Category: Elf

Ceequel® Facial Recognition

Did you know that ELF Productivity Ltd is still leading the way in facial recognition technology?

Ceequel® software continues to offer a fully functional and accurate temperature detection solution with options available for both non-contact palm recognition and temperature detection in all the latest units.

Hardware that can be utilised for clocking purposes and controlling access to site via Ceequel® Access Control with door and turnstile entry.

All individual clocking and access times are recorded to include a temperature check.  Actions that are both reportable, fully auditable and include workflow notifications and alerts for when temperature readings are high.

If you are interested in a Biometric Time and Attendance or Access Control system for your company, contact ELF Productivity Ltd today for a free, no obligation demonstration and quotation of Ceequel® software.

Alternatively, Ceequel® brochures can be downloaded here

We’ll be right back after this short break…..

After taking a short break……..Euro2020 is FINALLY under way!

The England campaign under Gareth Southgate’s quiet, gentle leadership is as steady as ever.

Since taking over the ‘Top Job’, he’s emerged as the ‘Big Brother’ of the squad and that’s not only apparent with his laid-back approach to the line-up but also with his backroom staff.

Has a Laissez-Faire style of management developed within the England camp?

Laissez-Faire, ah yes, the old ‘hands off ‘minimal micro-management, no daily meeting approach.

Apple’s Steve Jobs was a committed believer……apparently.

French for “leave alone” Laissez-Faire is to all intent and purposes the position to adopt for a ‘leave in peace’ method. It’s the most agreeable tactic to assume, so long as you’re happy giving your line-up the freedom to rock out and be C R E A T I V E.

But does this mean that traditional management styles are no longer essential for success, have they become an out-of-date, unnecessary waste of time?

Like the ‘Beautiful Game’, are managers switching tactics at half-time if their time-tested leadership method is failing, particularly on the next generation of workers who after the last year or so, have spent most of their time working from home?

Let’s look at the top 5 recognised management styles.

Coaching
A coach identifies strengths, weaknesses and is effective at setting goals for the team. They understand how everyone on their team ‘ticks’ and recognises that everybody has something different to bring to the table.

The Visionary
A visionary will drive and inspire others, will always be looking ahead and will be creative with fresh ideas and concepts. A manager who looks at the bigger picture and how notions can be transformed for the better whilst understanding that new ideas take time to be perfected. Focus is given to the end prize not the current position.

Servant
Servant leaders are people-minded and invest heavily in personal development. They are particularly good with employee well-being, morale and satisfaction. Amiable, caring and agreeable whilst seeing both sides of the argument.

Autocratic/Authoritarian
The dreaded military style leader is focused purely on results and efficiency and will make decisions solo or with a small principle group. Workers subjected to this type of austere leadership believe they are just ‘a number’ and therefore not recognised as an individual. The autocratic leader usually sees the cost to the company and not the person behind it.

Democratic
A democratic leader will always ask for input. A manager who not only recognises that others have voices and opinions worth listening to but who is open to constructive criticism and who welcomes a two-way street approach within meetings, which, as every leader worth their salt recognises, is valuable.

Whatever management style you choose to adopt for your ‘squad’ Ceequel® Biometric Time and Attendance Management software will help you deliver the results that you require for ALL your workforce.

ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® software, reliable, steady, always developing and constantly improving.

For a closer look at Ceequel® software contact ELF Productivity Ltd today for a free, no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software.

Alternatively, please feel free to download our brochure catalogue here.

There’s No Place Like Home

Education both remotely and at school is finally over until September and that means only one thing……summer is officially here!

Holidays can begin or as the UK travel industry have re-branded it, let the ‘staycation’ commence!

#Staycation. With holidays already reserved to spend via ‘Costa del Decking’ this summer, when was the last time any of us chose to take our annual leave in Blighty?

As we emerge from one of the most traumatic times in UK work history, a ‘staycation’ could just be what the doctor if not the Government ordered for UK workers. Coastal, countryside and city destinations all filled with businesses that need a helping hand at this time.

Not convinced and still prefer to jet off?

Given the current climate, is anyone particularly enamoured with the thought of sharing a tin can with 200 + strangers, on a flight loaded with masks and hand sanitiser, accompanied by the type of nervy eye-swivels that only appear when someone is brave enough to clear their throat?

Surely the option to holiday at home this year for that reason alone is more attractive.

