In April 2020, the global demand for employee monitoring software increased twofold. The frequency rate of the search phrase “how to monitor employees working from home” rose by 1705%. The sale of systems tracking employee activity spiked.

The challenge posed by the implementation of remote work has not been eliminated. On the contrary – just to give an example, in April 2023, new regulations regarding remote work were added to the Polish Labour Code. Therefore, one may reasonably predict that the popularity of remote work (including the hybrid mode) will continue to rise. We will still be facing the fundamental question whether employees working from home or another place outside the company premises should be monitored. And if so, how should it be done?

Work monitoring is an indispensable tool for production companies, industrial plants and logistics operators that work in transit, with machines, and along production lines. Work monitoring enables quick detection and elimination of downtime and irregularities in how business processes function. It also enhances the level of employee safety. However, when it comes to intellectual work (which is the type of work usually performed by remote employees), monitoring seems far from effective. In such situations, employers should switch to task-based work, says Sebastian Młodziński, CEO at TIMATE.

Ingenious employers

More often than not, employers still resort to various ways of exerting their control over employees who work remotely. ExpressVPN’s report says that the most frequent methods include checking the Internet browsing history and the time spent online, the use of applications, real-time screen monitoring, and active working hours. Furthermore, employers use screen capture tools and they go through chats and message logs.

Video conferences and phone calls are their favourite ways to verify if employees are actually doing what they should be doing. 41% of employers prefer e-mail reports, 40% choose programs designed for reporting tasks and results, while 26% use software that measures the time devoted to particular tasks.

Such practices are extremely popular. The survey conducted for Vmware in 2021 says that already back then 84% of Polish entrepreneurs admitted that they used or were planning to implement tools to monitor employee performance during hybrid work. Another survey (Microsoft Annual Work Trend Index Report 2022) gives us an insight into what actually motivates employers. It says that as many as 85% of responding managers have doubts about the engagement of employees who work remotely.

Work monitoring tools will not do their job if they are used just to keep employees in check. My experience tells me that Polish entrepreneurs are starting to see that effective monitoring of work is not about controlling the employees, but that it should consist in analysing the use of the working time and the flow of business processes for the purpose of creating a more friendly and more efficient work environment that would benefit both employees and employers, explains Sebastian Młodziński from TIMATE.

Monitoring – a double-edged sword

Though the market provides the tools and the law defines how they can be used, there are more and more studies and opinions which question the validity of remote work monitoring. A report by the European Research Council indicates that monitoring may decrease the level of employee satisfaction and increase stress, which, in turn, can intensify employee rotation. Gartner’s experts point out that work monitoring causes anxiety which leads to occupational burnout, because remote employee have difficulties “turning themselves off”. Afraid that they are constantly under surveillance, they keep making their workday longer.

Another thing is that employees dislike control systems, because they are not sure about the data collected by the employers. 41% of respondents say that no one in their organisation has informed them about the type of collected data, the reasons for data collection and the ways of using such data. According to Gartner, even when such information is provided, employees have difficulties understanding it because of its low quality.

The conclusions of the Microsoft Annual Work Trend Index Report 2022 also suggest that remote employees should have more freedom. As many as 87% of respondents assert that the home office mode has not affected their effectiveness. Gartner’s studies indicate that flexibility in terms of the working place and time as well as the selection of co-workers may boost employees’ performance.

To monitor or not to monitor?

What should employers do? It seems there is no one simple answer. Of course, when employees work remotely, it also needs to be formally verified and documented that they actually perform the contract and their duties. For this purpose, electronic time and attendance systems come in handy, since they can be also used within remote/hybrid work models. As a result, employees can register the start of work, the end of work, the number and length of breaks, and the location they work from. Such information is needed by payroll departments and individuals in charge of HR or financial settlement of contracts and agreements. So formal control cannot be avoided.

