Payroll and Time and Attendance

January 9th, 2008

Overview
The UK’s traditional workplace environment has undergone radical change in recent years. The ‘nine to five’ culture of most offices and factories has long gone, flexible work patterns are now a feature of many businesses and more and more people are choosing to work remotely or from home as they seek an improved work-life balance.

Add to this increased employment legislation which has transformed the rights and conditions of most employees and businesses are left facing enormous pressures to remain efficient and competitive whilst maintaining effective administrative control.

That’s why a modern, efficient time and attendance system has become such an important management tool. In any manufacturing environment it can now be relied upon to deliver accurate, real-time business critical information, however complex a company’s shift patterns.

Stanley Security Solutions
Stanley Security Solutions is the market leader in time and attendance solutions and at the forefront of technology developed specifically for the manufacturing plant environment. Its systems now not only manage time and attendance but cost centre recording, resource scheduling and access control as well. They are also now being increasingly integrated with payroll packages enabling fully accurate wage runs to be automatically processed with enormous efficiency and cost-saving benefits to the HR function.

However, as desirable as an integrated time and attendance/payroll system might be, it is not as straightforward to implement as a company might think. What on the face of it might appear to be the simple conversion of hours worked into wages owed is complicated by the myriad of different payroll systems being used, all utilising different formats and rate codes. Some payroll systems, for example, rely as much on data about hours not worked, through unscheduled absenteeism or sickness, as they do on hours worked. Others calculate based on total sum of hours worked rather than using a breakdown of different rates such as basic, overtime or time and a half, so the transfer of compatible information becomes increasingly complex.

Whilst time and attendance systems can accurately calculate employee hours worked (and not worked) the successful transfer of this information into payroll depends on the format in which it needs to be presented.

Thinking Software Partnership
To overcome this problem, Stanley has now developed a close partnership with Thinking Software, specialists in payroll forecasting and payroll linking software. Its Rota Pay-Link product, for example, is one simple but powerful link between Stanley’s time and attendance systems and over 60 different payroll packages.

Pay-Link is able to record the output from Stanley systems and then either write it directly into payroll or prepare it for importing into payroll. This process saves hours of expensive, manual recycling of payroll input and Rota Pay-Link makes it easy to compile hours, calculate overtime and reduce payroll errors before they occur, thereby improving overall payroll accuracy and giving greater peace of mind to employer and employee alike.

Steve Rushkopf, CEO of Thinking Software says:

“We’re proud of our association with Stanley Security Solutions. We’ve worked with Stanley for many years helping to integrate its time and attendance systems with popular UK payroll packages. The opportunity this presents for Stanley clients is immense – payroll system analysts currently estimate that payroll administrative costs can easily reach 1 – 2% of the overall payroll and Rota Pay-Link can significantly reduce that expenditure.”

Malcolm Rose, marketing manager for Stanley’s time and attendance products says:

“Our partnership with Thinking Software has demonstrated the importance of having good relationships with payroll software developers and suppliers to ensure seamless integration of the systems. Our advice to businesses looking to integrate would be to make sure their time and attendance system supplier has a clear definition of what the payroll system requires and the precise format in which data needs to be exported. Any reputable time and attendance supplier will take the time to understand this requirement and will have encountered, and overcome, the complexities of integration many times before.”

Stanley Case Study Example
One excellent example of an integrated time and attendance and payroll system in practice has been at PC Henderson, a world leader in the design and manufacture of garage doors and sliding door gear. The company’s main manufacturing plant at Bowburn in County Durham employs over 300 people.

Established in 1921, the company’s original clock card machine and payroll system had, until this new millennium, altered little, even as the production plant itself became ever more technologically state-of-the-art. Employees still clocked on in the traditional manner, team leaders still had to process all timesheet records manually and payroll still had to painstakingly plough through paperwork to calculate every employee’s hours, wages owed and who had worked where and when throughout any given production schedule.

The decision was taken to move towards a Stanley electronic time and attendance system, fully integrated with a payroll package. Using the new technology, all employees now clock in using an electronic swipe card which automatically begins to calculate their hours worked. Staff holidays are pre-programmed in so any unscheduled absences are immediately recorded and highlighted. Pay grades and overtime allowances are also programmed in for each individual employee so that at the end of each working week, the hours worked are exported into payroll and a fully accurate wage run is processed.

