The Uses of a Punch Time Clock

The time clock has become a very important tool in the business. Time clocks can not only help monitor work places but can also establish a clear vision of the working time in the company. A punch clock has many benefits for all parts of an enterprise, as well as for management employees.

Punch clocks help record time in and out by employees and workers. Not only are these time cards used for payroll, but they can also be used to help monitor how much time is spent on specific projects as well as on working schedules of specific departments. In addition, punch time clocks can help provide a clearer image of what the bottom line of the company is, and is not, completing.

More modern time clocks offer other features. Building security, including management of time management, secure entry and management of movements in different spaces are just a couple of things that a time clock can do for a small business. User management with access controls for visitors whether they are customers or suppliers and parking management. A time clock can intervene to control access or entry point in a building to identify, authenticate, authorize or prohibit the attendance areas for which it is programmed.

The advantage of the time clock for various stakeholders of the company, department heads, and administrators lies in the ability of terminals to record and make available comprehensive information. Information from the time clock is pulled off as easy as it is put on. Employees will time stamp their hours simply by “clocking in”. Payroll will then break down the hours and then count log the time they clocked in and clocked out, totaling the hours up and then cutting a check.

In the end, while a punch time clock is not for everyone, there are numerous other options on the market that offer a variety of features. Do your homework and decide whether a punch clock is for your or if a different model would better suit your needs.

How to Cut Costs and Be Efficient

As a business owner, you are probably constantly looking for ways to increase profits and increase business. At one point in time, you have most likely thought of cutting expenses to help boost profitability. Technically, it doesn’t matter if you’re having the best quarter in history because when it comes down to it, costs that are out-of-control will quickly eat up any profits that you gain.

Avoid going under by keeping a close eye on your expenses (you can use a business accounting tool). While cutting expenses can help greatly, be smart about what you cut. You don’t want to sacrifice efficiency for cost.

Here are some tips to being cost effective when making budget cuts:

• Try out a new telecom system. This can range from Internet to landlines to wireless providers.
• Enforce the “no splurge” business travel rule. This technically means that your staff cannot spend whatever they want when they travel. Make them accountable for what they spend.
•  Move your IT network to the “Cloud”. Whenever you have the chance to move digital files and other software off your computer to another place- do it.
• Cut back on overtime. Switching from a time clock that uses paper to a computerized time clock is a great move. It saves you money on multiple fronts.
• Earning vendor discounts using credit is smart. Early payment discounts offer by a selection of vendors can save you thousands of dollars a year.

Cutting your expenses should only mean one thing: you gain more profit. By viewing these areas, you will hopefully be able to maximize your profits without losing efficiency.

Time Clocks for Business Efficiency

A traditional timesheet allows a company’s employees to record exactly when they start and end work. For a number of employees, this will amount to starting their work at the beginning of their shift and punching out whenever it ends. For the others, this could involve keeping a detailed list of start and stop times for their various projects, activities or jobs during the day. No matter what your business may need, time clock software will allow your employees the ability to record information more easily, objectively and actively.

Time clock software will help lower any operating costs that your business may have by making your payroll processing become more efficient along with making labor costs a lot more visible than they were in the past. It will also ensure attendance compliance and helps automate any invoicing or billing of your clients. Here are a few reasons how time clock software will help your business in today’s rough economy.

It simplifies your payroll

Time clock software will take every punch that your employees have accrued within a certain amount of time and it will generate timecards based on whatever your payroll is set on. Your regular hours, paid leave and overtime are all calculated for you and totaled instantly so you don’t have to do the math yourself.

It ensures compliance

A time clock is going to allow you to fully manage your attendance and employee time, even when it comes to lunch breaks or sick leave. With certain units, employees cannot punch in or out for each other, ensuring that the hours recorded are honest.

It manages the labor costs for you

Whenever you do payroll, your time clock software will figure in everything for you when it calculates the weekly attendance. Whenever you input your employees into the system, you will be asked to put all pertinent information into the software. This will allow the software to figure up everything for you. All you have to do is print out everything and take it to payroll, or even export to payroll software directly.

It automates client billing

Remember that client billing should be summarized by the job or the client so it can be accurately billed. A time clock can help with this process, lowering error by inaccurate recording as well as providing an efficient way to track multiple projects.

Tips to Help Implement a Time Clock

There’s no doubt that employee time management is a critical component of any workplace’s productivity and efficiency. Employee time clocks can be a valuable resource and vehicle when managing employee’s times and making sure those employees are spending their time wisely.

Time clocks help businesses accurately store and track employee time data. Using this data, management can assess whether or not the company is performing as efficiently as possible and if any productivity issues are present in the workplace.

An employee time clock will not work up to its potential if it is not implemented correctly. All employees, not just management, should be familiar with the time clock system and how it works. Your employees will be the ones, after all, using the time clocks to punch in and out and to track payroll and time data.

After selecting and purchasing a time clock system for your workplace, arrange an orientation session for your employees. Consider asking a representative from the time clock company from which you purchased the product to help you with the session. Take time to make sure that all employees understand the details and capabilities associated with the time clock system and answer all questions. Consider distributing users manuals or cheat sheets that detail how to use the time system.

