Time and Attendance Systems

Time and Attendance is poetry in motion - Olympic Venue uses Focus Time and Attendance

2011-10-06T10:09:00.000+01:00

Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) is hosting the sailing for the 2012 Olympics.

Winning Words are running a competition to find poetry to suit the event. There are already loads of poems so go and take a look but...

As it happens the WPNSA also happen to use a Focus Pro time and attendance system supplied by Access-to-Time which, is poetry in motion itself, in terms of Time and Attendance!

The system efficiently manages employees hours and holidays and other absences and providing data for payroll is a breeze (let's hope there is plenty of that for the sailing in 2012!!!)

I am not any good at Poems but maybe someone can come up with some about time and attendance!!!

Post them here and I will pass them on!

uAttend is also available through Access-to-Time, click the link for more information on very cost effective web based time and attendance!

Oxford City Council Waste and Recycling Collections get streamlined with the installation of new technology

2011-09-16T17:36:00.000+01:00

Access-to-Time have been working with Oxford City Council’s Waste and Recycling Services in a bid to streamline the service and make it more efficient, by using the latest technology to save time and money.

In March 2011 Oxford City Council managers gave the go ahead for the Focus Enterprise system to be installed, to monitor how much time staff spend at work. The system has two terminals and a specially-tailored on-screen display.

In the past, staff at the waste and recycling depot filled in their time sheets manually, which is not an accurate or efficient way to record attendance at work. The installation of the new time and attendance technology has enabled the council to streamline the service and make financial savings.

Ian Bourton is the project manager who has overseen the implementation of the new system, which is being used by around 70 waste and recycling operatives. He has been working with Alastair Slade from Access -to-Time to implement the new system. Alastair explains how it works:

“There are two terminals that are used for staff to clock in and out using handscan technology. One is located inside and the other outside, with a special hurricane cover so that it can be used in all weathers. A customised ‘Run Out’ screen has been provided so that managers can plan working schedules very quickly and more accurately. They can also see up-to-the-minute information about who has clocked in or out in real time.”

Ian Bourton, from Oxford City Council goes on to outline the reasons for installing the system and the benefits :

“The Focus Enterprise system has made it easier to allocate staff shifts and managers can monitor and report staff attendance. Holidays, lieu time and sickness absence are also recorded much more accurately. Precise clocking in and out of staff members means that managers can see the information at any time on the screen. There have been efficiencies made by using this system and in addition to the cost savings, you haven’t got staff filling out time sheets when they could be using the time to carry out work. The system has been very easy for the staff to use and there have been no objections to switching over. It’s also good at capturing data in real time. Staff can ‘bank’ hours they haven’t used, which we can use to undertake training for example. There is more accurate recording of overtime and we are now just using one database instead of three or four.”

The system has been running since May 2011 and Oxford City Council will be considering whether to roll the system out to other departments, especially those services where staff work outside normal office hours.

More information about Access-to-Time and their time and attendance systems can be found at www.a2t.co.uk

81 per cent of businesses say their staff have improved time keeping by using a time and attendance system

2011-09-01T15:10:00.001+01:00

That’s one of the statistics revealed in a recent survey that was carried out by time and attendance specialists Access-to-Time, who have now helped over 1,000 businesses in the UK improve staff attendance and cut costs. Alastair Slade, Director at Access-to-Time explains:

“In the current economic climate it is more important than ever that businesses get the most productivity out of staff and the first way to do this is to make sure you are keeping an accurate record of the time your employees spend at work.”

The survey also found that installing a time and attendance system, had reduced administration costs for a significant number of businesses at 43%.

Not surprisingly 87% of businesses said they had a more accurate record of time data held following installation of a time and attendance system by Access-to-Time. Accurate attendance records resulted in improvements to other aspects of their business with 69% saying they now had more accurate pay and 63% less conflict over pay.

For more information about Access-to-Time’s time and attendance systems go to http://www.a2t.co.uk/

Businesses with managed groups of less than 50 employees can look at the uAttend system http://www.uattend.co.uk/

Sanguine Hospitality save 20 hours in one day!

