Shop Floor Data Capture – Time and Attendance

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.

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.

How Can I Love You More?

L.O.V.E that little ‘Four Letter Word’ that is out in force around the middle of Feb and thanks to clever advertisers, very much in your face!

Now we know that being the romantic lot that you are, you wouldn’t have forgotten but just in case you have, here’s a gentle reminder; Valentine’s Day is just around the corner……

The most amorous time of the year brings out the romantic in many of us, especially the ‘Starry-Eyed’ personnel on the shop floor.

It must be said that the build up to February 14th can for some, be a distracting time on the production line. Amused anticipation is on open display, as your very own ‘Tim and Dawn’ are observed blushing their way around ‘The Office’.

But with all the ‘Endless Love’ flowing, what of the ‘bemused’ boss that not only has to manage his or her ‘Hopelessly Devoted’ team members but plan and schedule their last-minute ‘Love Rendezvous’?

It’s widely accepted that the most popular place to meet your ‘significant other’ is in the workplace. You spend more time there than anywhere else, so it makes ‘Perfect’ sense that ‘Love Is All Around’ doesn’t it?

Whilst opportunities present themselves more easily on the shop floor and when the time is right, ‘L.O.V.E’ is not always a surprise but after the first flush of romance, what happens when ‘Tim and Dawn’ request the inevitable time off together?

Planning staff holidays for any manager can be a headache, if not a vast military exercise; nothing works, nothing gels, nothing fits! Throw in an eleventh hour mini-break request from ‘John’ in sales and ‘Kayleigh’ in accounts and you get the idea. Two employees who not only work on the same team but the same project.

Here at ELF, we understand the situation completely when ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’ with your current processes but be assured, with the right software in place, not only will Ceequel® become ‘the one that you want’ this Valentine’s Day but it will render everything ‘Perfect’ for both you AND your team.

Staff planning a last-minute get-away? Forget Booking.com as nothing books or confirms a holiday request faster than Ceequel® Employee Self Service.

Deployed on a kiosk or via an employee’s PC, smart phone or tablet, Employee Self Service completely removes the paper trail and gives total administration control to employees. Staff can immediately establish who on their team has already been granted a leave of absence.

So, with that in mind and apart from ‘The One’ make Ceequel® software the additional ‘significant other’ that you #Love this Valentine’s Day.

If you are interested in a Biometric Time and Attendance system to work with your Human Resources department, contact ELF Productivity Ltd today for a free 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.

Holiday, Celebrate!

“If we took a holiday, took some time to celebrate”

Thinking of taking some well-deserved time off? Of course, you are! Sun, sea, sand and sangria, what’s not to look forward to?

But, whilst lazing on your lounger soaking up the sun, the question is…. who’s on your shop floor?

Ah, the typical summer scenario, several staff members all requesting the same holiday time, the epitome of an archetypal working business. Nothing new there.

However, does it really need to be that demanding or that much of a nuisance to organise?

Artificial Intelligence

The arrival of AI is ruffling a few feathers within HR and if truth be told, on the shop floor. Reported recently by a leading HR magazine, that despite the pessimism surrounding AI, there has never been a better time or opportunity to up-skill your entire workforce.

But, whilst pondering this soundbite, have you stopped to think about Time and Attendance?

With the UK’s delayed Brexit departure and with job vacancies to fill, there’s a greater need for stability and for a Time Management solution that will deliver the whole ‘enchilada’ for UK business workforce management. Continue reading “Holiday, Celebrate!”

Send Her Victorious, Happy and Glorious

As anniversaries go, two hundred is quite remarkable.

This week the United Kingdom marks a very special day; the 200th Anniversary of the birth of one of its greatest monarchs, HM Queen Victoria.

Alexandrina Victoria was born at Kensington Palace on the 24th May 1819.

After what can only be described as an unconventional and solitary childhood, Victoria ascended to the throne upon the death of her paternal uncle, King William IV.

Victoria was just 18 years of age.

The new teenage Queen wasted no time in heading to her new ‘office’ and after dispatching her mother to the remotest wing she could possibly find, took up residence at the unfinished Buckingham Palace.

Following her Coronation and ensuing marriage to Prince Albert and with the fortitude that would eventually see her clock up 63 years on the throne, Victoria established her reign.

The ‘Grandmother of Europe’ the ‘Empress of India’ as she would eventually become known as, had arrived.

That’s not to say Victoria wasn’t without her testing times or critics. With cholera, death and assassination attempts, Victoria would emerge ‘victorious’ from the numerous challenges that arose during her time on the throne.

The Victorian era is perhaps attributed to be one of the greatest times for the United Kingdom and much of today’s successes and traditions were birthed during Victoria and Albert’s reign.

