In today’s competitive world every minute counts...

It is important for a company to have a time and attendance solution to keep them competitive for the future. The Lathem Time Company has been providing those solutions for over 80 years. There are already over a million companies around the world benefiting by using these time clock systems. There are many benefits when implementing an automatic time and attendance system, which make it well worth the investment.

According to the American Payroll Association a company can save up to 10% of their annual payroll cost by automating time and attendance tracking. In the past, manual preparation consisted of the employee punching into a time clock or filling out a time sheet. The problems here are obvious. Also, the person doing the calculation is only human and will occasionally make a mistake. Correcting those mistakes can make this process take even longer.

A study done by The Lathem Time Company proves that an automated time and attendance system reduces payroll preparation time by up to 80%. All the employee has to do is punch in or out each day using a variety of methods, including a Time Clock Terminal (PC400TX), a Facial Recognition Terminal (FR700), Employee or even on individual PCs connected to a network. Employees can also

• Enter tips
• View hours worke
• Transfer from one department to another with the ease of a few keystrokes using a Terminal or PC.
• Receive custom text messages from the Payroll Department, which display on the screen of the device when they punch in/out.

The Payclock Pro can also be used in conjunction with an automatic door lock to allow access into a building. It is a complete Employee Management Solution!

The employee activity and punch history is pulled into the software. The software will do all the calculations, which improves accuracy. This also eliminates data entry and the software will apply all payroll rules consistently. Applying and enforcing company policy consistency is now possible by implementing an automatic time and attendance system.

There are many key features to the Payclock system.

It can maintain from 25-1,000 employee capacity. Each employee can be tracked in ten different departments with pay differentials. Levels can be broken down by divisions, departments or jobs. Holiday, vacation, sick days and personal time off can also be tracked individually or globally. All of the employee’s personal information including home address, phone number, SSN and emergency contact information is stored in an Employee Master. An employee photo can be added to the Employee Master and there is even a custom field for Employee Performance Review Notes.

The Payclock software offers a wide variety of reports. Some examples of these reports are management reports, payroll reports and attendance reports. These reports create an environment where the employees are more productive and the decision makers are more informed. Managers now have access to information never before available allowing them to oversee the workforce and forecast and prepare budgets with ease and accuracy. The employee also has limited access to their records, which will aid in communication. This information can be exported to a monitor, printed, emailed or transferred into another software program.

The software comes standard with many popular payroll interfaces. Some of these include Paychex, Paylink, ADP and Quick Books Pro. The Lathem Time Company also offers custom Payroll/Accounting software interfaces. Interfacing with a Payroll Service or Software puts the final touches on your payroll by deducting taxes and other things such as child support. These systems virtually handle any payroll application.

There are many reputable companies already using this system worldwide. Alliance Parts Warehouse, McDonald’s restaurants, The Goodyear Tire Company, and even the Tennessee Titans are a few of the companies benefiting from this system. The number of users of these systems is rapidly growing. In order to keep up with the demand Lathem is constantly developing new versions of the software. The end user can feel confident because support packages are available on the software and hardware.

In conclusion, time and attendance automation provides benefits such as reducing payroll costs, increasing revenue and freeing up a managers time to focus on more important company issues. Therefore, by implementing this system a company can take full advantage of the key features and revolutionalize the way payroll is processed. By doing so your company will be able to saving time and money. Stop counting minutes and start counting that money by calling us today for a free demonstration (501) 833-8150.

Background:

Prices for most Postal Service mailing services will change on January 22, 2012. Mailing services includes First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services and Extra Services. Prices for shipping services will also change on January 22. We will provide customers the new shipping services prices later this fall.

While actual percentage price increases for various products and services varies, the overall average price increase across all mailing services is capped by law at 2.1 percent, the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

First-Class Mail Highlights:

• Letters (1 oz.) – 1-cent increase to 45 cents. This is the first increase in the price of a First-Class Mail stamp since May 2009.
• Single-piece letters additional ounce rate – unchanged at 20 cents.
• Postcards – 3-cent increase to 32 cents
• Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.) – 5-cent increase to 85 cents
• Letters to other international destinations – 7-cent increase to $1.05
• The second ounce will be free for First-Class Mail Presort pieces weighing between one and two ounces.

Additional Price Adjustment Highlights:

• The price increase for Standard Mail Letters is slightly below the overall average at less than 1.9 percent
• A new 3-month pricing option will be available to rent PO Boxes for people on the move and others that need a PO Box for a shorter time period.
• Delivery Confirmation will be free for several parcel products as the Postal Service continues to make tracking an integral component of parcels mailed at commercial rates.