Remember when you were a child and the only things that mattered on holiday were candy floss, building sandcastles on the beach and fish and chips, usually in that order. Children don’t particularly care where they holiday, as long as they get to have an adventure.

With UK hotels and hospitality still able to accommodate bookings, supporting local businesses is crucial at this stage of our recovery to provide the country with a much-needed economic boost and to help workers enjoy some welcome R&R time-off.

Perhaps you have always wanted to scale the dizzy heights of Ben Nevis – Bear Grylls style obviously! Maybe now is the time to accomplish that dream. Spending hours outdoors is a proven medicine for a good night’s sleep, as well as being beneficial for both mental health and physical wellbeing.

Given the current climate that’s something we could all profit from once we are back on the shop floor.

Great Britain is an amazing place so why not enjoy a ‘staycation’ this summer? Is holidaying in the UK really so bad?

After all, as Dorothy often reminds us “There’s no place like home.”

If you are interested in implementing a Human Resources Time and Attendance Management system to assist in planning your employees own summer #staycation, contact ELF Productivity Ltd today on 01257 256000 for a free, no obligation demonstration and quotation of Ceequel® software suite.

Or alternatively, our brochure catalogue can be downloaded here.

ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® software, assisting, advising and supporting all our clients both remotely and office-based during the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.

Recruitment…….The Covid Way

Without it sounding like just another soundbite but the world of HR has changed……. forever.

In the wake of the devastating tsunami damage that Covid-19 has brought to businesses across the UK, what does the future hold for Human Resources and recruitment?

When companies are once again ready and confident to commit to a recruitment drive, will there be Zoom and Team interviews until the ‘virtual ink’ is dry on the contract? Or will they be masked up, gowned up, latex gloves at the ready, face-to-face interviews?

If candidates ARE permitted within a 5 mile radius of your building, will it be smart casual dress for those face-to-face interviews or will it be replaced with ‘designer hazmat’ at Reception and worn until the candidate is a fully-fledged, temperature checked, cough and Covid-free member of your team?

Interestingly, will temperature checks become as compulsory as clocking in and making ‘The Boss’ a brew?

All joking aside and with the 1 metre pub (sorry PLUS) rule imminent the hoops and hurdles that Human Resources have had to jump through to get even this far have been challenging, never mind being “Open for Business” again.

As we all try and regain some degree of normality, recruiting after the lockdown is now another major hurdle to not only embrace but master.

E-Doc sign software for contracts was already in widespread use prior to the pandemic, however in the wake of the outbreak there has been a surge of interest in the software. Is this now the way forward, remote interviews, coupled with E signatures and then on to remote working?

As the country tentatively unlocks and if you have never contemplated or even considered a Biometric Time Management System for your employees before, now could be the right time for you to begin planning and implementing a system for your shop floor.

Whatever Human Resources has in store for its future, ELF Productivity Ltd is here to guide, assist and help you through the transitional minefield. With almost 40 years’ experience of Time and Attendance computer software, we guarantee that at least one of our many Ceequel® software modules will not only appeal TO you but work FOR you.

ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® software, supporting, upholding and helping all our clients during the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.

If you are interested in a Biometric Time Management system for your HR and Payroll department, contact ELF Productivity Ltd today on 01257 256000 for a free, no obligation demonstration and quotation of Ceequel® software suite.

Or, if you prefer, our brochure catalogue can be downloaded here.

The Return From Costa Del Home

With the biggest paid leave in UK work history slowly coming to an end and with a phased return to work AND school now in the pipeline, Human Resource departments up and down the land are poised to step-up and prepare for the mass return from ‘Costa del Home.’

With the phased return to school now scheduled to begin later in the year the nation’s children have been the ones to not only accept the current status quo but acclimatise to it.

When the mercury started to rise as quickly as the panic, they were the ones that grasped the long, hot lockdown with both hands.

With the added extra curriculum courtesy of the ‘School of Mum and Dad’ they adjusted to remote learning, helped said Mum/Dad deploy Zoom, Houseparty and explained how to Facetime grumpy gramps so actual faces could be viewed as opposed to the usual wall/ceiling/ear!

They created rainbows for their homes, baked banana bread for ’Isolating Nan’ all the time working out to daily gym sessions with Body Coach Joe.

