First of all, what is the Internet of Behaviours? It is a technology that allows to explore how its users behave and then to influence their behaviours. IoB is based on the data received from the sensors used in the Internet of Things (IoT). The value added of IoB consists in the analysis and interpretation of such data, which allows to gain insights and suggest different patterns of behaviour to users.

This may seem familiar to companies which already use TIMATE. Why? Because our system works on the basis of the data collected by sensors, including the information about movement and location of employees. Furthermore, TIMATE makes it possible to structure and understand the data via the analysis module, while the messages sent to the users’ cards influence their behaviours, providing a simple and effective motivational system.

 What information does TIMATE get from the employee actions?

The TIMATE cards and devices are equipped with sensors which obtain a lot of precious data. For example, they indicate the employee location (i.e. the zone) and the routes that employees use around the company premises. The system also monitors whether employees move only within the permitted areas and whether they use personal protective equipment. It verifies how much time employees devote to particular tasks as well as whom they meet and where (which is of special importance now, during the pandemic). The system can also detect accidents (falls and loss of consciousness).

Such data provide the basis for the employee behaviour analysis and allow to make conclusions about how the enterprise functions. It may turn out that business processes are not fully optimal (e.g. employees wasting their precious time while waiting for the delivery of items they need for work; employees covering long distances many times everyday, because their workstation is exceedingly far from the locations they need to reach to get their job done, e.g. warehouses). The observation of how the TIMATE card users behave helps to better understand business operations. Moreover, it allows to identify the areas that need improvement.

How does TIMATE influence the behaviour of employees?

The second aspect of IoB is the way it can change behaviours. TIMATE also does that.

• By sending messages to employees’ cards, employers/managers remind them of the need to perform/refrain from an action (e.g. disinfect hands, put on a helmet, leave a hazardous zone, take a break etc.).
• Thanks to the data from the TIMATE system, an enterprise can reorganise its processes and change the way employees work.
• The new motivational module makes employees internal auditors in their companies. Their work is assessed on a daily basis, so they are able to identify inefficient processes or errors in the work organisation which affect the assessment.

Who benefits from IoB?

IoB is a new technology, so it is no wonder it gives rise to doubts. Does an enterprise really need all the data it collects? Is it actually lawful to influence the behaviour of employees?

As for TIMATE, it is clear and simple. The system does not collect any sensitive data, but only information about employee movement and location. In addition, the changes based on such data are beneficial to both employees and employers. It is a win-win model. The enterprise improves its operations, which is good for everybody.

IoB is at the starting point of its development. However, the appropriate use of this technology can help many businesses enhance their activities here and now. Check it out. It is worth it!

How does it work? TIMATE collects and analyses current data pertaining to employees’ work as well as production and business processes within an enterprise. At the end of each working day, such data get converted into an assessment which is displayed on the cards of all employees and team leaders. This assessment is divided into six areas:

Time and attendance

The system generates the assessment of employees’ punctuality, the amount of time devoted to work and breaks (including statutory and non-statutory breaks, e.g. lunch, coffee, cigarette), overtime and undertime.

Use of the working time

TIMATE informs whether employees perform the assigned duties and tasks. For this purpose, it checks if employees spend the right amount of time in motion, e.g. in the area of the production floor / in a warehouse, or at the computer. Each enterprise defines its individual norms in this respect.

Safety

The system checks and records if employees adhere to the OHS rules and regulations. They include wearing helmets and protective clothing within zones which require them. The system also provides accident alerts, the SOS function and responding to safety messages. On this basis it generates daily assessments.

Task performance

TIMATE verifies if employees perform the tasks assigned by the superior and displayed on the card as a list of actions to do on the given day.

Plan performance

Thanks to the open API, TIMATE easily integrates with internal systems for work schedule planning, ERP or CRM. Daily tasks assigned to each employee are elements of short- or long-term plans. The degree of plan performance is assessed at the end of each business day.

Management

TIMATE cards for managers display a daily summary of their teams’ work. The assessment covers particular areas of operation and the team management. The overall evaluation of the team is the average value of the scores recorded on the given day for all team members.

Each area has its own icon. At the end of each business day, employee can see five icons on their cards along with the respective assessments in the form of clear pictograms (smiling, neutral or sad faces). A manager’s card displays six such icons and assessments.