Percentage of Price Change By Class of Mail:

*With the exception of Delivery Confirmation and Confirm, most Extra Services prices increase at about 2.1 %. Adding Delivery Confirmation and Confirm services as included services for some parcels results in the overall price reduction for Extra Services.

Role of the Postal Regulatory Commission

The new prices were filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission on Oct. 18, 2011. The Commission has 45 days to review the prices to verify they comply with the overall 2.1 percent price cap for each class of mail. The new prices will go into effect on Jan. 22, 2012.

If you have any questions about price changes for postage, call or email us anytime. Also see more information about postage meters or other mailroom equipment.

The key to success is organization and time management! One of the most time consuming things for many businesses is document preparation and processing (DPP), which is a vital part of any business. Once an idea is conceived it is put in motion to be created and distributed. Making sure that your mail piece gets noticed and is sent to the right person is extremely important. That is why we offer a full line of color digital copiers/printers with various speeds and features that allow you to target your audience and get their attention with vibrant color. 

There are several more steps to this process and anyone who has manually prepared invoices, brochures and other documentation knows how tedious a task it can be. Folding/Inserting equipment can automate a very time-consuming part of this process, by providing an efficient and cost effective way to prepare materials for mailing. By adding a postage meter mailing system you also eliminate trips to the post office and the inconvenience and time it takes to manually process your outgoing statements, billing, marketing pieces and other documentation.

Grouping all of these devices together to streamline document workflow provides a true DPP Solution. We specialize in these solutions and offer options to meet both ongoing complex mailroom DPP needs and even simple small business DPP needs. A DPP Solution can allow an organization to get more exposure and take advantage of postage discounts through various methods of presorting and digital USPS services. Let us show you and your organization how to become more efficient and profitable by implementing a DPP Solution. Call us today to learn more (501) 833-8150.

Before you sign another agreement with your vendor…You do have a choice when it comes to your mailing equipment.

In business todeay, smooth mail center operations must be a given. As an innovative mailstream solutions provider, FP Mailing Solutions offers a full range of mail center products and services designed to create seamless mailing systems.

FP Mailing Solutions is the fastest-growing postage meter company in the U.S., known for exceptional engineered mailroom equipment and competitive pricing.

Shiver me timbers! Although we may occasionally call to make you aware of promotions or other special products, “Toner Pirates” will attempt to attack the most vulnerable people. They use slick pressure tactics to sell you inferior merchandise at extremely inflated prices. These products can cause serious damage to your equipment and void your manufactures warranty. Do not be a victim!

 Here are some tips to help keep these thieves out of your pockets..

1. Know your vendor. Toner Pirates typically operate under generic sounding names like “Office Supply Company” or “Toner Supply Center”. If it is not Central Business Equipment, Inc. then just hang up.

2. Ask for a name and phone number and suggest you’ll call back. Toner Pirates rarely give out this information and often it turns out to be phony when they do. Ask the caller for specifics. 
 
3. Never give anyone other than us specific details about you equipment, such as model, serial number and or meter readings. This is how Toner Pirates set you up for the next call.

4. If you do erroneously accept one of these packages, send it back. Believe it or not, pricing is as much as ten times greater than what we sell the genuine item for.

In most cases your copier toner is already included in your service agreement. The bottom line is to just be smart. You can not trust everyone, so defend your ship! 

Call us anytime if have questions (501) 833-8150.

"Beware of Toner Pirates... Argh!"

 

Have you ever felt like her? If so, you are not alone. Let's face it, paperwork is a pain. Scanning documents for easy access and safe keeping is absolutely essential in business today. To keep it simple there are two general file formats in which documents can be scanned. One is called a tif image and the other is called Adobe Acrobat pdf.

A tif file is a picture similar to those created with a digital camera. In order to open or view the file, a picture-editing program must be open such as Kodak Imaging or Photoshop. This type of file is limited to its abilities. For example, you cannot search for words with a tif file nor can you easily delete pages.

A pdf file is a file that can be opened by using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Reader is a widely distributed free program from Adobe. It is the most popular type of document distribution format. With a pdf file, users have the ability to perform word searches and edit pages. Many companies now distribute all of their internal documents in pdf format.

Digital copy machines offer a wide variety of scanning methods. To use these new methods and abilities it is most important to understand them.