A spokesman at PC Henderson said:

“Whereas before we employed two people to work full time in payroll collating and processing timesheets, it can now be achieved by one person in just a day and a half. I’ve calculated that in a year it’s effectively freed up an additional 45 days of resource for our finance department. That’s a return that goes far beyond the day to day benefits to employees and has more than justified PC Henderson’s investment.”

For further information contact:
Andrew Crosbie, Director, Harris Moore Public Relations, Tel: 0794 799 2022
E: andrew@harrismoorepr.co.uk

Malcolm Rose, Marketing Manager – Europe, Stanley Security Solutions, Tel: 01793 412476
E: MRose@stanleyworks.com

Liz Webb, Thinking Software, Tel: 0870 220 9081
E: lwebb@thinking-software.com

Microsoft Gold partner status for Stanley Security Solutions

November 2nd, 2007

On the 10th October 2007 Stanley Security Solutions Europe qualified as a Microsoft Gold Partner in the Microsoft Partner Program, the highest possible level.

This achievement demonstrates that in dealing with Stanley, customers are assured of a quality, state of the art software solution, designed and supported by our highly skilled staff.

To qualify Microsoft required that the company demonstrated one or more competencies designed to help differentiate a partner's capabilities with specific Microsoft technologies to aid customers looking for a particular type of solutions. Stanley achieved the ISV (Independent Software Vendor)/ Software Solutions Competency and the Data Management Solutions Competency.

Furthermore Stanley is required to employ a certain number of staff who are qualified as Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP). Stanley has met this requirement, employing several such people in various departments.

Stanley has also had a number of products independently tested by VeriTest against the rigorous standards required by Microsoft. All of the products tested met the standards first time.

This new partnership will benefit Stanley Security Solutions by granting in-depth access to exclusive resources and early product information. These resources include priority access to a support team of Microsoft certified systems engineers, non-disclosure evaluation of new products and technologies, planning tools and events to keep up to speed on the latest Microsoft product developments and future direction.

For further information contact:

Malcolm Rose, Marketing Manager, Tel : 01793 412476

Email : mrose@stanleyworks.com

Can Time and attendance software ‘help more people into work’?

July, 2007

With Gordon Brown announcing the goal of ‘helping more people into work’ as part of his legislative programme statement to Parliament, it looks like the pressure on employers to adopt flexible working practices is set to increase. And while a perceived administrative headache is still putting many employers off, a recent survey conducted by the British Chamber of Commerce has revealed that flexible working could help tackle the staff retention problems faced across all sectors.

“Staff that feel valued and are happy with their work/life balance are more likely to be motivated and want to stay with their employer,” explains Malcolm Rose, Marketing Manager at time and attendance software experts Stanley Security Solutions. “So it was no surprise to us that the recent survey of 900 UK companies that have introduced a flexible working policy found a 60% increase in staff retention.

“The question for most employers is ‘how do we make the change without incurring increased costs or losing track of who is working where when?’ Part of the answer is in evolving the culture of an organisation, but in practical terms, effective time and attendance software is an easy-to-implement and cost-effective solution.”

Stanley’s software is designed to help companies maximise their profitability by helping them save on management and administration costs, and provides a range of time and attendance benefits, with instant control of every aspect of employees’ time-keeping. The system automatically calculates working hours, shift patterns, overtime and payroll, integrating with various other HR processes such as training and ensuring that payroll data is always recorded accurately.

The experienced professionals at Stanley handle all system installation, integration and training and work closely with IT departments to ensure full compatibility with existing networks. The systems are bespoke and tailored to the company’s needs, with a full support service available.

With only 48% of companies in the UK offering flexible working arrangements in comparison to up to 94% in other European nations, it is becoming increasingly important for British companies to acknowledge the positive effects a policy can have on attracting and retaining talented personnel in order to remain competitive. The costs of high staff turnover can be substantial. Along with the direct costs of replacing staff other factors include disruption to operations, the potential negative effect on staff morale, losing the knowledge and expertise of skilled workers and training new recruits.

