Attendance Systems for Your Business
Published: 27/02/2023
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Monitoring your workforce and planning future resource deployment is essential for businesses. That’s why attendance systems are a vital part of your strategy. In this article, we will guide business owners and managers on how to choose the approach most suitable for their needs.
The very concept of attendance tracking is often associated with micromanagement and a lack of trust in employees, indirectly suspecting them of time theft. While there is a grain of truth and it is a means of protecting the business from absenteeism, it’s only a tiny element. In essence, the use of attendance systems is more about improving efficiency by gathering an understanding of your workforce’s availability and its correlation to the results achieved.
That said, there are different ways of tracking attendance and analysing it. This can help you draw various conclusions. It's also important to note that different approaches serve different goals, company structures, and other factors. Overall, attendance systems can be categorised into different types. In this article, we will explore these options and help you determine the best type for your business.
There are two main types of attendance systems: digital and traditional. Each further divides into various subcategories depending on how they are operated. Naturally, digital systems have more subtypes.
While both can be utilised by businesses for similar purposes, one is notably more beneficial than the other. Several differences indicate this, which we will discuss next.
We won’t beat around the bush here. Digital attendance tracking is definitely better than the traditional method. It’s more flexible, offers you more control, and is easier to analyse going forward. However, there are a few larger benefits worth mentioning. We will discuss them separately in more detail.
Traditional attendance tracking methods are very insecure. First of all, they are extremely easy to tamper with. Since they are divided into categories like a book and the analogue system, workers essentially control how their time is recorded. Even without malicious intent, human errors such as being late happen periodically. To avoid trouble, workers might ask colleagues to sign in for them. While, unless systematically abused, this probably won't cause major productivity issues — but it will distort your data. If you catch this happening, the involved parties will lose your trust going forward. Digital solutions are mostly designed with these security flaws in mind.
In addition, while attendance data isn’t the most sensitive information your business collects, it still holds significant importance. Having it stolen or damaged can impact your future forecasts and lead to incorrect workers' compensation claims. Usually, traditional attendance systems only exist as physical copies, with no backup if they are destroyed or stolen. In contrast, most digital types can be easily restored if something goes wrong. This is especially true for cloud-based solutions, which automatically back up your data and store it in secure, easily accessible locations. Additionally, you can review the change log to pinpoint when issues occurred, aiding future investigations.
As we have already briefly discussed, digital attendance tracking methods include various subtypes. While all of these involve the use of technology, their principles and applications differ. For instance, fingerprint or facial recognition clocking in and out represents some of the most advanced solutions available today. These systems recognise the unique data of each worker and are therefore nearly impossible to deceive. Alternatively, there are web-based time tracking solutions, where workers are issued unique login details that can also be linked to specific devices to prevent sharing for buddy punching.
The point we’re trying to make is that although methods within digital time tracking vary greatly, they share some key similarities. Namely, security, the potential for further optimisation, and providing you with full visibility of ongoing activities. Whether you prefer to stick to traditional methods is of course your decision. However, it’s unlikely to be the one you’d choose. Not to say that time-tested methods are ineffective, but why settle for something more cumbersome and less efficient when you have a whole range of innovative, performance-enhancing options?
While having a variety to choose from is beneficial, it also presents some challenges. When faced with many options but lacking expertise in the area, the abundance can lead to confusion. This is a common situation when searching for new software, and it is especially true for the wide range of attendance system types.
The golden rule when choosing any type of software is to remember that you shouldn’t have to optimise your business to make it work. The right tool for you is designed to integrate seamlessly into your existing processes from the start and begin improving them from within. If you need to rearrange how things are done just to accommodate the software you’re adopting, then it’s not the right solution for you. This is especially true for attendance systems, as they will be used by almost everyone in your company.
Although the support level for your back office remains the main criterion, it’s crucial to remember that on-site workers are a very important factor. They are the ones who will be using the attendance system daily, not just a couple of times a month. Ultimately, you must ensure the interface and how your solution operates align with their convenience. In the worst case, they might simply refuse to use it if it makes their lives more complicated. This can lead to various issues such as wasted money, inaccurate data, and dissatisfied workers. When selecting the attendance system, observe the daily routines of everyone who will be using it. Take notes on their working styles, routines, etc. These insights will help you define what the ideal solution for your business looks like.
Another important factor to consider is the location of your workers. Naturally, office staff will be stationed in front of a computer, always working at a computer. But what about the others? For example, if you run a manufacturing business or a construction firm, the main users of the tool won't benefit from it being computer-bound. The best solution might be hardware options like face recognition or fingerprint scan stations. However, if you have hundreds of workers, this could also become costly due to the need to install multiple clock-in/out stations.
One solution we recognise as universal is utilising the era of portable technology. Almost everyone has smart devices, whether phones or tablets. If your teams work across multiple sites, you should choose a tool that operates across different interfaces. This way, every worker will have access to the tool from wherever they are. Some tools feature simplified interfaces to accommodate less tech-savvy users. Others provide geo-location to ensure clocking-in happens at the correct location. In other words, as long as you can ensure all your workers can access the tool freely, you’re all set.
The most important part of employee attendance systems is their ability to generate reports. There's little point in collecting data unless you can analyse and utilise it. The issue is that we live in an era of data overload, making it impossible for humans to sift through it all. That’s why you need software to handle the task.
The best attendance software won’t just clean the data for you but also present it in a clear report within minutes. Naturally, the level of detail, visualisation, and additional automation options will vary between software. Usually, there are two main types of reports. One appears as a dashboard, highlighting key metrics in a visual and easily digestible way. It lacks depth but provides a good general overview of what’s happening. The other type involves programming the software to generate more detailed reports, which delve deeper into the data. These generally take a little longer to process.
In both scenarios, you typically have control over various filters to ensure you only receive the data you need. At Timesheet Portal, we took additional steps by introducing the template system. In brief, our solution already includes over 40 built-in reporting templates that you can use as they are or customise to better suit specific requirements. You can also create your own templates using a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, with no limit to how many you can develop. With these comprehensive reporting tools, Timesheet Portal allows you to have complete visibility of your workforce’s performance.
There are two main types of attendance systems, each further divided into smaller categories. While both are effective, we recommend that companies favour the digital option over the traditional one. It is more secure, easier to implement across various businesses, and offers a more innovative approach to attendance tracking overall.
While the market is large and can be challenging to navigate, it is not impossible to find the ideal solution. All you need to do is understand your business thoroughly and then search for software that integrates seamlessly with your existing processes. Remember that it’s not just your back office that will use the tool, so stay mindful of the needs of the frontline workers. Lastly, keep in mind that a designated tool will not only collect the necessary information but also process and present it for your analysis.
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