Employee Self-Service puts the Power back in your Employees’ hands

For many years now the updating of employee data has been a task for your human recourse department. Modern day software such as employee self-service now makes it possible for your employees to manage and update their own personal data. It’s simplistic to use and works by providing each individual employee with their own web based profile that they can sign into.

The more people you employ, the harder it is to keep track of everyone; even a mid-sized enterprise of a hundred people or so is going to experience constant change as people get married, divorced, change banks, move to new addresses, and make a thousand other little adjustments from one year to the next. In the past, keeping up on all these changes was the Human Resources department’s job. Thanks to advances in software, though, you can implement employee self-service.

What is Employee Self-Service?

Employee self-service is when you put the responsibility of tracking employee information back in the hands of your employees. Rather than filling out forms, handing those forms to Human Resources, and then having them input the changes, why not cut out the middle man and let your employees fix their own details?

It sounds like a revolutionary idea, but in a world where Facebook is old hat, and social media has altered the way software works forever, it’s actually quite simple. Every employee has his or her own company profile, and when that information is changed it goes right into the system. There’s no need to fill out any paperwork, and no need to waste time by stacking a task onto someone else’s shoulders (especially a task that can be completed in minutes).

Employee self-service does more than save time and money, though. It lets employees take control of their own information, and it gives them the ability to do tasks for themselves. This simplifies your infrastructure, and it means that more people can spend more energy on the job at hand instead of on making sure you have their updated direct deposit, married name, new address, or any other details.

For more information on how we can help your business, simply contact us today!

Shop Floor Data Capture gives you Instant Access to Data you need

Making sure your company constantly hits its production targets is crucial if you want to remain in business. That’s why the implementation of a shop floor data capture system is imperative. Having accurate information to hand on production numbers during every part of the process allows you to identify where and when you’ve fallen short.

Numbers make the world go round, and they can be a matter of life or death for your business. If you need to fill orders, but find out too late that you haven’t completed enough of the product, then you’re in serious trouble. That’s why it’s important to get regular updates on your numbers by using shop floor data capture to keep tabs.

What is Shop Floor Data Capture?

The simple answer is that shop floor data capture is when you use sensors and computers to keep track of your production numbers. Say you were making lengths of pipe, under normal circumstances your machinery can produce 100 lengths in an hour, but due to a worn-out gasket that needs to be replaced you only produce 95 an hour. That isn’t a problem in the short-run, but over days and weeks that means you’re producing a lot fewer pieces of pipe than you thought. Shop floor data capture would notify you of the slower production, and you’d be able to fix the problem in time to keep your orders filled.

Shop floor data capture gives you instant updates on your numbers, making sure that if there’s a discrepancy between what you think you’re producing, and what you’re actually producing, then you can catch it quickly enough to fix the problem. Shop floor data capture keeps you up to date, and it ensures that you know exactly where you are in minutes rather than in hours or days.

For more information on how shop floor data capture can help your business succeed, simply contact us today!

Accurate Time and Attendance: Never Experience A Problem Again

Recording your individual employees accurate working hours on a day to day basis is often a difficult task. The information recorded has to be precise in order to avoid paying your employees the wrong amount. A simplistic way to record this data is through the implementation of a time and attendance system.

Paying workers for their time on the clock is a tradition that’s gone on for generations. While the system is fine in theory, there have always been problems presented by the time clock. Perhaps the biggest is creating a simple system that everyone can use, and which doesn’t take five minutes for the previous shift to clock out, and another five minutes for the next shift to clock in.

In order to make sure every worker gets paid for their time accurately, Elf Productivity Ltd. created a better system.

The Future of Time and Attendance

What Elf Productivity Ltd. did was create a digital time clock that every employee can access with ease from any device that’s signed into your company’s network. There’s no need to stand in a back hallway in a single file line, because everyone can sign in using their employee identification numbers and passwords. Everyone can do it at 9 on the dot if that’s when the shift starts, and work can get started immediately.

