While biometrics have been used to positively identify criminals for over a century, this technology is rapidly growing to verify identity in non-conventional sectors.
These modern-day applications include mobile-based banking, device security (i.e. the iPhone), access control, and time and attendance. Given that fingerprinting is the premier method for positively identifying persons from a forensic standpoint, it should come as no surprise that consumer-focused entities would focus their attention on harnessing this technology for more everyday applications, such as in the workplace.
Today, biometric timekeeping systems are a solution businesses are increasingly implementing to save time, money, and hassle. Here are the many benefits biometric systems provide:
Eliminates Buddy Punching and Time Theft
No other means of measuring a person’s identity is more reliable or individual then fingerprint biometrics, which to this day remains the most commonly used forensic evidence worldwide.
By identifying the individual by distinctive, measurable characteristics, like fingerprints and facial recognition, biometric clocks invalidate punches that don’t make a solid comparison match against the data in their database. Passwords or PINs are less reliable in verifying identity and can easily be shared and replicated. Since biometric identifiers are unique to individuals, the only punch employees can make it for themselves.
Money Savings
From employees over-approximating punch times to payroll clerks processing time cards with a substantial rate of human error, traditional payroll processing is rife with costs.
Switching to an automated time and attendance system decreases labor costs, reduces time spent on payroll, eliminates errors, and increases efficiency. Not all biometric clocks are sold in combination with a cloud-based time and attendance software solution, but picking a solution that IS web-based can help streamline operations management and enhance efficiency.
Environmentally Friendly
By going paperless, gone are the days of printing, faxing, or phoning over timesheets. Cloud-based time cards are a green, sustainable office solution that eliminates the need for paper time cards. Standard costs incurred with using office supplies like printers, faxes, and copiers are lowered, and so is your energy consumption. Transitioning to a biometric clock system allows you to promote your business as eco-friendly.
Fast Attendance
Using a biometric time clock, employees no longer have to wait online to punch in. There are no PINs or passwords to enter – stopping by the biometric clock in the morning is a process that takes just seconds. Punching has never been easier, and each punch is guaranteed to be genuine.
Simplified Payroll Integration
Processing payroll is accurate, fast, and easy using biometric time clocks to track your time and attendance. At the end of each payroll cycle, supervisors can easily review, approve, and then export their timesheets to their payroll provider, or process the data themselves. With the calculations already done, you can trust in time cards that are always up to date.
The Added Benefit of the Cloud
Biometric clocks that integrate with web-based services upload punch data to the cloud for safe storage and easy retrieval. With all employee payroll data backed up in one place, your staff will never waste time searching for documents again.
What’s more, cloud storage eliminates the need for a physical storage system, increasing the amount of usable space in the office. It also means vital data is protected against natural disasters, such as a fire or flood. Consider sharing data between different departments a thing of the past.
Employees can rest assured that their enrolled fingerprints will never be shared for any purpose outside the workplace, and are solely used to collect punches. As technology improves, more and more businesses are trading in their manual systems for automated systems that integrate with biometric devices.
With all the benefits to consider, it’s safe to say that this move isn’t a trend – it’s the way of the future.