Biometric time clock systems are the height of modern technology. They allow your employees to clock in for their work days with only a fingerprint. No punch card or swipe card is necessary. Many employers, as well as employees, see these new systems as somewhat intimidating. That isn’t the case at all, as this article will attest.
Employee Fingerprints Really Aren’t Stored in the Machine
It’s easy to believe that a biometric time clock system complete with a fingerprint scanner is the same thing as having your prints on file with your local police department. This isn’t the case at all. Once an employee scans in their fingerprint, it’s turned into a string of numbers. The next time that fingerprint is scanned, the computer algorithms recognise it and clock that person in. It’s impossible for a hacker to pull that fingerprint off of the machine and use it for other purposes.
Biometrics Aren’t Only Used For Time Clock Purposes
Some businesses, no matter their size, need to keep track of hours for various reasons. If your company needs to track time spent on particular projects, a biometric fingerprint system is an easy way to do so. All that you’d need is a biometric reader located at each computer or work terminal. The employee scans their fingerprint before they begin working on a project, and then scans it again when they are done. The system will track those hours for you, which can easily be colour-coded in your system. If you need to bill your clients hourly, then this is an easy way to track time spent.
The Environment that Your Time Clock Is Located In Doesn’t Matter
Although keeping a computer-like biometric time clock system in a cold, damp place sounds like the makings of a disaster, fingerprint scanners can actually withstand many different environments. This means that no matter what type of business you have, these systems can work for you.
A biometric fingerprint reader can work in:
- Areas prone to dampness or moisture
- Warehouses and factories where topical contaminants may be found
- Locations under bright ambient lighting conditions
- And more
These systems are actually quite resilient!
Biometric Fingerprint Scanners Protect Your Workspace
If you have an area of your company that needs to be secure, then you can use a biometric scanner to limit access to it. Employees that are allowed to enter just place their index fingers in the reader, which unlocks the door. This also provides you with a way to see just which employees are entering that room, should something happen. It doesn’t mean that you mistrust your workers, just that certain areas contain sensitive material.
Prevent Timecard Mistakes
Timecard incidents happen frequently by accident when employers use a swipe card timeclock system. Employees may think that their first swipe didn’t go through, so they put their cards through again, clocking themselves. This doesn’t happen with a biometric time clock system, since the fingerprint is read correctly the first time, making it clear that the person is clocked in. It also keeps other employees from clocking in on behalf of their co-workers. Biometric systems have many advantages over manual clocking systems.
This occurs more than you’d think, as friendly co-workers try to help each other out. Fingerprint systems don’t allow that sort of thing to happen.
Not everyone in the Company needs to be Biometrically Scanned
Although biometric timecards save you the headache of dealing with swipe systems, standard timeclocks, and other means of tracking employee hours, you don’t need to use the system for everyone. For example, if you own a factory, you can use biometrics for the people on the factory floor, and another system for the workers in the office, or vice versa. There are many ways to customise one of these systems for your needs.
Biometric Systems are Easy to Set Up
Just the idea of a biometric system sounds difficult. You have to have the system installed and the software set up. Then, you’ll have to round up employees, scan their index fingers, and enter them into the computer, and so on. Actually, this is simpler than it sounds.
The software for these systems can be easy to use, and the scanning interface is very intuitive. Adding employees only takes a few minutes. Once the system is up and running, you’ll be amazed at how well everything flows. The time saved it worth it.
As you can see, biometric timekeeping systems aren’t something that will appear later in the future – they are already here. The system will save you time since they track your employee’s hours and input them into a database, all with the scan of a single finger.
You can use these systems for much more than simple wage tracking, making them pay for themselves within a short period of time.