Even better, if there are mistakes in the amount of time someone worked (say that they forgot to clock out, or had computer issues and couldn’t clock in), then those mistakes can be fixed with a few strokes of a keyboard. There’s no need to get a new paper time card and re-punch it, or to make a mark with a pen showing the time you really clocked in or out. As far as your business is concerned actual, physical time cards should be as relevant to your day-to-day operations as stone tablets thanks to Elf Productivity Ltd.

For more information on how our fully integrated software suite can help make your business more efficient, simply contact us today!

The Access Control of the Future

Choosing the right method to keep your information secure can be a difficult task for any organisation and with so many to choose from the task can often seem like an impossible one. Not securing your data however is out of the question as unsecured data can be accessed by anyone, thus increasing the risk of sensitive information landing in the wrong hands.

Access control is one of the oldest business practices known to mankind. The earliest developments involved guards and bars, but as technology advanced we invented everything from lock boxes to secret panels. In today’s digital world, we have access to more methods of access control than ever before, but the sheer variety of options can sometimes seem like a burden. After all, how do you choose the right lock to keep your business safe?

Flexible Digital Access Control

This is a question that Elf Productivity Ltd. has pondered over quite a bit, and the answer it created is both simple, and elegant. That answer is a software suite that integrates every function a business needs to get through the day, but which is simple enough that even those who don’t consider themselves tech savvy can use with little instruction.

So what does it do? Well, a little of everything. This particular software suite has an integrated time clock, for example, and it also provides different levels of accessibility depending on an individual’s clearance. A standard employee can sign into his or her account, clock in, and access all of the programs needed to do the day’s work. Employees can even access their personal information, changing it as needed in the event that they have a name change, move, or make any other alterations. At the same time, though, the system makes sure that only people with clearance can access employee write-ups, look at work history, or gain access to financial data.

In short, the software provides a flexible system that will handle anything your business can throw at it, while at the same time making sure you can lock any digital doors you need to. For more information on this software suite, and how it can help your business, simply contact us today!

3 Tips for a Successful Time and Attendance Policy

Creating a successful time and attendance policy is crucial for any organisation. Without having one in place employees are able to do as they please. As a business it is important to know if any of your employees are breaching your company policies. A simplistic way of doing this is by implementing a system which will record each of your employees time and attendance data.

Reliability and timeliness is one of the most important qualities that can make up any employee. Employers need to know that the employees who are running their business plan to show up on time and are ready to work when they arrive. For this reason, setting up a Time and Attendance policy is crucial. Here are three tips that will help any business create the best policy possible.

Expectations

The best thing that you can do when you are setting up guidelines for your employees is to communicate with them. For example, if you need to be certain that your staff will be in the office for a particular period of time each day, communicate this information with them. To determine this, look at the culture of your field of business. Seeing how other businesses in your field operate can help you determine what is acceptable.

Discipline: Stick With It

When you are creating your company handbook, the discipline policy will need to be included. This will ensure that employees are aware of the rules. You will also need to explain what the disciplinary procedures are if these rules are violated. Also, discipline should be consistent when the policy is broken.

Set an Example

Employees are more likely to follow a policy when they see the leaders in the company following the same policy. This means that leaders should always follow the same rules that they have in place for their employees in regards to time and attendance.

Setting up a system for your time and attendance policy is also an important process. Ensure that employees are able to clock in and out with ease by selecting a reliable system. Contact us to learn more about the benefits that we offer for your time and attendance needs.

How to make Human Resources Jobs Easier

Your Human Resource department is the centre of your organisation. It relays messages to every department and is key in making sure all company and employee data is tracked and up to date. Without a fully functioning HR department your business would run into turmoil.

Your HR department is the nervous system of your business. It routes messages from every other department, and ensures that everyone gets necessary information in order to keep things working smoothly. Whether it’s making sure that new employees have all their data in the system, or ensuring that transfers, promotions, etc. are all tracked, human resources is the department in charge.

