For some, change is natural. For some others, it needs a nudge and eventually a push to seek improvements. Surprisingly, there are still many government and private sector organizations that prefer to stick to what they know and manage their business in the 'usual' way. In fact, many are still loyal to a punch card system for time and attendance monitoring, using the physical form to submit leave applications, signing in on a logbook for visitor management, and there goes the list continuing...

So, it begs the question of why automation should be appealing to the traditionalists? What are the advantages of this change and is the cost justifiable? Those who prefer the old ways might shy away from exploring new ways due to a lack of knowledge and expertise, and some are concerned about the high investment of a new system. It has to be stressed that the old-fashioned way could cost a business a hefty price and a hindrance to its future growth.    

Automation in business comes with numerous advantages. It is not merely a buzzword or a trend in business, and it is not limited to the system in the production line, it is also crucial for workforce management. Improvement in the internal process is the key to healthy growth. Businesses have to welcome automation in all aspects with open arms. Amongst the benefits of automation is the reduction of admin work, which translates to a reduction in the work hours, which eventually reduces the overall operating cost as a whole. Besides, automation streamlines communication, it provides greater visibility to the stakeholders, it offers efficient task management, improves operational stability, improves work quality, and increases employee engagement. 

And let's explore how TimeTec cloud solutions deliver values from automation.

Data Collection is a massive problem for many organizations, particularly the ones that have multiple branches locally and abroad. How to get all the data in the system uniform and in a reliable manner? TimeTec delivers automation in data collection through the ability to connect to the data collecting tools at various points. For time attendance solution, as an example, TimeTec TA users can report time through biometrics readers and many ways through the App, and all data collected will be available either in the branch and in the headquarters ready for processing. All these tools are connected seamlessly into the system, making it convenient for both users and administrators. For the leave management system, TimeTec Leave, data comes from the App and the web, centralized for the convenience of the superiors and administrators. Ultimately, TimeTec systems make data collection simple and reliable. 

Data Settings/Scheduling for a manual system is a long process because it has to be done, repeatedly, all over again, month in, month out or depending on the cycle. With TimeTec solutions, administrators need to figure out the settings and the schedules at the beginning of the implementation, and they will be applied for all or selected users until some specific amendments are required. Having all settings and schedules done right once reduces a lot of tedious work by the administrator throughout the year. TimeTec solutions offer versatile settings that fit diverse customer requirements.

Data Processing is another uphill challenge in a manual system. TimeTec solutions offer automatic data processing based on the settings and schedules that have been preset, making the process easier and quicker. Automation in data processing provides the admin with reliable data for payroll and other human resource purposes at any time of day because of data accessibility and centralization. Data in TimeTec solutions are ever ready for the organization to apply.

Switching to an automated and digitized system like TimeTec is no longer a question to contemplate by companies in the 21st century. A small investment for this change will bring about a mountain of benefits to the business operation and sustainability in the long run. There is no room for sentimentalism. The manual system is not cost-effective, to say the least. It is time to chuck them out to achieve better productivity, quality, and engagement in your business. At the end of the day, your business requires data that can provide you with ways to save cost, time, and make informed decisions. 

Note: TimeTec offers 3-month FREE Smart Attendance to SMEs in Malaysia only. Click this link and fill-up the form to redeem yours. 

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Be a responsible company, a responsible employer and provide for your employees the necessary protection against the threat of Coronavirus infection. Stock up on masks and sanitisers. Distribute the face masks to each employee weekly and place the sanitisers strategically for them to use regularly. Don't resort to cheap or homemade sanitiser that is not effective just to save some money or provide one mask a week and be okay with that. 

Invest in A Good System

When times are hard, people are pulling the purse string even tighter. However, having less money to spend doesn't mean that we need to take an expensive risk instead. Investing in a high-quality fever scanning system could save your company a lot of trouble now and in the future. (Please note that 33°C or 32.8°C are not human body temperatures because some body temperature sensors failed to give correct reading at all times) The practice is not going to dissipate post-Covid because the world has learned its lesson. Therefore, having a system that can scan body temperature, scan whether the user has a mask on or not, scan for attendance and door access is something your organisation should consider when resuming your business for the benefit of the majority. 

