How Small Businesses Can Reduce Costs by Implementing Time and Attendance Software

admin | Posted on May 15, 2012 by admin

The profitability of every business depends on two things, generating more revenue and lowering operational costs. This can be especially challenging for small businesses as there are situations when profits are low, and operating capital is limited at best. Managing employee work hours through time and attendance software is an area where small businesses can save vital operational costs.

Finger print time clocks have played a crucial role in increasing productivity and maximizing return on investment by lowering labor expenditures. While small businesses can function with a manual time tracking system, operating efficiently and productively is an entirely different matter. There is nothing more time consuming than calculating regular work hours, overtime work hours, sick leave and other employee benefits.

Time management experts recommend that businesses with more than 10 non-exempt or part time workers implement time and attendance software into their operations. Typically, small businesses are dependent on their owners to take care of time attendance related tasks. By implementing an automated time tracking system, organizations can not only reduce operational costs, but also free up the owner’s time to be better utilized on core business activities.

Another aspect that needs to be addressed is keeping finger print time clocks up-to-date. Small businesses can benefit greatly by having updated time management systems. While older systems may still provide basic functionalities, they are not optimized for the latest technological advancements. For example, older systems might not accommodate recent advancements such as mobile phone applications for employee time tracking.

An up-to-date time and attendance software system can be extremely effective in streamlining time and attendance policies, and reducing labor costs. Problems such as time theft, buddy punching and overly-long breaks can be taken care of with specific restrictions and grounding rules.

Summing up, the ultimate goal of every business is to lower its operational costs and increase revenues. Finger print time clocks are one of the best tools available to achieve this goal.

Web Time Clocks Feature Software to Keep Watch Over Your Business

admin | Posted on May 9, 2012 by admin

Web time clocks are currently one of the most popular options for managing employee time and attendance for the simple reason that they provide a wide range of functionality and possibility. These devices use time tracking software that is able to meet the time and attendance requirements of any business, small or large.

Online employee time clocks help businesses achieve development and productivity objectives with their many advanced features. One key benefit of time tracking software is that it is able to simplify the otherwise tedious and complex task of employee time tracking and data crunching for payroll processing.

Of course, it is important to choose the right solution for your specific business and payroll system. Entrepreneurs who are seeking quality time and attendance solutions for their businesses should keep the following information in mind. When shopping for web time clocks, consider a time clock that can create customized and interactive reports of employee time and attendance. Quality time and attendance tracking software is not only able to create reports for your business’ particular needs, but can also export this recorded data to additional business applications by integrating with existing network systems.

Another key feature of web-based employee time clocks is that they enable business owners to have 24/7 access to employee time and attendance data through a web browser. This gives you a virtual look into your workforce from literally anywhere in the world where there is Internet. Thanks to an advanced Plug ‘n Play feature, these devices are extremely easy to install and implement into your place of operations requiring only a simple power source and Internet connection.

Web time clocks offer valuable help in other areas as well. For instance, besides recording employee time and attendance data, they streamline the labor-intensive work of payroll processing. With it’s automated and reliable recording of employee attendance data, these clocks ensure accurate and to-the-minute work hour data.

As attendance tracking evolves, it is clear that online functionality is no doubt the biggest advantage for businesses. Employee time clocks allow employers and HR managers the opportunity to keep a watch over their workforce from any part of the world, ultimately helping to support overall business operations

How Companies Can Use HR Software to Minimize the Risk of a Lawsuit

admin | Posted on May 4, 2012 by admin

As a business owner, every potential job applicant, employee and former employee represents a potential plaintiff in a lawsuit against your company, especially when it comes to payroll and attendance issues. HR software such as online employee attendance system could be your best bet for avoiding litigation or increasing your chances of a successful litigation outcome. If your company finds itself in a lawsuit, will you be prepared with the important documentation needed to defend your business?

