The implementation of a system that aims at improving business operations should be a positive experience for the company and its employees. A new tool, new possibilities, better organisation, enhanced performance… But every change encounters resistance. That is why this process must be properly managed. For instance, with the help of a consulting company.
Where do problems come from, anyway? Usually it is the management board that decides to carry out the implementation. The board is convinced that the chosen tool will be the best one for the enterprise. However, it is not the board that will be the key user of the new system.
The key users will be employees who are often very sceptical about changes. They see no point in “improving what is good”. They want to operate in an environment they know and understand. They are unwilling to make some extra effort in order to become familiar with the new tool and its features.
We experience this, when we implement the TIMATE system. Employees who have received their cards and get daily information regarding their work are not always able to make effective use of the system’s multiple capabilities. Why? Because they fail to understand why it has been implemented. And where there’s no understanding, there will be no success either. It should also be noted that doubts regarding the new solutions can be extremely diverse.
Management Board
First and foremost, managers want to learn about financial and organisational benefits that the new system will bring. They want to see the numbers. In the case of TIMATE, it is very easy to demonstrate the benefits. We have hard data supported by real-life examples that show the scale of savings generated by our solution. We provide well-documented instances of process optimisation and elimination of organisational errors in companies where our tool has been operating for a longer period. The management board learns all relevant facts during the selection process.
Managers
Managers, team leaders and supervisors usually fear that the new system will increase the workload. However, they have no reason to worry, since TIMATE plays the role of an automatic boos that relieves managers of some parts of their duties. TIMATE keeps a watchful eye on time and attendance, it automatically provides employees with feedback regarding their tasks, and it also reminds them of the necessity to follow the OHS regulations and take breaks.
Furthermore, the system generates data about how teams are working. It facilitates a better division of duties and task management. Importantly, our tool provides automatic and daily assessment of the team management quality, e.g. of the manager’s work. This may cause some anxiety, but in fact it serves to optimise and facilitate the organisation of work.
Employees
The TIMATE system has been designed to help employees carry out their daily tasks, to ensure their safety at work and to increase their motivation. In fact, the new tool requires only one thing from employees: they have to carry their TIMATE cards with them. The card performs several functions: it is the employee’s ID, it collects work-related data, it sends messages and it also enables access to specific rooms, premises or locations.
Just as it is the case with any novelty, this system may raise doubts. What kind of data does TIMATE collect? Does it protect privacy? Does it emit any harmful radiation? Though the answers to these questions will set everyone at ease, it is important to convey these answers clearly and timely to all users of the new system.
What should be emphasised is the fact that the main task of the TIMATE system is to provide a correct diagnosis regarding errors, irregularities, inefficiencies, required changes and areas for improvement.
Change management or the synergy of implementation and consulting
Who can tell about the new tool and its impact on the work quality improvement? When it comes to large enterprises, a well-prepared internal department (e.g. HR) can communicate the implemented changes. In other cases, external consulting companies can be of help.
When the TIMATE system is implemented, the best way to go about it is to engage in a close collaboration with a consulting company. Such companies identify management problems and implement lean management. They work by auditing all of the business processes within an enterprise. Such an audit can take months. But it can also be carried out on a daily basis, minute by minute. That is exactly what the TIMATE system can do, collecting data required by consulting companies, including the data regarding the organisation of processes and areas for improvement. Such data are recorded by the system every minute. And they can be analysed right away. Thus, the time needed to obtain the information about how the enterprise actually functions becomes considerably shorter.
On the other hand, for results and data to be most reliable, employees must know how to use the provided system correctly. Benefits will be explained and changes will be communicated by the consulting company that is one of the beneficiaries of the implementation of the tool in the audited enterprise.
We are now launching a pilot program that will verify whether this synergy will bring about the expected results. That is what we hope for!