Time is money - we have all heard this phrase.
But, in the business world, this phrase is a key principle. If you want to fulfill goals and level up your game, it’s important for your employees to be at work timely. This ensures a smooth work process where all projects are complete, reports are finished, and clients are satisfied.
So, the time spent working basically determines whether you get to fulfill the glorious boss-life dream or not.
Of course - the simplest solution here is to hire highly-efficient, punctual staff. But, let’s face it.
No matter how efficient your workforce is, there remains a huge variation in attendance. Some employees arrive way too early, some way too late. And, some only send you an apology letter for not being able to make it!
How will you ever achieve attendance consistency? Well, they call you boss for a reason!
While it is near-impossible to hire a team that is always on time, you can take an amazing measure to reduce the impact on your business. Just install a biometric attendance system!
Yes, we know the thoughts popping up in your mind. What is a biometric attendance system? How does it work?Why the hell should I install it?!
Don’t worry because we’ve you covered. In this article, we will discuss:
- What is a Biometric Attendance System?
- It's features
- How does it work?
- Why should you install it?
- And one more tip (let's keep it a secret for now!)
So, without further ado, read more!
What is a Biometric Attendance System?
The term biometric means the measurement and calculation of human characteristics to verify identity. These can be both physical and behavioral. For example, we can do biometrics of both eyes and gait (the way a person walks) to verify someone.
When talking about a biometric attendance system, we refer to a machine and software that works collectively to record attendance through biometrics. The most common human features used for identification include fingerprint, face recognition, and voice patterns. However, some may also use hand size and iris-checking.
The main purpose is to help keep a track of entry and exit times. So, it doesn’t matter whether you own a school, hospital, or corporate firm. If there are people who need time monitoring, a biometric attendance system can work wonders for you!
Since the biometrics remain unique to every individual, the stored data is not shareable or hackable. No employee can record the entry and exit time on behalf of others. It ensures a clear, transparent time tracking process.
You can install the biometric machine at the office reception and make it mandatory for all workers to go through it when entering or leaving. The data recorded by the machine will get saved in the software that you can use to separate late-comers from punctual employees at the end of the month.
Features of a Biometric System
All biometric attendance systems are different. It greatly depends on the brand you choose. However, to help you get started, we have listed the common features of a biometric system.
- Storage Space: the bulks of information collected by a biometric machine needs some place to be saved. Typically, the system will include dedicated software.
- Connectivity: most biometric attendance systems are WiFi compatible for data transfer between machine and software. But, some may also come with USB compatibility for storage backup.
- Identification Time: the device itself must take less time in biometric registration. Most machines take 2 to 3-seconds, though high-end options require only a fraction of a second.
- Software Integration: apart from the dedicated time-tracking software, a biometric machine can connect to other programs. For example, you can link it with a payroll system to make payments smooth and accurate.
How Does the Biometric Attendance System Work?
As mentioned, all biometric attendance systems use different characteristics to identify individuals and record time. So, the mechanism is also different. For your understanding, let's take a fingerprint biometric system and assess its working.
Like all other systems, this one also has a separate machine and software. The machine must get physically installed somewhere everyone can access it easily. Meanwhile, the integrated software gets downloaded on any gadget of your preference.
The machine has a red scanning region. When an employee places his finger on that area, the machine becomes activated and takes a scan. The scan is then mapped out on different coordinates within the device.
A graph is made using the coordinates and stored in the software. This is called the registration process, where the system is recording your identity data.
After this, every time the employee will use the scanner, the machine will use the stored information to match the graphs. It will only record the time if the graphs are the same.
Why Should You Use a Biometric Attendance System?
Perhaps, one thing is clear by now - the biometric attendance system makes life a lot easier. It removes the manual effort involved in tracking the employee clock-in and clock-out time. The system does everything!
Here are some other reasons why you should consider installing it:
Improves Accuracy
Manual attendance recording not only takes a long time and effort. But, it is not fault-proof either. The person recording the time can make mistakes every now and then.
All this can make the task useless. By the end of the month, you will have a record that is not effective in identifying latecomers and paying accurate salaries. However, having a biometric machine means you no longer need to worry.
It records and saves all the data for you. If you integrate it with payroll software, you will even have calculated salaries available. Just have a look at the program and send out the paychecks!
Saves Money in the Long-run
A biometric attendance system may cost much, but it's a one-time investment. Using it, you do not have to pay hefty salaries to the people responsible for time-tracking only. All you have to pay would be a nominal monthly fee for the software.
Prevents Buddy Punching & Upscales ROI
Once installed, the biometric attendance system keeps an accurate and highly-reliable record. It means your employees will be more careful about punctuality. They will also avoid buddy punching.
Buddy punching is when an employee clocks in time for another worker. The reason behind this can be anything from traffic jams to sickness. But, for the business, it means paying an employee for the time he did not work (also called time theft!).
With a biometric machine, it's impossible to do buddy punching. The device won't record the time until the identity matches the stored data. And so, the business will have the staff working on their assigned times.
Ultimately, this leads to timely project completion and better return on investment.
Want to Know the Best Biometric Attendance System? TimeTrack.pk!
Finding the best biometric attendance system can be difficult. It's why we have helped save your time by recommending the perfect option - TimeTrack.pk!
The intuitive software performs the functions of three different programs. You can use it for biometric attendance, employee management, and even payrolls. It also automatically generates employee leave reports as per your submitted HR policies.
If all this sounds great, check out the features page to unlock more amazing stuff!