According to Brian Ussery of The Law Office of Brian Ussery LLC, discrimination, harassment and retaliation have always been the “bread and butter” lawsuits when dealing with the employer-employee relationship. However, wage and hours claims have become the hot-button topics more recently.

“When you’re dealing with these types of claims related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), oftentimes you’re just dealing with simple math and being able to identify and calculate the number of hours an employee has worked in a given work week to determine if you owe them overtime pay.”

Workforce management systems and time and attendance software can help HR departments keep better track of employee scheduling, attendance and work hours, which could be crucial in determining if a plaintiff is entitled to additional compensation.

“Wage and hour claims are very difficult to defend against if you don’t have a good record keeping system in place. As a practicing lawyer, these are the claims I’m often defending against because [FLSA] is an easy statute to violate,” says Gino Benedetti, Chief Human Resources Officer and partner with Dilworth Paxson LLC. “From the standpoint of an HRMS, time and attendance modules are excellent for defending against wage and hour claims.”

Tips to Start Minimizing Risk Now

Workforce management systems and time and attendance software are some HR applications that could minimize an employer’s risk in regards to wage and hour claims. But according to experts in the areas of employment law and HR systems, there are some simple steps companies can take using HR software to further mitigate risk.

“Companies need to make sure their employee handbooks or policy manuals are up to date,” says Benedetti. “And they need to review them annually as employment laws are always changing.”

Another tip for companies to minimize overall risk is to follow their application and interview process to a T, even if that requires extra time and energy to make sure they’re hiring the right people.

“I think a good HRMS will prevent companies from hiring people too quickly,” says Ed Mills, co-founder of Omniprise. “If you have a good process in place that hiring managers have to follow, you reduce wasted time and money spent hiring the wrong people.”

The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue related to employment law.

About Author:

Jennifer King is an HR Analyst for Software Advice, a company that compares and reviews human resource management systems http://www.softwareadvice.com/hr/#buyers-guide. She reports on trends, technology and best practices in HR.

Finger Print Time Clocks – Ushering In a New Era of Productivity

admin | Posted on May 2, 2012 by admin

Any business, large or small, strives to maximize productivity in order to stay competitive. For some, there can be a misconception that only manufacturing companies need to be concerned about productivity. This is a flawed way of thinking because even companies in the service industry need to ensure its employees are being productive and making good use of their work hours. In short, the key to any successful business is producing maximum output in the least amount of time possible and at the least amount of costs.

A truly efficient work force can result in higher productivity, but that often raises another question. How can businesses actually measure the performance of their workforce? One of the best options for measuring employee productivity is through time tracking with finger print time clocks. In fact, these advanced timeclocks are ushering in a whole new era of employee productivity.

A wireless time clock equipped with time tracking software is a great solution for companies concerned about organizational productivity. Time tracking software lets floor supervisors and HR managers know which workers are not performing, and which ones are performing at his or her best. In addition, having the knowledge of the efficiency and productivity rate of your workforce through finger print time clocks can also help in areas such as job costing, resource allocation and project management.

A wireless time clock with time tracking software is also instrumental in providing information about employee time and attendance costs incurred before, after and during production. This keeps the staff on their toes and aware of their hours and work output.

Finger print time clocks easily and accurately record the time a certain employee takes to achieve a single activity or a project. In addition, time tracking solutions feature flexible options such as online accounts that allow executives in the service industry to record how much time an employee took in performing a specific task. Features like these help organizations gauge employee work efforts, which subsequently enables these businesses to find ways to improve their productivity.

Managing Payroll with the SaaS Model – How Does It Work?

admin | Posted on April 25, 2012 by admin

What exactly is SaaS?

SaaS or “Software as a Service” is the latest phenomenon in the world of Information Technology. It is basically a way of operating software that can be accessed from any device with an Internet connection and a web browser. Also referred to as “Cloud Computing”, this web-based model involves the hosting and maintenance of software by service providers over the Internet as opposed to having the software hosted internally by an ASP (application service provider). Managing payroll with cloud-based time and attendance software is a classic example of a successful SaaS model.

