Month: January 2011

Bacs enables accounts departments to run more efficiently

Bacs payments have been around for a long time and bacs software has become a key part of the process of transferring money between accounts. Bacs stands for Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services, although this full name is little used now. The acronym, like the Bacs process, is a lot more convenient. The Bankers’ Automated Clearing Service was conceived and developed in the United Kingdom in the late 1960s by a man called Denis Gladwell. Since then it has proved extremely popular as a method of making payments and managing accounts both with commercial organisations and with the wider public.

One of the main boons of using Bacs is that there is a lot less paper to worry about and to keep track of when you are attempting to transfer money between bank accounts. It is efficient and straightforward. These attributes have made it a tremendously convenient means of settling invoices, paying salaries and paying the other sundry expenses that are a normal part of business life. It has also very much reduced the need to store large sums of cash to meet future expenses claims and has also greatly reduced the amount of time that a firm’s staff have to spend tracking down and storing the paper documents necessary to carry-out their transactions at the bank. This makes for a much happier and more productive workforce, because people are able to get on with other more interesting tasks to develop and improve the business.

Nowadays, many people in accounts departments make relatively few trips to banks and the same is increasingly true for individual customers. A substantial proportion of banking these days is done online. Using your knowledge of key details of your account (such as the account number and the sort code) and remembering passwords and security information enables people to conduct their banking business over the internet. This means that they are able to access their account information twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week from the comfort of their favourite armchair in their living room if they so wish. This means that bacs payments can now be planned and arranged much more easily. It should, however, be remembered that the bacs system does not make payments instantly, but normally takes three working days.

Bacs payments were an excellent invention and bacs software enables these transactions to be processed smoothly and securely. Bacs may one day be superseded by another invention, but members of accounts and finance departments will always be grateful to Denis Gladwell.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Using CIS payroll to make payments easier

Working as a contractor can be tough at times.  Some contractors who work like this find that the busy schedule of a contractor leaves little time to handle the administrative tasks that come with it.  If this sounds like you, singing up with a contractor umbrella may be the best option for you, giving you security and the peace of mind of knowing that your payments are in order.  In addition, you may want to consider a cis payroll service, which enables you to receive your payments in the easiest way possible.  Payroll services like these are ideal because they are specifically used by established contractors, sub-contractors, sole traders and partnerships.

What is usually referred to as CIS stands simply for the Construction Industry Scheme.  It generally applies to contractors and subcontractors who are in mainstream construction work.  Essentially what happens is, under the scheme a separate company takes on the role of the contractor by fulfilling all the administrative tasks associated with the job.  HM Revenue and Customs designed the scheme, and those who wish to sign up will need to first visit the HM Revenue and Customs website in order to be given a Unique Taxpayer Reference Number, without which you cannot participate in the scheme. There is no long term commitment involved in signing up; while some contractors need a contractor umbrella for a few weeks, others will use their services for a number of years.

Once you have your Unique Taxpayer Reference number, you will be identifiable on the revenue and customs system.  The next steps are to send the number, as well as your name and National Insurance number, to the company you want to register with.  The tax rate on those with a UTR is 20%, but 30% for those without it.  Finding work and sorting out rates is still up to the individual contractor, as is the end-of-year expenses list.  By filling in a list at the end of the year of all the expenses incurred throughout the year, you can offset these against your tax rate.

Those working in the construction industry may wish to register with a contractor umbrella for a number of reasons.  For many, the simple time-saving element of being on the cis payroll makes it worth signing up. If you don’t have to go through paperwork to make sure you get paid, you might be able to fit in a trip to the playground with the children, or another pint at the pub.  Payroll services are there for you to make the most of – it’s up to you to go ahead and do it.

Please visit http://www.liquidfriday.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Document processing can increase your staffs morale

There are a great number of systems that are used for running a successful office and they will vary according to the size and nature of the firm. One of the main organisational facilities which all offices must have, however, is a system that allows rapid and simple document management. This can include document processing and invoice processing and a lot of other systems can be added to increase the efficiency with which the office staff work and to cut-down the incidence of annoying human errors that are inescapable in any firm. However many systems an office manager decides to implement within the business the main facility which is needed is document management – this is what much of running an office boils down to.

Nowadays, the filing and managing of documents regularly all takes place on a computer. This way of working has numerous advantages. Not only can different members of staff access shared documents and spreadsheets, but it is now also standard practice for staff to remotely access their work computer and continue to work on important documents despite being away from their desk, perhaps while travelling, or perhaps looking after a sick child or infant at home. When members of staff are able to store and edit documents jointly it increases the efficiency with which they are able to work and to collaborate. This in turn has a very positive effect on team morale within the office.

One of the greatest advantages of using a computer system to manage your documents is that files can be searched for individually, for example, by date, by title, by author, or by keyword. This again speeds up the working process and allows employees to make better use of their time for the benefit of the business. It also means that the wrong (perhaps outdated) file is less likely to be used at critical points in the business cycle because a properly organised system for managing documents can easily be used to replace documents and files as and when they are superseded.

There are many advantages to a document management system, from more efficient document processing to more accurate invoice processing. It can even help to reduce the carbon footprint of your business. In the current climate, when office space is at a premium and office overheads are high, using a computer-based system to manage and process documents makes a lot of sense. It is no wonder that they are increasingly popular across a wide range of businesses.

Please visit http://www.bottomline.co.uk/ for further information about this topic.

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Social worker jobs: a brief job description

Those employed in social work jobs work with people who have been socially excluded, or coping with a crisis in their lives.  Rather than providing long term support, social services jobs are designed to enable service users to help themselves.  They would typically act as guides, advocates or critical friends in order to achieve this aim.  Those who are thinking about social worker jobs will need strong social skills, but also the ability to remain unbiased and keep an open mind in difficult situations.

Social workers may be required to be involved in a variety of settings, depending on the needs of individual service users.  Typical places might be the service user’s home, schools, hospitals, and other public sector organisations.  Social workers need to be able to work independently but should not expect to be unsupported.  Once qualified, social work professionals are generally supported by social work assistants.  Health and social care staff are also likely to work closely with those in social worker jobs.  Recent government health legislation focusing on the integration of these sectors means that professionals in these sectors often work in multidisciplinary teams.

The majority of social work jobs will involve working with young people and their families, so a willingness to help this group is important in this sector.  Social workers may also work with young offenders, those with mental health conditions, school non-attenders, drug and alcohol abusers, people with learning and physical disabilities, and the elderly.

Tasks can vary widely, from practical one-to-one help to looking after the wider organisation of the lives of vulnerable people.  As with many jobs, paperwork is a necessity in social services jobs.  Social workers will have to spend a sizeable amount of time undertaking and writing up assessments, often together with with medical and other professionals.  A lot of their time will be spent conducting interviews with service users and their families, to ensure they keep on top of their situation.  This will often lead to a need for social workers offering information and counselling support.  There is an active decision making element to social work jobs, in that social workers organise and manage packages of support to enable service users to lead the fullest lives possible.  Liaising with other agencies is an important part of the job, and recommendations will sometimes have to be made.  social worker jobs also demand that professionals keen accurate records of their work, and are sometimes called upon to give evidence in court.

Please visit http://www.sanctuarypersonnel.com/ for further information about this topic.

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