Author Archives: tensor_tandauk

1. Lidl supermarket plans submitted for approval by Dorset Council

   27th June 2019 9:32 am Leave a Comment

   Plans to build a Lidl supermarket in a North Dorset town are being considered by Dorset Council. 

   The supermarket will be located on Christy’s Lane in Shaftesbury, and could create as many as 40 jobs. The sales prediction for this supermarket is over £10m. 

    

   The application’s planning statement reads: "The proposals will result in a multi-million pound investment on a logical brownfield development site adjacent to Shaftesbury Town Centre.

    

   "Whilst difficult to quantify it is also not unreasonable to assume that the proposals will act as a catalyst for further investment within the town centre.

   "Approximately, 40 full and part time jobs will be created directly by the application proposals.

    

   "These will be both full-time and part-time and will be across a range of skill sets. The majority of these jobs will also be taken up by local people and the proposals will provide them with a real opportunity for career advancement."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   ____________________

    

    

   Supermarkets all of kinds, including discount supermarkets such as Lidl, need a large number of staff, including night shifts and part-time staff in all areas from warehouse staff to cashiers and shelf stackers. 

    

   Very often, supermarkets still rely on paper timesheets, handed in by their workers at the end of the week or month. The more staff the supermarkets have, the more this inefficient pile of paper will mount up.

    

   Getting employees to retrospectively record their hours worked directly onto paper is not only open to fraud and mistakes, it also makes room for human error further up the chain. 

    

   What if employees forget to hand them in? Or managers misplace them? This is particularly a problem with weekly timesheets, as the amount of paper generated is gigantic. 

    

   Whoever need to transcribe the sheets in order to input hours worked into the payroll program is likely to fall victim to employees’ bad handwriting and forgetfulness. 

    

   Thankfully there’s an easy solution. When employees clock in using our clocking terminals (these accept smartcard or biometric data) the information is recorded by the powerful WinTA software and can be exported straight to your payroll software or made into reports. The timings can also be reviewed by supervisors to check for possible mistake or fraud – this is protected information and you can restrict who views it in the software settings. 

2. Office-based businesses need to set up a reliable attendance system

   17th June 2019 9:48 am Leave a Comment

   BDW (Barratt David Wilson) South West, the local office of Barratt Developments, a housebuilding company, has moved into a new office in Bristol.

   The company relocated to West Point Court in Bradley Stoke because it had grown too large for its previous headquarters. 

    

   Managing director Ian Menham said: "Barratt Developments published its latest trading update earlier this month and we’re very much seeing the positive results posted in that update reflected here on the ground in the south west.

    

   "People are continuing to see the benefits of buying new homes and current conditions mean many people are actively looking to move in 2019.

    

   "Good mortgage rates and schemes like Help to Buy are just some of the factors contributing to our healthy sales, not least the quality of our homes."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   _________________

    

    

   Many office-based businesses don’t see the point in using a time and attendance system, but we know differently. 

    

   The European Court of Justice has ruled that all companies need to measure how long their employees in the EU are working for in a day, in order to properly adhere to working time regulations. 

    

   As well as legal requirements, there are many sounder business reasons to gather and use attendance data. We know from experience that companies find the data we can offer them very useful in building up a bigger picture of their employees’ punctuality and productivity. 

    

   For example, HR staff can very easily view and create reports about the absence or lateness occurrences for every single employee in the company.

    

   This could give them advance warning about morale problems in individual departments, or allow them to spot who generally rings in sick on a Monday or Friday. 

    

   Companies who don’t use time and attendance systems often say that it is good enough for the management to require employees to ring them about absences, and that they will notice suspicious lateness patterns. 

    

   But humans are fallible: that’s why we have computers! Unless the manager marks absences down on some sort of calendar they won’t notice any long-term patterns, and in some workplaces lateness can be missed if the manager isn’t actively watching the door! And what if the manager is away or off ill themselves?

    

   Getting a system to take care of all this time-wasting monitoring for you is just common sense. 

