Innovations in technology have made it easier for companies all over the world to perform a wide range of different tasks. In fact, virtually every industry has been impacted in one way or another. As a result, companies have found numerous ways to track and measure all kinds of processes. From tracking an employee’s time on the job to providing a vehicle for contractors to record hours worked, time and attendance software programs and systems are beneficial to both the company and those who perform a wide array of different services.
Consequently, there are many different options that business owners and their representatives can choose from. The type of clocking in option chosen will often depend on the company’s operational needs, the kind of vendors services performed, the budget allocation and the features required. Listed below are some of the options that many companies have to choose from and a brief description of each.
Time and Attendance Software and Web SMS
A mobile generation is one of the increasing trends of today and the technology is being made every day to support it. People can work from virtually anywhere as long as they have some type of connection to the Internet. While some people have access via Internet providers, others may have direct access to a satellite. Whatever the case, those who use the most innovative technologies are no longer tied to the physical office settings to accomplish their job duties and responsibilities.
With all of these changes, however, employers are still concerned about recording the employees work time correctly. Since these employees do not have access to the company’s onsite time clock, many companies are looking for ways to secure the accurate timing without requiring these employees to report in at the beginning of a workday or at the end.
With Web SMS, this concern is mute because employees can send their clock in and clocks out times via text messages. Thereby, allowing employees who work on projects from home to take credit for the hours on a regular basis. This option is great for smaller companies that have limited budgets because no hardware purchases are required to implement this kind of time tracking software system. Instead, the business owner can add this bill to their monthly cell provider’s services. The amount that the business owners spends is normally minimal, especially when they have plans that offer unlimited receipt of text messages.
Clocking Terminals
As stated above, small companies can benefit from using Web SMS because it’s not a very costly time tracking software product to support. While this may be an excellent option for a small company, large companies need a more robust solution to meet their time and attendance tracking needs. One type of clocking in system is a clocking terminal.
In the past, an employee could clock in for another employee and no one would ever know it. Although this was an immediate termination offense in many companies, some employees made a practice of clocking in for others on a regular basis. As a result, the company could be cheated out of hundreds to thousands of dollars each year for employees who were not on the job when required.
With clocking terminals, these concerns are no longer an issue since some companies require employees to place their fingers on top of the biometric scanner at the work site. By using the fingerprint to identify the employee at clock in, no other individual can perpetuate the unethical practices of the past. While these features may be coveted by many business owners, the cost of these systems are higher than Web SMS since specific hardware is required to deploy it on a large scale.
PC based vs. Landline Clocking
When a business owner and their representatives choose a specific time and attendance software product, they may find that one size does not fit all. Every company can benefit from these accurate systems but the complexity of each system will vary. Subsequently, the midsized companies can also benefit from a more complex solution. The midsized company owner and their representatives should shop around for the best one that fits their operations. For instance, the company may want to look at PC-based clocking or landline clocking as a viable solution. Both time and attendance products should be reviewed and evaluated closely prior implementation.
PC based clocking is a great option for midsized companies that have limited funds because the technician does not have to install the software on every PC. Instead, employees can use their personal computers to clock in and out via projects, tasks and cost centers. After the information has been entered, the information can be reviewed real-time by the employees’ supervisors and upper level management. This solution is ideal for all kinds of situations including employees who share one terminal.
The land-line clocking time and attendance software option is also a viable solution for the midsized company. The employee’s time is tracked via the phone versus the personal computer. This method is simple to use because it does not require additional equipment to set it up.
Even though PC based clocking and land-line clocking can be used for the midsize company, these options are not confined to the midsized company’s only. In fact, any company can take advantage of these solutions because it also caters to the mobile generation. For instance, employees who work from home can use the land-line clocking systems to keep track of their time. With this kind of system, the company can reduce a wide variety of different time keeping errors, while also eliminating the antiquated log-in sheets and voicemails.
Today’s technological advances are making it easier for companies and employees to keep track of their employee and vendor work hours. These software tracking programs are replacing the old manual antiquated procedures with more innovative solutions. Business owners and their representatives can review all of the time tracking software products on the market today prior to making a decision. Once the company has made their selection, they can expect to see an increase in accuracy and a reduction in manual processing hours.
