Author: Agent ELF

According to the ‘UK Manufacturing Monitor’ survey conducted by audit, tax and consulting company RSM; a considerable number of British manufacturers are set to make significant investments in technology over the next three to five years.

Echoing the findings released last week by EEF and BDO in their ‘2017 Manufacturing Outlook Survey’; the UK manufacturing sector remains on solid ground with firms continuing to enjoy the competitive advantage of UK goods in foreign markets thanks to the weak pound. However, with challenging trading conditions expected in the not too distant future, particularly once Brexit negotiations have concluded; many UK manufacturers believe that the time to modernise processes through investments in technology is imminent. Strong competition is also anticipated from East Asia further down the line, something which the UK was previously protected from as a member of the European Union.

With manufacturing organisations and industry experts largely in agreement over the integral role that innovation will play in the future success of the UK manufacturing sector; what are manufacturers looking for in return for their investment?

When prompted to name their most desired outcomes, ‘better, more informed strategic decision making’ and ‘enhanced operational efficiencies’ were the most popular responses. Respondents were also fully aware of the challenges associated with successfully upgrading core business processes. Finding the right software to satisfy ‘unique or complex company-specific requirements’ were high ranking concerns alongside ‘full integration’ with other software modules.

Are you a UK-based manufacturing organisation looking to enhance your operational efficiencies?

Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture delivers a comprehensive, real-time granular insight into a manufacturer’s shop floor operations including: productive/non-productive hours, employee activity tracking, incentive scheme calculations, WIP tracking, man and machine efficiencies, labour performance reporting and actuals vs standard times.

All Ceequel® modules share the same database and have been specifically designed to complement each other seamlessly. Effortlessly configure complex shift patterns utilising our innovative Time and Attendance systems, secure your site at the touch of a button with our robust Access Control solutions and simplify your people management processes through our dynamic Human Resource Management software.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel®, please contact ELF Productivity. Alternatively, a range of modular brochures can be found here.

Happy general election day everyone!

Decision time is here again (three years ahead of schedule), who will prevail in the battle for Number 10? Who is tough enough? (Sorry Ed, I couldn’t resist)

In the blue corner, we have Prime Minister Theresa May who called this snap general election in a bid to strengthen her hand in realising the government’s Brexit vision. Her opponent in the red corner, Labour supremo Jeremy Corbyn.

While I’m sure that you have a good idea which way your vote is going to go, let’s take a closer look at leading candidates Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn:

Theresa Mary May was born on the 1^st October 1956 to parents Zaidee and Hubert Brasier in Eastbourne, Sussex. May became a Member of Parliament in 1997 and has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since July 2016. Following the 2010 general election, May was appointed Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, positions she held until 2016 and 2012 respectively. She has been married to Philip May since 1980.

Jeremy Bernard Corbyn was born on 26^th May 1949 to parents Naomi and David Corbyn in Chippenham, Wiltshire. A Member of Parliament since 1983, he became Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition in September 2015. Before entering politics in 1974, Corbyn worked as a representative for a number of trade unions. He has been married three times, divorced twice and has three sons by his second wife.

According to those ever-reliable opinion polls, the outcome could be anything from a hung parliament to a Conservative rout! Could Jeremy Corbyn pull off a major upset and be the next Labour Prime Minister or will it be May in June?

Are you looking to optimise your organisation’s internal succession planning processes?

Ceequel® Human Resource Management Software provides managers with a range of innovative features to identify the ideal candidate for a new vacancy. Comprehensive skills to job match listings can be generated along with detailed employee reports outlining: qualifications, occupational history and previous appraisal summaries. For more information, please contact ELF Productivity.

A range of brochures are also available to download from our website; please click here to learn more about our award-winning, fully integrated time and attendance software suite.

The recent ‘2017 Q2 Manufacturing Outlook Survey’ carried out by EEF and accountancy firm BDO, has revealed that the UK manufacturing sector remains strong despite uncertainties over Brexit negotiations and the upcoming general election. The results from the quarterly survey prompted EEF to raise their manufacturing growth forecasts to 1.3% and 0.5% for 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the positive trends across the UK manufacturing sector, placing particular emphasis on output, markets, investment and employment:

Manufacturing – Despite remaining well above the long-term average and representing a considerable improvement on last year’s figures, output balances fell marginally short of expectations at 26%. The 31% recorded in the previous quarter was a four year high.

Markets – While the domestic market continued to provide a solid stream of new orders for UK manufacturers, the surge in export opportunities throughout quarter 2 was particularly pleasing. Interestingly, 61% of firms reported a significant increase in demand from European markets!