Malcolm Rose continues: “Money alone does not keep staff happy and satisfied in their jobs and those companies that include flexible working at the heart of their strategy are more likely to grow as a result. Today’s modern electronic time and attendance systems are designed to make the transition to flexible working as seamless as possible.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. The company as a whole is ISO9001:2000 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 0871 231 7300  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk
or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

Employers turn to technology in response to flexible working trend

25th June, 2007

Once the preserve of the fortunate few, lucky enough to have a ‘progressive’ employer, flexible working is now at the centre of the UK’s HR agenda  - and it just got political.  Stanley Security Solutions’ marketing manager, Malcolm Rose, discusses the challenges ahead for some employers, and the latest technology that means they are not insurmountable.

In March this year the children’s minister, Beverly Hughes announced she thought all UK employees should be able to benefit from flexible working hours and from April new family-friendly legislation in the Work & Families Act 2006 was introduced, giving employees the statutory right to request more flexible work arrangements from their employers.

But whilst this topic is a highly emotive headline-grabbing issue, the fact is that the broader work-life balance debate has now assumed much greater significance in the overall UK psyche.

Employer Vs Employee

Advocates of flexible working point to a multitude of advantages, from the business and social benefits of a less stressed, more motivated and more productive workforce, through to the environmental benefits of reduced road and carbon pollution.

But there are concerns that the benefits are weighted more in favour of the employee than the employer, that in the rush towards flexible working enlightenment and legislative compliance, businesses are heading towards an administrative headache.

As far back as 2003, the Department of Trade and Industry published a booklet that brought together 50 of the country’s most ‘enlightened’ organisations, companies large and small that were prepared to cite real business benefits as a result of their flexible working policies.  In the four years since, those 50 have no doubt been joined by countless other companies, heavily influenced not just by legislation but by the sustained social pressure from organisations such as Work Wise UK*, which has continued to lead the call for smarter working practices.

The initiative ‘Work Wise Week’ which incorporated ‘National Working from Home Day’ aims to encourage flexible working and is indicative of the social and lifestyle changes, in addition to government policy, that are rendering the traditional nine to five working day more and more redundant.

And yet there remains widespread concern amongst many businesses that the legislation and the campaigning have gone too far in favour of the employee, that for many organisations the administrative problems of flexible working are not conducive to sustaining a successful business.

In a large commercial or manufacturing organisation, for example, an already complicated multi-shift rota can very quickly become unmanageable if it is forced to accommodate initiatives such as carers’ leave, emergency leave, maternity, paternity, job-sharing or even job breaks.  Here, there often aren’t enough hours in the day for an HR department to deal with employee reports and timesheets and that’s even before issues such as holidays, overtime and unscheduled absenteeism are factored in.

An increasingly flexible workforce will present particular challenges at certain times of the year, exacerbating the management issues of increased annual leave take up and absenteeism. For example, during the spring and summer when summer holiday planning is at the forefront of HR considerations, flexible working uptake will have an impact on already stretched resources and considering a time and attendance solution is more important than ever. Along with holiday leave, the summer inevitably brings an increase in absenteeism as employees try to make the most of the English summer, or add extra days onto bank holidays.

Christmas and New Year can also prove a time and attendance nightmare. With employees take varying amounts of time for leave flexible working could have an even greater impact.  It’s easy at such a busy time of year for unauthorised absences to go unnoticed, but with a specialist electronic system in place to manage time and attendance adding an extra hour to a lunch break here and slipping off an hour early there will no longer be such a simple scam.

Turning To Technology
But with flexible working here to stay and gathering pace, employers can at least draw comfort from the fact that there is now technology available to help ensure it succeeds. Technology has come a long way since the original clocking-in machines. Today’s state-of-the-art electronic time and attendance systems go far beyond monitoring standard data such as hours worked, lateness and absenteeism.  They now not only include vital management information on training, appraisals, pensions, health and safety and vehicles, but also have the software to make sense of the full range of work options available.

As market leader in time and attendance products, Stanley has kept a close watch on the whole work/life balance debate and the growing trend in this country towards flexible working patterns, introducing our own free guide to the ‘Right to Request’ law and its implications in response.

Within the guide Stanley Security Solutions not only explain the full extent of flexi-working options, including practices such as flexi-time, staggered hours, job sharing and shift swapping, but also propose suitable systems to help HR departments track and report increasingly complex employee information and work patterns.

