Category: Product Information

Cut through Red Tape with Employee Self Service

Filling out forms to request a change of information on the system can be a time consuming task for employees. This information can then take weeks to be updated due to the number of high priority tasks human resource departments need to complete. Employee self service systems cut out the middle man meaning your employees can update their own data in real time.

Every business has bureaucracy: maybe you need to fill out three forms to have Human Resources change your name in the computer, alternatively you might have to put in a request for a change of address and wait for weeks before the system gets updated; all this red tape is seen as a necessary evil, after all, how else is all this information going to get updated?

By letting the employees do it themselves.

Employee Self Service

Employee Self Service is the idea that all employees are capable of doing simple tasks, such as changing their names, addresses, and other personal information. Instead of giving this power only to the Human Resources department, a business utilises software that allows every employee to access and alter his or her own basic profile. This means that employees can make necessary changes more quickly, and the Human Resources department is freed up to handle different assignments.

Elf Productivity Ltd. Can Help

Efficiency is the name of the game, and Elf Productivity Ltd. can give your business the tools it needs to play in the big leagues. The software suites produced by this company are easy to learn, and they provide more access for more employees. At the same time, though these systems don’t sacrifice security, making absolutely certain that employees only have the amount of access they need to get the job done.
You can go in and change your name and address easily enough, but information like personnel records, evaluations, etc. can only be accessed by those with authority to do so.

What Else Does This Software Do?

Elf Productivity Ltd. wanted to create a single solution for all of a business’s needs, which is why their software balances access control, employee self service, and record keeping. It’s flexible and functional with features that even allow it to be used as a time clock so hourly employees can make sure management knows how long they’ve worked. The suite eliminates redundancy, and provides simple, elegant solutions for fixing the problems every business has to deal with.

For more information on what Elf Productivity Ltd. can do for you and your business simply contact us today!

2015: The Big Year for Human Resources

Having a poor functioning human resource department within your business can lead to a significant decrease in net profits. This is due to a drop in employee productivity levels being caused by unaddressed attendance issues or position forecasting. If someone were to leave your organisation, your Human Resource department should still be able to provide you with up to date information on their entire time within the company as well as being able to tell you what skill sets new applicants need to have.

Human Resource Management is actually a key ingredient of any business. Poor HR management can lead to a significant decrease in net profits due to a decrease in employee productivity and efficiency stemming from unaddressed attendance issues or position/function forecasting. For example, if a valued employee resigns, improper HR management may lead to not knowing exactly what this employee’s functions were (since job titles don’t disclose everything), and thus, even if this employee gives a 30-day notice, it may take you longer than a month to figure out which potential applicants have all the skill sets needed to fulfil the now-lacking functions in your company.

According to a recent article by Business2Community, 2015 will mark new, progressive trends for HR management. No longer is HR management going to be one-dimensional, with employees, wages and other statistics boringly laid out on long spreadsheets and multi-page documents: “In 2015, visual media [will become increasingly utilized and]… when it comes to HR technology, the importance of visuals will increase.”

You should start improving your HR management resources today! Be ready to re-fill positions and functions this upcoming year, since “according to a recent survey, one in three employees will look for a new job in the next year.” This goes both ways – your employees are at a higher risk of leaving you, and you’ll have a more rich pool of applicants – so HR management becomes critical.

Elf Productivity Ltd. offers innovative software that efficiently and accurately records and processes all of your employees information. Not only will you have them neatly organised by job titles, you can include notes and sub-notes in a detailed, organised fashion that allows you to list specific functions and roles that the employee performs. Our software also allows your employees to perform self-attendance. Contact us today to learn more!

Employee Self Service is the way to do more with less

Businesses are always looking for ways in which they can get more things done without the need to increase hours worked or the number of people employed. A cost effective way to increase productivity is by implementing easy to use tools that simplify tasks, thus providing extra time for employees to do more within their working days.

There are three ways to get more done in a business setting: increase the hours in the working day, increase the number of hands doing the work, or use better tools in order to do more. While many businesses shy at the cost of paying overtime or hiring additional personnel when it isn’t strictly necessary, investing in better tools is usually an easier pill to swallow. This is why so many businesses have invested in Elf Productivity Ltd. software in general, and in the idea of Employee Self Service in particular.

What Is Employee Self Service?

The quick and easy definition is that Employee Self Service is when employees are given more access to human resources information and allowed to make changes on their own. In a typical business set up, an employee who moves, gets married, or has any other sort of information change would contact HR, fill out the necessary forms, and then wait for a human resources representative to put in the changes. By contrast, Employee Self Service allows the employees to access their information directly, and to put in any and all changes on their own.

What Are The Advantages?