Another thing is the monitoring of what employees do precisely. When it comes to remote work, it is better to choose a different way of assessing its effectiveness.

Entrepreneurs should strike a happy medium. It is, of course, impossible to switch monitoring off all together, but by constant checking whether employees sit at their computers and what they write in their e-mails, you won’t make them more effective or improve their results. Considering what the studies indicate, I would go so far as to say that this approach will make them demotivated and disaffected, comments Sebastian Młodziński from TIMATE. It seems that the best solution here is task-based work, because what really counts is the actual amount of work performed by employees, not the number of times they clicked the mouse. In other words, it is a good idea to know where the employee sleeps, but it makes no sense to check under the bed.

The practice of organising remote work is a relatively new thing. However, employers will have to face the necessity of providing their employees with the possibility of working in a remote or hybrid model. The sooner they develop standards acceptable by all, the easier it will be for them to adapt to changing market conditions and expectations of employees.

Of course, it is not easy to adopt this perspective on investments in technology. However, it is always a good idea to analyse the situation and verify how a new tool will change the company’s modus operandi by looking at actual figures provided by manufacturers. All in all, we innovate, because we want our organisation to work better, faster and more efficiently. With higher efficiency, we gain more time for new projects and more time is more money. But there is one thing to remember: choose solutions which provide a quick return on investment (ROI). In a way that is easy calculate and predict.

An ideal world or reality?

It sounds too perfect to be true. And for many managers it is nothing more than pipe dreams. However, ROI is not just fantasy – it is reality and real help in assessing the profitability of any expense. Including expenses on IT. As for TIMATE and our solution, savings generated in specific areas can be easily calculated. For instance, the savings resulting from the enhanced use of the working time are from 5% to 20% of staff costs and efficiency increases by at least 5%. Financial gains are evident and they form the basis for our settlement with customers. We do pilot implementations to prove that savings are not just empty promises, but the actual effect generated by the system.

Importantly, ROI can only be calculated when we know the initial parameters and we measure how they change after the new solution has been implemented. The more precise the indicators provided along with the system, the more accurate the calculations will be. But what can be measured and where can you save by implementing an IoT tool?

Where do the profits come from?

IoT systems are networks of interconnected electronic sensors that collect and exchange data regarding the work of people and devices. In this definition, the crucial word is “data”. Data and data analysis. By those means, an entrepreneur can assess how the company is operating and implement relevant improvements as well as verify at once if the modifications have brought the expected results. The way the business functions can be quickly enhanced, which means savings. How come?

Firstly, better work organisation.

Ongoing visibility of processes makes it possible to instantly detect any sort of irregularities. Ineffective circulation routes, an inadequate layout of workstations, a messy schedule of deliveries which causes downtime, faulty team composition – all of these affect productivity. By eliminating errors and adjusting the environment to the needs of employees on the one hand and of the production processes on the other, it is possible to boost the performance of the entire enterprise.

Secondly, smarter use of the working time.

The data regarding the work of teams enable better time management and reduction of downtime that is caused by faulty organisation of processes or by queues at workstations or machines. TIMATE’s surveys indicate that every employee in large production and logistics businesses wastes 460 minutes per month on average. Minutes that are paid for. By streamlining their processes, enterprises can eliminate downtime and make a much better use of their employees’ working time.

Thirdly, more effective management of resources.

That’s right – when we know the causes of downtime, we can manage people’s work in a smarter way. And make better employment plans as well. Sometimes the problem is not the insufficient headcount, but poor work organisation, e.g. faulty team composition, an ineffective layout of workstations, too few machines or devices. It is a notorious situation when a company pays for overtime and it has massive downtime on the very day when the overtime is required. The optimisation of processes leads to a much better use of the available teams. In addition, it may turn out that when the working environment is better organised, employees perform their duties faster, which means that more orders can be accepted and more profit is generated.

Fourthly, improved employee safety.

