Background
Since the company’s formation in 1997, 1st Technologies has grown into a leading UK distributor of refurbished IT equipment, specialising in desktop PCs, laptops, servers, and workstations.
From its head office in Preston, Lancashire, it operates with nearly 70 full-time employees and 20,000 square feet of industrial warehousing.
Providing IT refurbishing, IT remarketing and wholesale distribution of ex-corporate and ex-lease IT equipment, 1st Technologies process more than 10,000 orders every month through a variety of trade, retail, and public sector channels.
1st Technologies is an environmentally conscious company, guided by its employee driven values.
What were the challenges?
1st Technologies faced significant challenges in managing its HR operations as the entire HR workflow relied heavily on manual processes, encompassing everything from document management to timesheets. These manual and basic methods posed obstacles to efficiency, accuracy, and overall organisational growth.
“Manual handling of HR documents and timesheets proved to be time-consuming and harder work than needed, so when our head count grew, we knew that these paper-based processes weren’t sustainable long term. We also understood that the valuable hours spent on administrative tasks would be better utilised on impactful and strategic initiatives, and that investing in HR software would help to do this,” says Ben Craig, Managing Director at 1st Technologies.
Why did 1st Technologies select Access PeopleHR over others in the market?
After researching the market, Access PeopleHR stood out to 1st Technologies as the leading HR software of choice. The team recognised that the introduction of Access PeopleHR would result in:
- A significant boost in team productivity and efficiency.
“By automating tasks, we would be able to reduce the administrative burden on the team and streamline operations across the business. We knew this would contribute towards increasing employee value and job satisfaction also,” says Steve Whittingham-Topliss, HR and Compliance Manager at 1st Technologies.
- Improved data accuracy and transparency.
“Access PeopleHR would be able to provide us with one source of truth to foster a culture of trust, precision, and connectivity amongst team members. Improved data accuracy and the reporting functionality within PeopleHR would improve visibility of our people in terms of sickness, absence, and demographics for example,” continues Steve.
- A cost-effective solution to improve HR operations.
“One of the initial discoveries was that PeopleHR offered a cost-effective solution without compromising on functionality. The software's pricing structure proved to be reasonable, aligning well with our budgetary considerations,” says Ben.
- Improve organisational connectivity by providing a cohesive ecosystem.
“The integration capabilities were another standout feature for us. PeopleHR had the ability to seamlessly integrate with our internal systems to reduce data silos and multiple data input,” says Ben.
- A user-friendly, modern-looking mobile app.
The look, feel, and usability of the PeopleHR mobile app was far superior in comparison to other options. The ability for employees to easily clock-in and out from a device was appealing as we knew it would be simpler, easier, and more convenient for employees in comparison to manual methods. It also increases the accuracy in time tracking and timesheet management,” says Steve.
Due to its affordability, combined with mobile access, centralised data, and integration capabilities, 1st Technologies found that Access PeopleHR would optimise and streamline their HR operations. 1st Technologies understood that transitioning to Access PeopleHR could bring about positive changes and help achieve successful business outcomes.
Working with Access PeopleHR to achieve successful business outcomes
Since going live with the cloud-based HR platform in 2014, 1st Technologies has been able to effectively address its challenges with gathering data on tracking time and absences. With Access PeopleHR, employees can now clock-in and out, as well as update their timesheets on a computer or the mobile app from wherever they are.
“The PeopleHR mobile app has brought a revolutionary change in time management for us. It’s eliminated unnecessary complexities and simplified the way that employees can clock-in and out, book holidays, and access their data. With this data recorded centrally, it’s saved the HR team valuable time as the process is now more streamlined,” says Ben.
Access PeopleHR enables employees with flexible options to create tailored timesheets, including the tap-in and tap-out functionality to provide 1st Technologies with visibility of who is onsite as well as when they clocked in.
With employee information and data collected and stored centrally and securely, the HR team can now generate instant, data-driven reports to provide holistic insight of the business and its people. This has eliminated the need for multiple data sources, whilst ensuring accuracy and ease of access to one source of truth for the HR team and team leaders.
“Overall, throughout the years we’ve worked together in partnership, we’ve experienced firsthand the proactive commitment Access has to software development. The Access team regularly implements suggested features from users to ensure Access PeopleHR remains dynamic, innovative, and responsive to our – as well as others’ – evolving business needs, which is why we remain happy with our choice to invest in the HR platform nearly a decade later” concludes Steve.