As adults, when do we stop having that easy acceptance and tolerance? When do we stop being curious and open to exploring new concepts or ideas and new ways of doing things?

Mental Health Awareness is now more prevalent than ever, particularly within the workplace. The motto adopted for the recent Mental Health Awareness week is ‘be kind.’ As we all embark on the long road to recovery, what ‘kindness’ awaits employees on the shop floor?

At a time when we have all had to lean on someone either physically, mentally or spiritually, perhaps looking and learning from our children is the answer.

When the shop floors and offices are active once more and the idea of working remotely permanently loses its appeal, will HR uphold what it has learned during this unique time?

When the sounds of children playing in their school playgrounds fill the air again, will we look at them and realise that they played an integral part of helping and supporting US through the crisis; more importantly will we be humble and modest enough to learn from them?

Because after all, they are not only the Britons of this time but the future.

If you are interested in a Biometric Time and Attendance Management system for your own phased return to work, contact ELF Productivity Ltd today on 01257 256000 for a free, no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software suite.

Or alternatively, our brochure catalogue can be downloaded here.

ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® software, sustaining, supporting and maintaining all our clients during the ongoing Corona-virus outbreak.

A Message To You…..

Over the course of the month, inspiring commercials produced by a well-known high street bank have started to appear on TV, titled “A message to myself in 6 months’ time.”

The commercials are essentially video messages created by members of the public, currently in lockdown, with the intention of sending a motivational memo to themselves for 6 months’ time.

They range from people being thankful for family and friends, to a couple sharing their isolation wedding arrangements for when they eventually tie the knot later in the year; you get the general idea.

During this unfamiliar and surreal time, is it still ok to plan? Can we prepare for the future during a period of severe restrictions, with the country locked down to such a degree that there is no definite ‘end date’ in sight?

Where do you see yourself in 6 months, a year or 5 years’ time is a question normally reserved for job interviews. The answers range from the usual run-of-the-mill, “Hopefully working here” to the eye-opening “I’ll be sat in your chair!”

So, considering the recent adverts, we have a message for you, “Where do you see not only yourself but your business in a year’s time? When restrictions are finally relaxed and lifted will your business still be operating in the same way?

More importantly, do you want it to be?”

At the start of 2020, nobody could possibly have envisioned the situation we all currently find ourselves in. For business across the UK, it is without question a testing time. However, will you look back at this moment with regret or will you be thankful that you had chosen this time to consider real investment for your company?

If this period is causing you to focus on a much needed and long overdue overhaul of your company’s processes, then ELF Productivity Ltd has the answer.

ELF Productivity Ltd’s Ceequel® software suite encompasses Biometric Time and Attendance with Human Resources, Access Control, Shop Floor Data Capture and mobile-clocking Apps for both I-Phone and Android, along with hardware that incorporates both facial recognition and proximity terminals.

Clear and precise Real-Time information as it is processed through your business.

We have no tangible idea of what the coming months hold or when we will see some degree of normality return, but one thing is clear, do not stop planning for the future. Make certain that you can pinpoint this moment as a pivotal time when you made the key decision, that once able, you were proficient enough to move your business forward.

Ensure that the message you send to your ‘future-self’ today is one that you will be happy to receive in a year’s time.

For a closer look at ELF Productivity Ltd’s Biometric Time Management system, contact us today on 01257 256000 for a free, no obligation demonstration and quotation of Ceequel® software suite.

Or alternatively, please feel free to download our brochure catalogue here.

When Harry Met…….Megxit

In any workplace, despite knowing that the time is right to step away from a senior position, making that move can still prove to be challenging. Whilst no one is predominately enthralled, there’s just no escaping the latest ‘Royal’ step-down.

Harry and Meghan’s imminent departure from the House of Windsor or ‘Megxit’ as it’s become known, has been publicised all over the world.

A manipulative, calculating social climber; terms that have been coined to describe the Duchess of Sussex. Snowflake and ‘under the thumb’ are just two that depict the nation’s favourite Prince.

But are all these labels true or unjust?

When you decide the time is right to step away from something and forge your own path, not everyone will be happy for you.

Obviously, we are not saying that the Monarchy is wrong, quite the opposite. The Queen and the senior Royals do an amazing job but not everybody is cut out for a repetitive and regimented lifestyle.