Evaluation drives changes

Why should we assess employees and their work on a daily basis? Because this way we get the ongoing monitoring of the company’s operations and we can identify problems as soon as they come up. If a team shows a lower assessment in a given area, it is sufficient to check detailed graphs and analyses in order to find out what is wrong. As a result, it is possible to implement necessary changes in processes and improve efficiency.

Motivation at the fingertips

The assessment module can be used for the purposes of motivating the employees. A positive daily assessment can be translated into points which will become the basis for rewards and bonuses. The system also allows to reward employees and co-workers with special “recognition” or “appreciation” which gets recorded in the application and on the card.

Thereby managers and employees can continually increase their bonuses. They clearly see it pays to strive for the best, because their work is assessed everyday, noticed and recognised through an increased financial bonus for the given month.

According to CBRE, 96 modern office buildings with the total area of 1.6 million square metres are now being erected in Poland. 41 of them will be put into service this year. E commerce is growing rapidly, so there is a larger demand for warehouse spaces. In the first half of 2020, the lease of such spaces broke the record and reached nearly 2.43 million square metres. It is 25% more than in the same period of 2019, says CBRE report on the storage space market in Poland. Though the real property market is doing fine, owners and lessors have to take additional efforts to make the property space use safe.

How to maintain safety in office buildings and warehouse?

The Ministry of Economic Development, Labour and Technology along with the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate have prepared guidelines for entrepreneurs with respect to the organization of office work. Their goal is to enhance the level of employee safety and minimize the risk of infections as well as to limit the number of interactions within the same area at the same time.

How to adjust offices and warehouses to the new requirements in practice? First of all, employees and guests need to be provided with protective equipment (masks, disinfectants). Secondly, adequate distance has to be maintained between co-workers and there should be more social spaces so as to prevent too many people gathering in kitchens and chill-out rooms. Thirdly, one-way movement system should be organized along with zero-touch door opening systems, if and where possible.

TIMATE can help with all of this.

Audio messages and signals

The TIMATE card offers functions and options that can be effectively used in office buildings and warehouses. First of all, it allows to display any type of messages and transmit audio signals. As such, it can remind of the necessity to disinfect hands or to leave a room where too many people have gathered. The card will also ensure that its owner will keep the required distance from his or her colleagues.

The location function

The system can identify the areas of the premises where employees or guests are located. It can also indicate the routes they take and how they move around. Based on such information, it is possible to designate additional social spaces, the spots for disinfectants or one-way routes allowing for safe movements between rooms or floors.

Touchless door opening

TIMATE enables door opening in the zero-touch mode. Importantly, the system opens doors only to authorized persons, so it minimizes the risk of too many people meeting in one office. A company which rents spaces in an office building has the guarantee that only its own employees can enter their company’s premises. As a result, the safety of both people and information is enhanced.

If such a system already exists in an enterprise, TIMATE can easily take over its functions so as to avoid card duplication.

SOS – help at your fingertips

TIMATE cards are equipped with the SOS button. An employee who feels unwell or dizzy, e.g. due to high fever, can call for help immediately. If it turns out the employee is ill, the employer can easily identify the persons who have interacted with the employee and should therefore be quarantined.

Remote work support

The card can also be used as a tool to confirm the performance of tasks outside the company premises, e.g. during home office or a business trip. The employee uses the task list on the smartphone and chooses the next tasks to perform. By placing the card against the phone and using the NFC technology, the employee confirms the start and the completion of the task. TIMATE records the time devoted to the task on condition that the employee has the card on. When the card is put against the phone, the work location gets recorded based on the phone’s GPS.

The card enables permanent and quick communication between the employer and the employee, task schedule preview and monitoring, and providing the info about breaks.

The technological and other changes introduced now by the managers of commercial properties will pay off. They will ensure safety and make the real property sector prepared for similar circumstances in the future.

First of all, let’s talk about the hybrid model itself. The key principle is the rotation of employees which actually work on the company premises. When one part of the team is at the office, the others work from home. As a result, it is easier to maintain the required social distance.

The report published by Pracuj.pl says that 40% of Polish employees support this working model. They would like to come to the office at least once a week. 39% of responders want to return to the office on a regular basis, but with the option of remote work at least several times a month.

Of course, the home office option is not available to everyone. Blue-collar workers, production specialists and the majority of factory workers have to be at their work stations everyday. In this case, the employer should ensure appropriate sanitary conditions.

How can TIMATE help?

