Merco consolidates time and attendance requirements

Merco, the Salford-based contract cleaning company, has used SmartTask to consolidate its time and attendance requirements across more than 100 customer sites in North-West England and North Wales.

As a result, the employee scheduling and workforce management software has helped to streamline and automate operational processes – including timesheets, payroll and contract compliance – freeing up 22.5 hours of administration time each month.

Neil Fagleman, Operations Manager at Merco, commented: “We have previously tried a number of time and attendance solutions at different sites, but none have proved particularly effective and this has also meant we have had no consistent system across our operation. SmartTask has enable us to take a coherent approach that provides complete visibility of working times and contract delivery, while making it easy for our cleaning operatives to book on and off of their shifts.”

Merco was using a mix of systems including manual card and fingerprint clocking machines, which required someone to physically visit sites to retrieve data. Having explored the potential for developing a time and attendance system in-house, the company decided to adopt a proven cloud-based solution that could be tailored to its precise needs.

Following a review of the marketplace, Merco selected SmartTask based on its ability to meet all time and attendance requirements, while possessing a host of other functionality that could be considered in the future.

Over 90 cleaning operatives are now using SmartTask – either through a personal smartphone or a designated work smartphone at larger sites – to record the times that they start and end their shifts. This means office-based staff have immediate access to timesheet data, so wages and contract hours can be quickly calculated and verified. This is freeing up considerable time, so the operations and finance teams can focus on other priorities within the business.

Merco’s Audit Manager is also using SmartTask, confirming attendance by scanning a QR code at the customer site and then capturing audit data through an electronic SmartForm. The completed audit results are sent to the appropriate Area Manager, with any supporting images, providing real-time visibility and supporting the company’s switch to a paperless operation. Moving forward, the Area Managers will also have controlled access to SmartTask, so they can better monitor the performance of their individual cleaning teams.

Fagleman added: “SmartTask has made a considerable difference to our cleaning operation – delivering genuine benefits and improvements – so we are looking forward to exploring how we can use other aspects of the software within our business. The team at SmartTask is always available to answer any queries we have and listen to our precise needs, so their support has been second to none.”

Paul Ridden, CEO of SmartTask commented: “Our cloud-based software solution is enabling commercial cleaning businesses to better plan, manage, deliver and report on the services. The flexible nature of SmartTask means it can be tailored to precise requirements and quickly expanded to meet changing circumstances, so fast-growing organisations such as Merco can make best use of resources in the most efficient manner to enhance service quality and customer satisfaction.”