    

   Most importantly for many companies, our time and attendance software is likely to help you significantly increase your payroll processing speed if you currently still use a manual system like paper timesheets. 

    

   Our products are available to small business of all sizes. 

3. Two Brixton nursing homes switch to Italian ownership

   6th June 2019 1:40 pm Leave a Comment

   Two Brixham nursing homes have been sold to an Italian care home operator. 

   Hill House Nursing Home and Three Corners Nursing Home were owned by the same person, and both traded under ‘Golfhill’, a limited company. 

   The new owners are Codess Sociale, an overseas operator. 

    

   Luca Omodei, general manager at Codess Sociale, said: "In this new project of social care for elderly people in the UK, our hope is to bring an added value; the attention and Italian expertise in the management of residential care homes and social care services.

    

   "This is just the beginning. Our intention is to develop the business in the coming years with our goal to accommodate at least 500 guests in our nursing homes in the United Kingdom."

    

   Simon Harvey, director based in Christie & Co’s Exeter office who handled the sale, added: "We are delighted to have assisted the previous directors of Golfhill Ltd and wish them well with their future plans."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   _________________

    

    

   Care homes are staffed 24/7 by care workers, receptionists, security guards and other members of staff. If it is also a nursing home, with specialist nurses on-site, they will also need to have a constant presence. This means that there is likely to be a large number of overlapping and/or irregular shifts. 

    

   This is already difficult enough for supervisors to manage successfully. It is vital that there is a clear picture of who is in the building at any given time, not only for the security and reputation of the care home, but also for visitors’ safety in situations such as fire alarms. 

    

   Our specialist time and attendance system records everyone’s entrance and exit from controlled doors, using either smartcards or more expensive but more secure biometric measurements. 

    

   When the time and attendance clocking terminals from Time and Attendance South West are linked into your company’s fire alarm system, any fire alarm activation will result in the printing of a fast, automated list of who is currently clocked into the building. This is more accurate than a paper sign-in sheet.

    

   All the data from our system on when people went through controlled doors is exportable onto all major payroll programmes. We also have the Self Service Module, which can be accessed from a browser or from your mobile via the app (available on Android and iOS). This enables employees to sign in and out and request holiday. 

    

   If the clocking in/out is done from a mobile, the information is transferred to the central Tensor.NET application, including GPS position data so that you can make sure your remote employees, such as community carers, are where they should be at that time. 

4. Gloucestershire quantity surveying firm relocates to larger premises

   24th May 2019 11:05 am Leave a Comment

   Adams Fletcher & Partners, a Gloucestershire quantity surveying firm, has relocated to larger premises in order to expand their company. 

   Their new office suite is located at The Wheelhouse at Bond’s Mill in Stonehouse, and they have signed a 3-year lease on the 500 square foot premises. Adams Fletcher & Partners has moved from Gloucester to here, and also has an office in Hereford. 

    

   Director David Ridout said: "We undertake work throughout England and Wales. Following our success in recent years, we have relocated to Bond’s Mill to accommodate our ambitions to expand.

    

   "We are not restricted geographically and Bond’s Mill offers good accessibility to our clients who represent all sectors of the construction industry, including healthcare and education, housing and leisure.

    

   "Our office on the ground floor of the estate’s main mill building has a nice atmosphere with plenty of natural light and it gives us room to expand.

    

   "The on-site café – which is great for informal meetings – is just adjacent to us. We’re looking forward to developing our business at Bond’s Mill."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   _______________

    

    

   Many office-based businesses don’t see the point in using a time and attendance system, but here at Time and Attendance South West we think differently.

    

   We know from experience that companies find the data we can offer them very useful in building up a bigger picture of their employees’ punctuality and productivity. 

    

   For example, HR staff can very easily view and create reports about the absence or lateness occurrences for every single employee in the company. This could give them advance warning about morale problems in individual departments, or allow them to spot who generally rings in sick on a Monday or Friday. 

    

   Companies who don’t use time and attendance systems often say that it is good enough for the management to require employees to ring them about absences, and that they will notice suspicious lateness patterns. 