Home office. Communications and tasks

When a company implements the hybrid model, TIMATE can support the entrepreneur in the scope of both remote work and on-site operations. Our smart card functions as a platform for communication with the employer, when the employee works from home. First of all, the card displays tasks to be performed on the given day and allows to mark the time when the task is started and then the time when it is completed. Additionally, the card:

· Is a tool which confirms the task completion
· Reminds of the need to take a break
· Informs when the overtime starts
· Allows to notify of absence and provide the reason (e.g. sick leave or a business trip)

Working on-site. Safety and control

Surveys conducted among employees and entrepreneurs in recent months indicate that safety is now the top priority for both groups. TIMATE is a system which ensures safety, also when employees work on the company premises. How is this done? The TIMATE card supports the following functions among others:

· Contactless entry and exit via gates
· Temperature measuring sensors (upon the consent by the employee)
· OHS messages, e.g. reminding of the need to disinfect hands
· Active assistance in keeping the safe distance between employees
· Statistics preventing employees from gathering
· SOS button which allows to report violations of the OHS rules or situations when the employee feels unwell

At the present moment, we can assume that enterprises will not return to the regular on-site work in the nearest future. In many cases, they will choose the hybrid model of operation. Technologies such as TIMATE can provide effective assistance in this transition.

At the moment, we are waiting for official guidelines regarding the school work organization after the summer break. It can be expected that, similarly to enterprises, educational facilities will need to introduce the following procedures: measuring temperature, disinfection of hands and surfaces, restriction of gatherings and social distancing.

Perhaps schools will organize breaks at different times for different classes so as to limit the number of students outside classrooms during breaks. Maybe some lessons will still be organized remotely. Regardless of which solutions will actually be implemented, technologies can help people comply with the new rules.

A student ID, a student grade record and SOS in one

Well aware of the new challenges in education, we collaborated with Euvic IT to adjust the TIMATE system to school environments. Our smart card can now function as a student’s or teacher’s digital ID, a student’s grade record, a lesson plan or a library card. Simultaneously, it will ensure students’ safety thanks to the SOS button which can be used to call help in the case of an accident, a dangerous event or bullying. The card will also assist in evacuations and will remind of the necessity to disinfect hands.

Our system does not collect biometric data of teachers and students. Outside the school premises, the card does not display the user’s photo and name. In contrast to smartphones, the card contains no games, social media functions or other applications that would distract students, but it allows to contact them and determine their location. Thus, it improves their safety.

What benefits does our card give to students and teachers?

For students:

• A lesson plan from Monday through Friday, a grade record (grades from the given day), daily homework for each subject, a library card
• Automatic checking of students’ attendance
• An identifier of each student (first and last name, class, photo) and his/her location in the school (floor, classroom)
• Measuring distances between students and between students and teachers
• Measuring students’ temperature
• The SOS function with one button (accidents, violence), fall detection, faints, loss of consciousness
• Monitoring the number of students during breaks (automatic scheduling of breaks for different classes)
• Messages (e.g. “Time to wash hands”)

For teachers:

• A lesson plan from Monday through Friday with classrooms
• A teacher’s identifier (first and last name, subject/function, photo), location in the school (floor, classroom)
• Automatic checking of teachers’ attendance
• Measuring distances between students and teachers
• Measuring teachers’ temperature
• The SOS function with one button (accidents, fire, other events), fall detection, faints, loss of consciousness
• The option to send information to the teacher’s card with a reply function
• Monitoring personal protection equipment (e.g. masks, visors)

Importantly, TIMATE can be integrated with other tools already used in schools, e.g. Librus and Vulcan. There is no need to abandon these technologies which have been supporting schools for a long time. They can be simply extended with new possibilities.

Though the situation is difficult, it seems that it can actually help in the digital transformation of schools. A new technologically advanced school is just around the corner. Let’s move in that direction!

How should entrepreneurs react in the time of threat and downturn? Of course, there is no one rule of thumb which can be followed in each and every case. However, there are several guiding principles which can help companies survive the hard times and emerge from the crisis in a better shape.

First: stay calm

That’s what any entrepreneur should do first of all. Haphazard actions and panic are the worst enemies of business. Though the pandemic made companies face new, sometimes completely unprecedented situations, disorganized and arbitrary reactions will not help them keep their heads above water.

