An attendance system is a professional system used to manage the company’s employees’ attendance. It electronically records whether employees clock-in on time, render overtime, go on leave, and more.
Of course, attendance systems encompass traditional sign-in systems such as paper card sign-in, card-insertion, and biometrics machines. Though these mechanisms have been in use for years, there are a number of reasons why they are considered widely inefficient:
- The software for these attendance programs are often clunky and take a long time to install
- Paper card sign-ins, card insertions, and the like require additional equipment
- Attendance programs are unable to count attendance results, lacking the ability to give insights on attendance trends (how often employees go on leave, arrive late, etc)
- Data from punch cards cannot be synchronized with computers in real-time, requiring tedious manual input
With COVID-19 going around, there is a heightened risk to using mechanisms such as biometrics to track attendance. Simply put, having one surface collect the fingerprints of multiple employees can be said to be incredibly unhygienic.
A popular, emerging alternative is using mobile time attendance software so employees can clock in using their mobile phones. It makes sense, with people becoming increasingly tethered to their phones. What then is the difference between a modern mobile time attendance software and traditional attendance machines?
Check the tables below for comparison.
Functions
Mobile app + Cloud-based attendance system | Traditional attendance system | |
Real-time time tracking(late, early leave) | ✅ | ❌ |
Auto-calculate working hours | ✅ | ❌ |
Prevent “Buddy Punching” (one employee clocking in for another) | ✅ | ❌ |
Supports field work clock in | ✅ | ❌ |
User experience
Mobile app + Cloud-based attendance system | Traditional attendance system | |
No need to download app on your computer | ✅ | ❌ |
No need to buy Time Attendance Terminal | ✅ | ❌ |
Zero setup fee/maintenance fee | ✅ | ❌ |
The new way of clocking in
With Workstem’s mobile attendance software, there is no need to purchase any additional hardware or equipment. With the click of a button, employees can easily login from their phones. Employers will even be able to use the software’s tracking feature to see what time employees clocked in and from where. This information can be accessed from multiple devices, regardless of time and location.
Employees can also check their own information from their phones. If they’re concerned over whether they’ve successfully clocked in, for example, they’ll only need to check their phones. No need to go to HR!
Ultimately, mobile attendance software will be able to cut down the time HR will spend collating attendance records. It will also cut down on the time employees spend lining up in front of attendance machines, reducing the need for close contact (which can spread viruses) and boosting productivity.
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