The booklet, which acknowledges the considerations of finance directors and IT managers as well as the HR function, provides a step by step guide to the issues arising from the new legislation.

Faced with a wide range of solutions, IT managers are also often now closely involved in the decision process, looking for time and attendance systems that offer maximum compatibility with existing IT networks, allowing them to be quickly and easily integrated into an organisation with minimum disruption and expense.

At Stanley, our team of professionals can handle all system installation, integration and training and work closely with a company’s IT department to ensure full compatibility with existing networks.  Systems can be bespoke and tailored to a company’s individual needs and shift patterns, and their multi-site functionality makes them suitable for both small and large businesses, enabling management to access comprehensive time, attendance and HR information… anytime, anywhere. As a result, commercial organisations planning to make the transition from manual to computerised time and attendance systems might find the change easier than they’d thought.

Sound Financial Sense
And it’s not just the IT manager, plant manager and HR professional that need to take a vested interest in the new technology.  Finance Directors will be starting to experience the commercial implications of the new law on administration costs due to the increased monitoring of staff attendance and time-keeping required. The automated solutions are designed to help companies maximise their profitability by helping them save on management and administration costs.

With instant control of every aspect of employees’ time-keeping, including monitoring of lateness and absenteeism, the software provides a range of time and attendance benefits. The system automatically calculates working hours, shift patterns, overtime and payroll, integrating with various other HR processes and ensuring that payroll data is always recorded accurately. 

Already proven to encourage a more motivated and productive workforce for the employer, the software also benefits the employee, offering the reassurance of an accurate, centralised system to monitor and accurately report their hours worked and holiday owing.

The software can also be integrated with a Stanley NT500 access control system, enabling customers to benefit from additional security for staff and site visitors, whilst saving time and effort with one single point of data entry.

Reaping the Benefits

Many employers have already embraced flexible working and seen the motivational benefits it can bring but they may still be experiencing teething troubles managing the complex administrative challenges this approach brings. For others, there will be a resistance to change but it’s clear that Government-led initiatives to encourage more flexible working patterns and the employee lobby for a better work-life balance are here to stay.  The traditional British workplace is changing and the way we manage it needs to change with it.  The technology is available to help employers roll with the changes, and it will be the early adopters that really benefit both from a more adaptable and enthusiastic workforce, and a more transparent time and attendance management approach.

For further information on Stanley’s time and attendance solutions please call 0845 603 6892 or email info@stanleysecuritysolutions.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. The company as a whole is ISO9001:2000 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Cate Turner, Marketing Account Manager, Quest on 0871 231 7300 or e-mail: catet@questcreative.co.uk
or
Malcolm Rose, Group Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412476 or e-mail: mrose@stanleyworks.com  www.stanleysecuritysolutions.co.uk

Employers turn to technology as flexible working momentum grows

13th April, 2007

Responding to the Government’s new Work & Families Act 2006 legislation this month giving employees the right to ask for more flexible working arrangements, Stanley Security Solutions has introduced its own free guide to the ‘Right to Request’ law and its implications.

Market leader in time and attendance products, Stanley has kept a close watch on the whole work/life balance debate and the growing trend in this country towards flexible working patterns.

The latest family-friendly legislation, introduced at the start of April, which brings the rights of carers responsible for elders into line with parents of children under 6 and disabled children under 18, is set to substantially increase the number of applications for flexible working arrangements, potentially increasing the workload of already stretched HR resources.

Within its guide Stanley Security Solutions not only explains the full extent of flexi-working options, including practices such as flexi-time, staggered hours, job sharing and shift swapping, but also proposes suitable systems to help HR departments track and report increasingly complex employee information and work patterns.

The booklet, which acknowledges the considerations of finance directors and IT managers as well as the HR function, provides a step by step guide to the issues arising from the new legislation.

Matt Wheeler, marketing manager at Stanley commented: “Even before this latest legislation it was obvious to anyone involved in the industry that flexible working is here to stay and rapidly gathering pace.  Employers need to know that today’s modern electronic time and attendance systems are designed to record many different working patterns and are a vital resource if managers are to embrace Britain’s rapidly changing work culture.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. The company as a whole is ISO9001:2000 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 0871 231 7300  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk
or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

Stanley targets SME sector with latest web-based T&A system

1st February, 2007

A new web-based time recorder from Stanley Security Solutions is set to make time and attendance systems more accessible to the Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) market by eliminating much of the expensive computer equipment and complicated software that may have restricted installation in the past.

