Month: February 2017

This may be a somewhat unorthodox way to open a blog post but here goes:

Until I am measured, I am not known, yet how much you miss me when I have flown; what am I?

Here’s a clue, the answer is also the true benefit of Ceequel® Employee Management Software, one of the most dynamic time and attendance solutions in the world today. Any ideas?

Now consider the workforce management solutions currently utilised by your organisation. How long does it take to complete those daily HR or Payroll departmental administrative tasks? Despite the functionality of your existing systems and infrastructure, does it often feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day?

Back to the riddle above, have you solved it? The answer is time. Developed by ELF Productivity, one of Europe’s fastest growing time management companies; Ceequel® Employee Management Software will make time your greatest resource.

Time and Attendance Software – Streamlined Clocking to Payroll Processes and Absence Management Solutions

Ceequel® Time and Attendance will significantly modernise your organisational clocking to payroll processes. Employee attendance data is collected and processed rapidly to the highest degree of accuracy, taking into account any basic, overtime or flexitime calculations. Dynamic absence management solutions are also available to quell employee absenteeism before significant costs occur. Features such as Bradford Factor Reporting swiftly identify persistent short-term absences taken by employees, providing managers with the necessary evidence to take further action.

Access Control – Eradicate Duplicate Swipes

Access to specific areas of your premises can be restricted at the touch of a button while access control tables for each secure location can be created with minimum administrative effort. In addition, thanks to the dynamic integration of Ceequel® modules, the benefits of our access control software go way beyond site security. The data collected through Ceequel® Access Control can also be utilised for employee attendance monitoring, fire registration and employee activity tracking; negating the need for duplicate entries.

Human Resource Management Software – Everything Under One Roof

Ceequel® Human Resource Management Software will revolutionise your HR departmental processes. Not only can organisations store all their personnel information in one, user-friendly central database; time spent on those historically time consuming HR administrative tasks will be reduced exponentially. Automated solutions are available for activities such as new starter inductions, return to work procedures and training event scheduling. Incredibly powerful HR report generation features are also included. But most importantly, as Ceequel® Human Resources shares the same back-end database as all Ceequel® modules, time spent double keying data is eradicated.

Shop Floor Data Capture – Real-Time Analysis

Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture software offers a real-time, granular insight into a manufacturer’s shop floor productivity. Our software provides the most dynamic tool for continuous improvement, enabling organisations to swiftly identify any man or machine inefficiencies and potential bottlenecks.

Employee Self Service and E-Manager – No More Lengthy Paper Trails

Our Employee Self Service and E-Manager modules are web based, zero IT footprint solutions delivering genuine transparency to employees and managers. Absence requests of any type can be submitted by employees and approved or rejected by managers promptly. Additional information readily accessible through a range of configurable screens includes: employee clocking information, shift rosters and employee hours spent on particular activities or projects.

To learn more about Ceequel® Employee Management Software, please contact ELF Productivity for a free of charge consultation.

The Black Eyed Peas once asked “Where is the love?”

Thanks to a recent survey carried out by leading UK independent job board CV Library, all is revealed!

The opinions of over 1000 UK-based employees were investigated with a quarter of respondents confessing to previous office romances at one time or another. Look away now HR departments, 53% believed that workplace relationships are a good idea. However, almost 80% conceded that relationships between co-workers often lead to problems and an awkward environment, particularly when colleagues have lost that loving feeling.

And now, the wait is over; it’s time to reveal the top five cities and industry sectors where employees simply, can’t help falling in love…

Employees in Glasgow are the most likely to enter into workplace relationships with Newcastle, Manchester, Cardiff and Birmingham making up the rest of the top five respectively. With regard to sectors, love is all around for workers in the Recruitment industry. Property came in second, Marketing third, IT fourth and Hospitality fifth.

Regardless of your industry sector, Ceequel® Employee Management Software is the perfect match for your organisation. Embark on a journey of continuous improvement with our award-winning Time and Attendance, Access Control, Human Resource Management and Shop Floor Data Capture modular solutions. For more information, please contact ELF Productivity.