Second: look, analyse, eliminate

Another thing an entrepreneur should do is to analyse all processes happening in the company. Why? To check if resources are used in an optimized way and if there is any waste down the lines. For many companies which normally operate on the basis of automatic routines, a crisis is a good opportunity to take a closer look at how they actually function. Thus, they can detects areas and processes that need improvement. They can fix defects and reduce costs.

How can you analyse processes? Well, TIMATE is a useful tool for that. One of the modules in the solution can perform analyses of various collected data. Importantly, TIMATE also generates indicators. You don’t have to analyse your data on your own and then wonder what they actually mean.

The system does it for you. TIMATE can analyse data from various angles and combines them into a transparent whole that can be easily understood. In consequence, entrepreneurs get a clear insight into how their employees work, how they use their working time, if they are safe and where they are located. Based on such data, you can organize work more effectively, you can eliminate inefficient processes and you can ensure optimal management of resources.

Third: contain the threat

The COVID-19 pandemic is a threat to employees’ health. A disease outbreak on the company premises often means you have to shut down all operations and go through the quarantine procedure. Such downtime generates losses.

However, this can be avoided. Again, TIMATE can be of assistance. Its functions allow the employer to remind the employees of the necessity to keep the distance and to wash or disinfect hands. The system can measure the employees’ temperature remotely and react when it exceeds a predefined level. Additionally, the smart card prevents larger groups of people from gathering at one location. If anyone gets ill, the location function will show the interactions of the infected person so as to decide who should be quarantined.

Another function useful in containing COVID-19 is the SOS button which normally serves to report accidents and dangerous situations. Under the new circumstances, an employee can press the button when he/she feels unwell or meets a potentially infected co-worker. A quick response in such situations, isolation of the ill person and immediate medical aid effectively contain the spread of the virus.

The economic slowdown affecting companies all around the globe does not have to result in losses and close-down. A calm and smart approach to the new situation, an analysis of the company’s operations, implementing optimization, a better use of resources and ensuring employee safety will bring short-term positive effects that will translate into long-term benefits in the future.

Let’s imagine the following situation. We monitor people working in our enterprise. The time and attendance system such as TIMATE provides us with information about the clock-in/out times, the amount of time which employees spend in particular rooms and the time they need to perform specific tasks. What can be actually concluded from such raw data, even if we take a closer look?
Not much. In fact, sometimes false conclusions can drawn on the basis of such data. For example, we check some information about two employees who unload pallets and we clearly see that one of them needs 20 minutes to get the job done, while the other performs the same task in 30 minutes.

Her Majesty Analysis

It is only an effective analysis of data from various angles, comparing diverse factors, will provide managers with true answers to questions regarding employee performance. In the example presented above, the analysis of the available information will reveal that the second employee is not at all lazy or less efficient, but he simply has to get the pallet from the other end of the factory. Meanwhile, the first employee collects and unloads the pallet at one location. In this case, it is extremely important to take into account the correlation between the time of the task performance and the distances covered by the particular employees.

What can we do with such information? A lot. We have learned that the different amounts of time that the two employees need perform the same task do not result from inefficiency or sluggishness of the second worker. In fact, the manager is to blame for poor and ineffective organization of processes. It is now sufficient to implement several improvements to optimize the processes and increase the company’s effectiveness. Only data transformed into knowledge can provide actual solutions.

The key to understand employees.

Unfortunately, managers often have no time to observe how people in their team actually work. In consequence, they frequently do not understand how their employees work. They compare results, but fail to seek the underlying causes.

However, it can be changed by the analysis of work-related data and its various aspects such as time, place, temperature in the room etc. This detailed insight into the processes can lead to the effective optimization of all operations in the company. Importantly, it also allows to assess employees fairly, to appreciate their commitment, to improve working conditions and to engage in motivational talks.

A solution that meets today’s needs.

Until recently there have been no tools that would enable the collection of specific information related to the use of the working time and its analysis in different configurations. TIMATE is a game-changer, since it can analyse data from various angles and combines them into a transparent whole that can be easily understood.

The system consists of several modules, including the module which analysis the use of the working time. It can quickly and easily respond to inquiries about what the employees are doing, whether they are safe and where they are currently working. The employer can use the collected data for comparisons in order to develop individual working standards and to optimize operations.
Only data analysis and the right tools such as TIMATE can provide entrepreneurs with information about how the employees actually work and which changes are necessary to streamline processes in the organization and thus to boost its competitive edge.