The invention of the mechanical clock made this a little easier. Then traditional hole-punch clocking-in cards took things a stage further. But modern time and attendance software takes things to an entirely new level. Packed with features designed to save time and resources, they’ve revolutionised the way the modern workforce runs. If employed wisely, they allow for unprecedented advantages for employers – and employees, too. Let’s consider some of those advantages.
Provide employees with structure
Clocking in is a good habit to get into. After a few days on the system, employees know exactly when they must show up, and when they’re allowed to go home. The potential for miscommunication is hugely reduced, and the entire workforce will be happier as a result. No longer will anyone be able to protest that they were on time when an easily-accessible audit trail can easily prove otherwise. But by the sake token, good timekeepers will have the reassurance of knowing that their behaviour has been noted!
Provides employers with attendance information
An electronic time and attendance system collects reams of data about an organisation’s timekeeping practices. Through it, employers can learn exactly when employees are late or absent, and they’ll know the extent of the problem, too. When employees are going to be absent, they can record their holidays on a unified system, so that management can plan around. Some employers may want proactive alerts that’ll notify them whenever employees have forgotten to clock out, straying into overtime or getting close to exceeding working hours regulations –allowing employers to take corrective action quickly.
Eliminates time fraud
While an old-style clocking in card could be filled in and punched by just about anyone, a modern biometric time and attendance system requires that a specific worker be there to present a thumb or fingerprint, authenticating the record with their unique biometrics. Thus, you can be sure that when the system says that a worker was present, they really were!
Eliminates guesswork
Much of the misreporting that goes hand-in-hand with traditional attendance systems is not a result of malice, but of simple unconscious bias. We’re all, after all, far more willing to round up if we’re asked to guess how many hours we’ve worked in a given day! The precise clock-in times recorded by a digital system eliminates this problem.
Simplicity for employees
Another advantage of a biometric time and attendance system is that employees don’t need to spend time filling in forms, or remembering to bring a special key-card with them everywhere they go. This means less time spent by HR managers correcting mistakes.
Can be accessed remotely
Workforces are becoming ever increasingly mobile. Just because you’re out of the office needn’t mean that you aren’t keeping up-to-date with your employees. Mobile alerts in the palm of your hand allow you to oversee the entire organisation, wherever in the world you are. This will allow you to act quickly to correct errors, even if you’re out of the office.
And the remote functionality of time and attendance software isn’t just restricted to employers. Remote workers can also use a web-based clocking in system to clock in remotely.
Improved reporting
We’ve already touched upon the wealth of information enjoyed by employers armed with an employee timekeeping systems. But all of this data is worthless if it isn’t presented in a way that’s easy to understand and act upon. Our time and attendance software allows management to see attendance issues at a glance using an intuitive, colour-coded interface. You’ll get reports generated in your format-of-choice, whether it be .pdf, .csv or .txt.
Lightens administrative workload
An attendance system eliminates the need for manual clocking-in cards. There’s no need to spend hours poring over figures; the data is collated automatically. The elimination of this menial work will allow your business to streamline, and your employees and managers to focus on the creative, fulfilling work to which they’re suited.
Avoid costly payroll errors
Another consequence of this automation is that human errors have less opportunity to slip in. The time and attendance system integrates seamlessly with payroll systems, so that you’ll have a more accurate picture of your overall costs, and you’ll spend less time identifying and correcting payroll errors.
Ensures Regulatory Compliance
Your organisation may have to adhere to industry regulations or some compliance rules that are bespoke to your business and ensure working rules regulations are met. A good time and attendance system should be able to tailored to your requirements creating flags against any compliance issues before your organisations falls foul of them.
If you’re mulling over whether to make the transition to an integrated, modern time and attendance system, then why not book a demo with us? They’re easily arranged, and suit businesses of all sizes – from an office environment to multinational organisations. What’s more, they’ll capably illustrate all of the advantages we’ve discussed here!