Why should I prefer SaaS over traditional payroll software?

SaaS has been hailed as the perfect solution for organizations seeking cost-effective, uncomplicated and hassle free software applications to run their businesses, specifically when it comes to managing payroll. For instance, if a small business were to internally host the software required to run a fingerprint time clock, it would involve certain operational costs, not to mention the need to address any maintenance problems that may arise and affect operational efficiency. Additional operational expenses to internally host software include the cost of a physical server, server storage space, and the cost for database management and IT staff to maintain the server. In addition, it becomes the sole responsibility of the company to ensure the software is properly operating.

With SaaS, all payroll data is accessed and managed via the Internet and is stored on servers that are hosted and maintained by service providers. There is no need to make room for an actual server in your office, or to hire additional staff to monitor and manage your server. Better yet, if there is an issue with your payroll software, the service provider takes care of it. For example, if you are using time and attendance software, you do not need to deal with the hassle of making sure it’s running smoothly. In other words, you are outsourcing your IT responsibilities to the SaaS vendor who takes care of all the trouble shooting, maintenance and upgrades.

Is my data secure with SaaS vendors?

This is one area that often causes business owners to stop and think about their data security. In reality, SaaS vendors like time and attendance software service providers are able to adopt far more effective and stringent security measures than a small or medium sized business can afford on their own. In addition to security, these types of service providers are also far more advanced in terms of maintenance and data backup. It’s their business to protect your information and they take that responsibility serious.

Can SaaS save me money?

If you own a business and are looking to manage the time and attendance of your employees, consider looking into SaaS. It’s a great option for any company to manage payroll, and can save time and money in the process.

The SaaS model for managing programs like fingerprint time clock software enables small businesses the ability to enjoy the full features of their payroll software, without having to bear unnecessary costs for expensive hardware and IT support.

How Badly Does Time Theft Affect Your Business?

admin | Posted on April 13, 2012 by admin

Time theft may sound like a rather mundane problem to you, but it is one of the biggest reasons that an organization’s operational costs pile up. Time theft takes place

in many different forms and happens at almost every business, small or large. Some of the most common forms of time theft include buddy punching, proxy attendance, late arrivals, early departures, and unauthorized overtime. Fortunately, there is a simple and cost effective recourse for business owners who are up against time theft. Solutions such as employee time keeping software have been proven to reduce and often eliminate practices of time theft, saving businesses thousands of dollars each year.

In 2009, a joint report by The Boston Globe and The Denver Post concluded that almost 20% of every dollar a business makes is lost to practices like time theft. The report estimated that the annual cost of time theft to US businesses can be as much as $400 billion per year. Such a statistic makes a small business owner wonder how much of this amount is coming out of his or her own pocket. Considering the severity of the issue, it is hardly surprising that so many businesses have been acquiring time and attendance systems such as a biometric fingerprint time clock to protect their interests and ensure their employees are accountable for work hours.

Time theft in such large numbers directly affects the bottom line of any business. In some instances, costs related to time theft can be passed on to consumers. Of course, even in this scenario businesses are at the losing end because transferring costs to consumers renders the business overpriced and non-competitive in the marketplace. Time keeping software is the ideal application to challenge and conform the menace of time theft, and help companies maintain a competitive edge.

Time attendance and payroll data recording systems that use biometric biological features, such as fingerprints, for employee identification have proven to be the best defense against time theft. A biometric fingerprint time clock leaves no room for employees to engage in time theft. Businesses are able to keep their operational costs within reason after the implementation of an employee time management system, and focus on increasing profits. In addition, improved employee productivity and organizational efficiency are a few extra bonuses that come along as a result of time theft elimination.