To correctly implement a time clock system, make sure that system can grow with your business. Limited scalability systems will not accommodate company expansion and growth, so go with a system that can last with your company through such changes.

How Fingerprint Time Clocks Help The Bottom Line

When an employer looks at their bottom line, they almost always sees that payroll eats the biggest chunk of the money. It is the biggest expense business owners face. Add to that, the idea that whether white or blue collar, employees have long been involved in payroll fraud. To steer away from this, the implementation of fingerprint time clocks can help.  

Fingerprint time clocks capture the unique fingerprint of each employee for use when he or she comes to work every day. A fingerprint time clock can be used with employees that work either on site or off site. Removing theft of time from the equation may help employers get a handle on payroll costs. 

With this new technology, employees will no longer be able to punch the time card of a co worker and it also eliminates the time consuming task for the human resources department of having to manually calculate payroll. Additionally, there is no storage space needed like there is if you have to store time cards for tax record purposes.

To set an employee up in the fingerprint time clock system, an employer need only have the employee put his or her finger on the scanner and their unique fingerprint is scanned. The fingerprint scanners are easy to use and are portable and easily tied into a company’s computer system.

Streamlining the preparation of payroll as well as taking the idea of employee theft of hours out of the equation of running a business, employers and their employees can focus on the job at hand – running the business. Electronic payroll systems integrate well with fingerprint scanners.

Why Integrate Time Clocks With Payroll

When you’re in the midst of calculating your employee payroll do you ever step back and take the time to determine just how much it is costing you to have your human resources department calculate the payroll? If you’re looking for a way to save money on payroll and enhance not only your efficiency but accuracy of the payroll calculations you should look to integrate time clocks with your payroll department. Time clocks make payroll calculations quick and easy for all involved and make the payroll process more systematic. Consider an automated payroll system with time clocks to take the guesswork and errors out of payroll duties.

Integrating your time tracking software into your payroll processing system frees up valuable employee time on payroll duties. When you decide to use an integrated time clock and payroll system you also allow your employees the peace of mind of knowing that there will not be errors in the paychecks. Automated time clocks also offer employees access to their time sheets so they can not only look and see the number of hours they’ve worked but they can also track their accumulated days off and vacation time used.

Another time and money saver with an integrated time clock is the idea that you will not only save the time and money on having to buy and maintain the time clock but you will also save money on purchasing the physical time cards themselves. Keep in mind that a company has to store all time records for up to seven years and you can see that if you have a lot of employees, the storage of time cards could be an issue as well.

Here are other reasons for using an integrated time clock system is that you no longer need to manually input time cards and time worked – this is also problematic for companies that have off site employees and work from home staff. No longer will you have to worry about inaccuracies in your employees “clocking in or clocking out” for other employees. With integrated time clocks your employees have a unique log in and this prevents inaccuracies in employees punching someone elses time card.

When it comes time to performing the payroll task it is almost as simple as punching a few numbers and pulling all of the employee information into the integrated time clock system and running the payroll for the time period specified.

Types Of Time Clocks and Time and Attendance Software

In today’s complicated business environment, every owner is looking for a way to track employee hours and other payroll data in a fast and efficient way. Some firms use a time clock system, while others prefer a computerized logging application. Regardless, the system should be intuitive for all users, and should be easy to operate. The key thing to remember is that time clock software is supposed to reduce your processing time for the relevant data. If it does not do that, then the system is not effective. Make sure any system you purchase is able to handle hours worked, as well as accrued vacation time, days off, sick days, holidays, and bonus hours. There are dozens of reputable firms that sell various kinds of time clock software at all price levels. Carefully assess your own situation before committing to a specific brand of time clock software.

One reason for having time clock software is to prevent time theft by employees. Comprehensive, mechanized time and attendance software systems can eliminate almost all cases of time theft. Recent studies have pointed out that in the U.S. alone, each worker wastes five minutes of company time per day, on average. At first sight, that does not seem like a terribly significant number. However, for large firms, the time loss comes out to millions of dollars in expense per year.

A quality time clock software program is the best way to face the current national crisis of time theft. Even though much time theft is intentional, a proper system can prevent it. One way the automated systems deter theft is by cracking down on bogus overtime figures. Nearly every time clock software product can go a long way toward eradicating employee time theft. If for no other reason, every business should have some type of automated time clock method up and running. Otherwise, a firm risks losing several millions of dollars per year in earned revenue.

The time clock software rounds data in such a way as to preclude theft. It also sets specific limits on the amount of overtime that can be posted to any account. On top of that, the systems prevent buddy-punching, which is a major source of employee theft.

Finally, every worthwhile time clock program should have a simple interface, so that your company can easily exchange data with your payroll provider. By implementing an effective time clock software protocol, your company will be well on its way to accurate information management.

Advantages of Biometric Time Clocks

Biometric time clocks are becoming the latest and greatest technology for tracking employee time and attendance. Not only does a biometric system allow companies to streamline the payroll process, but it also frees up the human resources department from tracking and correcting work hours logged.