    

   But humans are fallible: that’s why we have computers! Getting a system to take care of all this time-wasting monitoring for you is just common sense.

    

   Most importantly for many companies, our time and attendance software is likely to help you significantly increase your payroll processing speed if you currently still use a manual system like paper timesheets. 

    

   If you rent your premises, as most businesses do, and cannot install any extra wiring, your employees can use our web-based attendance recording rather than our physical terminals. 

    

   Our products are available for all sizes of business: there is no upper limit. 

    

   Please get in touch today for more information.

5. New business park opens in Falmouth thanks to investment and funding

   10th May 2019 9:50 am Leave a Comment

   A new business hub called Church View Business Park has opened in Falmouth thanks to funding and private investment.

   The park consists of 7 industrial buildings, split into 17 hybrid industrial units. All 17 units have already been sold. The private sector investment was provided by Falmouth Developments, and then £3.38m in funding was then secured from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Growth Programme.

    

   Councillor Bob Egerton, Cornwall Council portfolio holder for planning and economy, said: "The Church View Business Park development is a great example of how EU funding matched by private investment is supporting and encouraging new and existing businesses to grow and prosper in Cornwall.  

    

   "What is interesting is to see the range of businesses that will be working out of this new space – guitar pick-ups to robots, hand-made soaps inspired by Cornwall to engineering – reflecting the range of diverse businesses operating in Cornwall. By offering high-quality, supportive and joined-up premises, this purpose built development will nurture businesses, help create job opportunities and make a significant economic contribution towards a prosperous Cornwall."

    

   Steve Russell, director of Falmouth Developments, added: "We are absolutely delighted to see the new business park open with new owners now moving in. It says a great deal about the quality of the development and market demand in the local area that all of the new units have already been sold.

    

   "The new buildings look great and have been carefully designed to meet the needs of occupiers and we look forward to seeing the positive impact that these spaces will have for the individual businesses using them and, of course, the wider Falmouth area."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   ________________

    

    

   A large complex used by many different businesses needs to have a great visitor monitoring system. Nobody wants people wandering into the wrong office, or accidentally interrupting important meetings because their meeting room is right next door to yours. 

    

   Time and Attendance South West offers the Management of Contractors and Visitors Software to help everyone be in the right place at the right time. This network-based application allows you to advance book visitor appointments and pre-book on site contractors. 

    

   These bookings can be made either via the PC based application or a user’s Internet browser. As soon as an appointment is booked, notification emails are sent to both the visitor and their host informing them of the appointment’s date, time and location.

    

   If there is no reception area in your workspace, or if there is not a designated receptionist, we can also offer you the MCVS Unmanned Reception Console, which enables visitors to check themselves in for appointments using a touchscreen. This can send an email directly to the person who will be hosting them. 

    

   If the appointment is for a visitor or contractor who needs to go around alone, MCVS provides a Welfare Check page to set up welfare notification reminders. These reminders (an on screen popup or an email) prompt the host to perform a safety check on the lone worker. 

    

   This means that you are kept up to date and there can be no ambiguity about location. A history of checks performed and acknowledged is also recorded for audit purposes.

6. Law firm sets up 13th office in Bristol, hoping for good luck

   18th April 2019 2:45 pm Leave a Comment

   Freeths, a law firm, has opened an office in Bristol. This will be the firm’s 13th office location, after their existing premises in Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford, Sheffield and Stoke. 

   The new office is located in Temple Quarter. It is led by Adam Watson, a real estate specialist from their Nottingham site, and the firm plans to expand their team. 

    

   Watson said: "This is an exciting opportunity to expand the Freeths brand into a new market. We have a number of additions to the team lined up to join us, bringing a broad range of expertise which will be supported by specialist resource from across the firm.”

    

   Chairman, Colin Flanagan, said: "Whilst Bristol is a competitive legal market, this reflects the level of commercial activity in the city.

    

   "We believe this opening offers a real opportunity for Freeths and we are confident that we will quickly win market share to make the office a success."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   _________________

    

    

   Moving to new offices is the perfect time to assess your time and attendance system. 