The New Norm at Work 

When the governments around the world impose a lockdown on their citizens, businesses switch to Work From Home mode. Now that many are returning to work, it would be a better and safer choice to embrace WFH in the operation. To have a full workforce capacity at a confined space is definitely NOT a wise decision. Rather, those who can WFH should be advised to continue to lessen the possibility of infection.  The best way to go forward is for companies to refine the WFH policy to manage those who practise it effectively. 

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Reduce Travel, Reduce Contact

As much as possible, reduce contact, which translates to lessening the face-to-face meetings and visits. Unless it's something that can't be discussed over Google Meet or Skype or Zoom, don't go gallivanting around town for a chance in meeting people to talk about menial matters. However, if your staff have to go, make sure they have a good tool to record their whereabouts and the people they meet on record for contact tracing. TimeTec TA is a perfect tool for that purpose.

Establish New Channels to Receive Payment 

Recover that few months lost income with new sales and better collections. Erase the anticipated excuses from your customers such as cannot travel to your place to make payment, by providing more channels to receive payments. Apart from internet banking transfer, provide other alternatives like online payment via credit cards, e-wallet and etc. Get that cash flow healthy again to revive your business the soonest possible. 

Hardware-driven market to software-driven market 

Because the hardware has a big profit lies beneath, Chinese manufacturers have focused on hardware for their market expansion. The software has become a complementary accessory. It is usually bundled with hardware as a free of charge item, or charged at a minimum fee; hence, the overall software lacks comprehensive R&D planning and real allocation.

When the arrival of the Internet trend in the late 1990s, China's security industry was unmoved, security products were hardly in deep association with the Internet or could have many benefits obtained from the Internet technology. Simultaneously, Internet companies were born like rapid fire. The big guys in the security industry are still wandering in their comfort zone, thinking that as long as they are big and strong enough in their fields, they would be perpetually invincible.

Suddenly, big data appears, cloud computing happens, artificial intelligence rises, mobile internet strengthens, and the Internet of Things becomes a reality.

When these big concepts started to surface, security companies seem never to fail to boast about how their products complement the big technology trends. During the CPSE Exhibition, when we enquired further, we understand that most of them are still in the concept hype stage. The adoption is indeed quite shallow, let alone would cause a paradigm shift in the industry. The hype might fool the capital market, but not the real market and customers. However, this is quite a universal norm for China's security industry.

When we say Factory 4.0 or Manufacturing 4.0, strictly speaking, the factory in Factory 4.0 stage is no longer about a factory, but a tech company. The Factory 4.0 is not merely the adoption of cutting-edge IT equipment, or to enhance the automation process so that it can upgrade itself from Factory 3.0 to 4.0, and it is a thorough DNA reengineering process for an organization. For Factory 4.0, it is not only about the products networkability, but the products also have to integrate with various cloud applications to form a comprehensive IoT ecosystem.

If the progress of 1G to 4G in telecommunications impacted individuals and the B2C consumer market the most, the introduction of 5G is expected to affect B2B significantly, bringing vital change to all industries, the mega smart city projects included. We foresee through interconnectivity between IoTs, and the revolutionary cloud applications, this trend will redefine and rebuild the ecosystems between industries, which is also a massive opportunity for the security industry. It's just that, are you ready?

The four elements of the Internet of Things era

1. Cloud computing and cloud applications are the life support of IoT; therefore, the cloud is a must for all industries in the 5G era.

2. IoT is cloud-driven, and therefore, hardware-driven companies have to transform themselves into software-driven companies. For hardware vendors, this is a tough genetic modification project to undertake.

3. Since cloud computing can do 90% of IoT processing, hardware gets simpler and cheaper. This element is a big blow to manufacturers who merely rely on hardware to generate revenue.

4. The interconnectivity between objects in multiple scenarios and cross-platforms, spawn new consolidated ecosystems and multiple cloud applications.

The secured and unsecured security industry

As the 5G era approaches, the IoT era arrives concurrently. The security industry is at the crossroad of innovation. The imminent game-changer is approaching. And big tech companies are more sensitive and ready as compared to the security companies with their infostructure groundwork. And, the siege has begun. Huawei is coming, Baidu is coming, Alibaba is coming, Tencent is coming, there are many more out there making their ways.

No matter how they enter the arena, either as friends or foes, they will directly or indirectly compete and take up some good slice from the security industry. As foes, they compete directly in your territory, with cooler stuff; as friends, they seem to drive traffic to you from their internet platform, but in the end, they will get the upper hand, bag bigger benefits.

