What to Look for When Searching for a Time Tracking Solution

As an HR platform with roots in time tracking, we’ve accumulated a wealth of experience and knowledge on how great time tracking solutions should perform. We know that the right time and attendance system can address any business’s pain points and significantly improve their operations and employee management. If you’re searching for a time tracking solution, here are the top qualities to pay consideration to:

Convenient Clock-in Options

In an age when you can lock your car doors from your smartphone, it’s fair to expect the same kind of capabilities with your time and attendance system. A convenient and accessible time tracking solution should be able to afford your business with innovative clock-in methods and mobile accessibility, regardless of setup or situation. Clocking in and out should be possible under any circumstance, whether it’s an employee working remotely or a crew of workers shuttling from job site to job site.

Accuracy

An automated time and attendance system eliminates time theft and reduces your payroll costs, all by accurately recording and calculating clock-in/out times. While handwritten timesheets and employee-recorded time entries are susceptible to inaccuracies, once an automated system is implemented, employees simply clock in and out and the machine does the recording. Custom job-costing allows employees to choose the accurate department, job type, job site, etc. for enhanced accuracy and simplified billing.

Efficiency

The most advanced timekeeping systems provide tools to those in the chain of command, allowing them to accurately and efficiently manage their employees. Digital features like punch notifications and exceptions keep supervisors abreast of their employees’ punch activity. Real-time visibility allows supervisors to instantly determine the clock-in status of all employees. Time cards are auto-calculated, reducing labor and eliminating manual calculations (and potential human error).

Security

Well-designed time tracking solutions are equipped with security measures to eliminate risk and ensure data is stored safely and securely. Common risks include human error, buddy punching, employee time theft, data breaches, and administrative vulnerabilities. Automated systems often have advanced security features that restrict where, how, and when employees can clock in and are equipped with role-based security and an audit trail that tracks every change made internally so administrators can review who’s done what.

Customization

Every company has its own policies regarding accruals, time off, breaks, overtime, and more. Custom job-costing ties time worked to the proper pay rates and accruals under the circumstances you set. If you’re looking for customizable control over how/when employees clock in, many automated systems allow you to place restrictions on how employees can clock in/out, such as being restricted from clocking in outside the bounds of a specific geographical area, or from an IP address other than the one you’ve specified.

PTO Management

Imagine instituting a specific paid time off policy and having the rules apply automatically any time an absence is taken. PTO balances are adjusted, requests can be approved, declined, or edited digitally, and absences can be tied to accrual policies that tell the system whether or not to pay employees for that time off. All that is possible with the right time tracking solution.

Reporting

One feature that stands out when selecting a time tracking solution is reporting, which is a must for employers who want to review and assess their company costs in detail.  Solutions that offer ready-made reports make it simple for you to view a wide scope of time card data with just one click. Custom reporting abilities take it one step further by providing custom control over how your report is organized and which data is included.

Service

Your job is to manage a workforce, so when your needs arise, they’re urgent. Having a dedicated support team and resources on-hand can help you get back on track. Cloud-based subscription services usually offer free technical support for as long as you’re a customer, and can even remote in to help you when things get overly complex.

Fingercheck provides all of the above — convenient clock-in options, accuracy, efficiency, security, customization, PTO management, reporting, and service. If you’re interested in learning more, visit our official website and check out our time tracking capabilities.