    

   Many office-based companies don’t believe that they need a structured attendance monitoring system, but we argue that the data from our attendance system can gather will boost their efficiency. As we say at Time and Attendance South West, time and attendance system isn’t Big Brother, it just gives you the big picture! 

    

   You may not need to know the exact timings of your salaried staff as a boss or a manager, but HR might find a full history of their timings very important if you ask them to put a member of staff on a disciplinary for lateness. Without careful documentation, proving lateness could be difficult.

    

   Many companies still operate on a casual “Just let me know,” attitude, which make it difficult to clearly state how many absences they might have had over a certain time period without laboriously scrolling through texts or emails. 

    

   With our centralised time and attendance system, HR can see everyone’s clocking data for whom they have permission, and quickly and easily export this or format it into reports using our report wizard or advanced report creation settings.

    

   Staff can clock in either using our physical terminals, which work with fingerprints and/or radio-frequency smartcards, or if physical terminals can not be installed then we can offer an online/app-based clocking in service called the Self-Service Module (SSM). 

    

   The mobile app version can also utilise GPS to tell you the location of employees as they clock in, which is useful for remote workers. 

   For more information, please get in touch today. 

    

7. 30 year old chain of furniture stores opens huge head office, creating over 450 jobs

   9th April 2019 11:31 am Leave a Comment

   The Range, a chain which has been around for 30 years, will soon have a new head office in Plymouth.

    

   The Range has 160 stores across the UK, and aims to achieve 600 stores. It is owned by Chris Dawson. 

    

   Currently their head office provides jobs for 250 people, while the new premises will increase the potential headcount to 700 in total, with 450 of these being new roles. 

    

   The new building will be directly linked to their existing store next door, which will enable easy staff training. 

    

   Dawson said: "It was always very important for me to keep our head office operations in our home city of Plymouth and the place that CDS The Range started, I have staff that have worked for the company for over 20 years so having a new office built just down the road from the current office is a big deal to all of us.

    

   "Having the new superstore next to our head office also means that it can be used as a training academy and centre of excellence so that Range staff from across the UK can come down to Plymouth and be trained to the highest standards.

    

   "We also have a lot of suppliers visit us from around the world that will use local hotels, restaurants and transport, they might even stay for a holiday. I would like to personally thank the council for being so supportive in helping us keep the head office in its home city of Plymouth.”

    

   Council leader Tudor Evans added: "It makes me incredibly proud to be able to see the transformation of this plot of land into a place where hundreds of people work for a hugely successful – and home grown company.

    

   "We acquired the site from the MoD in 2011 and helped lay the ground for The Range to make its base here. Being proactive, supporting and helping businesses to invest here in Plymouth is massively important to the council, to the city.

    

   "It means steady work for hundreds of people as well as opportunities and that’s great for families here in Plymouth. We are talking over 500 people now enjoying employment; that’s just fantastic."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   ______________

    

    

   Are you too a growing, successful company, with new premises and lots of new job roles being advertised?

    

   Congratulations!

    

   But … are you still using paper timesheets? Struggling through bad handwriting in order to manually add the data to an Excel sheet before sending that off to be incorporated into your payroll software? 

    

   Here at Time and Attendance South West, we can help you save time and money by bringing your time and attendance system into the 21st century.

   With one of our time and attendance clocking terminals and associated software, all of this hassle will disappear. The clocking terminal will record when your employees enter and exit, using either a smartcard or a biometric scanner, and the central system can export this clocking data in a format suitable for all leading payroll programmes.

    

   This data can be used in many ways: HR can use it for absence management, with a built-in Bradford Index calculator and customisable alerts. The software also warns if your employees are at risk of breaching the rules set down by the European Working Time Directive.

    

   Another area that we could help you save money and time is in automating your reception. Do you have someone sat at the desk just to tell people to sign in and out and answer the phone? Your money could be better spent elsewhere. 