It is apparent that the platforms built by the Internet giants, such as the enterprise platform of Alibaba’s DingTalk, Tencent’s WeChat and Small Program, have become the pain points of many industries, including security.

Due to a lack of cloud computing full deployment, the hardware-driven security companies continue to provide free software as a strategy. And, this strategy has made them stalling in developing cloud applications that could generate them with direct profit from subscription-based Software as a Service (SaaS) model. At the same time, they are also unable to use the cloud to drive the hardware sales, and they end up losing at both ends.

China's tech companies have successfully replaced foreign security products to becoming threats to the security companies. For this new threat, I reckon security companies affected have to succumb and play along.

The game-changer in the domestic market is not affecting the overseas market just yet. Due to the diversity of the international market, the application of IoT does not influence product-oriented sales entirely. Apart from the impact of the Trade War between the United States and China, some market space for overseas products is still available. However, as China's labour costs rise, the advantage of low-cost products diminishing; and as the IoT and the cloud become mainstream, the export market will be affected tremendously, very soon.

The predicament of China’s export market in the future 

Some people may say, why should we separate the traditional Chinese security companies from the incoming Internet companies? If we regard China as a sole force, and these companies merge as one, can they not dominate the world?

Otherwise.

Because of China's Great Firewall Policy that segregates China's Internet world from the outside world, it separates the seemingly integrated Internet into two different forms. Extra and tremendous adaptation efforts have to be put in for overseas cloud applications to suit China’s environment, and vice versa for China’s cloud solutions. Integrating an application system is much trickier than adopting individual products; this is the common challenge for the industry players. 

The road to moving forward

Whether it suits your agenda or otherwise, technology trends and market ecosystems are moving the IoT way. Hence, how should the security industry player react? My brief view is as follows:

First, the need to deepen awareness about cross-industries and how it works; second, the need to define new products and standards; third, the need for deep integration of 5G and artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other technologies; fourth, the need for an organization to transform from hardware-driven to software-driven. 

Only by maintaining an open-minded attitude towards new ideas, willingness to cooperate with new partners, walking the talk, only then security industry players can create new values in the new cross-industry and cross-sector security industry.

Teh Hon Seng, Group CEO of TimeTec Group of Companies. Prior to forming TimeTec, Teh led PUC Founder (MSC) Bhd to be listed on MESDAQ (ACE) market of Bursa Malaysia in 2002. Teh initiated the R&D in fingerprint technology in 2000, which later developed into a renowned global brand for commercial fingerprint product known as FingerTec. In 2008, he foresaw the trend of cloud computing and mobile technology, and over the years, he had strategically diversified and transformed its biometric-focused products into a suite of cloud solutions that aimed at workforce management and security industries including smart communities that centered around the cloud ecosystem. Teh has more than 10 patents to his name, and he is also a columnist in a local newspaper and a writer of several books.

Data Centralization

Often times organizations face challenges when they have multiple branches in different locations. One of the challenges is data centralization. Admin from different branches need to compile and send information regularly just to update their HQ. TimeTec cloud solution eliminates this process as all data from the company will be in the same account and viewable at any time. Analysis and workforce overview are also available in TimeTec to provide a clear overview of the company’s workforce status. 

Better User Experience

FingerTec Windows-based softwares are designed for Admin view only; where the main objective is for Admin to process attendance data or control access devices. Normal employees have no access whatsoever to the system and can only wait for the Admin to confirm on their data. On the contrary, TimeTec cloud solution provides a platform where both Admin and employees can view, edit and approve data, allowing a two-way communication for a more transparent system. In addition, TimeTec solution is complemented with mobile app where the process of view, edit, apply and approve can be done straight from a smartphone. 

Mobile Friendly

Let’s admit it, mobile phone has become a necessity in our everyday life. That’s why TimeTec solutions offers mobile apps that compliment and complete the solutions. Users can clock their attendance, view schedule, request for OT approval and more directly from TimeTec mobile apps. This is not possible if you are using Windows-based software. Receive notifications, monitor attendance and overview of attendance in real time, straight from your mobile phone when you use TimeTec cloud solutions. 

Cloud is the future. Many organizations have moved to cloud and benefit from the system. If you are still have doubts about cloud, we offer 30-day FREE trial at www.timetecta.com so you can give it a try!

Free Consultation, contact info@timeteccloud.com and we’ll be right there with you.