IoT systems can also monitor and support employee safety. Studies by IOSH indicate that employees working in a safe environment are more effective and satisfied. They also go on the sick leave less often. This provides an obvious boost for the company’s overall performance. In addition, safer working conditions means fewer accidents, so fewer damages and fines for defective organisation of the workplace. This, in turn, means that the company saves money.

Fifthly, better communication and exchange of information.

The State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report by Gallup says that the global cost of disengaged and unproductive employees amounts to USD 7.8 trillion. In order to boost engagement, you need communication. The McKinsey report shows that teams that communicate effectively achieve the increase of performance at the level of 20–25%.

Employees want to be kept informed about the tasks they are supposed to do and about how their work is assessed. Of course, it is very difficult to provide such feedback without the support of technology. Managers are unable to make daily observations and evaluate each and every employee. They are assisted by automation and IoT systems which can independently summarise the business day and assess the teams, providing all necessary information to employees.

Digitalisation with all its various dimensions is not just a fashion that will go away. It is an opportunity for companies to work in a faster, more efficient and more automated way as well as to implement better organisation of processes that will lead straight to higher profits.

The 4-day working week was tested at Microsoft’s Japanese branch in 2019 as part of the Work Life Choice Challenge 2019 Summer project. The result of this experiment was the increase of employee performance by 40% and the reduction in the electric energy consumption by 23% in comparison with a similar period in the previous year.

Spain and Great Britain also tested the shorter working week. It has been successful in Iceland. In its report on innovation trends, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development mentions that the shorter working time is one of the leading trends in modern economies.

The interest in the new model of work varies depending on the sector. For instance, people working in logistics or gastronomy, where such changes are impracticable, present a less optimistic approach to the working time reduction.

For and against – an entrepreneur’s perspective

What do employers think about such changes? Well, opinions vary. It is no wonder that managers fear the reduction in performance or the necessity to employ new people, which would mean higher costs. Although so far the trials of modified working time in various countries have resulted in increased employee effectiveness, it is hard to predict if that would be a long-term effect. On the other hand, a shorter working week would generate savings in terms of office/building utilisation.

When it comes to such a significant change, it will be very important to have an in-depth analysis of the company’s daily functioning. This means ongoing monitoring of processes as well as detection and immediate elimination of errors that cause delays. It will be particularly hard for production and industrial plants. The reason is that one can hardly expect from an employee working at the assembly line to do the job faster. However, it may turn out that it is possible to organise the work of the entire team more effectively without accelerating tasks which require time and precision.

Time is as precious as gold

It can be expected that enterprises will start by choosing a task performance model that does not require any team extension. They will strive to do the same work, but quicker. In order to increase the chance of success, they will need to pay special attention to the use of the working time, i.e. to how employees spend their time at work, where they are, whether they perform the assigned tasks and whether the number of breaks is sufficient.

This new work model may be a trap. It is not about exploiting your employees by making them work faster. Employees deserve to take their breaks, to rest, to have enough time for lunch. In terms of work time tracking, fairness is and will be a priority. That is why the employer will have to ensure that the employees actually do the job, e.g. by using task lists and schedules as well as by monitoring the work flow and the number of breaks taken. On the other hand, managers will need to make sure that each and every employee has sufficient time for rest. Technologies may help with that, e.g. the TIMATE system.

The optimised use of resources is crucial in a well-organised and efficient enterprise. To function smoothly, a company needs to monitor its employees and check whether they meet the job position standards, whether there is no downtime that could be avoided and whether there is no work overload anywhere. Especially when a company wants to shorten the working hours and keep its efficiency at the same time.

Safety is a priority.

Production businesses will find it hard to make their work faster. In such cases, one should take a closer look at the processes and the organisation of the teams’ work. It may be that due to the work flow optimisation teams will gain more time to perform their tasks.