The advantages of Employee Self Service are two-fold. On the one hand employees, can now make minor changes on their own, this cuts out the human resources middle-man and ensures that these changes get made in a quick and timely manner. On the other hand the burden on human resources personnel is eased, meaning they have more time to handle more serious work.

In the end, Employee Self Service allows more flexibility in the work force, and allows employees to get more work done more quickly with fewer forms filled out in triplicate.

Elf Productivity Ltd. Is Here To Help

While Employee Self Service is a great goal, it isn’t easy to accomplish without the right tools. That’s why Elf Productivity Ltd. has designed business software with this feature already built-in. It’s easy to learn, intuitive, and it allows more employees to handle their business more quickly.

While it’s still possible to build your business with old-fashioned tools, you get the job done a lot faster if you use the latest models available.

For more information on how Elf Productivity Ltd.’s software can help your business, simply contact us today!

Digital Access Control is just as Important as Physical Access Control

Access control within a business is when a company limits what information or areas are available to which employees. This is often decided based on where or what information each individual employee needs in order to complete their job. Access control can be both digital and physical with many companies relying on computers to get everything done.

Access Control is one of the most basic parts of a business’ security: in short it means that people who shouldn’t be able to gain access are locked out. Maybe this means that only the manager is given the code to the security system, or only the night supervisor has a copy of the key that opens the record room. The basic theory of access control is that by cutting down on the number of people who have access to a given area, there is less opportunity for theft, misuse of facilities, etc.

In today’s day and age more and more businesses rely on computers to get the job done; Access Control is just as much digital as it is physical.

The Importance of Digital Access Control

Imagine a business in which cash was laid out on a counter where anyone could walk past and grab it. Sooner rather than later, someone would walk out the door with all that money. By putting the cash in a place that only employees have access to, the pool of people who could steal it is much smaller. By putting the money in a place only three people have access to, it’s much safer. Digital access control is just like that, but for a business’ data.

More often than not, a business’ information is just like cash on the counter: exposed and easy to steal if someone really wants to. By using the right software, and putting the right security onto a business’ system, that information is steadily locked away behind additional layers until only the people who really need to access it can do so. Some information, such as an employee’s work schedule, doesn’t need to be kept behind heavy security. Other information though, such as time sheets and customer information, needs to be put behind several locked doors.

How Elf Productivity Ltd. Can Help

Elf Productivity Ltd. has spent years designing software suites meant to help businesses get the job done without needlessly exposing themselves and their company data to outside risks. The computer programs we’ve created are like high quality armour for a business: they allow for freedom of movement, but when something happens to threaten your safety, you’re going to be glad you took the time to keep yourself protected.

For more information on our easy-to-use, effective software suites, and how they can help with your business’ access control issues, contact us today!

Why you should Invest in Employee Self Service

The secret behind running a smooth successful business is having well streamlined processes. Implementing an employee self service system is just one of many ways you can ensure that this is done, as it provides a way for your employees to accomplish everything they need to even if it was once considered not their role.

The old saying “he who helps himself is helped” is more than good advice when it comes to business management, it can be life saving. In the interest of keeping a business running smoothly it’s important for everything to be as streamlined as possible. That’s where employee self service comes in.

What is Employee Self Service?

Employee self service is when a business ensures that all employees have the tools to accomplish basic needs, even if those needs are not normally within their purview. Examples work best to explain how this works in the day-to-day: say that Sharon from the typing pool just got married, so her last name changed from Smith to Jones. Under a traditional set up Sharon would have to contact human resources, inform them of the change, fill out documents, and then wait a requisite amount of time for the change to take place. This could result in all kinds of problems, from slow checks and mis-labeled mail to travel problems and other issues.

In a company where employee self service is the norm, minor issues like name and address changes, requests for certain forms, filing expenses, etc. can all be taken care of by any employee. This frees up human resources to handle bigger issues, and it makes sure that smaller problems are handled quickly and efficiently by other staff members. Take the same example, but using employee self service: instead of contacting HR Sharon simply logs into the company’s software and makes the name change herself. The whole process is done in minutes, it’s logged into the system, and all problems it could have created are nipped in the bud.

You Need To Have The Right Software

The key to employee self service, and all of the benefits that comes with it, is having the proper software. By getting the right suite it gives all employees access to certain functions and features, and it means that minor tasks can be handled quickly and efficiently instead of waiting for days, weeks, or months for paperwork to go through.

For more information about how employee self service can help your business flourish, simply contact us today!

Keeping Track of Time and Attendance Minimises On-The-Clock Problems

Time clocks are often the biggest loopholes within a business as they can often be subjected to abuse by employees who choose to fraud time in order to be paid more money by their employers. False attendances are sometimes a problem within organisations as employees choose to clock in as another employee despite them not being in attendance.