In 1829, George Stephenson’s steam locomotive, ‘Rocket’ was unveiled. This feat of engineering became the blueprint for modern design for the next 150 years.

Ada Lovelace, the remarkable mathematician who Prince Albert admired greatly, emerged during Victoria’s early reign due to her work on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine.

Ada is considered perhaps to be, the first female computer programmer.

But what do we know about her Prince Charming, Albert?

Albert, a serious, dependable, logical thinker was at the forefront when it came to public health. Working alongside the Royal Society, Albert improved the hygiene and sanitation conditions for not only Buckingham Palace but the City of London as a whole. The Palace became one of the first ‘shop floors’ to provide ‘facilities’ for their staff.

With forward thinking, Albert achieved an even greater height with his vision of a ‘grand exhibition’.

The Grand Exhibition of Works and Industry in 1851 became a huge success and was showcased in a vast, flexible, glass construction that was essentially a conservatory.

Albert named the building Crystal Palace.

Victoria and Albert were at the forefront of change and modernisation, the effects of which the United Kingdom can still feel today.

So, all that remains for us to say is ‘Happy Birthday’ your Majesty!

ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® not only Made in the UK but like V&A, progressive, dependable and reliable.

If you are interested in Biometric Time and Attendance software for your business, contact us today for a free, no obligation quotation and demonstration of Ceequel® software.

Explore ELF Productivity Ltd’s Time and Attendance software suite in more detail by downloading the brochure catalogue here.

Human Resources, Shop Floor Data Capture, Employee Self Service, Ceequel® Apps and E-Manager all fall under the Ceequel® umbrella.

Holding Out For A Hero

Here’s a question, which superhero do you identify with?

A bit random I know but with the release of Marvel’s Avengers Endgame the ‘super’ just got put back into hero.

Let’s be honest here, in your head you ARE Thor, you ARE Wonder Woman but in a real-life situation would others see you similarly?

Do you have an alter-ego, one perhaps that you aren’t even aware of? Are you Thor at play but Loki on the shop floor?

So, the question again, which superhero would you best associate yourself with?

First into the arena we have Steve Rogers AKA Captain America.

For some, Captain America IS the ultimate superhero. He’s honest, humble and loyal but more importantly dependable. He’s prepared to go that extra mile, no matter what it costs him. All in all, a great guy and a true leader.

Next up we have partners-in-crime, Black Widow Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye. Both highly skilled individuals but with no actual superpowers, they are limited to what they can achieve, hence their need for a notable ally. A solid correlation that produces great teamwork.

Next, we have the genius that is Bruce Banner better known by his alter ego The Hulk. Quiet, kind, but complex. As with most super intelligent personnel he can be solitary. He’s an asset to HR but comes with a slight emission caution.

Strutting into the arena with his trusty side-kick Pepper, we have Tony Stark. Iron Man is a self-made, flashy, playboy philanthropist. Tony and Pepper are an exceptional couple but Tony’s constant need for showy attention and air of narcissism highlights him more as the prima-donna of the team rather than a real leader.

S.H.I.E.L.D. We couldn’t sign off without mentioning the head honcho that is Nick Fury. Nick is for some, an honest, positive role model, the kingpin that keeps his team together. But is he all that he appears to be? Despite his authoritative role, can he truly be trusted?

Ceequel® not only a reliable and dependable Biometric Time and Attendance leader but the ONLY superhero you will ever need for your workforce Time Management requirements.

ELF Productivity Ltd and Ceequel® software suite; discover the ‘real’ Avengers on your shop floor.

If you are interested in a Human Resource Time Management software solution for your business, 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.

LOVE IS …….

“When I fall in love, it will be forever”

“Fairy-tales can come true if you’re young at heart”

The velvety smooth voices of legendary crooners Nat King Cole and Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, classy, iconic and instantly recognisable.

Just in case you hadn’t realised it, “Love Is All Around” February 14th is just around the corner. Once again offices and shop floors across the nation, will be ‘saying it with flowers’ to their “Perfect” sweetheart.

But what is it about this time of year that makes us all go just a little bit bonkers?

Shops are bulging with Valentine cards as big as a small semi, flowers and chocolates suddenly double in price! Somehow Valentine’s Day always seems to bring with it a very large receipt, not that you can put a price on true love of course, or can you?

Let’s take a closer look at that little four-letter word L.O.V.E as sung by Nat himself.

L is for the way you look at me
O is the only one I see
V is very, very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you adore

With an ‘end of term’ atmosphere now fast approaching, what if you looked at that little word differently?

What if L.O.V.E took on an entirely different meaning for your company this week?

L is for Logic
O is for Outstanding
V is for Value
E is for Exceptional

Same letters, different words. Words attributed to the Biometric Time and Attendance Management software suite that is CEEQUEL®.

