Besides the myths associated with time tracking systems, there are some common trends taking place. Mobility, easability and using the cloud doesn't only apply to social networking. To get your software up-to-date, here are some trends making this application easy peasy.
\r\nThe easier the solution, the more you’ll like it. Some of the hallmarks of usability and ease of use include:
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\n- Familiar Web-type interface
\r\n- 24/7 access
\r\n- Personalization
\r\n- Ability to integrate external content
\r\n- Information users want to see—the way they’d prefer to see it
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Everybody is going mobile these days—and your software isn’t any different. The generation entering the workforce today is accustomed to iPhone-like instant access to information, anywhere, anytime. Solutions that fail to incorporate mobile features appear dated and cumbersome, and are likely to result in lower adoption and satisfaction rates. Mobile technology also improves the level of collaboration and communication. Some specific mobile time and attendance applications include:
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\n- Check-in and check-out
\r\n- Submitting time-off requests
\r\n- Resolving exceptions and responding to employee requests in real time
\r\n- Using smartphone preferences to access familiar applications
\r\n- Leveraging smartphone GPS capabilities to track punch locations
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Get into the cloud. The Rolling Stones got it wrong. Don’t get off the cloud! Today you’ve got to be right on top of it. Rather than committing in-house resources, consider using cloud computing to replace the burden of hosting and managing software. The many cloud options that are available today make technology solutions attainable for a business of any size and free your IT staff to focus on implementing other strategic projects.
\r\nThere are two major elements: hardware (the clock reader) and software. Biometric time clocks run between $350 and $1,000 per unit. Simpler card readers can be as little as $150, and go up to around $250. The cards themselves cost about $20 to $35 for a pack of 25. Web-based systems, of course, don’t have any specialized hardware and can be accessed by a variety of devices including computers, tablets, and smartphones.
\r\nThe cost of the software depends on the size of the enterprise. A company with fewer than 50 employees can get a software package for a few hundred dollars. A number of vendors are offering cloud-based systems that work on mobile smartphones, which entail nothing more than a monthly subscription fee of as little as $20. There’s no software involved, just an Internet-connected computer or smartphone.
\r\nLarger companies—particularly those with multiple locations—require more sophisticated, and hence more expensive, software. Typically, these systems involve consultants who customize the software not just to suit the companies’ needs, but also to integrate into other IT systems. Frequently, these involve monthly maintenance fees in addition to upfront installation costs—at least $10 per month for basic service and more for larger, more complex systems. Prices can easily reach the neighborhood of $10,000. And for fully integrated, globally scaled systems, you can get into the six figures. At this level, pricing reflects:
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