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Analysis – the queen of business data

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The general impression is that in recent years data have become the most popular topic of business discussions. We encounter data in various contexts nearly everywhere. Even though the process of collecting information is today taken for granted, the effective analysis of data that can lead to significant insights is another kettle of fish.

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.

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Digitalization cannot be stopped. A short report from the Digital Workplace conference.

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Enterprises want to get digitalized. They are welcoming new, outside-the-box technologies such as TIMATE which facilitate communication, streamline key business processes, support data usage and enable a fuller control over employees – that is how the Digital Workplace conference is summed up by our CEO, Sebastian Młodziński.

This event dedicated to experts in communication, digitalization of internal processes and HR operations was held on 30–31 January in Warsaw. One of the speakers was Sebastian Młodziński, TIMATE’s CEO, whose presentations was titled “IoT = Internet of Things / Interpretation of Time”.

Enterprises are now ready for the digitalization of workplaces. This transformation can boost the competitive edge and improve the comfort of work. It also supports automation of key processes and enhances the control, which is directly translated into better effectiveness. That is why my presentation focused on the benefits related to the implementation of our system. I pointed out the multiple problems that TIMATE can solve. I accentuated the huge amount of data it can collect and analyse. Companies gather lots of information, but they lack the mechanism that would be able to analyse this information. TIMATE provides a ready-made environment and generates analysed data, says Sebastian Młodziński.

The presentation by our CEO aroused a lot of interest among the participants who assessed it highly in the post-conference survey and admitted they were impressed by TIMATE in the backstage comments.

During the Digital Workplace event I had the opportunity to talk to representatives of several companies who had already heard about our system, but it is still an unknown and pretty exotic solution to the majority of businesses. That’s why I am really happy about the positive feedback from the conference participants. For some people TIMATE turned out to be a real eye-opener: they saw the new approach to time and attendance at work, including remote work, safety and task delegation. Why such a reaction? Because no one before has measured what employees actually do from clock-in to clock-out. Nearly a half of companies participating in the conference said they would want to test our system, says TIMATE’s CEO.

Digital Workplace gathered representatives of more than fifty companies who could attend presentations as well as share their experiences and observations and initiate new business relations. The conference has shown that the process of workplace digitalization is inevitable and enterprises are ready to implement technological innovations that enhance employee engagement.

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TIMATE takes part in Digital Workplace

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How to improve employee commitment and generate positive experience with the use of digital tools – that is the leitmotif of this year’s Digital Workplace conference. This event gathers experts, practitioners and business people and it will be held on 30–31 January 2020 in Warsaw. Sebastian Młodziński, TIMATE’s CEO, is among the speakers.

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Customers of I-Care Polska will enjoy the benefits of TIMATE. The companies have commenced strategic collaboration.

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TIMATE, the manufacturer of the automatic time and attendance system, and I-Care Polska, a global expert in the predictive approach to machinery park maintenance, have started collaborating in order to provide the TIMATE system to production enterprises. The first tests of the solution on the premises of I-Care’s customer will begin soon.

For several decades, I-Care has been operating in the industrial sector, optimising production processes and supporting maintenance departments in the most efficient use of machinery parks. Each day, the company collects and analyses big data in order to prevent failures and plan servicing, which allows to avoid downtime.

We use big data in our work on a daily basis, so the idea behind TIMATE is something we can definitely relate to. What is interesting to us in this solution is the detailed data analysis which supports planning and the effective use of human resources. We were also very impressed by the fully automated recording of time and attendance, says Łukasz Szumilas, CEO of I-Care Polska.

Under the contract signed by the companies, I-Care will recommend TIMATE to its customers, i.e. production enterprises where the employees work in machinery halls. From their perspective, the special benefit of TIMATE is the comprehensive combination of employee safety (OHS), time and attendance (HR) and work maintenance in terms of the efficient assignment of human resources.

When we designed and developed TIMATE, we made employee safety our priority. We know how difficult it is to monitor such aspects as the use of the required personal protective equipment by employees. When someone ignores the rule of wearing a helmet, it can lead to risks and hazards. The surveys by Statistics Poland show that in Q1 2019 as many as 60.5% of accidents at work were due to employee faults. TIMATE makes it a lot easier to protect personnel safety, says Sebastian Młodziński, CEO of TIMATE.

The system consists of sensors which analyse how people move around a specific area. The heart of TIMATE is the smart card based on the IoT technology. It notifies the employee about entering the hazard zone and the requirement to use personal protective equipment. It will also notify the manager when an accident occurs, providing the information about the whereabouts of the employee who needs help. If there is an evacuation, TIMATE allows to immediately check whether all employees are outside the hazard zone.

The smart card also supports remote work. It can contain a list of tasks and it will then monitor their performance and the time needed for their completion. As a result, the employer can easily check if an employee who works outside the company premises actually performs the assigned tasks.

I-Care has already started talks with companies that would consider the implementation of TIMATE.

We have received many responses. One of our customers will soon begin testing the system, says Łukasz Szumilas, I-Care Polska.

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TIMATE has started commercializing its ground-breaking IoT technology for businesses

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When we launched pilot testing two years ago, we had no idea how businesses would react to our system for managing employees and their security. Today, after successfully completing the research, we are happy to start commercial implementations. We present an interview with Sebastian Młodziński, our new CEO, who tells about why he decided to invest in the company and what has been enhanced in our device.