Autocratic, Paternalistic and Laissez-Faire are three traditional management styles. Before we look at each in more detail, ask yourself…

Is there a definitive management style for the contemporary workplace?

Based on your own experiences, what are the key characteristics that make someone a good manager?

Autocratic managers operate a no nonsense, ‘my way or the highway!’ policy. Decision making processes are short with very little or no staff input. Paternalistic managers believe in a more democratic approach; they ultimately have the final say but employee engagement and collaboration is encouraged. The Laissez-Faire perspective is a ‘hands off’ philosophy which sees managers leave their staff to get on with their work with virtually no supervision.

Unfortunately for managers, when it comes to getting the best out of your staff, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Some employees require clear direction, others prefer to be left to their own devices or wish to be included in strategic decision making. Whether you’re a strict disciplinarian or the kind of manager who brings the old guitar to staff training days; here are seven common characteristics usually found in a successful manager:

Leader by Example – First and foremost, managers are role models. If you work hard and constantly promote a professional and positive attitude towards work, others are likely to follow suit.

Team Builder – Creating a ‘team’ culture is crucial. Proficient managers play to their team’s strengths and facilitate positive working relationships. Activities such as social events or regular meetings can be effective motivators.

Clear Performance Expectations – Communication is king! Your staff must be aware of what you expect from them. Set realistic targets and devise clear systems and processes that will enable your department to meet the desired criteria.

Provider of Regular Feedback – Constant feedback helps to ensure that everyone is pulling in the right direction. It doesn’t have to be chapter and verse, simply reinforce good working practices and nip any detrimental issues in the bud.

Keen to Develop Employees – Implementing training and development initiatives that enable your staff to be even better at their job is beneficial to everyone……isn’t it?

Reward Good Performance – A thank you or a good old fashioned pat on the back costs nothing!

Commitment to Self-Improvement – Nobody’s perfect at the end of the day and mistakes do happen. Management is a skill that requires constant development. There’s an old saying, ‘it’s better to be a lucky manager than a good one’. Trust me, the harder you work, the luckier you’ll get!

Ceequel® E-Manager delivers a comprehensive, web-based workforce management solution, accessible from PC’s, laptops, smartphones and tablet devices. Thanks to the dynamic integration of our E-Manager, Time and Attendance and Human Resource Management software modules; daily managerial administrative tasks can be completed promptly online. To learn more about Ceequel® E-Manager, please contact ELF Productivity.

The recent Industrial Trends survey carried out by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) revealed an air of optimism within the UK manufacturing sector. Domestic orders rose in the three months to January at the highest rate since July 2014 and the weak, post-Brexit pound continues to drive competitiveness in both EU and Non-EU markets. The government has even unveiled a new ‘Industrial Strategy’ to support key UK industries.

Furthermore, a rounded figure of +15% represents the highest optimism for the general business climate since January 2015. However, while some respondents outlined plans for capacity expansion, training, product development and process innovation; the majority of the 461 manufacturing companies researched, shared concerns over growing cost pressures and a shortage of skilled labour.

Not only did manufacturing costs increase at the fastest pace for over five years; the general consensus of opinion among industry experts is that these cost pressures are likely to intensify over the next year or so. Meanwhile, the aforementioned skilled labour deficit is predicted to have a detrimental impact on manufacturing output.

As pressures mount to remain both efficient and profitable, many UK manufacturing organisations are turning to shop floor data capture and employee tracking software as they strive for continuous improvement.

Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture is an industry-leading workforce management solution for manufacturers. Dynamic cost calculation features convert labour activity and machine time into monetary value, ensuring all activity-based costing and employee performance related pay processes are executed to the highest degree of accuracy. Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture also provides unparalleled, real-time shop floor productivity analysis including: insights into man and machine efficiency, identification of bottlenecks and comprehensive Work in Progress (WIP) reports.

For a free of charge consultation, please contact ELF Productivity.