A Uttoxeter-based manufacturer is moving forward with expansion plans after modernising its payroll and HR systems.
Tuffa Tanks, which manufacturers plastic and steel distribution and storage tanks, has become the first industrial company in the UK to tap into a new integrated payroll and HR solution from PayEscape, a human capital management provider.
The company currently employs more than 50 people at its Uttoxeter factory, but it is now looking to further increase its workforce over the next five years as it looks to meet increasing demand for its existing products and the launch of its new product lines.
To help lay the foundations for the scale-up process, Tuffa Tanks worked with PayEscape to replace a combination of HR and paper timesheets with biometrics and software to quickly capture and process all employee data.
By integrating two solutions on one common platform, Tuffa Tanks has reduced the time taken to complete the payroll from nearly four days per month to just half a day, as well as ensuring that information on leave, sickness and workflows is accessible by all management teams.
A raft of operational and financial benefits have been reported.
HR Officer Dan Barber said: “The business has ambitious expansion plans to increase our current £7.4 million annual sales and combined with recent investment in new manufacturing capabilities, should give us the opportunity to push towards £10 million over the next few years.
“This will require more staff and, as we scale, we need to have a time management system fit for purpose.
“We achieved this with new biometrics technology and have since built on this by integrating it with PayEscape’s payroll solution and, more recently, in a HR platform that has revolutionised staff inductions, access to company documentation and communication.”
The amount invested by Tuffa Tanks into the solution has not been disclosed.
Nick Davis, Business Development Manager at PayEscape, said: “The system we have installed for Tuffa is bespoke and fits around the firm’s policies and procedures, eliminating all the manual errors that previously took place and freeing up administrative staff to do other tasks.
“Importantly, our solution allows the company to grow and, regardless of how large they eventually become, it will still easily accommodate anticipated growth.”
Dan added: “Having access to real time accurate data has been a massive bonus for us. It means we can effectively plan production to ramp up for peaks and put in contingency plans for staff holidays and sickness.
“The three solutions all working as one has transformed the HR side of Tuffa Tanks and has given us confidence to press the button on our expansion plans.”
Tuffa has been manufacturing specialist tanks for over 30 years, with products starting from 900 litres and, in rare circumstances, going all the way up to 100,000 litres.
The tanks can store oil, diesel, AdBlue, effluent, chemicals and water and operate in some of the harshest conditions and settings ranging from aviation and construction to domestic and agriculture.