The last two years have been really busy for TIMATE. Can you outline the company’s itinerary?

Sebastian Młodziński:

First of all, TIMATE carried out the pilot testing. In other words, we checked how our system would operate in practice. The testing was scheduled and performed thanks to the grant from the NCBR (the Polish National Centre for Research and Development). In May 2019, we opened a new chapter by setting up TIMATE Sp. z o.o. (limited liability company), we started building sales structures and right now we are beginning to commercialize our system.

Have all the research implementations been completed?

S.M.:

All goes according to plan. We completed most of the pilot implementations, while some are still in progress. The projects were closely related to R&D. The implementations carried out as part of the research are now producing the expected results and get transformed into commercial goals.

Many companies came over to engage in pilot implementations. In your opinion, which one was the most interesting project?

S.M.:

True, several dozens companies from different sectors were interested, e.g. automotive businesses, logistics operators and manufacturers. We selected about a dozen. We wanted the implementations to vary, so we chose enterprises with different infrastructures and different needs.

I guess that one of the more interesting and spectacular pilot projects, concluded with 100% success rate, was the one carried out at the Polish company Mazur, specializing in the production of swimming pools and spa equipment. It is an enterprise with huge experience in the market and well-recognized all around the world. It employs a great number of people and operates two cutting-edge production halls. In a word, the company provides ideal conditions for doing research on the TIMATE system.

Through pilot testing you wanted to find out what the entrepreneurs would think about your system. What have you changed on the basis of the user feedback?

S.M.:

At the moment, the system covers several basic areas and focuses on measuring the use of the working time, security, task delegation, remote work and monitoring of selected and designated zones. The entrepreneurs who tested TIMATE usually reported the need for such modules. That’s why we have checked and enhanced them. Right now, I can say without a flicker of doubt that they are ripe and ready for commercial implementations.

In addition, we have also developed a function for offline task performance which will come useful during business trips and remote work. Though it is outside the network area, the device can still record the employee’s activities. When reconnected to the network, collected data are transmitted to the system.

Sebastian, your TIMATE adventure started not so long ago. You were the first person who decided to invest in the company. How so?

S.M.:

It is not that I am a very recent addition to the company. The negotiations about my joining the team lasted for a year and it was still before the establishment of TIMATE Sp. z o.o. I had been observing the project for a long time and I really liked it, because the product itself is unique and revolutionary. And it is not just my opinion, major companies from all around the world agree on this. This is a system where both devices and software cooperate in order to measure and count what has seemed impossible to count until now.

Yes, the feedback about the system that you have received from businesses is very positive. But TIMATE is not yet so widely recognized. It was first a start-up and you did invest in it at that point in time. Weren’t you afraid of the risk?

S.M.:

Let me tell you a story. My job at TIMATE is not only to manage the company, but also to get money from investors. I remember that when I was on my way to Warsaw to have the first investment meetings, I braced myself for at least a few days of hard work. I thought it would take that much time, but I needed only two hours. Two hours to raise the funds necessary for starting operational activities. This is the best proof of the great potential that TIMATE has. With start-ups there is always risk. You just have to compare how much you can lose with how much you can actually gain.

You have gained your investors, so that chapter is now closed. Right now TIMATE is on the lookout for distribution partners. Who will be your collaborators?

S.M.:

We will do the selling exclusively through a partner network. Our list of partners is now almost complete, we just need two more. We are at the stage of advanced negotiations with three candidates and the contract is ready for one of them. We are talking to leaders and they are not only Polish businesses.

Who is the target user of TIMATE?

S.M.:

Our first customers will be companies employing blue-collar workers, e.g. manufacturers with production halls and complex logistics. Obviously, our system can also be effectively used for office work, but the measurement of the working time use by office employees is perhaps less relevant than the performance measurement at a production plant, in a factory or in logistics. The need to streamline the processes related to manual workers is paramount.

We have also decided that TIMATE will not be available for sale to everyone. We’ve set a certain limit and we don’t want to cross it.

What is that limit?

S.M.:

The number of employees. We have agreed on a sales model which assumes that we can deliver our system to companies which employ at least 500 people. It is a conscious choice on our part, resulting from our capabilities, resources and a sort of optimization that we have carried out within our present network. It does not mean we close our doors for smaller enterprises once and for all. Right now it’s only reasonable to start with the big fish, but in the future our partners will also include small and medium companies as potential customers.

TIMATE is a new thing in the market. Does it help in your talks with partners and customers? Or to the contrary?

S.M.:

True, TIMATE is a pioneering innovation. New things always cause fear at a subconscious level, because they imply new knowledge that needs to be gained and changes to the status quo. But for us it is a pleasant surprise that so many businesses have been interested in our device. TIMATE is a system that has a great potential and entrepreneurs can see its benefits very clearly.

What are your priorities in the nearest future?

S.M.:

Right now it is crucial for TIMATE to create a solid partner network and ensure effective distribution of our products. The priority is to get through the commercialization smoothly and gain efficient partners in Poland and, later on, also in other countries. For now, we have completed two commercial implementations, one of them on an impressively large scale.

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