Secchi proves value of employee recognition

Launched in 2021, Milwaukee-based Secchi created employee performance-focused software designed for use in an industrial setting.

Co-founders Mike White, president; Rudy Nigl, vice president of operations and business development; and Ken DeBauche, vice president of business development, collaborated to develop a tool to easily track employee data like attendance, disciplinary action, and positive performance recognition.

A year ago, startup Secchi was still refining its platform, confident that better employee recognition could improve workforce outcomes. Today, the team has the data to prove it.

A recent case study conducted by Secchi with a Fortune 500 logistics client showed a 45% drop in unexcused absences and a 69% reduction in disciplinary events after the company began using the SaaS product to increase employee recognition.

The software works by making it easy for supervisors to acknowledge good work in real time, creating a culture where doing the right thing is noticed and reinforced. Over time, the software’s positive behavior reinforcement drives measurable improvements in attendance, quality, safety, and morale.

Now in use at over 50 locations across multiple states, Secchi’s platform has helped employers reduce absenteeism and turnover by up to 60% while boosting frontline productivity by more than 20%.

The software’s AI-driven performance review tool and new one-way messaging system increase its value to frontline managers who need to communicate effectively with employees while keeping documentation centralized and compliant.

Beyond the factory floor, Secchi is also making inroads in education. The company partners with work-based learning programs like Cardinal Manufacturing in Wisconsin’s Eleva-Strum School District, where high school students run a manufacturing business and use Secchi to track performance and soft skills. Students who meet performance benchmarks even participate in profit sharing.

“It’s not just about teaching kids how to weld,” Nigl said. “It’s about teaching them how to show up, communicate, and take ownership of their work.”

Secchi’s founders are focused on scaling next, aiming to bring their software to more industrial sites and educational programs across the region. With clear data backing their claims, the company is well-positioned for growth in an era where every employee counts.

To learn more about Secchi, connect with the company here.