Investment & Employment – Investment balances were also positive for the third quarter in succession as manufacturers strive to satisfy the growing demand for UK goods. Furthermore, manufacturing employment balances rose to a three year high during the second quarter of 2017.

It’s not all good news however, as representatives from both EEF and BDO were quick to point out the various challenges which UK manufacturing organisations are likely to face in the not too distant future. Industry experts are particularly concerned about the potential ramifications of unsuccessful trade negotiations with the EU and other core overseas markets. Additional causes for concern included: increasing raw material costs, reductions in consumer spending along with attracting and retaining top talent to combat skills shortages.

Regardless of challenges that lay ahead, Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture is the ideal solution to set UK manufacturing organisations on the road to continuous improvement.

Developed by award-winning time and attendance systems provider ELF Productivity, Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture delivers unparalleled, real-time production analysis along with intelligent activity based costing features. For more information, please contact ELF Productivity.

A range of brochures are also available to download from our website; please click here to learn more about our fully integrated workforce management software suite.

Meetings are crucial to the smooth-running of any organisation, they provide us with the opportunity to brainstorm ideas, make informed decisions and devise plans of action. However, they can also be notorious productivity killers!

A recent survey investigating the impact of meetings on workplace productivity, revealed some highly damning statistics. Not only were meetings listed as the second highest ranking productivity killer behind internet browsing, over half of respondents believed that time spent in meetings is simply wasted. Furthermore, 64% of managers researched, spend on average 14 hours per week in meetings!

As we appear to be faced with a ‘can’t live with them, can’t live without them’ scenario; here are five marvellous methods to make the most of meetings:

Preparation – Lay the groundwork for a successful meeting with a little prior preparation. Create and distribute agendas outlining: the date and time of the meeting, objectives, who will be in attendance, the topics up for discussion, presentation responsibilities and any required background reading.

Clear Objectives and END GOAL – Why have you called the meeting? What do you wish to accomplish and how are you going to do it? These are the questions which must be answered in the opening minutes of any meeting. Similarly, before concluding discussions, the meeting leader should refer back to the agenda to ensure that all objectives have been satisfied.

The Guest List – As the number of attendees increases, productivity DECREASES! Ask yourself beforehand, who is really required to attend? Fundamentally, meetings are called to facilitate decision making; therefore, only those with the relevant knowledge and privileges should be present. A summary email detailing all topics covered during the meeting will often suffice!

Timing is Everything – As touched upon earlier in the post, meetings are infamous, productivity killing, time thieves! In order to quell the disruption caused, make sure that meetings are scheduled appropriately and are not overlong. Studies suggest that the optimum duration falls anywhere between 30 and 50 minutes, any longer and attention spans start to diminish. It is also advised that all meetings should be concluded by 3PM.

Maintain Focus – How many times have you been in a meeting, making good progress before it was hijacked by someone going off on a tangent? Off-topic storytelling is a common cause of lost focus in meetings. While it’s nice to converse with your colleagues, you should avoid deviating from the aforementioned pre-defined agenda and objectives. Many organisations also enforce mobile device bans to maintain concentration levels. Get in there, get it done and get out!

Eradicate productivity killers with Ceequel® Employee Management Software!

Developed in-house by award-winning time and attendance systems provider ELF Productivity, Ceequel® has enabled countless organisations to become more productive and profitable.

If you would like to learn more about our dynamic time and attendance, access control, human resource management and employee activity tracking software modules, please contact ELF Productivity.

To view our brochures section, please click here.

While continuous improvement is something that all organisations strive towards, successfully implementing process optimisation initiatives can be tricky.

A recent survey, investigating the opinions of over five hundred UK-based process improvement and change management specialists, revealed that prosperous process improvement procedures often hinge on the following fundamental features:

Recognition – The root causes of organisational productivity issues must be identified before any optimisation strategies are devised, examples may include bottlenecks in manufacturing processes and time consuming, error-ridden administrative activities. If the exact problem is not identified, organisations could be trapped in a seemingly never ending trial and error phase. The moral of the tale; if isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it!

Training & Support – Ensuring that employees receive sufficient training is essential. Using the implementation of a new time and attendance system as an example; training can be carried out during the installation stage enabling staff to hit the ground running. Furthermore, as any new systems or processes will undoubtedly incur some initial teething problems, ongoing support should be provided by the workforce management solutions supplier.