Scan to Email: On a network machine it is now possible to simply place documents in the automatic feeder, type in the email address and have those documents sent to an email recipient anywhere in the world. Documents may be sent in tif or pdf format.

Scan to Hard Drive: With an optional external hard drive installed, users have the ability to scan documents and store them on the machine for later output. This does not require the machine to be on the network since the documents are stored on the hard drive in the copier itself.

Scan to Network: Users are able to scan hard copy documents and have them retrieved from anywhere on the network. This requires the machine to be installed with a print controller and connected to the network. With this feature, documents can also be sent in tif or pdf format. Each user may have their own unique mailbox and have those scanned documents automatically retrieved to their own computer. This is known as "pulled" from the copies print controller.

Scan to FTP: If there is an FTP (file transfer protocol) server running on the network, users may send documents directly to folders on the local area network or across the world. Users may enter the address of the FTP server along with the specific destination folder and have the documents go straight to that destination. This is called “push” scanning since documents are “pushed” from the copier to their destination.

Save a tree, time and money. Call us today for more information on this subject or for a free demonstration (501) 833-8150.

Central Business Equipment offers a full line of laser cartridges covering all major manufacturers and printer models including MICR and color.

• Significant cost savings compared to the OEM
• 100% satisfaction no risk one-year guarantee from date of purchase
• ISO 9001:2008 Certifi ed, STMC Qualified ensures OEM equivalent performance
• Multiple distribution centers for 1-3 day delivery nationally
• Made in the USA and Canada

We also provide environmentally friendly AgriTone Toner Cartridges that use more bio-based inks.

Central Business Equipment replacement cartridges are an economical alternative to brand new toner cartridges. With the recent increases in prices on OEM supplies, high-quality aftermarket cartridges are a viable alternative.  We do no sacrifice quality or delivery, and always gurarantee discounted prices. All of our replacment cartridges are made in the USA and Canada while a majority of other replacement toner cartridges are manufactured overseas.

We understand the importance of producing a quality product at a low price. This objective is ensured through our rigorous forms of research and testing. Every replacement cartridge is tested prior to leaving the facilities, which results in outstanding quality. We ensure all replacement cartridges are manufactured in accordance with ISO 9001:2000 certification standards. Quality Assurance is established by following these standards and procedures, along with continuous inspection throughout all phases of production. The results are exceptional quality on our entire line of copiers and printers. We are consistently evaluating the OEM and other competitor’s cartridges to benchmark our quality.

Not Recommended by Central Business Equipment

“Drill and Fill” Toner Cartridges

A hole is drilled into the side of the empty cartridge and is then filled with toner and sealed. Central Business Equipment does not sell “Drill and Fill” cartridges as we cannot guarantee the performance or quality of these products. The toner from “Drill and Fill” cartridges is likely to leak and can cause significant damage to the printer.

Our product is produced in an ISO 9001:2008 certified facility, committed to manufacturing and supplying products that minimize environmental damage and provide a clear and positive environmental alternative.

Continuous improvements to our quality management system have been made to ensure environment issues are a top priority in our day to day operations. Innovation and creativity have been used in order to reduce energy requirements throughout our daily operations. Our company remains committed to reducing the energy our facility consumes year after year.

Over the past few years, we have been working diligently to reduce the amount of packaging required to ship product. The internal packaging we now use is made up of recycled paper and plastics. This packaging will not contribute to the evolution of methane gas or leach into the water table. The changes we have implemented in our packaging have enabled us to significantly reduce the use of excess material and waste.

We are currently working with the manufacturer of our internal packaging to set up a recycling program that will further assist in diminishing the environmental impact of our products and packaging.

What You Can Do to Help

• Work with us to ensure that your toner cartridges are reclaimed and handled responsibly
• All aluminum drums and the cardboard packaging collected will be disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner
• Learn how you can earn revenue from the recycling of your OEM cartridges

The USPS® recently announced the approval of a new rate increase effective January 2, 2010.

Details of this rate change include:

• Only “Shipping” mail classes will be increased:
• Priority Mail® - 3.3% average increase (From $4.90)
• Express Mail®
• Global Express Guaranteed®
• Parcel Select®
• Parcel Return Service
• Priority Mail® and Express Mail® International

First-Class Mail® is not increasing with this rate change.

The USPS® has announced there will not be a First-Class Mail® rate change in May 2010. If you need assistance in loading the new rates into your postal scale or mailing system please call our office at (501) 833-8150.

Pricing information for this rate change can be found @ http://pe.usps.com/prices/index.htm