Let’s imagine a factory which has a problem with the shortage of its crucial equipment, e.g. machines, forklifts or diagnostic devices. Employees who work there are simply unable to perform their duties effectively, because they have to wait until the tool they need becomes available. In other cases, they may wait for other teams to complete their work or cover excessive distances between various halls and workstations. What is the result? They waste their time instead of working effectively and without downtime, but that is not their fault. And their boss is losing money fast. A well-organised process, where the work flows smoothly, means better and quicker results. And what is more, it makes employees happy.

When it comes to blue-collar workers, safety at work is a priority. Let us bear in mind that safety may be compromised, when scaffold workers or machine operators are required to do their job faster. That is why employers will have to ensure that the personal protective equipment is always used. It would also be helpful to implement tools that enable accident alerts or an immediate call for help by people who have been injured.

More on the shoulders of leaders

Such extensive changes in the work organisation require the engagement of effective leaders. Companies will not be able to afford to employ random people as managers. For a team to tap its full potential, it must be adequately motivated. It can be expected that with time the vision of a 3-day weekend will lose its power to encourage employees to work more effectively. That will be the task of the leaders.

To select good leaders, one has to observe and evaluate the work of managers and of those managers’ teams. However, this assessment should take place at shorter intervals than quarterly or annually. Modern tools such as TIMATE allow to obtain current data regarding the work of individuals and teams and then to use such data for the purpose of assessment. As a result, it is much easier to choose leaders who can be efficient managers and motivators.

The widespread adoption of the 4-day working week seems more and more probable. Companies that will ensure the optimisation of processes, employee safety and the efficient use of the working time, while implementing the shorter working week, will be able to maintain their performance level without a significant headcount increase.

Classic time and attendance solutions are basically readers located at the entrance to the company premises and identifiers (cards) which employees have to place against the readers to record the fact and the time of their arrival/exit. Due to some misuses (e.g. using someone else’s card), such solutions had to be extended with the options of employee identification through biometric data (e.g. papillary lines) or images from a camera that captured each person using the reader.

Disadvantages of standard TNA systems

The TNA system we know were developed several decades ago. And they have not changed much since that time. Meanwhile, technology has advanced and it offers possibilities of which employers could not dream of in the past. So why should entrepreneurs reach out for outdated solutions? A TNA system which only enables recording employee entries and exits resembles an abacus in the land of computers. Sure, it can be used to count things, but the process is tedious and inefficient.

What are the basic downsides of outdated TNA solutions?

Little benefit to the company using the solution. In practice, TNA systems can perform only two functions, i.e. record the working time and control the access to premises.

Limited capabilities. Standard TNA systems measure the time employees spend at work, but they are unable to verify how the working time is actually used. In fact, they fail to perform its key function, which is to record the actual working time.

Vulnerability to misuses. A standard TNA system can be easily cheated, e.g. an employee can clock his or her colleague in, even though that colleague fails to arrive at work.

Incomplete data. It is common for employees to forget about using the card, which makes the time and attendance data incomplete.

Low practicality, high costs. A standard TNA system is very difficult to use in open spaces or in enterprises which occupy many locations and rooms: placing a reader/turnstile at each entrance is simply impractical and expensive. That is the case, for instance, with logistic hubs that have multiple docking stations which make it possible for people to leave the building unnoticed.

Non-compliance with regulations. Even the seemingly advanced functions such as the use of biometric data or a camera for the identification of employees entering/exiting the premises leave much to be desired. The Personal Data Protection Office asserts there is no legal basis for the employer to process biometric data of employees or to use video surveillance for the purpose of recording time and attendance. In this respect, therefore, such systems also fail.

No support of remote work. Common TNA systems can operate only within the company buildings. They cannot support the working modes which have recently become very widespread, e.g. home office.

IoT – a new technology for new times

Do employers have no other choice but to use outdated and unreliable technologies? Of course not! State-of-the-art solutions such as TIMATE offer entrepreneurs more possibilities than the simple recording of time and attendance. They serve to support team management, employee safety monitoring, employee location and the use of the working time.