    

   Or perhaps you don’t have a receptionist and you struggle to have your existing staff covering the front desk on a rota. Maybe you have even lost potential customers and clients due to no-one being at the desk?

    

   Our Unmanned Reception App is what you need. This app can run on any standard touch-screen device. Visitors can check themselves into their pre-booked appointments, or book an appointment there and then. 

    

   As they check themselves in, the app will notify their assigned “host” by email or text so that they are aware of the visitor’s arrival, and record the visitor as inside the building. This is ideal for health and safety such as fire alarms. 

8. Care home saved thanks to purchase by family-owned care business

   5th April 2019 3:50 pm Leave a Comment

   Driskal Ltd, the company behind Woodlands Manor Care Home, went into administration last November (2018). It has since been bought, which keeps the existing 48 jobs safe as well as ensuring the residents can stay where they are.  

   The administrators, RSM, carried out a marketing campaign in order to try and attract a new buyer for the Kendleshire care home, and as a result of this the care home was bought by Genie Care Homes Limited, a family-owned business which operates five more homes in the South West. 

    

   Not content with maintaining services at their current standard, Genine Care Homes ltd are taking the opportunity to improve residents’ facilities and increase the home’s capacity to 53 beds. 

    

   Mark Boughey, RSM Restructuring Advisory partner and one of the joint administrators, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to complete the sale of Woodlands Manor Care Home to Genie Care Homes.

    

   "This brings to an end the uncertainty for residents and their families, it secures the jobs of 48 staff and provides the best possible outcome for creditors.

    

   "We wish the new owners every success as they seek to improve and expand the home for new and existing residents."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   ______________

    

    

   A care home can be a very busy building. Staffed 24/7 by care staff, security staff and often nurses too, there are always comings and goings. As a result, it can be difficult for manager to keep track of exactly who is in the building. This could be not only a security risk, and a risk to the safety of the vulnerable residents, but also dangerous for visitors who could be forgotten about in stressful situations such as a triggered fire alarm. 

    

   To solve this problem, you need a system which can automatically tell you where everybody is. We have a number of solutions to help you:

    

   Our time and attendance system records everyone’s entrance and exit from controlled doors, using secure biometric measurements of hands or fingerprints. 

    

   Our Visitor Management System, which can also be provided in a new self-service app format, allows visitors to not only check-in securely at reception, but to have their movements monitored through controlled doors. This ensures that they cannot access any unsafe areas, and that their presence is reliably recorded on the system.

    

   When our time and attendance clocking terminals are linked into your company’s fire alarm system, any fire alarm activation will result in the printing of a fast, automated list of who is currently clocked into the building. This can then be used as a roll-call list. 

    

   We also have the Self Service Module, which can be accessed from a browser or from your mobile via the app (available on Android and iOS). This enables employees to sign in and out and request holiday. If the clocking in/out is done from a mobile, GPS position data is to the central Tensor.NET system, so that you can make sure remote employees such as community carers are where they should be at that time. 

9. Bristol care home purchased by property fund

   27th February 2019 12:20 pm Leave a Comment

   A Bristol care home has been acquired by a property fund LXI REIT. 

   The property is in the north west of Bristol city centre, and is currently let on a long lease to Bupa Care Homes. 

    

   LXI REIT Advisors funded this acquisition using a loan from Scottish Widows. 

    

   John White, partner of LXI REIT Advisors Ltd, said: "We are pleased to have completed this off-market acquisition which is accretive to the company in terms of yield, lease length, rent review profile and tenant strength.

    

   "The initial yield of 6.4 per cent is over 340 basis points higher than the cost of our long-term debt facility which is funding the purchase.

    

   "The company remains well positioned with an excellent platform and investment pipeline of secure, long-let index-linked real estate assets to deliver attractive inflation-protected income and capital returns to our shareholders."

    

   Source: Insider Media South West

    

   ______________

    

    

   Between care workers clocking in and out for their shift to contract workers coming in for maintenance or assigned medical check-ups, it can be difficult for care home managers to have a clear idea of who is in the building. This is vital information not only for the security and reputation of the care home, but also for visitors’ safety in situations such as fire alarms. 