The Two C’s: Communication & Collaboration – This may sound a little corny but in order to succeed, the whole organisation must adopt a ‘we’re all in this together’ approach. Regular company-wide communication channels must be utilised to keep all personnel up to date with the process improvement strategy plan of action. It is also highly likely that the transition period will get a little rocky from time to time, when this occurs, staff may be required to go above and beyond to restore tranquility.

Leadership – Any process improvement strategy requires strong leadership, either from senior management or an elected ‘change management’ team. The personnel responsible for the coordination of the project and final decision making must be made clear to everyone. While it’s important to provide the opportunity for all staff to voice their opinions, I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying about too many cooks spoiling the broth!

Here at ELF Productivity, we also know a thing or two about optimising business processes!

Ceequel® Employee Management Software is a dynamic, cost-effective time and attendance software suite capable of setting any organisation on the road to continuous improvement.

For more information, please contact ELF Productivity. A range of brochures are also available to download, please click here to view our downloads section.

Happy Friday Everyone!

It’s that time again and to celebrate we’re going to explore why everyone’s favourite day of the working week has such a bad reputation for unproductivity. Whilst we’re all familiar with the idea of ‘winding down for the weekend’; are Fridays genuinely unproductive or simply, just more relaxed?

Throughout this post we’ll be taking a look at findings from three recent surveys before outlining four fabulous tips to make your Fridays fantastically productive.

Unsurprisingly, two of the three UK-based organisations researched, listed Friday as their least productive day of the week in terms of ‘tasks created and completed’. Furthermore, over 50% of respondents believed that productivity is at its lowest point between 14:30 and 17:00. Interestingly, the third company ranked Friday as its SECOND most productive day behind usual suspect, Tuesday. A combination of a less hectic schedule, a lack of distractions such as meetings and reduced stress levels were the key reasons behind their end of week output surge.

Have you got that productive #FridayFeeling yet? Fear not, here are those four fabulous tips to end your working week on high:

Clear the Decks – Fridays provide a great opportunity to tie up any loose ends and complete those niggling tasks that you haven’t managed to get around to all week. When you arrive at the office on Friday morning, create a ‘to do’ list of everything that you’ve been putting off and check them off one by one. There’s nothing like kicking off the weekend with a sense of accomplishment!

Complete the Most Difficult Task First – Sometimes it can be hard to get going on a Friday morning, after all, you’ve reached the end of a long, hard week and you’re ready for a break. Once the most difficult task is out of the way, it’s all plain sailing from here on in.

EMBRACE the Dreaded Friday Afternoon Slump – Despite their best efforts, many employees are statistically less productive and more prone to procrastination on Friday afternoons. To combat the slump, set aside Friday afternoon for tasks that are more invigorating or enjoyable. If you have any new projects on the horizon, use the time for brainstorming and creative thinking.

Plan Ahead – Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for this on Monday morning! Just before you merrily skip out of the office to start your weekend, use your last few minutes at work to prepare for the week ahead. It doesn’t have to be chapter and verse, simply make a note of your top priorities, fast approaching deadlines, upcoming meetings or anything else that you may wish to include. Come Monday, you’ll already be ahead of the game!

With Ceequel® Employee Management Software, your most productive day of the week is EVERYDAY!

If you would like to learn more about our award-winning time and attendance solutions, please contact ELF Productivity.

Are employee appraisals still relevant in 2017?

This is a topic of considerable debate among UK-based HR practitioners. Do appraisals still play a crucial role in an organisation’s employee performance management processes, or are they outdated, ineffective and ultimately, a waste of time?

Throughout this post we’re going to put appraisals under review, investigating both positive and negative perceptions before outlining a handful of useful tips to get your appraisal procedures back on track.

Shall we get those negatives out of the way first?

Awkwardness – A common complaint from employees and line managers alike! Let’s face it, appraisals can be a little awkward. From an employee’s perspective, there is a sense of anxiousness both before and during the rating and slating of your performance! For managers, the whole process can feel like something of a chore at times. There is also the worry of creating conflict as some employees may not respond too kindly to constructive criticism.

Misconceptions – Unfortunately, there is an undoubted misconception that appraisals generally highlight weaknesses and are simply, an excuse to deny employees a pay rise. Managers may also refrain from giving honest feedback to avoid demotivating an employee. Misconceptions such as these can render the whole appraisal process ineffective.

Past its Sell-by Date – Many HR experts also believe that annual or quarterly appraisals have become somewhat outdated and should be replaced by regular progress meetings. Those loyal to the traditional annual review deem monthly or fortnightly progress meetings to be both distracting and unnecessary, arguing that employee development takes time.