The Monarchy, a well-oiled machine that has been running for over 1000 years and is still ‘in business’ depicts that something is clearly right. The House of Windsor has to some degree, adapted and changed with the times. To stay ahead of the game, you have no choice.

Leaders are not born they are made and whilst being born into a specific role is considered an advantage, it doesn’t mean that you will a) be any good at it or b) want to work at it your whole life.

As within every ‘Firm’ one size does not fit all. Different methods and ways of working suit different companies as not every person is looking to adopt the traditional, organised 9-5 lifestyle. The laid-back remote and flexible way of working now appeals to a vast majority of employed people.

A lifestyle that can be attained, deployed and enjoyed anywhere in the world.

Remote/flexible working, TOIL, mobile clocking, are all terms coined for the modern business. Different personalities and skills, along with a difference in opinion all come into play in the workplace but when put together with the ‘right solution’, everything ‘just works’.

We shouldn’t be too harsh on Harry and Meghan as they depart from their ‘workplace’. They clearly feel that as working parents, they are now better suited to a more relaxed and less restrictive way of working.

If you are looking for a Biometric Time and Attendance Management system to suit your ENTIRE workforce, take a look at Ceequel® software suite today and realise all that can be achieved in your workplace.

If you would like to take advantage of a free, no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software, contact ELF Productivity Ltd or alternatively, our brochure catalogue can be downloaded here.

Are You Ready To Take On 2020?

Happy New Year and welcome to the 20’s!

2020 heralds not just a new year but a new decade. What is 2020 already saying to you and the future of your business? The culture-trends for the coming year and indeed the decade have already been mapped out.

So, the question is, are you ready to take on 2020?

Brexit

You genuinely didn’t think the ‘B’ word wouldn’t come into play, did you? On the 31st January the word we have all come to know so intimately will be consigned to Room 101 forever. A word that symbolises everything that is amiss encompassing an institution known as the European Union.

The time, ladies and gents, has FINALLY arrived.

Boris’s current default-setting is “Let’s get on and get Brexit done”. Once ‘done’ Brexit in its current state will no longer be part of the British vocab……unless it resurfaces as a breakfast cereal.

“BREXIT, a new way to start your morning”.

Avoid, unless you are looking for something that is VERY slow-releasing and takes some considerable time to digest!

Our departure from the EU and our somewhat ‘touchy’ European cousins will herald a new beginning for the UK. More freedom and greater opportunities.

Will 2020 be the year that the ‘Great’ is at last put back into Britain’s manufacturing?

Tech Life

“I get up when I want to except on Wednesdays’ when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen”. No, not ‘90’s Parklife but ‘20’s Tech Life!

Just to clarify robots are NOT taking over the planet, humans are NOT about to join Brexit in Room 101 but in the upcoming decade there WILL be an immense drive towards further AI and Automation implementation.

Autonomous driving is just one area where a change is expected to manifest in 2020. Tesla mogul Elon Musk has already declared that he expects his company to create a ‘fully complete’ autonomous vehicle by this year.

Ambitious, yes but practical and safe? You decide, as the jury is still out.

Well-Being

When you think of well-being, you instantly think of a ‘zen-like’ image. Not so much for 2020. Whilst ‘mental well-being’ and ‘heads together’ have been the buzzwords for 2019, 2020 will be the year where greater importance is placed on ‘financial well-being’.

The coming year has already been earmarked to introduce monetary education into the workplace.

Many causes of workplace stress and absenteeism can usually be placed at the feet of ‘The Management’ but all ribbing aside, financial worries are no joke and over time they DO impact workplace productivity. Fears that can be addressed by managers taking the time to educate and support their staff.

As always, a happy and contented workforce = better and greater productivity.

So, looking ahead, could 2020 be the year that we not only see Made in Great Britain back in business but the year that YOU see a British solution transform YOUR business?

Ceequel® a real-time Biometric Time and Attendance Management system that incorporates Human Resources, Employee Self Service and Access Control as standard options.

Contact ELF Productivity Ltd today for a no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software suite.

Or, alternatively, please feel free to download our brochure catalogue here.

Make 2020 the year that you invest in your future with Ceequel® software suite.

It’s A Jungle Out There

Despite the negativity surrounding the introduction of Artificial Intelligence into the workplace, there has never been a more opportune or favourable time to upskill your workforce.

