Finding The Right Clock Workforce Management Systems

The best time clock for your workforce management system is the one that best suits your customers. When you understand an individual customer’s circumstances and challenges, you can make the case for the best time clock to integrate within your solution. 

We are sharing four common business use cases for different customer types and how their needs are met by different ATS time clocks. 

#1 The Right Time Clock for Small Businesses 

Small business owners may feel intimidated by time clock hardware at first.

They might be unsure if they’ll realize enough of an ROI on their employee attendance system to justify the expense. 

The most effective way to meet the needs of small businesses is to understand what they want from a workforce time clock.

Their needs are much simpler than larger organizations. They want to: 

1. Get what they need from the time clock, without paying for more than they need. 
2. See clearly all the ways the system will save them money. 

Saving Time and Money with the Right Time Clock 

Don't bombard a small business customer with too many features or the high price of an enterprise time clock. Keep it simple and focus on what they need.  

The typical small business customer has a limited number of employees who work at the same location. The critical time clock features for a small business are: 

• Collecting precise, accurate in/out punch data at the time clock. 
• Having a reliable integration of the attendance information to payroll and your system. 
• Automating time collection and transmission of data. 

ATS’ PeoplePoint Turbo is a great example of a budget-friendly option that will maximize their ROI on a time and attendance system. 

The PeoplePoint Turbo is a clock designed for them, with the essential time tracking features they need and without expensive extras. Most small businesses only want to track punches in and out. Don’t overwhelm them with enterprise functions like tracking job transfers. 

It also must be durable. Small businesses don’t want the expense of replacing their time clock every few years. 

#2 Attendance Systems for Large Companies with High Employee Counts

Let's look at what companies with many employees need from a time clock system. 

Many employees work fixed shifts, making payroll and scheduling complex. Manual processes add to administrative costs and take time away from more productive tasks. 

ATS offers Android-based time clocks that enable your development team to create time clock applications that enhance the benefits of your solution for your customers.  

They could develop apps that help customers simplify a variety of employee management tasks, such as allowing employees to use the workforce time clock to request time off or see their upcoming schedules. 

All our PeoplePoint time clocks are Android-based, as is the stride80, which is compatible with our Only|You™ Face recognition software.

With this array of flexible time clocks, you can meet the diverse priorities of different large organizations. 

What Enterprise Employees and Management Need from the Time Clock

These businesses need time clock hardware and software that can handle the employee volume and data collection needs, including: 

• Processing necessary information quickly so the employee line keeps moving.  
• Capturing extra information needed to fully automate payroll, such as job role or department, tips earned, or location worked.  
• Offering a variety of configuration options. Some companies will want to use the badges just employees already have on the new time clocks. Others may want to upgrade their punch method, such as moving to a biometric reader or proximity badge. 
• Providing employee self-service that lets employees see scheduling and other information right at the time clock. This frees up time for everyone, further cutting costs and improving workforce productivity. 

Only a time clock with a rich set of hardware and software features can fulfill these business functions. 

Choose Hardware and Software that Does More than Attendance Tracking

These enterprise organizations need software and hardware that does more than track time. Look for features such as: 

• The flexibility to run custom applications your team creates and share any data your workforce management system can store. 
• Sophisticated multimedia capabilities, such as a microphone and camera to deliver company messages and short training videos. 
• Sensors that turn off the clock when not in use, saving energy and giving employees more privacy. 

Best Time Tracking Software and Hardware Solutions for Workforce Management Systems 

At ATS, we’ve built time clock hardware and software designed to handle the complex needs of large organizations. Our PeoplePoint line of clocks and the stride80 work with many reader options and can store and transfer employee information to your back-end system.  

With a variety of Android-based ATS time clocks, you can offer the time clock with specific set of features for different enterprise organizations that improve their operations and their ROI on your system. 

#3 An Employee Time Management System for a Multi-State Workforce

Often, a larger workforce equates to having a multi-state workforce. Organizations with employees in multiple states have many complex workforce management needs and challenges to address.  

These businesses certainly fall under business case #2 (enterprise organizations) described above. Organizations with a multi-state workforce are likely to be among the larger enterprise organizations. They might prefer a time clock with a large screen for the best employee time clock experience. They might also want a clock with extra processing power. In this use case, the PeoplePoint Premium or stride80 would be the best choice. 

Stress-Free Compliance Management of Employee Regulations 

Companies with employees in multiple states need a time clock system that tracks the location where employees clock in and out. The payroll and workforce management systems must track work hours by location to calculate payroll in compliance with the labor laws of that specific area. 

The employee work location could also trigger the need for advanced functions, like collecting attestations at the time clock.  

For example, local laws might require employees to provide daily attestation whether they saw a workplace accident that shift. With the Android-based clock, your team can create a personalized attestation application. 

Time Clock Options for Employees Working in Multiple Roles or Locations

Both the PeoplePoint Premium and stride80 time clocks are great options for handling the changing needs of a geographically dispersed workforce.  

#4 A Clock for Extreme Environments 

Sometimes, the physical environment of the workplace is a critical factor when selecting the right time clock. Factories, construction sites, mining operations are all extreme environments that need a time clock rugged enough to stay operational. 

We built our Maximus Severe Duty time clock is built for just these hazardous environments. 

What a Ruggedized Time Clock Must Handle 

A ruggedized time clock has the right design and materials that protect it from severe weather and dirty conditions. When recommending a ruggedized time clock, look for: 

• The temperature range within which the clock can operate. The worksite might run hot or cold, or both at different times. Make sure the recommended time clock can withstand those extreme temperatures. 
• The rating of the time clock’s casing to ensure it can keep out the elements that might fly around the worksite. Is there a risk of water hitting the time clocks? Is there a lot of debris that gets kicked up? You can’t rely on a clock built for a dust-free, office environment to have the protections a ruggedized device will have. 

The Maximus Severe Duty has hardware that includes an IP65-certified enclosure. This certification means its casing protects its internal workings from flying dust and water. The Maximus Severe Duty also has a NEMA 4X rating, which confirms that it can operate in inclement weather.  

We made the Maximus Severe Duty to handle extreme temperatures, making it suitable for any job site. 

Making it Easy for Employees to Punch Their Time 

The workers in these rougher environments have unique user experience needs too. 

They may not use ID badges because it’s a hazard to have them hanging off an employee’s belt or around their neck. That makes the time clock keypad an essential tool. Look for a time clock with large keypads that gloved hands can use easily. 

The Maximus Severe Duty provides easy functionality and integrated workforce management. It has a worker-friendly keypad and proximity sensor, making clocking in and out fast and easy. 

The Best Time Clock for Every Occasion 

Different businesses fit into different use cases. Yet, they all need the time clock right for them. 

That’s why ATS designs and manufactures a variety of time clocks. We want our resellers to have flexibility in their offers. 

Our goal is to enable our resellers to cater to broad markets. From small businesses to enterprises, in any industry, they deserve the full benefits of workforce management solutions. 

We even rebrand our time clocks and their marketing collateral with our reseller’s brand. It’s another way we support them as they guide their prospects and customers through the time clock selection process. 

You can find the time clock and time collection systems you and your customers need with ATS; contact us today to start exploring.