Saving time with technology
As business owners and employers, we could all benefit from more time in the day. In a lot of cases, mundane time consuming manual tasks are holding us back. These may include producing rosters, checking timesheets and processing payroll.
Could technology be the answer to free up some time?
The applications (app) market has boomed in recent years. Thousands of new apps come on the market each year, some that integrate with other software and others that are stand alone. Some are specifically designed for a particular industry or for a particular task.
But how do you know which one will meet your needs and suit your industry?
Start with a great bookkeeping program with a payroll module. There are many on the market including MYOB, Reckon or QuickBooks, although a personal favourite of mine is Xero. Xero integrates with a whole suite of apps designed to make your life easier. You can invite your employees into the Xero payroll portal so they can complete their timesheets (no more paper!), update their details, apply for leave and collect their pay slips.
Then, look for an app to do a particular task like rostering and timesheets. Deputy is a great Xero add-on that allows you to create a roster and see the actual labour costs before the roster is published. You can then make adjustments if your wages look higher than your budget. A weekly roster can be set as a template and rolled over each week so you are not creating a new roster each week.
Your employees log into Deputy to see their upcoming shifts, clock in and out of shifts and your casual staff can report when they are unavailable to work.
But best of all, Deputy has an inbuilt award wage interpretation tool for some industries to ensure you are not missing any allowances, loadings or overtime that should be paid. Once set up, this information flows seamlessly into Xero and payroll (nearly) does itself!
It’s worth doing some research to look for apps specifically designed for your industry. For example Tradify is a tool for Tradespeople to manage their quotes, invoicing and scheduling of employees and resources. Kounta is a point of sale system specifically designed for Cafes and Restaurants.
Still not sure where to start?
Your HR Adviser, Accountant or IT provider may be able to assist you. Or ask around within your industry or other business owners to see what they are using. Most apps will allow some type of free trial period, so it’s worth investing the time to give them a try. Or delegate this task to a tech savvy member of your team to investigate.
Don’t be afraid of technology, it could make the world of difference to your business!
For assistance or advice please contact our HR Specialist, Debbie Innes on 02 4995 7300 or dinnes@addisonpartners.com.au. Debbie is an experienced and qualified Human Resources Specialist providing practical guidance and advice to allow you to work with your employees to meet your goals whilst complying with all relevant legislation.