With the ability to provide real time information at the touch of a button wherever a business has secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) internet access, Stanley’s new  iTR-10 time and attendance system is ideal for companies with up to 50 employees.

The system is designed to run on Microsoft Internet Explorer and all programme configuration is stored on flash memory within the terminal, making it easy to calculate, track, analyse and report on individual employee time and attendance patterns including hours worked, absenteeism, holidays, breaks and overtime.

This new product launch also coincides with a separate ‘new for old’ time and attendance campaign from Stanley, aimed at encouraging businesses to upgrade from old-fashioned ‘clock-in’ machines to new web-based systems which provide real-time management information at the touch of a button.

With Stanley’s in-house finance partnership programme overcoming the need for risk of ownership and initial capital outlay and with attractive incentives on immediate system upgrades, Stanley anticipates a major move towards this latest time recording technology, not least within the engineering and commercial office sector.

Marketing manager, Matt Wheeler commented: “As more and more businesses move towards increasingly flexible working patterns, we want to make the efficient management of staff’s time and attendance accessible to companies of all size.  The new iTR-10 product, an entry level system for SME’s, and our ‘new for old’ campaign, targeting companies looking to upgrade to web-based technology, reflect this commitment.”

For further information or a free quote, including details of a ‘first 3 months free’ offer on immediate upgrades, call 0870 841 3020.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. The company as a whole is ISO9001:2000 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 0871 231 7300  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk
or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

New Online Shopping Option for Stanley Time & Attendance Systems

3rd January , 2007

Responding to the increased use of modern time and attendance equipment in both the manufacturing and commercial office sector, Stanley Security Solutions has launched a new online shop enabling customers to purchase a range of products directly off the Stanley website.

The online shop will provide a more convenient way for customers to purchase and install their own time and attendance equipment, including time recorders, time and date stamps and a range of clocks as well as consumables such as clock cards, ribbons and card racks.

The shop facility is available to everyone whether they are existing Stanley clients or simply wishing to purchase accessories or consumables for competitive systems and customers can carry out fast, convenient and secure order transactions using their own personal online account.

Stanley’s decision to sell online reflects the growing demand for time and attendance equipment amongst industrial and commercial office customers.  Driven by increased flexible working patterns, more remote workers and more sophisticated shift schedules, organisations have recognised the need to keep better track of their employees’ working hours.

Marketing manager Matt Wheeler explains: “For the larger organisations there are sophisticated electronic time and attendance systems that do need more specialist installation and implementation support.  However for many smaller and medium sized companies time and attendance is something they can manage themselves and the online shop now gives these businesses the opportunity to identify, purchase, install and maintain their own equipment in a much easier, more cost effective way.”

The online shop can be accessed through the Time and Attendance section of Stanley’s website at www.stanleysecuritysolutions.co.uk/onlineshop and more information is available by calling 01793 412357.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 01565 752360  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk

or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

Stanley introduces ‘Bradford Factor’ as standard on all time and attendance systems

23rd October, 2006

With frequent short-term absence becoming a growing issue for many HR departments and the cause of increased disruption for many businesses, Stanley Security Solutions has updated its range of time and attendance systems to include a new reporting feature which shows the ‘Bradford Factor’ for each employee.

The ‘Bradford Factor’ has recently become one of the most common trigger mechanisms when dealing with frequent but short-term absence –  for example at the beginning or end of a week.  It is a formula that is calculated by looking at the number of sickness days taken over a given period and the number of sickness ‘episodes’, i.e. continuous periods of sickness.  The higher the number of short periods of absence, the higher the ‘factor’ and the greater the trigger for an HR team to investigate.

Stanley Security Solutions is a market leader in time management solutions, its range of products capable of handling everything from a handful of staff up to unlimited employee numbers in larger commercial or industrial organisations.  Already installed in thousands of UK companies, its systems monitor everything from lateness and absenteeism to flexi-time variance, overtime and payroll matters.  The Bradford Factor feature is, however, a major enhancement which will be welcomed by a growing number of HR professionals.