Now for the positives…

Greater Communication Between Employees and Managers – Appraisals provide managers with an opportunity to spend some quality time with their employees. In addition to the obligatory discussions about salaries and career development objectives; any other issues can be aired privately and if necessary, nipped in the bud.

Opportunity to Reward Good Performance – After all, it’s nice to give people good news! Through the medium of appraisals, managers are able to congratulate hard working employees and reward them with pay rises, promotions, bonuses or merely, a good old fashioned ‘well done’.

Employee Development – It’s no secret that all managers want to keep hold of star employees. During an appraisal, managers have the opportunity to map out the employee’s immediate future within the company. If skill enhancements or additional qualifications are required for advancement, training and development activities can be devised accordingly.

No matter which side of the proverbial fence you’re on; for the vast majority of organisations, employee appraisals are here to stay. With that in mind, here are some useful tips to ensure that you get the most out of them:

Be Prepared – If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right! Both managers and employees must be sufficiently prepared for the appraisal. Managers should have all the required information to ensure the delivery of an accurate review, providing each employee with the attention they deserve. Employees, it’s up to you to iron out any issues which you may wish to address.

Improvise – While most appraisals are predominantly scripted, usually involving considerable box ticking; it’s important to improvise. No two employees are the same and appraisals should be tailored with that in mind.

Follow it up – Managers should check in with employees from time to time to see how they’re getting along with satisfying the objectives outlined during the review. This also bridges the gap between the traditional annual appraisal and the new, ‘regular progress meeting’ concepts.

And last but by no means least, check out Ceequel® Employee Management Software!

With our dynamic human resource management software, all employee information is available at the touch of a button along with innovative training and development solutions to streamline organisational skills matching and succession planning procedures.

For more information, please contact ELF Productivity. Alternatively, a range of brochures are available to download from our website, please click here to view our downloads section.

Time and attendance systems are rapidly becoming a necessity for contemporary organisations as they strive to become more productive and profitable. With so many options to choose from, how do businesses go about selecting the ideal solution for their requirements?

When deliberating over multiple time and attendance solutions, it is advised that organisations utilise ‘the four factor’ categories to compare the various bells and whistles, namely: Attendance & Productivity Tracking Capabilities, Functionality, Adaptability and Integration Capacity.

We will now explore each ‘factor’ in more detail whilst also introducing the feature-rich, Ceequel® Employee Management Software. Developed in house by award-winning time and attendance systems provider ELF Productivity; Ceequel® is without doubt, one of the most dynamic time and attendance software suites in the world today.

Attendance & Productivity Tracking Capabilities – First and foremost, time and attendance systems enable organisations to track employee attendance effectively from clock card to payroll. Ceequel® Time and Attendance collects and processes all employee attendance data in real-time, to the highest degree of accuracy. Numerous clocking options are available including: biometric fingerprint and facial recognition, proximity cards, key fobs, mobile applications, telephone and email to name but a few. Employee performance and productivity tracking features have also become somewhat of a time and attendance package prerequisite. With Ceequel® employee tracking software, managers are able to view the number of hours that employees have spent working on specific projects or within designated departments.

Functionality – The capabilities of an outstanding time and attendance system go way beyond employee attendance monitoring. Depending on the functionality of the software, organisations can pre-plan departmental staffing levels, quell costly absenteeism whilst significantly enhancing administrative accuracy and efficiency. Ceequel® delivers innovative labour forecasting platforms and shift rostering features, providing organisations with the flexibility to cope with any unforeseen circumstances. Ceequel® also empowers managers in the fight against absenteeism. A thorough insight into all planned, paid, unpaid and unauthorised employee absences is accessible along with ‘Exception’ and ‘Bradford Factor’ reports, which detail any unusual clocking and absence traits exhibited by individual employees. Historically time consuming and error plagued payroll administrative tasks are also simplified by the intelligent calculation and automated report features incorporated within Ceequel® which include: basic and overtime hours worked, flexitime, annualised hours, Time Off in Lieu (TOIL), holiday allocations relative to length of service and any other company specific bespoke calculations.

Adaptability – Any new time and attendance system should work around your rules (not the other way around). As all coding is done in-house at ELF Productivity, Ceequel® is infinitely configurable to a client’s bespoke requirements. Our motto is ‘Providing your rules have some logic, Ceequel® will deal with it.’ In other words, as long as your existing processes remain commercially viable; the implementation of Ceequel® will set you on the road to continuous improvement!