So why make HR’s job any more difficult than it already is?

A Single, Unified Network to Make Human Resources Happy

Computer networks are the major tools businesses use to keep track of all their information. These networks store customer information, employee information, create time tables, keep track of order numbers, and handle all of the heavy lifting your company needs. If you’re using multiple networks, though, you’re driving your HR people crazy.

Imagine this scenario: you have two departments. Your employees report to the first department, and tell the Department-One people how many hours they’ve worked, the Department-One people write it down, walk across the hall, and hand their notes to the Department-Two people, the Department-Two people then take those notes, and input the hours worked into their own machines.

Why would you use such a convoluted system? Why not cut out the first department entirely, reducing the number of steps you’re taking and ensuring that fewer mistakes being made? The same questions would apply to using an outdated software suite, or attempting to use multiple suites that can’t talk to each other.

One Software, One Company

Elf Productivity Ltd. set out to create a unique software suite that would allow your business to do everything, without having to switch back and forth: it’s a time clock, a database, a communication network, and all the different sections can be password protected as you see fit.

If you want to see increased productivity, fewer headaches, and faster results in your business, then contact us today to see how our unique software solutions can help you.

Employee Self Service saves Time, Money, and Frustration

Your businesses Human Resources department often wastes a significant amount of time each month updating individual employee information. Not only is this time better spent elsewhere, it is also costing your business money. By implementing an employee self service system you can transfer the task of updating employee data over to your employees.

We’ve all heard the old saw about how the Human Resources Department moves as fast as an arthritic tortoise in a school zone. You got a new apartment last month, you got married, you opened a different bank account, and even though you submitted the forms as required, it still took more than a month for HR to get around to correcting your details. Maybe you missed a pay cheque, had an important work correspondence sent to the wrong address, or you just had the wrong name on your taxes, but while details change, the story stays the same; if there was a faster way to alter your personal information, neither you nor your company would be inconvenienced.

Fortunately there is a way you can sidestep HR entirely, it’s called Employee Self Service.

How Does Employee Self Service Work?

The concept is pretty simple: under a more traditional system you would fill out a form detailing your personal information changes, along with any necessary proofs, and you’d give those forms to the HR department. HR’s personnel would put those forms on a big stack, and eventually work its way to making your updates. This might take days if you’re lucky, weeks on average, or more than a month if there’s a big backup of work.

Employee Self Service, on the other hand, allows you to skip the middle man. You simply log into your business’ network, go to your profile, and change the information to reflect what it is now, you save the change, and then go back to doing your job.

It’s That Simple?

It is, actually. While there are still a lot of tasks that require HR personnel, technology has put the power to control personal information into the hands of employees. The changes can be done in mere moments, ensuring that all information is current and up-to-date without getting bogged down in an inbox somewhere.

For more information on Employee Self Service, and how it can change the way you do business, simply contact us today!

How Human Resources can motivate Employees (without salary increases!)

Finding ways in which to motivate your employees can be a challenging task for many companies. Traditional methods such as raises and bonuses often put a strain on company budgets, meaning many organisations are now opting to use the numerous free methods available.

In this time of tight budgets, human resources can no longer simply give raises or bonuses to employees in exchange for excellent service. Luckily, motivating employees isn’t limited to monetary rewards, and some motivational techniques are free.

Thanking Employees

Everyone wants to know that their hard work is appreciated. A simple heartfelt thank you costs nothing, but instills a sense of purpose in an employee.

Public Recognition

From a simple email announcement to an employee of the month award, public recognition lets an employee know that they are valued and gives them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Most employees will want their co-workers aware of their hard work and there is no better way to show off an employees talents than publicly awarding them.

More Responsibility

Excellent employees want challenges and outstanding employees want to advance their careers. Putting an employee in charge of a project gives them managerial experience that they can point to when applying for managerial positions.