2011-08-15T13:11:00.005+01:00

Sanguine Hospitality provide hospitality services to Cadbury House Hotel and Club in Congresbury, one of the largest and best known hotel and spa complexes in Somerset.

Shezan Aslam, Human Resources Director from Sanguine Hospitality found out about Access-to-Time’s Focus Enterprise system that is used to monitor staff time and attendance and a lot more besides. They were impressed with how easily it can streamline the way they plan staff schedules, record staff attendance and how it saves the business money.

Angus Fyfe, the Group Management Accountant at Sanguine Hospitality, explained that they provide a service to several hotels. They decided to trial Access-to-Time’s Focus Enterprise system at the Cadbury House Hotel and Club with 100+ staff, with a view to rolling it out to all seven of their hotels. He said:

“I liked what the Focus product did when I heard about it because it looked like something that could combat many of the issues we had about how much time people were spending at work. We started using Focus in June 2011 for our 100+ hotel and leisure staff at Cadbury House Hotel and Club. It basically clocks people in and out and we can then go online using terminal services to obtain stats on staff attendance. I liked the fact that it has a hand scanner as this works very well for people in the hotel and leisure industry. We believe the cost savings will be significant and the system will more than pay for itself. For example we saved 20 hours recently just in one day.”

Call Access-to-Time on 01761 410015 for more information on the system and how it could help your organisation.

Businesses urged to beat the economy by reducing staffing costs, using one simple tool

2011-07-18T09:46:00.001+01:00

In the news last week (12 July) have been tales about the challenging economy and how businesses are being pushed to their limit. Some believe that the economy shrunk by 0.2% this year, for reasons attributed to royal wedding and decreased output.

Meanwhile the Britsish Chamber of Commerce survey shows that the economy has grown by 0.6% because of exports, but this growth is still quite low.

Whatever your view is on the economy, this is a challenging time because everyone agrees that growth will be slow this year. Alastair Slade from Access-To-Time who helps companies save money on their staffing costs believes that many businesses, who are looking for financial savings can find this easily, with effective time monitoring. He says:

“Businesses should always look at their staffing costs, which for many businesses is their biggest financial commitment. For a small investment businesses can save thousands of pounds. Every penny can count in this difficult economic climate with increasing costs. This is great news for small and medium sized businesses.”

Access-to-Time work with businesses on a number of solutions to reduce their business costs by monitoring the time that staff spend at work more effectively. Most commonly this is done with the use of a system that uses a unique combination of cloud computing and finger print recognition, called www.uAttend.co.uk

Access-to -Time launched uAttend, which enables small and medium sized businesses to easily and effectively monitor their employees time at work. uAttend is already proving very popular with small and medium sized businesses. In the past these systems have been too expensive for smaller employers to use, but the uAttend system starts at £99 plus a monthly membership fee of £14.99. The price has been kept low because uAttend uses a unique cloud -based computing system that can be accessed online, with the added benefit of making it very easy for staff and managers to use.

Not only is the system very competitively priced, it has Lifetime Technical Support and Lifetime Hardware Warranty. This ensures that users have a known fixed cost, no surprises is the watch word!

The Access-to-Time uAttend™ system is available from www.uAttend.co.uk or call 01761 410 015.

Uattend in the news – it’s no laughing matter!

2011-06-21T10:09:00.003+01:00

It was great to see all the recent media articles and reviews about uAttend. We have been in This Is Bath , which is the website for the Bath chronicle and Wiltshire Business Online part of the Swindon Advertiser. We have also had a great review on Kent Business TV

But we had to laugh, here in the Access-to-Time offices, when we read the article written about uAttend in Fund Strategy Magazine. The article reads “The chairman has the feeling he is not getting full value for what he pays his staff and wonders if biometrics and cloud computing can help him keep tabs on late arrivals and smoking breaks.”

The article goes on to say:

“I have recently become aware of a new type of company - a ’time and attendance specialist’, no less - which might be able to set your mind at rest. For the ever-watchful souls at Access-to-Time say they have launched a brand new way to keep track of employees, using fingerprint recognition. “

You can read the full article here.

