Naturally, there has been a rise in associated criminal activity to go along with this increase in the use of the internet, ranging from individual scammers and hackers, through to criminal gangs and state operators looking to steal secrets. It is little wonder then, that many businesses are starting to become more concerned about the security of their confidential information.  

As a result, many business managers want to know more about the background of the software platforms that they are working with, where and how the data is being stored and the background of the companies that provide these services. Following are some key aspects to look for in a software service provider.

What to Look Out For

Initially, when looking for an application to manage some aspect of their business such as attendance verification, business owners and operator are drawn to the cheapest product on the market. In difficult economic times this can be alluring. The problem with this approach is that cheapest doesn’t always equate to best value, and it doesn’t consider other factors that also need to be taken into account.

When a business has been tasked with collecting and storing confidential information, the most important characteristics to look for include:

• security and accessibility of client data
• level of customer service
• compliance to industry standards and regulations
• recognition within the industry, whether formal or informal word of mouth
• long term commitment to, and reliability within the industry
• company structure and risk
• affiliations with client’s competitors
• and if hardware is involved, location of servicing and turn-around time for repairs.

It’s All in the Clouds

Generally, cloud-based storage of data tends to be the industry standard for web-based services, as these services provide the most cost-efficient method to store information with the highest practical level of security. Better quality cloud storage, with a higher level of security are more expensive to access and therefore increase the cost of any web-based service. Many people are willing to pay extra for this peace of mind.

Another associated concern is where the cloud-based servers are located, because some countries have laws in place that allow their government agencies unimpeded access to any data stored within their jurisdiction. These laws are complicated and vary greatly from country to country adding to the confusion. Just for the record, UniGuard uses the highest quality Google servers in Sydney, Australia.

The Wizard Behind the Curtain

Knowing more about the companies to which services are being outsourced is a critical concern for many business operators. They don’t simply want to know the names and faces of the sales representatives, but also the actual background of the company. This includes information on how long the business has been operating, the size of the business, where it is located and who owns and runs the business. The reality is that businesses come in many forms which have their benefits and drawbacks, with some types of businesses naturally more suited to some tasks than others.

Due to businesses needing to retain data for a number of years for legal reasons, which can vary depending on the jurisdiction, the long-term stability of the company is especially important, and one that people need to be particularly attuned to spotting in the current economic climate.

Dealing with Constant Disruptions

The current fad of disrupter start-ups has flooded the software market with numerous similar looking duplicates of established systems. This has resulted in the crowding of the marketplace for some types of software applications and has caused confusion among potential customers. Although starting a business is perfectly legitimate when someone has a passion for the type of products and services they are offering, many people involved in disrupters have another goal in mind.

By their nature, the intention of disrupters is to take over a particular industry by offering services at prices well below the market rate which established operators can’t compete with. They achieve this by ignoring regulations, underpaying staff and procuring funds from investors eager to make money. Making large sums of easy money is also the intention of the founders of these companies. The goal is to build up the company rapidly and then sell to make a quick and easy profit.

Of course, all this can fall flat. Most of the time they don’t actually fulfill their goals, with the company dissolving leaving many creditors with unpaid debts. This may inspire them to start up another company in a different industry or jurisdiction.

Disrupters are not concerned with the long-term interests of either their customers or investors, and their efforts damage the marketplace for everybody, not just their competitors. Ultimately, the biggest disruption for many businesses is when a service they rely upon is suddenly no longer available, resulting in a loss of clients and reputation.

A good way to avoid the pitfalls of dealing with such a company is to look into the history of a company and then compare them to other companies offering similar services in the industry. Doing so, not only allows you to see if the company is likely to be around for a long time, but also whether they are selling their software at a reasonable price and if the claims they make are true, such as being industry leaders and innovators.