    

   Our time and attendance system records everyone’s entrance and exit from controlled doors, using either smartcards or the more expensive but more secure biometric measurements of hands or fingerprints. 

    

   When our time and attendance clocking terminals are linked into your company’s fire alarm system, any fire alarm activation will result in the printing of a fast, automated list of who is currently clocked into the building. This is more accurate than a paper sign-in sheet.

    

   All the data from our system on when people went through controlled doors is exportable onto all major payroll programmes. We also have the Self Service Module, which can be accessed from a browser or from your mobile via the app (available on Android and iOS). This enables employees to sign in and out and request holiday. 

    

   If the clocking in/out is done from a mobile, the information is transferred to the central Tensor.NET application, including GPS position data so that you can make sure your employees, such as community carers, are where they should be at that time. 

    

10. New large primary school completed in the Duchy of Cornwall

    20th February 2019 2:57 pm Leave a Comment

    A primary school in Nansleden, near Newquay in Cornwall, has completed construction (“topped out”). 

    The school will be operated by Aspire Academy Trust. It is being built by Midas and designed by Francis Robert Architects and Alan Leather Associates, and co-funded by the Department for Education. 

     

    The school will have 14 classrooms, giving enough space for 420 children at capacity. 

     

    Ben Murphy, estate director at The Duchy of Cornwall, said: "The topping out marks a significant milestone in the construction of Skol Nansledan and we are thrilled to see the excellent progress being made. It is a fantastic school building designed in the arts and crafts style by Dominic Roberts and built to a very high standard by Midas.

     

    "The school was always going to be an important part of this thriving Nansledan community and it was important to us that we made sure it was delivered at the earliest opportunity. We are all really looking forward to it opening its doors for the first time later this year."

     

    Andrew Fielder, chief executive of Aspire Academy Trust, said: "We are committed to providing an outstanding education at Skol Nansledan from day one.  Following an innovative STEAM curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics), the children will embark upon a learning journey packed full of adventure, discovery, experience and fun. 

     

    "After all, they are the innovators, educators, leaders and learners of the 21st century and the school motto ‘Today’s Learners, Tomorrow’s Leaders’ reflects this.  We cannot wait to welcome our first intake of pupils in September."

     

    Steve Rosewell, operational director at Midas, said: "The new school is looking fantastic already and is clearly going to be a beautiful landmark for Nansledan. We’re proud to involved, to be continuing our strong relationship with the Duchy of Cornwall and to be marking this milestone in creating an excellent new facility for the children and community here."

     

    Source: Insider Media South West

     

    _________________

     

     

    Many construction contractors and clients require contractor staff to hold and display Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) smart-cards, which prove their qualifications, before allowing them on site. 

     

    Here at Time and Attendance South West, we are an IT partner of the CSCS. This means that we can provide seamless integration between the CSCS smartcard and our WinTA.NET software, which provides time management, visitor/contractor management and fire/evacuation roll-call systems. 

     

    The integration takes the end-user form of a CSCS “card wizard”. This set of rules allows a company to quickly grant construction contractors recognition by and access to our hardware, such as clocking terminals, turnstiles, and door controllers. The wizard will run one of three scenarios when giving access rights to contractors. These are:

     

    • Contractors who are completely new to the system.

    • Contractors whose name exists on the system but their CSCS card has not been entered.

    • Contractors who are fully recorded on the system and have used their card at other sites, but are new to this particular site.

     

    For each different scenario the wizard will guide the user through the enrolment procedure. The result is that:

     

    • The contractor’s CSCS card is read (using a USB card reader attached to a Tensor.NET Client PC)

    • Details are extracted from the card to update the contractor’s details within the system

    • Options such as a company, site, shift group and department are assigned to the cardholder

     

    To make it easier to include new contractors in your site’s existing health and safety and security procedures, please contact us today. We can handle any size site: our Enterprise software is able to perform for global, multi-site corporations with thousands of employees/users, while our Start edition helps small businesses with between 10 – 50 users.