Basically it’s a spoof article about an employee who his talking to the chairman about a made up company ‘Scam’. The writer and chairman are considering using uAttend for employees who are investment managers.

It’s a hilarious article poking fun at how you might implement a system with (not very fairly paid) human and non-human fund managers.

Seriously though, keeping track of staff is no laughing matter when you are a small business owner or have responsibility for paying staff for the hours they have worked. You can find out more about how you can save on staffing costs and increase productivity with uAttend here or purchase uAttend here.

Very special offer on TM920 clocking terminal!

2011-04-02T08:59:00.000+01:00

Get on over to Facebook by following this link to find out more...

You can now get a TM920 (TM-920) for £150 with free cards, rack and delivery!

or you could have a computerised uAttend terminal for £119 with ten free badges and Web Based Software Membership, Lifetime Warranty and Support for £14.99 a month if you have 9 employees or less.

No software to install or keep up-to-date as everything is on the web and you can view the data from any internet browser!

Go on-line and purchase a superb time and attendance system and start making savings!

What did the budget do for you - ensure you use Time and Attendance to save on your wage bill!

2011-03-24T11:58:00.001Z

Alastair Slade, a director of the Somerset-based company, Access-to-Time Limited, commented, ‘Although today's budget is fiscally neutral, the increase in the employer's NI contribution previously announced for the new tax year makes it even more important for employers to monitor working hours. An employee time and attendance system, such as uAttend, which we are currently launching to SMEs, can provide accurately calculated hours for payroll. It is very cost effective when compared to the monthly salary bill for the employees using the system.’

Monthly membership starts at £14.99 a month for up to 9 employees, that's a wage bill of up to £9K a month, all managed for less the £15 plus VAT a month, including full support and hardware warranty!

Clocks start at £99 with the checkout code DHAJ3,

uAttend gets rave reviews

2011-02-18T13:33:00.000Z

Model Number: CB2000

"I never thought I would think a timeclock was cool, but I have to admit this is pretty awesome (and very out of the box ready to go!). I really didn't want to have to run (or pay for someone's labour) cables all through my office to connect to a timeclock that I wanted to mount at my warehouse door, so when I found out there was a wifi timeclock I was excited. It sets up pretty easily (you do have to know your wifi router settings) . I called in for help setting it up because I was scared I would mess it up/create future problems, waste time or cost $$$. They were very nice and helpful, even helped me upload my logo so it displays in the clock. The online software is super easy to use.
I'm up running and all dialed in less than a few hours of receiving."

Shoplifting and how to stop it!

2010-10-19T22:46:00.000+01:00

Shoplifting cost UK stores £4.4bn in the year to the end of June 2010. The survey carried out by the Centre for Retail Research found that an average of over £12m worth of goods were stolen from shops every day in the UK during the last year. The research, compiled from data from 42,000 shops across Europe, found that more than a third of thefts were carried out by staff, with British workers the worst offenders.

Branded clothing is the most common target but meat, cheese, alcohol and seafood are also popular items to pinch along with many others.

A leading source said “Shoplifting results in a financial burden of £180 on every family in the country and so there is a real social obligation on the retail industry to do everything it can to tackle retail crime.”

About £970m was spent on increased retail security last year, but it did not stop UK stores being targeted by their own staff. Dr Adrian Beck, head of criminology at the University of Leicester, said: “In an organisation, it could be that there are very few controls, that you’re badly paid, the morale is low, and you realise that the risk of being caught is also very low....people are much more likely to take opportunities that are presented to them.”

If you, like most retailers, can empathise with this latest survey and are finding shrinkage to be a major issue for your business, then A2T have the product for you. Integrated into your company security policy, the SS4000 Search Selector unit can provide both a permanent deterrent to thieves and an effective means of catching those that are not deterred, without undue imposition on your honest employees.

Call us now on 01761 410015 or visit our web site or down load an order form here

Time and Attendance, do you need more information?

2010-07-10T07:10:00.002+01:00

Hi there

How are things going with your time and attendance system?

If you need more information on Time and Attendance you may wish to visit our Time and Attendance from A2T page to help you work out what you need to do.

