Time & Attendance Solutions For Small Businesses To Improve Productivity In 2021

If you’re a business owner, you understand that managing time and performance is crucial. Employees must know how long they have been away from the office and their exact job duties. With so many different time and attendance solutions available in the marketplace, how do you choose which one is best for your needs?

Before discussing what time and attendance solutions you should use for your small business in 2021, it’s crucial to understand each software or app’s role in your company. Employee management apps may have several elements, including an automated system for recording vacation absences, a schedule for salaried workers, real-time integration with payroll, and more. One way to address employee management concerns or issues is through time and attendance solutions. Here’s how you can benefit from integrating this system into your business operations:

  • Reduced errors – no more missed working days due to human or manual system errors
  • On-time payments – payroll can be sent each pay period automatically
  • Integration with the existing system – you’ll have several ways to integrate a time and attendance solution into your current employee management system
  • Customizable – the best time clock and attendance solutions will include a number of necessary functions in one package
  • Remote access – Management and authorized team members may be able to access the records and reports remotely
  • Boost in productivity – an effective time and attendance system may help increase and encourage productivity at work
  • Efficient cost management – the right system from SaaS (Software as a Service) companies like Egress Systems will not only help you analyze costs and predict ROI but will also allow you to manage labor and operations expenses.

An improved scheduling process using time and attendance software can eliminate or reduce a broad range of job costing and time-consuming practices. If a business wants to keep its most productive employees on the job, it needs to invest in effective methods for tracking and managing workers’ schedules, especially during severe economic times. Many employers recognize the value of using time and attendance software, and many have already adopted this approach particularly because of the pandemic the world is experiencing today. If you are aiming for a better organization and higher productivity in your company, now is the time to take advantage of this trend!

Time And Attendance Solutions To Consider In 2021

Businesses that don’t have time and attendance software yet should consider looking for a reputable provider of workforce management solutions. You might want to include the following time and attendance apps and systems on your list this 2021:

  1. Online Time Management Systems

With more people working from home from this year on because of the global pandemic, companies have started investing more in online time and attendance solutions to manage their staff remotely. These systems can be accessed on computers and other internet-powered devices.

Through a secure and accessible online time entry portal, managers and administrators can enter and view their employees’ working hours in real-time. Additionally, these time tracking systems allow managers and supervisors to update salary data for individual employees easily, cut down on unnecessary overtime, and enter employee information into any of the many database platforms used throughout the company.

  1. Biometric Readers

Although not necessarily new, biometric timekeeping solutions will still be used in 2021. Biometric readers are secure, convenient, and reliable, but most importantly, they can be used without worrying about the viral transmission of COVID-19. Biometric clocks are typically more expensive than online time management systems and traditional time card machines. On the upside, systems that use facial-recognition software and eye-scanning equipment are hygienically safer than biometric readers that use handprints or fingerprints.

  1. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System

Every business has its unique requirements – and these include time and attendance solutions. An IVR timekeeping system is suitable for companies with team members working at off-site locations, whether within the country or not. IVR time and attendance solutions are utilized for different purposes, including time and attendance, HR management, and employee self-service. With a quick call to a number, your employee can conveniently clock in and out, submit time-off requests, verify the hours worked for a pay period, leave a message to their superior, and more.

Time and attendance solutions have transformed how businesses operate by bringing the administrative process into the digital age. Now, employees have easy access to their working hours via a secure web portal. Web-based time management solutions also eliminate the need for complicated payroll software and multiple forms of paper-based documentation. Also, the online entry of working hours ensures that payroll data is updated more frequently, reducing the possibility of fraud.

Takeaway

When choosing which time and attendance software to go with, you want to make sure it’s a top-notch solution. Evaluate the ease of use and the integrated features of the suite or a standalone program. Find out what types of reports and dashboards are available. If you need time and attendance software with a reporting package, determine what kinds of reports and customizations are available.

The best time and attendance systems provide comprehensive integration with your HR management suite, your company’s finance department, and with your human resources department as well. It’s also worth discovering how easy software can be installed and utilized for your business.

Adam Hansen
 

Adam is a part time journalist, entrepreneur, investor and father.