Paying employees by the hour is common practice in many fields, and it’s one of the most common methods of compensating workers. That said, a time clock is subject to abuse and problems if there are loopholes in how it works.

What Sort of Problems Must A Time and Attendance Program Overcome?

There are numerous issues that a time and attendance record-keeping program needs to overcome. Perhaps the most common is time theft, which is where workers will punch in a few minutes early or out a few minutes late, adding an extra hour or two to the clock by the time pay day rolls around. Another issue is false attendance, where someone else clocks in an employee even though he or she isn’t currently on the floor. There are numerous other issues, but they all stem from the abuse of the time clock.

A smart time and attendance program will overcome these issues, which is where Elf Productivity Ltd. comes into the picture.

How Our Time And Attendance Program Is Different

Rather than just being a time clock, our software creates a tool that is easy to use properly and difficult to use improperly. It’s simple to log yourself in, and easy to log yourself out. In fact putting in corrections to your hours is also so simple it doesn’t even require involving human resources.

In addition to being a powerful hours tracking suite though, the software also provides rigid access control. So while it’s easy to use in the ways it was intended to be used, this software cuts down on a lot of issues like those mentioned above. No one wants the time clock to be gamed, since it makes the employees look bad and it costs the management money, time, and effort to police. So instead of looking over every individual employee’s shoulder, why not simply upgrade to a system that takes care of security for you every time someone clocks in to work?

For more information on how our software can help your business operate more smoothly and with fewer time clock related issues simply contact us today!

Saving Time and Money With Employee Self Service

Finding ways to combine operations in order to save time and money is a crucial part of every business. Implementing an employee self service system is just one of many ways a business can achieve this. Employee self service is when all employees within the business have access to the human resource database and can handle the changing of data or management of tasks themselves.

Efficiency is something that every business strives for. Any time it’s possible to eliminate a task or combine operations without sacrificing quality, a smart business will take that option. That is where the idea of employee self service comes into play, and it’s why so many businesses have embraced the practice so whole-heartedly.

What is Employee Self Service?

The simple explanation is that Employee Self Service is when all employees have access to the human resources database in order to handle certain tasks themselves. If an employee recently moved or had a name change then he or she could go into the database and alter his or her private information without having to fill out forms or wait for the request to go through human resources staff. Applications for reimbursement, such as when an employee goes on a company trip and has expenses, could also be submitted by the employee in question rather than by human resources staff. The result? More tasks get done more quickly, and the HR staff can concentrate on tasks that are unique to their department.

Better Working Through Technology

At first, employee self service might look like the kind of task that’s actually more burdensome than the original system. After all, how can employees who aren’t involved in human resources understand what they have to do in order to file the right forms and input the right data?

This is where technology and good ideas merge together: in order for employee self service to work, a business needs to have a system in place that will allow all employees to access the database and make changes. This software needs to be simple to understand, easy to use, and it needs to streamline the process instead of complicating it. The Time and Attendance software produced by ELF Productivity Ltd. was built with this in mind, and it’s why companies who have this software installed will find that employee self service is easier to execute than ever before. Not only that, but this software still delivers access control solutions, accountability, and it will make sure that mundane tasks are taken care of quickly and efficiently, leaving your workforce to focus on the real job at hand.

For more information on how ELF Productivity Ltd. Time and Attendance software can help you streamline your company’s efforts through better employee self service simply, contact us today!

Razor-Thin Margins demand Shop Floor Data Capture

A business’s biggest expense is the paying of employee wages and tracking these hours should not become the second biggest. That is why it is crucial for businesses with multiple shops to implement an efficient shop floor data capture system, specifically designed to effortlessly record hours worked meaning less time is spent processing information about individual employee wages, saving you both time and money.

Do you know what the biggest expense is for most businesses? Wages and compensation. Don’t let the costs of tracking employee hours become the second highest! When you have a shop that requires employees to clock in and out, the only way to keep costs down is through an efficient method of Shop Floor Data Capture.

A good program designed to effortlessly log and store hours an employee has worked translates to less time processing payroll, and an immense cost-saving to you. These programs provide comprehensive coverage of the following:

  • Shifts and Roster Scheduling
  • Holiday & Absence Management
  • Payroll and Exceptions Reporting
  • Calculations

Profit margins in retail and manufacturing can be slim enough. The technologies you need to keep the production line moving shouldn’t have to compete with payroll. Endless data entry, editing, and payroll complications can keep you from seeing the revenues you deserve.

Don’t you want to know the performance of your employees in real-time? A great Shop Floor Data Capture program delivers near-instantaneous reports on:

  • No Clockings
  • Missed Clockings
  • Hours More than Expected
  • Hours Less than Normal
  • Late Clockings
  • Unplanned Attendance

With Ceequel® Time and Attendance software, you’re able to sift through to the pertinent details you need to keep your production moving smoothly. Employees are an essential part of your business plan and you can now manage them effortlessly and spot any gaps in coverage due to vacation, holiday, or any other event that brings one of your employees off the line.

