Yes, there is a direct correlation between technology and productivity
One of the most common sales pitches from technology vendors is that they have the solution to solve all your business problems – they are essentially trying to sell you a so-called ‘silver bullet’, which we all know simply doesn’t exist. However, the right technology, implemented in the right way for the right reasons and at the right place, will add measurable benefit to operations.
This is our central message to the market. As South Africa, like many markets, enters the post-COVID-19 phase of socio-economic and political readjustment, there is a definite realisation in the broader business market that without access to the internet, and without digital infrastructure and ICT, there is no way business can continue within a crisis. Moreover, the strategic use of technology is known to increase levels of productivity – a hypothesis used by those who are pro-hybrid or remote working.
So, in theory, human resource and payroll solutions offer up a number of advantages, and industry-led research links this technology with more effective communication. It also helps to improve time management and management of resources, and – perhaps definitively – enables the automation of manual tasks so that employee engagement is streamlined, well-oiled and adds value to the overall business.
Put another way, this technology empowers a business to maximise its investment in human resources… employees are a lot more productive which of course, adds value to the business.
But how exactly does human resources and payroll technology lead to increased productivity in a business?
Firstly, a remote and dispersed workforce may not be physically in the same space, but their level of contribution, targets and key performance indicators can actually be measured a lot quicker and easily than may have been the case in pre-COVID-19 work environments.
Fortunately, there is a range of technology solutions that are specifically designed to facilitate remote connectivity, collaboration and virtual interaction, whenever or wherever employees are situated.
Technology automates time tracking
Mobile solutions and applications are readily available to ensure that the employee can access data, systems, networks and other technical resources in a safe and responsible way.
One of the key points raised on Sangoma.com, is that business leaders would do well to have a plan in place to proactively upgrade hardware or software regularly, so that any issues with these technical resources do not hamper progress or productivity.
The site also has some good advice about outsourcing or bringing in external expertise to ensure that you have a seamless, always-connected, reliable and secure connection between the company and its human resources.
Sangoma.com adds that a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is that anything outside of your expertise or anything that cannot be automated should be outsourced. We believe this is solid advice – stick to your knitting and focus your attention on your core expertise and value proposition.
Partnering with an expert services provider with a proven track record and credible experience will ensure that communication channels remain open and that critical ICT infrastructure and architecture is left to those in the know to ensure uptime and maximum productivity levels.
Online human resources technology lets employees track what they need, which leads to human resources spending less time on manual entry tasks. Technology automates time tracking and paid time off (PTO) calculations, can generate tax forms, create reports and efficiently syncs data across payroll, benefits, and time off systems. This ensures that the business is ahead of trends, on top of opportunities and ready to capitalise on human resource development.
Overall, and as we have learnt from economy and human resource online resources like Forbes and Talentlyft.com, the short-term benefits of reliable, robust human resources and payroll technology is that core systems, processes and procedures can be automated, time and cost factors can be effectively managed, and important aspects like training and performance management can be improved.
Managers can utilise this technology to make better decisions, avoid any human bias and identify and address any bottlenecks.
In a nutshell, by implementing and applying the right technology, a business can strengthen its human resource and payroll management capability… the solutions are out there, it is really a matter of identifying the right solution and service provider for your business.