The Competition is Rigged

Sometimes the problem is not so much the stability of the company behind the software platform, but other interests that the company, or one of their principle investors may have. It is becoming increasingly common for companies within a particular industry, for example a security company to invest in a software platform such as a staff attendance app that is commonly used within that industry. This can be done in a number of ways, for example the company;

• can contract a software developer to create some software in-house
• can agree to be the authorised reseller of software platform developed by another, usually international or Chinese company
• invest money and buy shares in a start-up that is developing the software
• buy out the company developing the software and absorb it into their own.

Sometimes a business does this with the intention of keeping the software platform for internal use with the aim of getting an edge over the competition. Unfortunately, software development is costly, and this creates an incentive to onsell the software to other businesses within the industry. Sometimes it is sold to subcontractors for consistency of service, sometimes to other unsuspecting businesses.

When companies sell services like these to other business within their own industry and don’t disclose the real owners of the software or other affiliations, this can create a conflict of interest. The potential risk is that confidential company data is then legally in the possession of other another business in the same industry.

What About UniGuard?

Deltonic Pty Ltd started trading initially in the Australian market as ValuTronics Pty Ltd in 1997. More commonly known as UniGuard, we are one of the few companies that offers employee tracking and verification systems to the Australian market that is not in some way affiliated with any companies that offer security guard or cleaning services either in Australia or other markets like the USA. We are proudly fully privately and independently Australian owed. No other company owns shares in UniGuard, and we are upfront about only offering the products and services displayed on our website.

Would you like to know more about how UniGuard can help your business, click here to find out more?

The post Who Has Access to Your Data? appeared first on Staff & Asset Tracking with Workforce Management Software by UniGuard.

Instead of purchasing an off-the-shelf workforce management software package, another option that is increasing in popularity is contracting a software developer to create a custom-built system for the business. There are many reasons for managers to want to take this approach, as a quality designed system can be an asset to the organisation. A poorly built system, however, can be disastrous.

Something to Call Your Own

Among the many reasons people want to go down this path, one of the significant driving factors is the increasing number of different software systems that businesses are required to use to be able to function in our online world. Business managers understandably want to streamline as many areas of their business as possible for efficiency.

Another factor is the desire to get an edge over the opposition using unique software features and analytics that go above and beyond what other people in the industry have access to.

Where it Can Be Difficult

The difficulty often faced when approaching custom designed software is that most business owners are very experienced in their industry, not in developing software and their understanding of the pitfalls can be somewhat limited. It is naïve to think that all developers who are looking to further their own opportunities are likely to point out all the downsides of this approach and/or any of their own limitations.

The truth is that, on the surface, software is deceptively simple. Even considerably basic apps are complex to write, if a quality result is required. Most people would never consider making other equally complex products, such as for example, their own motor vehicle. Just as a poorly designed car can do a lot of damage, so can poorly designed software.

Streamlining Without Compromising Capability

Another big motivator for creating a custom-built platform is to consolidate numerous different applications into one. Not only does this potentially save costs, but it also means that people are not opening and closing different software applications all day.

The problem with this approach is that software built for different purposes generally require completely different layouts and functionality. It would be like trying to build a vehicle that has both the features of a pushbike and a semi-trailer truck.

Software that incorporates too many diverse features are often unstable and expensive to build, tend not to have unreliable results and are complex to learn and operate. This is why, for example, Microsoft maintains the individuality of their Office Suite programs in preference to amalgamating them all.

Some people in a business may benefit from having two or even three programs rolled into one, but most people in that business will never use these extra features and will find using the software too difficult. There is a reason nobody has successfully marketed a floating, flying car yet. Very few people want all of these vehicles rolled into one.

Then There’s What You Cannot See

Generally, by the time a business owner has decided to go with building their own software, they know all the features they want and don’t want in the application. They base this on what they do and don’t like in other software they have used.

Whilst this approach makes complete sense on the surface, they are often unaware of all the important hidden features that make the software safe, secure and reliable, lending the situation to software design that does not deliver on expectations. This is a major stumbling block for first time software builders.

Finding a good developer is another challenge.  Developers who are used to talking to people at their level about this subject, can seem to talk a different language when they talk to you. A program can be written many ways, and each developer has their own unique knowledge and skill level, they may not know the best coding and simply use what they have always used. The specialised process itself, of software development enables opportunities to cut corners, without detection by the client until it is too late.