CEEQUEL® a software suite that Human Resource departments ‘heart’ all year round, not just once a year.

A collection of outstanding modules established by our exceptional in-house team of highly-skilled developers. Providing your rules have logic, ELF Productivity can facilitate ALL your Time and Attendance requirements at a cost that is “Truly” value for money.

A range of modules including Shop Floor Data Capture, Mobile Clocking Applications and Access Control, CEEQUEL® is “The One That You Want” this Valentine’s Day.

Take some time out this week and get to know and love a Biometric Time and Attendance Management company that along with Longevity, is Optimal has Velocity and is highly Esteemed.

Or as the legendary Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schultz put simply;

Love is………

Employee
Logistics
Facilitator

ELF Productivity Ltd and CEEQUEL® software suite, classy, iconic and very very extraordinary.

If you are interested in learning more about the incomparable software suite that is CEEQUEL®, contact us today.

Alternatively, please feel free to download our brochure catalogue here and learn how to “Love the One You’re With” this Valentine’s Day.

A Growing Mature Workforce and What to Do About It

The BBC reported recently on the RSPCA receiving an official warning from the Charity Commission. The warning was issued after interim CEO Michael Ward received a 6 figure sum as a payoff; allegedly the result of challenging the recruitment process.

Michael Ward was appointed interim Chief Executive in June 2017; however he claimed he was a victim of age discrimination when a younger candidate was appointed to the role permanently. He stated that he did not get the permanent post due to his age and the RSPCA subsequently paid out a sum well over his £150,000 salary.

How old is Michael Ward?

Michael is 57 years old.

Every day there appears to be something else reported in the media, whether that is social or economic, regarding an ever present, growing, ageing workforce.

Surely workers shouldn’t be made to feel that they have nothing else to offer within the workplace, once they have reached 50 and beyond?

Sadly, discrimination on the shop-floor and indeed the office isn’t new. Workers from all sides of the social spectrum have experienced it.

From part-time workers, to new parents returning to work and finding their position isn’t the one they left behind when they embarked on their maternity/paternity leave. Inexperienced adolescents on training schemes, or mature workers considered “too long in the tooth” for a real shot at promotion or leadership.

How times have changed.

Thirty years ago, had you decided to carry on working after the ages of 60 and 65 respectively, you would’ve been looked at incredulously.

Sadly in today’s economic climate that is not the case and unfortunately for the majority, it is not a choice.

Today the country has a serious issue right under its nose; a very real mature workforce and it is G R O W I N G!

The retirement age in the UK has risen considerably. From next year the State Pension Age will increase again for both men and women, rising to 66 by October 2020. Another increase by the Government is planned between 2026 and 2028, where it will then rise from 66 to 67 years.

State pensions saved hard for retirement, now not accessible until the worker is almost 70!

The pride and joy that is our NHS has certainly done its job well over the last 70 years but at the same time, it probably hasn’t helped. With better and more accessible healthcare, the NHS has become a victim of its own success.

With improved standards of living and better employment rights, people are now quite easily reaching 90 and 100 years old, however, with no real structure in place to provide for this ageing population, the mature workforce has little or no option but to carry on working.

Workers in their 70’s or even 80’s are being reported as to still be “clocking in” via the national and local media.

So, what do we do about it and what methods are you putting into place to take care of the “Baby Boomer” and subsequent “Generation X” age groups?

With the onset of AI, you as an employer not only have a duty of care but a responsibility to re-train your mature workforce. With remote and flexible working now becoming more and more mainstream, this is the most obvious option available, for ALL your employees.

With a more generational workforce in place, companies will have the benefit of both worlds; youth and vitality vs experience and wisdom.

With that information on board, if you haven’t looked at the options out there to cater for your employees, isn’t it time that you did?

ELF Productivity Ltd is at the forefront when it comes to managing your workforce successfully, effectively and efficiently.

CEEQUEL® Biometric Time and Attendance software suite is developed in-house by our team of highly skilled and experienced developers. With software modules available for every possibility and a solution for EVERY Human Resource department issue, CEEQUEL® is the essential daily “tool “that your business needs.

Whether that need is the company incorporating a training matrix for an apprenticeship placement, performing a return to work interview for maternity/paternity leave or granting flexible working shift patterns and remote working, CEEQUEL® is THE collaborator that your company necessitates.

CEEQUEL® software is at the cutting edge in terms of originality, innovation and uniqueness.

Where others follow, CEEQUEL® leads.

If you are interested in implementing a real change in your company’s Time and Attendance processes, a change that benefits your ENTIRE workforce, download the brochure portfolio and contact the sales department today on 01257 256000, for a free no obligation quotation and demonstration of CEEQUEL® software.