If your job role involves running or assisting in the management of a company, you may be considering investing in a time and attendance system. Due to technological advancements, many administrative procedures have now been automated to allow managers and employees more time to focus on tasks that will improve a business’s productivity and effectiveness, and the installation of a time and attendance system can take this even further. You may think that the software simply constitutes a more straightforward way for workers to clock in and out of their shifts, but, in actuality, there’s a great deal more that can be achieved, duly taking a large weight off the minds of management and freeing up more hours in the day. Here are just a few things you can track and control with the help of a time and attendance system.
- Attendance
Unsurprisingly, one of the chief purposes for which a time and attendance system is often used is the recording of staff arrival and departure times throughout a regular working day. Having an automated system involving data capture terminals present in the workplace – via which employees may sign in and out – makes it much easier to keep track of their hours and timekeeping. The system can be installed to cover multiple sites and automatically calculate a staff member’s total time spent at each.
- Leave
Information regarding holiday allowances, sick leave and maternity leave can be logged by employees, management or human resources staff, allowing you to keep track of who is in and who is not throughout the year without having to juggle staffing matters manually.
- Rotas
One of the biggest headaches a manager can come up against is that of creating an effective and watertight rota on a regular basis. If your employees’ work is shift-based, a time and attendance system can be programmed to ensure that any number of preferences can be taken into account. Whether you need an employee with a specific skill – say a trained first aider – present for each shift, or you wish to keep two staff members separate due to an ongoing dispute, a time and attendance system can create a whole bank of rotas matching all your stipulated parameters.
- Access and permissions
It may be that some areas of your premises are restricted and can only be accessed by authorised or correctly trained personnel, which can prove difficult to regulate and potentially hazardous should security be looser than desired. Time and attendance systems can be enhanced with software that monitors these secure areas, and passwords or swipe cards can be implemented to assist with the regulation of access permissions.
- “Shop floor” time management
If one of your aims is to improve the speed at which tasks are completed – therefore increasing turnover – time and attendance software is available that will undertake data capture and allow you to track the performance of individual workers or machines. This aspect comes with the added benefit of alerting management when automatic processes slow down, signalling a possible mechanical fault that may otherwise go unnoticed and could allow you to save money by having the equipment repaired as soon as an issue arises instead of having to replace the whole unit and suffering from the resulting lengthy downtime.
- HR and employee services
Not only can employees log their own requests for holiday and leave, software can be included in a time and attendance management system that benefits them even further. Their training and specialisms can be logged in real time, showing where they may be able to progress and assisting in the development of their careers as well as ensuring that all members of staff are up to date with all necessary qualifications.
- Company structure and hierarchy
It’s vital that all members of staff understand the makeup of the business for which they work, and this can prove notoriously difficult if employees work across a number of sites or for a larger organization. With a time and attendance management system, it is possible to set up options for staff search or a company structure display, allowing for a tighter team and better interdepartmental knowledge company wide.
These are just some of the elements of your business that can be improved through the installation of a time and attendance management system. For further information, get in touch with Time and Attendance today via 01257 256000 or email their helpful team today on sales@elf.uk.com to discuss your company’s unique needs and requirements.