Making Sure Today’s Savings Are Not Tomorrow’s Costs

One area where costs can blow out with employee tracking software or any software, is the hardware. This can be costly in several ways.

To keep costs down, a staff tracking app can be designed to work on a limited number of smartphone devices, maybe only certain Android phones for example. The problem with doing this is that it is then harder for the company to save money by getting the staff to use their own phones, as all employees must have exactly the right phones.

The alternative to this is for the company to supply phones, but then run the risk of the phones being repeatedly damaged and destroyed.

Building an app that can work on a range of phones, including both Android and iPhone, and keeping these apps up to date with the latest operating systems, as well as honouring older models becomes awfully expensive very quickly.

As well as keeping up with the latest operating systems, the software may have to be patched to protect against emerging security threats, as well as the ongoing updates that go with software bug fixes. Software bugs will happen no matter how good the developer is. Constant updates to keep up with Windows, IOS or Android changes are necessary.

Keeping the data on a secure server long term is the other big ongoing cost. This is a cost that software companies can minimise for their customers through the economics of scale.  

What Is Your Time Worth?

Ultimately, developing software, is a long, drawn-out complicated process with no guarantees on the quality of the result. It is common for projects to run over time, and over budget, even for experienced software development companies such as UniGuard. Naturally, well designed software with all the functionality that is needed can be more expensive.

For an inexperienced company, the development cost can easily exceed $1 million, for software that ends up being no better, or sometimes ever worse than the ready-made staff tracking software they could have purchased for a fraction of this price. Did I mention maintenance to keep up with changes in operating systems?

Many business owners who have commissioned their own software admit to being disappointed with the product they eventually receive. Unlike ready-made software, it is impossible to try out the software before you commit money to the project. Ultimately a lot of thought must go into good design, and this can only be guided with knowledge and experience.

Another Alternative

An attractive alternative that may not readily come to mind; is getting an established company, such as UniGuard who already have a well-maintained employee tracking software in the market, to offer a solution to you. Contact us today and we will be incredibly happy to show you how.

Would you like to know more about how UniGuard can customise a software package to your needs , click here to find out more?

The post Developing Your Own Custom Software appeared first on Staff & Asset Tracking with Workforce Management Software by UniGuard.

With so many different employee tracking systems in the marketplace today it can be difficult to really know which one is best for your business as there is a confusing array of choices. Products range from cheap but very basic options to systems that offer more functionality at a higher price.

It is common for business owners to be drawn in by flashy marketing and promises of a cheap and easy solution to later become frustrated by a system that constantly has problems and doesn’t work as they thought it would.

With the range of employee tracking software offering a variety of features it can be hard to determine which ones are good value for money, and which ones to completely avoid altogether. With this in mind let’s go through what you are likely to find at different price points in the market.

Cheap and Cheerful

In difficult economic times, budgets are tight, so many business managers see the cheapest employee tracking apps on the market as the obvious choice. The problem with this is that cheap doesn’t always mean good value, and you may not even be getting what you think you’re paying for.

Apart from price the other big selling point of software at the lower end of the market is that it’s simple to use with minimal features. As most managers have little time to learn how to use a new software package, and likely can’t really afford their staff to do the same, this can also be attractive.

Unfortunately, minimal features doesn’t always equate to easy to use, as usability is as much a result of good software design as it is the level of complexity in the tracking software. The best way to assess usability is to take the time to examine the software package through a trial or demo. As time consuming as this might seem, in the long run it is better than wasting time and effort with the wrong software.

Trying out the employee tracking software is also a way of assessing whether or not it is really right for your business. It’s easy to assume that you will only need the features found in the most basic applications, but it’s not until you use the tracking software that you will really know. The few features that come with the software package may not be the ones you need or work in the way you want. Even the cheapest tracking app is a waste of money if it doesn’t actually do what you need it to do.