There are many advanced features that Shop Floor Data Capture adds onto this versatile software suite to enable you to capture your shop floor data in real-time. Don’t hesitate – contact us today so we can identify your business’ needs and keep you on your track to success.

Internal Skill Matching can save Hiring Costs (and Risks)

In the unfortunate event of having to let an employee go from within your business where do you look when it comes to hiring a new one. Do you choose to contact a recruitment company or do you prefer to promote from within your existing employee base. According to a study done by Wharton school of the University of Pennsylvania, hiring from within can provide added benefits to your organisation.

When you next need to fill an open position in your company, will you focus on outside candidates, or look for an existing employee to promote? A study from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania uncovers some unexpected benefits of “hiring” from within.

Comparing External and Internal Job Candidates

The study found that people promoted from inside the company show a significantly higher level of short-term productivity and success than external candidates. It can take up to two years for an external hire to come up to the level of an internal promotion, measured by comparing employee reviews. But external hires are given starting salaries averaging 18% more than internal promotions, and are far more likely to leave within two years, meaning they never reach a true level of proficiency in their job before they’re gone. Given the cost in both time and money of identifying and interviewing external candidates, this picture makes hiring from outside look like a very risky undertaking.

Getting Behind the Data

There are good reasons for this picture of internal vs. external candidate success. Part of learning a new job is learning about the people and culture of an organisation, and this can be a much bigger task than simply getting to grips with basic job responsibilities. Someone who is promoted from inside has a huge head start in this area over someone who is brand new to the company.

On the other hand, there are good reasons for hiring external candidates in some cases. Bringing in someone new may be necessary to bridge a gap in experience or education, and it can also bring fresh new ideas which will help the company thrive. The data also shows that when external candidates remain on the job for longer than two years, they tend to be promoted faster and show high levels of success.

So there are strong arguments to be made on either side. Choosing the right option when there’s an open position can help a company save time and costs while getting the best people to move the organisation forward.

The Benefits of Skill Matching

This is where great HR software can help. Ceequel®’s Human Resource management module includes a skill matching function which can assist you in both analysing upcoming staffing needs and identifying existing employees who have the right skills and experience to move up into an open position.

Providing opportunities for employees to develop their skills and take on new challenges is key to employee satisfaction and retention. It can also help HR departments remove some of the burden of the hiring process, enabling HR staff to focus on filling positions which truly do need a new face and voice from outside the company.

For more information about Ceequel®’s Human Resource benefits, including skill matching, please contact us!

Access Control is not just for Employees

Access control within a business goes way beyond your employees. Everyone who enters your company’s office needs to be accounted for and some may even need access to different parts of your facility. Our Ceequel Access Control system can handle all of this with ease maintaining complete security, whilst making sure all personnel within your building are safe.

If you are considering Access Control for your facilities, you’ll need to think about more than your own employees. Everyone who enters your building for any reason will need to be accounted for in your access system, especially contractors, such as: cleaning and maintenance staff, outside IT support professionals, people who provide food services, and so on. Authorised visitors and guests will also need access to the parts of your facility they are permitted to enter.

Ceequel® Access Control will handle all of these cases with ease, maintaining complete security for your facility. It will also help to protect all personnel who work in your building, whether or not they are your direct employees.

Right Access, Right Time

Some people, for example cleaning and maintenance staff, will enter your building for regular and predictable shifts. Ceequel’s® access tables can permit these individuals to enter at certain times on specific days, giving them the ability to do their jobs, but limiting their access outside of their regular work hours.

There may be cases where outside contractors need to have a special period of access, for example if HVAC or plumbing repairs are needed, or if outside IT specialists are installing new servers or other equipment. These work periods can be entered in Ceequel® ahead of time to give those contractors access to all required areas while excluding access to the rest of your facility. Their access can also be pre-limited to the period of time in which they are working.

Finally, any authorised visitors can be handled with the same ease and flexibility, giving them the ability to move freely about in areas they are authorised to access, but only within those areas.

Protection For Everyone

Disasters never happen on schedule. Fires, accidents, and natural disasters happen on any day, round the clock. If something happens outside of normal working hours, but during the time when cleaning or maintenance contractors are present, including them in your access controls means you can pull a fire register and make sure that everyone is safe and accounted for, the same as for your regular employees.

With Ceequel’s® Access Control program, everyone who enters your building can be granted the access needed for the time period needed, and accounted for in the case of an emergency. For more information about how Ceequel® can help you keep your facilities secure, contact us.