ImpactLife powers life-saving missions with one HCM system

Many of us have donated blood – a quick eight minutes and a cookie afterward. But few of us consider the complex systems and people behind getting that blood to the right place, at the right time. 

ImpactLife, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit blood services organization based in Davenport, Iowa, ensures that vital blood and plasma reach those in need. Serving more than 120 hospitals and emergency medical providers across four Midwest states, ImpactLife’s 800-person workforce, including highly mobile blood drive teams, keeps operations running around the clock.   

"Everyone at ImpactLife plays a part in saving lives,” said Amber Smith, Manager of Payroll and HRIS, ImpactLife. “Even though I’m not collecting or testing blood, I’m supporting the people who do, and that’s incredibly meaningful.” 

Strengthening the operational pulse with a single system 

With 24/7 operations, ImpactLife needed efficiency and visibility, but paper-based HR files and disconnected systems made that difficult. Managers had to call HR just to access employee records, slowing down every process. “If a manager needed information, they would have to call us, and we would need to pull that file out of a cabinet, scan it, and email it. We were constantly shuffling papers around,” added Smith.  

When looking for a new HCM system, Dayforce stood out. By combining HR, payroll, time, and talent management into a single system, ImpactLife has transformed how it operates.  

Accelerating recruiting, onboarding, and talent readiness

Dayforce helps ImpactLife attract and onboard talent faster.  Smith’s team uses Dayforce Recruiting and Onboarding to manage the entire flow, allowing candidates to apply easily and new hires to complete half their onboarding paperwork before even setting foot in the building on their first day.  

“It saves time and energy,” said Smith. “Everything stays organized, and we can hire and get people started much faster.” That efficiency helps ensure new employees can focus on their critical work from day one, rather than paperwork or administrative tasks. 

Keeping payroll flowing smoothly 

Before Dayforce, payroll processing took days. “We never had a true, accurate point in time of hours worked or where overtime was,” said Smith.  Tracking overtime, managing rate changes, and ensuring tax compliance required manual work and constant oversight. 

Now, payroll takes just half a day. “We went from multiple days processing payroll to almost half a day, which is huge,” said Smith. Managers can see real-time hours and overtime, while Dayforce Compensation automates pay adjustments and ensures compliance. “We have gone from days of entering information to snapping our fingers and having it flow to the employee profile,” said Smith. 

Delivering better employee experience 

Before implementing Dayforce, ImpactLife employees couldn’t easily view important information related to their role, pay, and benefits. Now with the Dayforce Mobile App, team members can view pay stubs, enroll in benefits, and update personal details anytime, anywhere. “Many people don't have computers at home, so just being able to pull up your phone has made it so easy and so accessible for everybody,” said Smith.  

For many, Dayforce Wallet has been a game-changer, providing on-demand access to earned wages. Since launch, employees have made nearly 90,000 early pay requests. “Our employees love Dayforce Wallet,” said Smith. “We hear all the time that it's great, that they love it, that they love getting paid as they do their work. It’s just great that they don't have to wait until payday. Since going live, almost 40% of our workforce uses it.” 

Partnering for the future: a lifeline of support 

ImpactLife values its strong partnership with Dayforce and the wider customer community. “I've never used software that has had such a big user group that supports each other and highlights what works best.” 

Next, Smith and her team plan to expand their use of Dayforce engagement modules, along with the Dayforce AI Assistant and People Analytics, to instantly answer employee questions and give managers insight into shift costs, overtime, and absences. 

By freeing time from manual work, Smith and her colleagues can focus on supporting the people who power their life-saving mission. “Dayforce helps me do the work I’m meant to do by being able to help our employees and enhance our Dayforce system as it continues to evolve.”  

“I love the people I work with and the purpose we support,” said Smith. “It is literally a life-saving mission. Being able to make my job easier, make my colleagues' jobs easier, and make things easier for our employees is something to be really, really proud of.”