Professional Development

Allowing an employee to attend a professional development seminar benefits the employee and your organisation. The employee gets to network and list the training on their CV (therefore helping their career) while your company benefits from the cutting edge techniques your employee learns at the event.

Flexible Work Schedule

No one likes getting up early, getting dressed, and making a long commute to work. If you have an outstanding employee that can work independently, allowing them to work from home (at least part of the time) is a great incentive, plus, skipping commutes increases employee heath and satisfaction, creating a happier and more productive worker.

For more information about human resources, contact us.

Why Access Control is more Important (and difficult) than ever before

Access control within a business used to be a relatively simple process with all important documents being locked away in filling cabinets. The implementation of modern day technology however has now complicated the process with businesses storing important information from an employee’s personal details to credit card information on a computer network. Without the use of an electronic access control system all of this information is at risk of falling into the wrong hands.

In the past, access control in a business was relatively simple: if you had files that contained sensitive information, you put them in a filing cabinet in your office, and locked the drawer; when you went home for the day you locked your office, and you could rest assured that the information was safe behind barriers that only you had the key for.

As we all know though, the days of paper files (or at least exclusively paper files) are long behind us. Modern businesses run on computer networks that hold everything from credit card data and employee profiles, to bank account and social security numbers. While all of this information is necessary for conducting business, it is a little scary to think about what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands.

Electronic Access Control

That’s where Elf Productivity Ltd. comes into the picture. We know the worries businesses have to deal with, and it’s why we developed a unique software suite that ensures private information remains private.

Our software acts as an all-in-one solution to your business’s needs. It has a time clock for keeping track of which employees are working when, it offers employee self-service so that your HR department isn’t the only one capable of changing employee information, and most importantly it offers access control. You are in charge when it comes to who can see what information, and our software allows you to keep private files or documents out of the general network. So if some files are necessary for management but not your lower-level workers, we let you protect those. We also make sure that no outside forces get into your system, and make off with the data you’re trying so hard to keep safe.

For more information on how Elf Productivity Ltd. can help you keep your business locked up tight simply contact us today!

A Simple, Central Database for your Human Resources

Your businesses Human resource department is responsible for the completion of a number of processes that if ever not completed would send your business into a state of chaos. That is why many organisations are now choosing to implement one central database in order to avoid making their Human Resource department’s job more difficult.

The Human Resources Department is, in a very real sense, the nervous system of a company. It routes messages between departments, ensures that individual employees have their needs met, and keeps track of everything a business is doing. It’s a record keeper, a memory bank, and the backbone all at once. With that said, there’s no reason to make the HR Department’s job more difficult than it already is, that’s why many companies are adopting a central database setup, like the one created by Elf Productivity Ltd.

The Human Resources of The Future!

In the past all your Human Resources Department had to work with was papers and filing cabinets, everything had to be done by hand, and keeping track of even a small company’s information could be a nightmare. Even after computers took over for forms filled out in triplicate it still took HR professionals with skill and dedication to keep track of a company’s data. What HR has needed is a bigger lever: a tool that will do more of the work so that the human elements have to do less heavy lifting. That’s where today’s central database software comes in.

The idea is quite simple, actually: instead of having a business run a separate program for the time clock, a separate program for employee files, and a separate program for communications, Elf Productivity Ltd. simply put all of these different aspects together into a single software suite. The result is that finding information is simple, and making changes is almost easier done than said. If an employee needs his or her information updated, it can be done in seconds; if time and pay stubs need to be verified, that can also be done in a fraction of the time it used to take. Instead of making HR bounce from one network to another, or to search through endless databases or file cabinets, this software suite puts them square in the central hub of the business. The result? More work gets done, less time gets wasted, and everything moves more efficiently.

If you’d like more information about our software suite, and how it can help invigorate your HR department, simply contact us today!