The truth is, the reason a lot of the lower end employee tracking applications are cheaper is because less effort has been put into building a robust and well-functioning system. Additionally, running costs for the software provider are also lower due to less money being spent on secure data handling and storage, software upgrades that meet continual changes in the technological and security landscape, and ongoing service and support to their customers.

All the Bells and Whistles

Generally, more expensive employee management software comes with a greater list of features, some you may not really need. This will make many business managers question whether it is worth paying more, but it’s important to understand what features make higher end software worth the extra money.

One thing to consider are the features that are not obvious at first glance and you may not even realise that you might need such as reliability, cross-platform compatibility and a high level of data security. Having an employee tracking app that will work on a variety of different phones, particularly both Android and iPhone is important to a lot of businesses. This is because the app can then be downloaded directly to the personal phones of their workforce without the need to buy company phones to go with the tracking app. This is a significant cost saving.

These features are more likely to be built into a well-designed software package than a cheaper, quickly produced product. As good software design takes time and cost more money to build, this tracking software naturally comes to the consumer at a higher price.

The other significant difference with more expensive software systems is the better quality, ongoing service and support. Not only do manufactures and sellers of these systems take the time to make sure the systems that their customers have installed work well, but they also continually update and improve the software so that it stays aligned with current technological advances and industry expectations.

Want to look at the full range of employee tracking software, click here to see a demo of UniGuard in action.

The post Choosing an Employee Tracking App appeared first on Staff & Asset Tracking with Workforce Management Software by UniGuard.

But with such little time to prepare this leaves many companies ill-equipped to adapt to the unique challenges that come with leading a remote team.

From setting clear expectations and choosing the right workforce management software through to conducting meetings and retaining employee satisfaction.

Yet, by following these simple steps, running your business from afar can be just as efficient and rewarding as being onsite.

1. Provide cross device communication

Have your team sign up to a workforce management software that lets them stay in touch on a single platform through any device – be it a smartphone, laptop, desktop, tablet, or even two-way radios.

Not only will this make it easier for the team to collaborate, share ideas, resolve disputes and customer complaints, but also help you assign tasks to individual staff and approve them on the fly.

2. Protect your lone workers

You must treat your remote workers the same as you would a lone worker. That being people who work by themselves without close or direct supervision. There are steps you can take to ensure each home is suitable for work purposes.

For instance, undertake a risk assessment of each worker’s home environment. Do they have access to an extinguisher in case of fire? Is their office furniture fit for purpose and ergonomic? Do they have a stable internet connection? And much more.

From there, put in place a remote monitoring system that makes it easy for remote workers to stay in touch, submit incident reports, and alert yourself (plus the team) to potential hazards with minimal effort.

3. Set clear and fair work expectations

Just like being onsite, be sure to set fair, reasonable goals that your remote workers can achieve on a consistent basis. And make sure those goals align with your short and/or long term business objectives. Don’t lose sight of the bigger picture!

However, where possible, be flexible with your deadlines, as some workers may need more time to complete tasks and report in due to unavoidable commitments – i.e. parenting duties.

More importantly, your remote team will appreciate the flexibility, as it enables them to work efficiently in a manner that suits their lifestyle.

4. Reward outstanding work – and swiftly rectify issues

Choosing the right workforce management software is vital to tracking team progress and rectifying issues.

Use the software to give each remote worker a unique profile. This allows you to assign specific tasks, monitor their individual performance goals, and relate it back to your overall strategic goals.

Arrange weekly, fortnightly, or monthly one-on-one meetings with remote workers – either audio or video – to give them a fair, objective overview of their current performance. Be sure to reward outstanding performance, but don’t be afraid to raise any issues and give them steps on how to improve.

As a result, your remote workers will know what they’re doing well, where they can improve, and how their efforts contribute to the overall success of the business.

If you’d like to better manage your remote team and improve the delivery of your services, click here to see a demo of UniGuard in action.

The post How to Manage Your Workforce When Working From Home appeared first on Staff & Asset Tracking with Workforce Management Software by UniGuard.