Though many entrepreneurs find it hard to believe, they really do not need readers and turnstiles in order to record the working time and to monitor its use. Thanks to the IoT technology, they can use smart identifiers and central stations to make the entire process self-operating, totally automatic and requiring no actions from employees. The only thing that employees have to do is to carry their ID cards with them.

Importantly, data collected by TIMATE can be effectively used for purposes other than recording time and attendance. The information about location and the time devoted to particular tasks enable better work organisation as well as detection and elimination of irregularities in production processes. Such data ensure employee safety by allowing to quickly locate a person who had an accident and they also support evacuation. The data regarding the employees’ moving, coming and going show whether they work in line with their job requirements, e.g. whether a warehouse operator is on the move and an office worker sits at his desk. This type of information can also be used to detect falls and organise immediate help if someone has been injured.

Modern-day IoT systems process all of that data automatically, relieving managers of some routine tasks related to personnel management. They also allow to share time and attendance data with employees, e.g. on cards equipped with displays. As such, they support assessment and motivation.

Today, companies that wish to record time and attendance can choose from among multiple options which significantly exceed the capabilities of standard TNA systems. These options are worth considering if an entrepreneur looking for such a solution wants to record time and attendance, but also to monitor business processes and identify problems. The elimination of problems results in better work organisation and actual savings. That is something a TNA system won’t do for you.

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!

But what if all employees were to take part in the audit process? What if they were to identify and report errors in production, logistics and business processes and, thus, give the company an opportunity to eliminate irregularities just as soon as they appear? TIMATE makes it possible on a daily basis!

How an employee becomes an auditor

TIMATE puts each employee in the shoes of an internal auditor. This happens, because the system makes employees notice and report errors and processes and the work organisation. How does it work?

TIMATE collects data on how employees do their job in six areas: time and attendance, use of the working time, safety, task performance, plan performance and management (this function is available to managers). At the end of the working time, each employee is assessed on the basis of such data. Emoticons with a smiling, neutral or sad face are assigned to particular areas. Employees know right away how efficiently they performed the tasks on the given day, whether they used their working time well, if they adhered to the OHS rules and if they completed all of the assigned tasks.

Importantly, the assessment system can be correlated with the bonus system, i.e. positive assessments turn into points which, later on, get converted into financial bonuses. As a result, employees treat the assessment they get seriously and react when the system gives them a negative evaluation.

What will they do when that happens? If the reason for the negative assessment is a late arrival at work, no helmet on the employee’s head in an area where it is required or slow performance of tasks, the employee simply needs to improve.

However, it may happen that a sad face is not due to the employee’s fault, but it results from errors in processes. When a task is left unperformed, this may be causes not by an employee’s laziness, but by problems in logistics or the work organization. An employee fails to work effectively, because he waits for a delivery of components, for a machine to be repaired, for the assistance of the team whose members do other things at the moment. In such a case, the employee can tell the superior what did not work in the processes and caused downtime or safety violation.

Benefits of auditing

Such an ongoing internal audit performed by all employees brings huge benefits. First of all, enterprises obtain immediate information about any irregularities and can respond right away. As a result, problems do not grow slowly month by month, as it happens when the audit is performed once or twice a year. Errors are eliminated instantly, which improves the company’s performance.

Such a type of audit is also effective, because all employees want the information about errors in processes to reach their superiors so that the errors are removed as soon as possible. No one is happy getting a negative assessment with no fault on their part.

Finally, this audit is much cheaper than a regular audit performed by external companies or by designated employees.

No company performs at 100% of its capacity every day, because business performance depends on multiple factors. The key to success is rapid identification and elimination of errors. In consequence, the organisation will be more effective, while its employees will be satisfied and motivated.

If you want to learn more about how TIMATE automates business processes, write us at: contact@timatesystem.com.

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.