Whatever happened to the paperless office? Many of the UK’s companies are still reliant on archaic paperwork systems to do business, and to manage their employees.
Businesses rely on paper-based payment and HR management, including sickness monitoring, even as they admit that paper-based systems are by no means an accurate means of doing this.
“We like to think of ourselves as being in a digital age of agile, working practices,” Tim Groves of Addtime observes. “In fact, many people still rely on paper for their essential back office work.”
Sickness Monitoring
Survey findings have revealed that four million UK businesses still rely on paper-based sickness monitoring systems. The same survey also has uncovered that due to paper filing, two-thirds of sickness and holiday absences go unregistered.
“Clearly, reliance on paper-based systems is costing businesses money,” Tim says, “and will continue to do so unless they change.”
“Not only does sickness absence represent a cost on the balance sheet, but not monitoring it also suggests deficiencies in employee engagement”
“The business implications are wide-ranging,” Tim explains, “from delayed or reduced productivity to poor staff morale and a reduction in service standards across a business or organisation.”
Content Chaos
On a more general level, inefficient, and sometimes chaotic, paperwork systems can hold businesses back.
“Worldpay data has revealed that almost two-thirds of SMEs couldn’t identify their busiest trading day of the year, and 40 per cent couldn’t provide revenue or profit forecasts,” Tim states.
Businesses get to a certain size which makes their existing style of paper management unworkable, but the longer they leave it, the more daunting the task appears, which then further puts them off making the change.
“Having the right software in place is an essential part of business infrastructure, and this is particularly true of functions like payroll and HR,” Tim suggests.
Otherwise businesses risk creating a kind of content chaos, eating into their time and productivity.
Long-term Solutions
As Tim points out, a business’s workforce is its most valuable asset, but also its costliest.
“Issues around time and attendance, and managing mobile staff, all make demands on time and resources,” Tim says.
What the right software solution offers is a means of cutting down on paperwork while integrating various management strands, as an affordable, scalable solution
“The most effective electronic solutions to time and management are holistic,” explains Tim, “meaning that they don’t just solve problems but open up new possibilities in how businesses manage. This is their true value when compared with old-style paperwork processes.”
Discover how time and attendance solutions can improve your employee monitoring, reduce costs and improve productivity by calling Addtime on 01942 272061, visiting addtimerecording.co.uk or seeing the features of one of Addtime’s time and attendance solutions here.
