, and enter the MX record POINTS TO ADDRESS value that you recorded in step 3.

10.  To test the configuration, send a test email from your device or application, and confirm that it was received by the recipient.

How Office 365 SMTP relay works

In the following diagram, the application or device in your organization's network uses a connector for SMTP relay to email recipients in your organization.

•    The Office 365 connector that you configure authenticates your device or application with Office 365 using an IP address. Your device or application can send email using any address (including ones that can't receive mail), as long as the address uses one of your domains. The email address doesn't need to be associated with an actual mailbox. For example, if your domain is contoso.com, you could send from an address like do_not_reply@contoso.com.

•    Office 365 SMTP relay uses a connector to authenticate the mail sent from your device or application. This allows Office 365 to relay those messages to your own mailboxes as well as external recipients. Office 365 SMTP relay is very similar to direct send except that it can send mail to external recipients.

•    Due to the added complexity of configuring a connector, direct send is recommended over Office 365 SMTP relay, unless you must send email to external recipients. To send email using Office 365 SMTP relay, your device or application server must have a static IP address or address range. You can't use SMTP relay to send email directly to Office 365 from a third-party hosted service, such as Microsoft Azure.

Features of Office 365 SMTP relay

•    Office 365 SMTP relay does not require the use of a licensed Office 365 mailbox to send emails.

•    Office 365 SMTP relay has higher sending limits than SMTP client submission; senders are not bound by the 30 messages per minute or 10,000 recipients per day limits.

Requirements for Office 365 SMTP relay

1.     Static IP address or address range: Most devices or applications are unable to use a certificate for authentication. To authenticate your device or application, use one or more static IP addresses that are not shared with another organization.

2.     Connector: You must set up a connector in Exchange Online for email sent from your device or application.

3.     Port: Port 25 is required and must not be blocked on your network or by your ISP.

4.     Licensing: SMTP relay doesn't use a specific Office 365 mailbox to send email. This is why it's important that only licensed users send email from devices or applications configured for SMTP relay. If you have senders using devices or LOB applications who don't have an Office 365 mailbox license, obtain and assign an Exchange Online Protection license to each unlicensed sender. This is the least expensive license that allows you to send email via Office 365.

What are the Company Import screens used for?

Company Imports

The screens in the Company Import are primarily used to Import data to HRplus from spreadsheets. These spreadsheets are specially formatted and provided by HRPlus and the data to be imported must be in the format provided and outlined on the relevant spreadsheet.

These screens are mainly used during the setup of a new company on HRPlus. Your implementation specialist/business analyst will do mass uploads of your company data here.

How do I use the Leave Workflow?

The Leave Workflow allows you to set up a user-defined sequence of steps by which leave is processed in your organization. The Leave Work flow starts at the Employee (request for leave) and ends at HR (final processing in the Leave module).

Work flows can be:

1.     Set up for all leave types or for a specific leave type.

2.     Based on reporting relationships or job roles. If the latter is used, then any employee in the specified job role can be in the approval process these employees need not have any special privileges.

3.     Set up for all countries, departments, leave types or for a specified criteria.

How it works:

• Once an employee’s leave request is sent to the workflow, the workflow processor attempts to find the appropriate workflow for processing. Once found, the employee’s leave request is then sent through the consecutive sequence of required approvals as defined in the workflow stages.

If a Workflow is not used, then the leave process is as follows:

1.     Employee sends leave request;

2.     HR (employees with HR access) views Leave Requests via Benefits>>Leave>>Leave Transactions>>Self Service Leave Requests.

3.     HR updates the HRplus database (with the leave request) by clicking the Update HR button. The updated leave request is accessed via Benefits>>Leave>>Leave Transactions.

4.     HR posts the leave request (Benefits>>Leave>>Leave Transactions) and the system updates the employee’s leave entitlements (Benefits>>Leave>>View Leave Entitlements).

Leave Workflow

What are company parameters?

Company Parameters

How do I setup the Mail Server?

Mail Server

A Mail Server is an application that receives incoming email from local users and remote senders and forwards outgoing messages for delivery. A computer dedicated to running these applications is also called a mail server. Microsoft Exchange, Exim and Sendmail are common examples of mail server programs.

The mail server works with other programs to create a messaging system. A messaging system includes all the applications necessary to keep email moving smoothly. When an email is sent or notification is generated on HRplus, a program, such as MS Outlook, forwards the message to a mail server. The mail server then forwards the message to either another mail server or to a holding area on the same server to be forwarded later to the email of the intended user.