Steve Coetzer, Stanley’s product manager (time and attendance) explained: “The issue of employees taking the odd day off ‘sick’ can be far more problematic and impactful on a business’s efficiency than having to cover for staff who you know are going to be off for long periods.  It not only causes considerable disruption to operations but can be very de-motivational to colleagues continually forced to cover for absentees.

“A time and attendance system that can electronically record and calculate the Bradford Factor and produce at-a-glance reports on all employees’ records, has got to be a major benefit.

“The Bradford Factor is a vital tool in any business’s absenteeism reduction strategy.  For the HR it highlights individual causes for concern and can be the first step in an attendance procedure. For the employees, having access to their own time and attendance data, for example to input holidays or monitor overtime, should make them aware if their own Bradford Factor is rising and hopefully help discourage continued absenteeism.”

Whilst the Bradford Factor has been introduced as a new feature on Stanley’s popular ProSoft and Astrow products, it is also integral to the company’s brand new server/web based BESTime solution, a time and attendance system that provides real time employee information wherever Internet access is available.

“The Bradford Factor is now recognised as one of the most important absence review techniques available to HR professionals and as a result it has now become a standard feature across Stanley’s entire range of time and attendance products,” concluded Steve Coetzer.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. The company as a whole is ISO9001:2000 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 01565 752360  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk

or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

BESTime responds to the changing face of UK work patterns

10th October, 2006

Responding to the demands of an increasingly flexible UK workforce and an    overriding trend in the time and attendance market towards server/web-based systems, Stanley Security Solutions has launched BESTime, the complete web-based time and attendance solution.

BESTime has been developed by Stanley’s in-house development team and is based upon over 80 years of experience in the time and attendance market place. The benefits of using its in-house development team are the flexibility and control it offers Stanley to rapidly drive customer focused product enhancements and to meet the individual needs of its customers.

BESTime is a web-based time and attendance solution that can be used by all types of organisation, including those requiring multi-company, multi-cultural and multi-user facilities.  A fully scaleable solution that will expand with the needs of an organisation, it provides real time access at the touch of a button, wherever Internet access is available.

Utilising the very latest Microsoft .NET technology, the system requires no client software installation but ensures the highest level of functionality and simple to use and easy navigation.

BESTime encompasses time and attendance recording and a high level of Payroll and HR management system integration.  It is able not just to monitor standard employee data such as hours worked, holidays, lateness and absenteeism, but vital management information on aspects such as training, appraisals, pensions, vehicles and health and safety.

One of the new product’s prime target markets is the local authority and commercial office environment, often including multi-sites and where flexible working patterns as well as remote and contract workers are more widespread.  Here, real employee tracking and live business information can all be recorded with greater speed, accuracy and efficiency.

Stanley Security Solutions can also provide integrated solutions with other products, such as access control, CCTV, parking, personal attack alarms and communication systems to provide all round staff security and premises safety.

With a reputation as one of the UK’s leading providers of T&A systems, this latest, in-house developed BESTime product is seen as another major weapon in the Stanley Security Solutions armoury.   Product Manager (Time & Attendance), Steve Coetzer commented: “BESTime is a powerful, but easy to use system that benefits employer and employee alike.  It provides management with the quickest way to access vital business decision-making information whilst the employee has accurate reporting of hours worked, holidays and flexi-time owed and full compliance with the ‘Bradford Factor’ and the European Working Time Directive.

“Government led initiatives to encourage more flexible working patterns and public demand for a more suitable work-life balance are rapidly changing the face of the traditional British workplace.  Sophisticated, software-based T&A solutions such as BESTime are a consequence of this major cultural change.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. The company as a whole is ISO9001:2000 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 01565 752360  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk

or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

Time and attendance solutions could help allay retailers’ minimum wage fears

5th October, 2006

Retailers concerned about the impact of the increased national minimum wage, introduced earlier this week, should consider investing in a time and attendance system as a way of countering growing staff overheads.

That’s the advice from Stanley Security Solutions, which believes the return on investment that a time and attendance solution could achieve through reduced lateness and absenteeism and increased efficiencies, would soon start to outstrip the initial cost of the system.

Coming on top of growing costs such as rising energy prices, many retailers are concerned that the minimum wage increase will have a dramatic impact on their business.  It’s a view shared by the British Retail Consortium which estimates it could cost UK shopkeepers up to £1billion and further damage the industry.