Or you could just call us on 01761 410015, we are here to help...

A2T

Wrap Distribution choose A2T for their Time and Attendance requirements

2009-11-17T09:18:00.004Z

Wrap Distribution, based in the South East, have recently had a Focus Pro system installed by A2T. The system is made up of a clocking terminal and several access control units. More access control units are planned as the building refit continues over the next few months.

The installation was carried out in a flexible manner to fit in with Wrap Distribution's time constraints and the implementation went very smoothly with Wrap's technical staff and A2T sharing the work required to install the system. This enabled Wrap Distribution to keep the installation within a tight budget - key in any economic environment.

Mr Ahmed, the Managing Director said, "The new software is easy to use, the watch feature in particular is excellent. We are delighted with the way A2T were flexible during the design and installation period and helped to keep installation costs down by working with us to meet our immediate priorities".

A2T works hard to ensure that every implementation goes smoothly and we work hard to be as flexible as possible in case things change or different requirements are needed.

If you do not need all the functionality of the PRO version there is the Lite version for users with less demanding environments, call Access-to-Time now on 01761 410015 for a demonstration.

Time and Attendance for Bagport Ltd

2009-09-11T15:16:00.005+01:00

Bagport Ltd - Time and Attendance

Bagport is a baggage service provider for airports

System: Focus Lite with Handscan terminal

Bagport needed a Time & Attendance system for their operations at Bristol Airport.

They wanted equipment that was simple to operate and provided a foolproof method of correctly identifying individual employees using the system.

The system is used to record employees arrival and departure times, to calculate worked hours including overtime and to record when employees take holiday or are absent for other reasons.

A HandScan or HandPunch terminal, which is a reliable biometric method that uses a 3D template of a hand to check identity, provides the level of security required.

Nick Watts, the UK MD for Bagport, said:

"Since having the system installed we have had no issues using it at all, it is working very well.

It is user friendly, and adding and archiving employees is very easy.

Our staff like it as they no longer need to write anything down, they just clock in and out."

Following the successful implementation of the Focus Lite system at Bristol Airport, another system was installed at Luton Airport, and further systems are planned.

The Focus Lite system is a very good system for companies wanting to monitor employee start and end times and to make standard hours calculations.

Call us now on 01761 410015 to see if you would benefit from having a Focus Lite system supplied and maintained by Access-to-Time.

Quarry Chooses Focus Time and Attendance

2009-08-12T21:50:00.007+01:00

Morris & Perry Ltd is part of the S. Morris Ltd group of companies and is a family-owned independent manufacturer of construction materials. The company is located in Somerset and has been supplying high quality materials for over eighty years.

The Morris & Perry quarry in Gurney Slade was acquired in the sixties and was using a manual tally roll clock which had been in operation for many years.

When the manual clock started to go wrong, it was decided to take a big step forward and source an electronic time and attendance system. It was decided to have a system that would allow the employees to have some control over their calculated hours as they had had before with the manual system.

The Focus Time and Attendance system specified by Access-to-Time met this requirement and extra functionality was added to the system specifically for Morris & Perry to provide a solution to meet their needs.

Although not over-complicated, the calculation of employees' time, which had always been done manually, required some thinking as some employees' time was calculated in a non-standard manner. The flexible scripting available within the Focus system enabled these non-standard calculations to be carried out with ease.

Morris & Perry chose to use the HandScan terminal so that their employees did not need to carry any other form of token, fob or badge to enable them to clock in and out. In the environment of the quarry there were concerns that the HandScan terminal might struggle. It hasn't at all. Brian Perry, the Managing Director, said:

"I didn't believe it would work in this environment. It is a testament to the strength of the design that it is working so well."

The ease with which the system can be used has meant that time has been saved all round and the calculation of payroll and the managing of holidays and other absences is simple. Tracey Simpson, the Accounts Manager, said:

"I returned from holiday recently and it was lovely not to have all the reams of paper to go through as I would have had to before. I just clicked and there was all the information I needed."

If you would like to benefit from a modern, efficient and money-saving system contact A2T now on 01761 410015.