Before deciding biometric is for you, however, there are several decisions you will need to make. The first is, how many employees will be using the block? Some models will be less expensive than others but you need to make certain that the time clock you’re getting can handle the number of employees you have.

What options do these time clocks offer for accessing and downloading the information for payroll processing? The biometric time clocks come with Ethernet, wireless or USB connections for use in downloading the data, but know there are several options available. Your IT department will be able to help you decide which is best.

Are you married to the current payroll processing software that your company currently uses or are you willing to learn a new application and software? Some biometric time clocks use software that is compatible with many other payroll processing applications such as those used by ADP, Paychex and other payroll service providers. If you don’t want to change, make certain you choose a time clock that is compatible. Keep in mind though that many of the biometric time clocks come with robust and very intuitive software so if you’re making a change, why not go all the way?

Many biometric time clocks use a fingerprint scanner but there are other versions that use a palm or vein scanner. You will need to decide which is best for your industry.

After you’ve talked with your IT department and the human resources staff you will have a better idea of what kind of time clock will be best for your company’s use.

How to Stop Buddy Punching

Most everyone who has used a time clock is familiar with the idea of “buddy punching”. A way for one worker to punch in for another, ensuring hours are recorded for an otherwise absent employee, buddy punching is a problem for the workspace because it results in both employees stealing money from the employer. Even more distressing is the fact that this practice is wide spread and can cost U.S. businesses up to $200 per employee per year, according to economists.

There is good news however! Buddy punching is easier than ever to eliminate with the installation of a biometric time clock. These time clocks come in several brands and styles and can read everything from a fingerprint to a hand. This method of clocking in prevents someone else from clocking in for a friend, and creates a fair, more honest environment for everyone.

Even small companies can benefit from a biometric time clock. Not only do these clocks help stop buddy punching, but they make back the investment in them with the ease of use and peace of mind they bring. Newer devices are even able to store lots of information, including time, hours worked, holidays taken or owed, and various other data about that particular worker.

Many biometric time clocks are interactive and user-friendly. A worker can access their own work history, time sheet, and other information via the screen of the biometric time clock. While new technology can be threatening in the work environment, giving the employee access to their information allows employees to accept the device as well as helps human resources integrate cost-efficient technology into the department with little complaint.

Buddy punching is an easy problem to solve these days, so be sure you invest in a quality time clock to help you keep your business on track. Your employees, human resources, and ultimately yourself will be grateful for the ease that comes with one of these devices.

How to Simplify Your Business

Feel like you're a slave to time clocks and other office gadgets? Tired of being late or behind schedule almost constantly? It might be time to look at simplifying your business, both for your sake as well as your company's!

Several, easy ways to simplify exist that don't cost a lot, many of them with minimal effort on your part. So stop putting out fires and head them off early with these simple tips:

• Keep it simple. You don't have to change your whole life in one day. A little thing here and there adds up quickly.
• Consider outsourcing. Many business outsource human resources, letting a larger, professional firm do what it does best and allowing the smaller business to focus on other functions. There is no need to lose sleep over this function, so unless you are an HR company, let go and let someone else do it.
• Streamline your morning by writing down a short routine to condense need to be done items. Spend five minutes looking at email instead of thirty. Have your coffee and roll at home rather than wasting fifteen minutes of valuable work time waiting in a coffee shop line or cafeteria.
• Avoid meetings! All-office meetings eat time, and many companies today are eliminating the face-to-face meetings that were so prevalent a decade ago.
• Write down five things you want to accomplish that day. You'll find that what is written becomes finished. Psychologists call this the art of simplicity, and the simple act of writing tasks down helps the human mind to focus.

Simplify and get more done without feeling like you're racing the time clock or wasting the day. With these tips, you'll undoubtedly find more and more ways to not only simplify but feel more accomplished by the end of the day.

Why Biometric Time Clocks Are Ideal

Biometric time clocks have arrived, and arrived in a big way. Yet while businesses are jumping on the bandwagon, getting rid of old punch card systems, and going biometric several misconceptions still exist about this amazing technology.

Much like any security system, biometrics are only as good as the people who implement it. In the case of biometric time clocks, the information, except in select cases, is not stored after the employee leaves the firm. Secondly, most of the devices do not read fingerprints, but hand physiology, shape, and temperature.

In other words, biometric time clocks are not a threat to personal privacy. What the devices do, in any case, is improve security for the company. From an employee's point of view, the machines are convenient, since the worker can merely place a hand under the scanner and get the green light for clearance. Office workers in sensitive settings are usually happy to know that their safety is uppermost in the mind of business owners.

Biometric hand punch technology and fingerprint machines save businesses significant amounts of money for various reasons. First, the clocks are extremely efficient data storage devices. If programmed correctly, they are error-free and easy to operate and employers no longer need to worry about "buddy punching." Also, hand geometry cannot be falsified. If a person cannot pass the biometric clock scan, he or she will not be permitted into the location, and an alarm of some kind will be triggered.

For the primary task of record keeping, biometric time clocks are ideal, as they do the job fast and efficiently. Records are stored either in the clock on site, or can easily be routed via Ethernet to any computer terminal at the company's headquarters, whether that site is next door or across an ocean.