But Steve Coetzer, product manager (Time & Attendance) at Stanley believes there is a way retailers can help themselves to significant cost savings: “Time and attendance systems are no longer the exclusive preserve of larger organisations and there are many smaller retailers who would significantly benefit from having one installed.

“Rather than worrying about a minimum wage increase that from this week is now law, retailers should be looking at alternative ways of reducing overheads. With time and attendance systems available for less than £10 a week, employers can enjoy a ten fold increase on that investment each week simply by saving up to 10 minutes of each employee’s time each day.”

As he points out, the benefits are not exclusive to the employer: “With a time and attendance system in place there’s also greater opportunity for more flexible working patterns to be implemented, something that recent studies have shown to have a major impact on employee motivation and effectiveness.

“A workforce that is enjoying the benefits of greater flexibility and is also being paid a fair wage is likely to have much greater job satisfaction and ultimately be much more productive, to the benefit of all concerned,” said Steve.

Stanley, which has just launched a brand new server/web based product, BESTime, offers a free Flexible Working Guide available to all retailers.  To find out more about the products or request a copy of the Guide they can visit www.blicktime.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. The company as a whole is ISO9001:2000 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 01565 752360  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.u

or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

TV show is no joke for ‘Big Shot’ Alan as Bright Sparks prove business is child’s play

7th June, 2006

A high-flying businessman from Hamilton was brought down to earth by a team of kids when he took part in CBBC’s new hit tea-time show, Beat The Boss recently.

Alan McKeeve (27), a sales executive with Stanley Security Solutions, was one of three successful business people in a team called the Big Shots, taking on the Bright Sparks, a team of young schoolchildren, in a challenge to design a brand new practical joke.

But in the world of electric shock handshakes, itching powder and stink bombs, the business ‘gurus’ were no match for the creative kids, their ‘Screaming Diary’ idea losing out to the ‘FP3’, a fart machine modelled on an MP3 player.

Defeat was a bitter blow for Alan who just a couple of months ago was celebrating success in the UK National Sales Awards where he won Young Sales Professional of the Year for his sales success out of Stanley Security Solutions’ Glasgow office.

It was that award that led to Alan being invited to take part in the new show, which is hosted by The Apprentice star, Saira Khan, and broadcast weekdays on CBBC1.

Alan, who spent several days filming the show in London, said it had been a great experience: “It’s amazing the opportunities thrown up by the Sales Award success and appearing on this show was a great thrill. Believe me, our team was doing its best to beat the Bright Sparks, but when you lose out to a fart-machine, it’s probably time to admit some things are best left to the kids.”

ENDS

Photo Caption:
Alan McKeeve pictured far right, with his team colleagues and the show’s presenter, Saira Khan, far left.

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 01565 752360 or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk
or
Matt Wheeler, Marketing Communications Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

Rooney’s absence is least of employers’ worries

5th June 2006

The latest scan results have ended any lingering doubts about Wayne Rooney’s participation in Germany, but employers will have more than just Rooney’s absence to worry about over the coming month.

If recent World Cups are anything to go by, it will present a major distraction for millions of employees and football related absenteeism could again hit the UK economy hard.

Many leading companies have already anticipated the potential problem and have installed big screens in the workplace or introduced more flexible work rotas to accommodate specific leave requests.  However, for other employers, even at this late stage, the best World Cup bet this summer may be a time and attendance solution.

Matt Wheeler is marketing manager at Stanley Blick, the UK’s leading time and attendance solution company, at the forefront of technology developed specifically for the office and factory environment: “The last two World Cups in France and in Japan and Korea, both had certain kick-off times which played havoc with fans’ traditional working days.  A survey at the time suggested that as many as one in ten people would ‘throw a sickie’ to watch a crucial England game.”

For the HR or Plant Manager facing up to potential disruption, either through ‘sick leave’ or multiple holiday requests during the Finals, there are a comprehensive range of systems which not only manage time and attendance, but also cost centre recording, resource scheduling and access control.

On the eve of the World Cup, employers cannot ignore the likelihood of increased absenteeism and should act immediately to address potential issues.  Matt Wheeler concludes: “An extended run of success for the England team in Germany may well boost workforce morale but it could also seriously impact on employee absenteeism.  For many companies, a sophisticated time and attendance solution may be their best World Cup bet this summer.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. Its Time and Security divisions are ISO9002 accredited and the company as a whole is ISO9001 accredited.