Richard Tovey Transport Services choose Falcon Access Control

2009-08-07T14:39:00.005+01:00

Leading logistics provider Richard Tovey Transport Services Ltd, who provide both standard and specialised logistics solutions, needed a simple-to-use and cost effective Access Control system to provide protection for their new key store and main office door.

They wanted to be able to approach the implementation of a system in a flexible manner including the possibility of installing some of the system themselves to enable them to meet their budgetary requirements.

Access-to-Time Ltd was selected as the preferred supplier of the Falcon Access Control system. Their flexibility combined with the functionality of this solution provided the service required by Richard Tovey Transport Services Ltd.

The flexibility meant that, for this implementation, A2T only installed the software, provided user training and made off the final connections between the hardware involved with all the cabling and installation of the hardware being carried out by Richard Tovey Transport Services Ltd.

A good compromise that enabled the best solution to be provided and meet the budget!

Operations Manager Simon Stroud said that the manner in which the installation was handled and the support provided both before, during and after the installation was very good and that he would not hesitate to recommend the services of Access-to-Time Ltd to any company who is looking for this kind of system.

Richard Tovey Transport Services Ltd can be contacted on 01179 825259 or visit their website.

Access-to-Time Ltd can be contacted on 01761 410015 or find out more by visiting the web site.

Thorn Cycles - TimeLOG Time and Attendance

2009-06-23T17:23:00.013+01:00

Thorn Cycles, also known as SJS Cycles, started in 1983 with a small shop supplying and maintaining cycles for the local area. We now have 30 members of staff working in premises of 1200 square metres and cater for a large, discerning UK market as well as demand from overseas.

"We use the TimeLOG system, which was specified by A2T when we were looking for a system some years ago to help us improve time keeping. This it has certainly done!

We wanted to install the hardware ourselves so that we could meet our budget rather than having to pay someone else to do it. A2T were agreeable to that approach.

After we had installed the hardware and cabling, A2T commissioned the system very efficiently. The software was installed on our server by A2T and the data connection worked easily. To save us time in getting the system up and running, we chose to have our rules programmed into the system by A2T.

Our system administrators were trained by A2T in the day-to-day use of the system. We found that the data from the system enabled us to improve staff time keeping. We also have lots of easy-to-access reports that analyse attendance and working hours in different ways.

A2T continues to support us in a friendly and efficient manner. We are happy to recommend A2T as a supplier of Time and Attendance systems."

If you would like to benefit from a modern computerised time and attendance system then please contact A2T on 01761 410015.

Time and Attendance at Camellia Contracts

2009-06-12T08:26:00.010+01:00

Camellia Contracts have been using the Focus time and attendance software for some time now and these manufacturers of intricate Glass Fibre moulded structures wrote to us saying “...how pleased we are in how Focus is operating."

"...A2T did a good job on site in installing the system & software for us. It was then a smooth process in inducting the staff onto the system and surprisingly, there were no major issues raised by the staff in Focus being implemented."

"It's proved beneficial in reducing time that staff lost in arriving late/leaving early. It is also saving both time & money in respect to the wages being accurately calculated on a weekly basis, without the need for the works manager to manually obtain the time sheets and calculate all the permutations of total hours worked/annual leave/sick leave/overtime that arise."

"It also relieved the necessity of staff signing themselves in/out in the event of a fire due to the ability to print off a Fire Report stating who's on the premises at any one time and this is a benefit in our fire risk assessments."

"Focus has proved reliable and when we have had any queries, the support from yourselves at A2T has been faultless."

"I would have no hesitation in recommending yourselves for similar installations.”

If you are not getting the best out of your Time and Attendance system then get in touch with us and take advantage of our free consultancy offer to see how you could benefit like Camellia Contracts have. Call us now on 01761 410015.

Focus Time and Attendance System chosen by Taunton Fabrications

2009-06-02T14:57:00.010+01:00

Access-to-Time Ltd provides the right solution at the right price!

Award winnig steel fabrication & architectural metalwork business, Taunton Fabrications, is now using a Focus Lite hand scanner system supplied and fitted by A2T. The company employs around 50 staff at their head office in Taunton and needed to ensure that they chose a system that was robust, easy to use, expandable and cost effective - the Focus Lite system was the perfect choice.

