Nowadays tracking when employees start and end their workdays is easy, thanks to the various digital time and attendance systems that are available on the market.
These attendance systems give businesses everything they need to manage all aspects of their workers’ time.
It is important to keep track not only of when your employees come and go, but how many hours they work, their time-off requests, etc.
There are many types of time and attendance systems. No idea which one to choose? Keep reading to find out.
How to Choose an Attendance System
As mentioned, there are many types of attendance systems to choose from. To get the most out of an attendance app, make sure it has the following features:
- 24/7 access
- Personalization
- Familiar web-type interface
- Capability to combine external content
- All the information your business requires
Choose an attendance system that offers instant access to information, anywhere, anytime through your mobile. Any system that cannot incorporate mobile features will not meet your needs and expectations. The most common attendance app features include:
- Check-in and check-out
- Answer to employee requests immediately via an online leave management system
- Submit/accept time-off requests
- Access common applications using a smartphone
- Use your smartphone GPS to track locations
- Store all information on the cloud
The last feature is important. No matter how big or small your business is, you should be able to get a cloud option for your staff.
Benefits of Having an Attendance System
The first and the biggest benefit of having a digital attendance system is that you no longer need a punch card attendance machine.
All attendance records are stored electronically, with every calculation made for you. Having everything done for you smartly minimizes chances of making a mistake and allows the person in charge to focus on more important tasks.
Moreover, these systems help you better manage and utilize your time, employee attendance, PTO, and scheduling all in one app.
By having all the information safely stored in one system, you save money, increase productivity and reduce wasted time as you won’t need to toggle between different programs to look at your employee’s attendance.
Many time and attendance systems offer a free online leave management system. This is a great benefit as it automates every step of the employee leave management process without compromising on functionality.
The difference between on-premise leave management tools and online leave management systems is that it gives employees the freedom to apply, approve, reject, and manage leave requests from any place, any time, and on any device.
Different Types of Time and Attendance Systems
1. Time Card
Let’s begin with the least expensive system, time card. Employees receive a time card that they swipe on a machine.
Every time the card is swiped, it collects data that is automatically transferred to a timesheet on the computer, eliminating all the manual paperwork. The problem with this system is that anyone can swipe the card.
2. Proximity Cards, Badges, and Key Fobs
These systems completely remove the need for swiping. With these types of attendance systems, the employee only passes the proximity card, badge or key fob in front of the reader.
Some of these systems can also keep track of employee movements throughout a facility.
3. Biometric
Biometric is the most expensive system as each employee is identified via a unique fingerprint or handprint. Biometric systems can also use eye-scanning or facial recognition software.
4. Web-based Login Stations
This attendance system is widely used for businesses where employees work mostly from laptops or personal computers. A static IP address is set up every time employees log in to their computers.
5. Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
This attendance system is perfect for employees working in the field or at remote locations. Employees just clock in by calling in over a landline or cell phone.
The Bottom Line
Time and attendance systems are used by many companies to track the working hours of their employees. These systems collect data from clocking devices or a software program available through computers or mobile phones.
In today’s digital world, manual paperwork is becoming obsolete. Digital solutions are the way to go as they help companies and individuals increase productivity and save time and money.
More and more smart employers are adopting them, are you ready to kick-start?
Cheers!