As with any investment that HR make into the domain of digital transformation the prosperity of staff must be at the forefront. With the current privacy law set-up and with yet ‘another’ delayed Brexit departure, there has never been a more fundamental need for a workforce Time and Attendance software that not only supports British businesses but delivers on the promised ‘real deal’.

Over the last two decades the workplace landscape has altered enormously with vast emphasis placed not only on development but digital and social media roles. ‘Tech’ individuals dominating in positions that at one time were considered a hobby or a side-line to a person’s real job.

Jobs that are now mainstream career choices.

Generation X were the first to experience Atari, Excel, Microsoft Windows and essentially the World Wide Web, Millennials have not only embraced the digital revolution but have taken it to the next level.

The soft skills that were considered just that, i.e. ‘soft’, were effectively shelved and ultimately made redundant.

But, as everyone of a ‘certain age’ understands, ALL things come around again in their own good time. The onset of the AI revolution has brought with it a revitalisation. Soft skills are having what can only be described as a revival, a rebirth. Soft skills are ‘hip’ again, soft skills have made it back onto the job spec!

When you think of this unique skill set, what image do they convey to you? Do you instantly think of Time Management, Empathy, Compassion, Timekeeping, Communication and Teamwork?

Through no fault of their own, many ‘tech’ individuals are lacking in the ‘soft’ department and unfortunately their predicament only comes to light during employment.

During the interview process, many candidates appear to be all-singing and all-dancing but once entrenched in the workplace, you discover that in some areas they are in fact more Peter Crouch than Fred Astaire.

With AI now a very real presence and role reversals and training required in order to survive and compete in the metropolis ‘work jungle’, soft skills can be ‘fired up’ again for Generation X and for the younger, ‘techy’ generation, developed.

With Time Management systems now a key priority for the majority of businesses, the good news is that no matter how digital they become, robots will always require a helping ‘human’ hand.

If you are interested in a Biometric Time Management system for your business, contact ELF Productivity Ltd today for a no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software.

Alternatively, our brochure catalogue can be downloaded here.

Clocking On

The academic year is now in full swing and this week for most, observes the first half-term break of the year.

Christmas is hovering just on the horizon but so is a long overdue Au Revoir! But let’s not dwell or even mention the ‘B’ word that is due to manifest ‘sometime’ this century!

So, heading swiftly ‘back to school’, have you ever contemplated why most pupils are eager to return after their Autumn break, whilst teachers and supporting staff are less than, how shall we say, ‘enthusiastic’ about clocking on.

Hmm, the world of work, sometimes it’s about as attractive an option as meeting Jeremy Corbyn at the First Dates restaurant! Stuffy, tedious, regimented routines to look forward to, the same old, same old. A titanic effort is often obligatory in order to muster up the ‘zing’ required to take you through to the welcome sound of the 5.00pm klaxon!

Somewhere in between “school’s out” for good and the real graft begins, a dissatisfied worker appears…… and that’s just the boss!

All jokes aside, shouldn’t we expect to welcome ‘clocking on’, after all, we spend more time on the shop floor than we do anywhere else. This leads us to the question “who exactly is responsible for our workplace bliss” the Line Manager, the ‘Big Boss’, HR, ourselves or something else?

Maybe the ‘something else’ is what is missing from many shop floors.

The HR crew are traditionally the main port-of-call for all worker gripes but as with everything, having the appropriate processes in-situ in the first place, not only helps but makes an enormous difference.

Employees that are granted more responsibility and freedom of choice regarding shifts, flexible/remote working options, training and progression are, in the main, likely to be more content.

Happy workforce = increased productivity

Just maybe, the crucial element to true workplace happiness doesn’t lie primarily in the salary that’s earned but, in the opportunities available, opportunities to learn and grow.

School’s out doesn’t = learning stops

Whatever the workforce age there is always something new to be mastered. By observing the eagerness displayed by school children, who like sponges, happily soak up fresh ideas and new learning, we understand that different ventures should be embraced and not feared within the workplace.

With the times that now lie ahead and with the imminent onset of AI and digital transformation this has never been more crucial.

ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® software suite, the only Biometric Time and Attendance system that you will ever need in order to facilitate all your Time Management requirements for your own ‘classroom’.

If you are interested in a Biometric Time Management solution for your workforce, contact ELF Productivity Ltd today and take advantage of a free no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software.

Alternatively, please feel free to download our brochure catalogue here.