Despite what we may see on The Office and Mad Men, the American workplace has always been a beast with many diverse species, all with very different functions and needs. Business conditions have historically demanded that certain employees remain on-the-go. For example, in industries such as construction and film entire “workplaces” will pick up and move as projects are completed. Some consulting teams travel between multiple non-permanent or non-employer-owned sites on a regular basis. What kind of computing solutions exist to help these companies manage and oversee employee time and attendance at distant or mobile worksites? Neither of these situations allow for the luxury of installing and calibrating expensive and invasive hardware and software.
Going Mobile
Every industry deserves access to a selection of secure, accurate, and efficient software and hardware options. Even companies that consider themselves “forward thinking” sometimes stumble over problems tracking an employee’s work outside the office. Preferably, these options should be equivalent in breadth to those available to industries with stable worksites. Many portable time clocks make records using stamping or punching technology seen in some offices. This low-power solution means some of these systems can operate for up to a week at a time just using batteries, making them ideal for use at worksites off the power grid. Cards are then maintained securely and entered by hand into a digital time-keeping format on a regular basis.
Continuing Innovation
Portability innovations have continued to enhance remote workplace management. Some are cost-saving developments such as car-battery-powered units that plug directly into the cigarette lighter, eliminating the need for replacement batteries. Even more recent innovations have brought biometric technology into the field, including battery-powered optical fingerprint scanning. This allows for an unprecedented level of security without requiring workers to memorize unwieldy PINs or passcodes.
Joining the Cloud
Online time clock systems enhance security and productivity in a multitude of ways worth investigating and optimizing. Smartphone and web-app integration make it possible for mobile workers to utilize all of the personal time management bells and whistles commonly available to stationary workers. This includes the ability to request time off, check their accumulated benefits, and more, without having to struggle with correspondence delays that could result in unnecessary denials and other complications. Cloud storage also means that loss of, or damage to, a portable device will not corrupt the data, a common problem during remote field work.
No matter how they are accessed, systems which allow for more accurate reporting and regular reviewing of work attendance of all employees enables a workforce to collaborate and manage to their utmost potential.
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Allied Time has been meeting the time management needs of the business world for more than 40 years. Visit their website at www.alliedtime.com/ to browse their wide selection of time machines designed for businesses of every size from every industry.