Chief Executive, David Phelps said: "For some time we have operated a flexi working hour system in all departments. This enables staff to better balance their home/ work life, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to monitor. After researching the market we chose A2T because they were local and specialised in the type of product we were looking for. A2T were also able to wire in the system, connect it to our computer system and provide training to our administrators - it was essential that we used a supplier who could provide the complete package."

If you would like to know more about the system and how it can help you on a day-to-day basis then get in touch with Access-to-Time Ltd on 01761 410015 or use our enquiry form. You might be surprised at how easy and cost effective it is to implement a system.

Focus Time and Attendance System now has TOIL

2009-05-22T17:47:00.003+01:00

Good afternoon...

Users of the Focus time and attendance system will be pleased to hear that TOIL or time off in lieu is now available within the system.

This allows the user to accrue time that is added to their holiday allowance so that they can take time off later to make up for the extra hours that have been worked over and above their normal working hours.

Employers can save money by implementing a TOIL system instead of paying overtime.

Employees also benefit from being able to accrue more holiday.

If you want a biometric clocking solution then the Hand scan or Handpunch terminals offer a good solution.

If you have an annual licence then get in touch with us and we will email you the new program or provide you with a link to it.

Employees say how much easier it is to clock instead of having to keep paper records. Payroll staff only have to check the results, no more lengthy calculations to cope with.

The Focus system also allows users to manage holiday and other absences very easily, see who is booked on holiday already with just a few clicks of the mouse, no more routing around holiday cards to see who is already booked off.

Give us a call if you need more information 01761 410015 or visit our web site.

Paxton Access Control Readers now work with the Focus Time and Attendance system

2009-05-21T09:30:00.001+01:00

Hi

If you are thinking about adding Time and Attendance or Time Recording to your organisations list of systems that save time and money and ensure an accurate (and lower) payroll, then good news is at hand, especially if you already have a Paxton Access Control system.

You can now use Paxton Access Control readers to input data into Focus proximity terminals. This means that your employees can use their existing identity tokens, fobs or badges, to clock in and out on Focus proximity terminals.

For more information click on the the Focus Time & Attendance system link.

You can call us on 01761 410015 for a discussion on your requirements.

Or take advantage of our free consultancy service.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Saving Money with Biomtric Time and Attendance

2009-05-18T13:53:00.001+01:00

Breaking news...

McDonalds in Venezuela is using Handscan (also known as Hand Punch) terminals to monitor employees clocking at 85 sites.

They say they are cutting payroll costs by 22%!!

Read the article here...Article

You too can save by implementing a system that prevents 'buddy punching' as it is known. The same terminals are supplied with several of the systems provided by Access-to-Time (A2T).

Installing a time and attendance system also improves employees arrival times. One of our most recent new customers commented that the number of late arrivals had dropped dramatically at their printing works in Chippenham, even when the Focus time and attendance system was running on a pilot run without even being fully implemented!

Saving time on calculations also helps the administrator of the payroll system. This may either be through carrying out the calculations needed on a weekly basis automatically or by providing an electronic export to stop double entry of data or for emailing to a payroll bureau.

Talk to us today about saving time and money by implementing a time and attendance system. 01761 410015, or visit our web site for more information.

If you want to know more about time and attendance or time recording visit us on the web here...

Time Attendance with Biometrics

2008-11-29T05:53:00.000Z

Time Attendance

Biometric time attendance is becoming more and more popular. The main two reasons for this are that the employee who is using the system does not need to remember to bring a badge, fob or other token with them to work to register their arrival and departure and it also eliminates the ability of one employee to clock another in or out.

The Ingersoll Rand Hand Punch or Handpunch or Handscan terminal is a very reliable means of Biometric time attendance recording.

You can also use the SY-780 Finger Print or the BioStation, these units work well in most environments but if your employees work in a more physical environment then we would recommend the Handscan terminals.

If you want more information on Computerised Time and Attendance systems then please visit us on line at www.a2t.co.uk.

That's it for now, see you again soon... 01761 410015