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 01565 752360  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk
or

Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

Stanley solution helps consultants keep track of remote workers

22nd March 2006

The growing problem for recruitment consultants of tracking a fast moving, flexible workforce over many different companies can now be overcome with an integrated Time and Attendance solution from Stanley Blick that benefits employer and employee alike.

The system, based on the latest Microsoft technology, enables recruitment consultants to accurately track their workforce by remote clocking terminal, PC or phone, eliminating the need for manual timesheets, allowing increased customer service and helping to increase client retention.

Truly scaleable and flexible, Stanley’s Time and Attendance solutions can be developed to suit the specific needs of any recruitment consultant involved with temporary staff.  They can be fully integrated into payroll or HR processes saving time and giving more accurate, up to date management information reporting, and ensuring automatic calculation of breaks, overtime, absences, flexi-time and allowances for each employee.

As well as the enormous customer service advantage this offers clients, there are also major benefits for temporary workers themselves.  They now have the reassurance that the time they’ve worked will be accurately reported and their wages accurately calculated.  They can also gain instant access to information on holiday or flexi-time entitlement from their own clocking terminal without having to consult management.

With endorsement from the REC and special discount rates available for its members, Stanley is now undertaking a major drive for its Time and Attendance products into the recruitment industry. National Accounts Manager, Cathie Osborne explains: “The impact of legislation and the growing competitiveness of the marketplace increases the need to provide the clients with up to date and accurate management information.

“For more and more recruitment consultants, robust and reliable time and attendance systems are now needed to maintain accurate and real-time information on all employees’ work patterns.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

Stanley Security Solutions – Europe is a market leader in the design, installation and maintenance of a range of Security, Communication and Time Management solutions in the UK.

It has more than 20,000 customers across industry, commerce and the public sector. Its Time and Security divisions are ISO9002 accredited and the company as a whole is ISO9001 accredited.

The product portfolio covers:

• Time & attendance systems
• Security systems
• Staff protection and radio paging
• Digital TV distribution
• Parking access and payment systems
• Access control

For further information, please contact Andrew Crosbie, PR Director, Quest on 01565 752360  or e-mail: andrewc@questcreative.co.uk
or
Matt Wheeler, Marketing Manager, on +44 (0) 1793 412254 or e-mail: mwheeler@stanleyworks.com

Blick Time Systems forms business partnership with Trace Employer Services

June 2005

A wholly owned subsidiary of Trace Group plc, Trace Employer Services are specialist fully managed payroll providers. Blick Time Systems has formed a partnership with Trace to provide customers with access to a dedicated team of payroll specialists who will complete all payroll related tasks, to agreed schedules, on their behalf, effectively becoming their payroll department.

Trace we been providing managed payroll services for over 30 years. Their outsourced payroll service is run by payroll experts who are highly experienced in, and totally comfortable with the complexities of current payroll legislation. The level of service they can provide will be tailored to meet your organisation’s specific needs and will be constantly assessed, adjusted and upgraded to keep pace with the changing environment.

Trace’s MD, Andrew Bell, said: "We are delighted that Blick has chosen our fully managed payroll services as the best of breed for this joint venture. Our experienced support team looks forward to working with Blick and its clients and providing them with quality, personalised, payroll service for which we are known.

"Trace has always differentiated itself by providing a personalised service to its customers, offering them a partnership not just a contract. We always remember that we are dealing with real people and we like our customers to feel the same way."

Phil Dock, Product and Marketing Director of Stanley Security Solutions - Europe, said: "Trace is an established provider of payroll services with considerable expertise in this field. I believe that this new partnership will build on our respective strengths and offer real value to our mutual customers as well as providing significant long-term business opportunities for both companies."

Large enough to give confidence but small enough to care, the partnership with Trace will help us to forge long term long-term partnerships with our customers, providing them with a consistent quality service that can grow with their organisation and change with their requirements.

Trace Group plc, established in 1974, has developed software packages for specific industries and a full range of complementary services, including custom built software, consultancy, training, installation, maintenance, facilities management and the provision of skilled personnel.

If you would like to find out more on the Trace partnership please email us on trace@stanleyworks.com.