Integration Capacity – Integration is key to the success of any time and attendance system with regard to eradicating the input errors and time lost attributable to the double keying of data. All Ceequel® modules share the same database and have been specifically designed to complement each other seamlessly. Using holiday requests as an example. Employees initially submit a holiday request through a Self-Service platform, the request is then either approved or declined by their supervisor utilising a web-based E-Manager module. Should the request be approved, the necessary updates to the employee’s records will be carried out automatically in other modules such as Time and Attendance or Human Resources.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Time and Attendance, please contact ELF Productivity. A range of brochures are also available to download from our website, to view the downloads section, please click here.

Britain’s largest sectoral employers’ organisation EEF, which represents over 20,000 UK-based manufacturing, engineering and technology companies, has signed an agreement with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in a bid to boost trade between the UK and the USA.

The initial three-year partnership has been devised to promote trade opportunities in both countries for manufacturing and engineering organisations through the sharing of ‘market intelligence, data and policy work’. Various mutually beneficial commercial projects have also been outlined including collaborative marketing opportunities at trade shows and conferences along with economic delegations and strategic visits.

As Brexit negotiations loom large on the horizon for the UK, both EEF and NAM believe that this new partnership could potentially prove invaluable if, as expected, the UK and the USA attempt to agree a free trade deal following Britain’s exit from the European Union. The US is the UK manufacturing sector’s largest overseas market, purchasing over £47 Billion worth of goods in 2016 alone.

Are you a UK-based manufacturer looking to boost your shop floor processes?

Developed by award-winning software authors ELF Productivity, Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture offers manufacturers invaluable, real-time production analysis and intelligent activity based costing calculations.

If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® Shop Floor Data Capture or any of our other workforce management software modules, please contact ELF Productivity. A range of brochures are also available to download from our website.

A productive workforce, reduced absenteeism, increased employee morale and competitive advantage when attracting top talent….

According to a number of recent surveys, these are just some of the benefits achievable through a well-designed workplace environment.

For those of you wondering where to start with regard to optimising your office layout, fixtures and fittings; here are six relatively subtle examples to consider before consulting your local Feng-Shui Master!

Good Air Quality – In addition to the detrimental impact which poor air circulation has on employee productivity, there are also various health concerns such as fatigue, headaches and those niggly coughs! On the other hand, a good supply of oxygen is reinvigorating and capable of significantly enhancing a person’s concentration and energy levels. In order to maintain ample air quality, organisations should install efficient ventilation systems, purchase office plants and introduce regular ‘open window’ policies (weather permitting of course!).

Optimum Temperature – Is everyone familiar with Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Well, it’s kind of the same scenario with employee productivity. If an office is too hot or too cold, workers are likely to become distracted and hence less productive. According to numerous studies, a temperature of around 22°C is just right!

Appropriate Lighting – Another factor which affects both employee productivity and well-being. Organisations are advised to subject their employees to as much natural light as possible, not only will they feel more energised whilst at work; natural light also improves a person’s sleep patterns and general quality of life. When the supply of natural light is limited, employers must consider the effect that artificial light has on their staff. Workspaces that are too light or too dark can incur headaches, eyestrain and migraines.

Motivational Office Decor – According to psychologists, certain colours play important roles in heightening specific aspects of employee performance including enhancing productivity, sparking creativity and even facilitating physical exertion. If you are looking to increase productivity, make sure that your workplace decor contains plenty of green! Displaying artwork around the office is also believed to be an effective motivator, examples include paintings, photography and posters incorporating inspirational quotes.

A Change of Scenery at Break Times – Many organisations now provide a place for their employees to ‘chill out’ during break periods, specifically designed to take their minds off work for a short while. Break rooms come in all shapes and sizes; some firms prefer a quiet place with comfy sofas where employees can talk and unwind while others have introduced ‘games rooms’ equipped with pool tables, dartboards, table tennis, foosball and even games consoles!

Provision of Complementary Healthy Snacks – Another recent survey which investigated the effects of free snacks on organisational morale, discovered that one of the quickest ways to an employee’s heart was through their stomach! The study also revealed numerous ‘brain foods’ capable of boosting productivity, memory and focus. Employers, don’t forget to add nuts, eggs, blueberries and bananas to your shopping list!

Are you looking to become more productive?

Ceequel® Employee Management Software delivers an unparalleled workforce management solution. Our intelligent time and attendance systems enable organisations to monitor employee attendance, configure complex shift patterns, streamline clocking to payroll processes and counteract absenteeism. If you would like to learn more about Ceequel® time and attendance or any of our other human resource management software modules, please contact ELF Productivity.

A range of brochures are also available to download from our website, please click here to view our downloads section.