Online Time & Attendance Software for Small and Medium Enterprises

admin | Posted on April 2, 2012 by admin

A majority of small and medium enterprises start up with limited capital. This often means that the business owner has to take on many responsibilities. Having too many administrative tasks can hinder the progress of your company because it shifts your focus from the core responsibility of business development. If you find yourself faced with this situation, you can transfer some of the burden of administrative tasks by acquiring business management applications like online attendance software.

Managing employee payroll is one of the most important administrative tasks for small and medium businesses. This is usually the area with the second largest share in operational costs, coming in right behind raw material costs. Time & attendance software plays a major role in reducing your overall spending on payroll. In addition, the power of automation comes in handy for streamlining every aspect of your operational processes.

Online attendance software is the best application for accurately tracking employee work hour information. In the absence of time & attendance software, it can be extremely difficult to manage and track employee time and attendance, and the end result is not always error free. Manual time tracking is inaccurate, vulnerable to manipulation, and time consuming in comparison to automated payroll data collection via online attendance software.
In addition to accurately recording employee work hours, time & attendance software has a lot of other advantages for small and medium enterprises. For example, it can process employee time and attendance data for payroll purposes after it has been recorded with online attendance software.

Time & attendance software can also be integrated with your existing payroll system, and can export data into a number of formats. By simply using online attendance software, one of the most complicated tasks in small businesses easily becomes streamlined making payroll accurate, reliable and hassle free.

Time & attendance software helps in other areas as well, such as project allocation, job costing and employee productivity evaluations.

Avoid Being Misled By Paid Reviews For Web Time Clocks

admin | Posted on March 29, 2012 by admin

Web time clocks have played an important role in transforming organizational administrative processes from tedious and consuming to streamlined and efficient. Their success has caused an explosion of finger print time clock marketing companies to pop into the time management solutions market.

Although these mushroom companies often have little to no experience in areas like producing quality time keeping software or providing reliable customer service, they generate quite a bit of business through a number of questionable practices. The method topping this list right now is by paying for positive reviews at online time tracking review sites and affiliate marketing websites. Below, we discuss these practices in detail and give you ways to avoid being misled.

Solicited and Paid Time Keeping Software Reviews

Before buying a product or service, many people like to consult product review sites to get unbiased, authentic information. Business owners are no different and often look to the Internet when searching for new equipment. For example, a manager might seek industry trade blogs and review forums when looking for information on web time clocks or biometric fingerprint timeclocks. Unfortunately, they are often unaware of the fact that many of the sites they find and trust are actually making money by getting paid for fake reviews. These review sites get a nice financial incentive if the traffic they send results in a sale. Needless to say, products that are sold through such methods can be unreliable. It is always better to consult relevant magazines and independent review websites when looking for information about products like a finger print time clock.

Affiliate Marketing Sites

Affiliate marketing websites market products that they have little expert or professional knowledge about. These online organizations target potential keywords and place pay-per-click advertising on key search engine pages. When a potential buyer searches for a phrase like web time clocks, he or she is lured to affiliate marketing sites through advertising text offering what seems like genuine information. In reality, the goal of this type of webpage is to lead you to affiliate sites so they can gain financially.

If you want to ensure you are getting accurate and true information about time recording devices and time keeping software, it is always recommended to directly consult a manufacturer by either visiting their website or calling a sales representative.

The Biometric Time Clock – What Can It Do For Your Business?

admin | Posted on March 22, 2012 by admin

With constant advancements in human resource management applications, there have been many, many changes in the workplace environment. However, there is hardly a system that has made a bigger or better impact to an organization’s operational efficiency than the biometric time clock.

Throughout the last century, businesses have relied on mechanical time tracking devices to record employee payroll data. These traditional time clocks are inadequate and fail to meet the efficiency demands of a competitive work environment. A biometric fingerprint time clock equipped with cloud computing software is far more advanced and effective than a mechanical punch clock, especially when it comes to the accurate recording of employee time and attendance.

Today’s entrepreneurs are fully aware of the importance of accurately tracking and recording employee time and attendance. One of the biggest reasons that led to the abandonment of traditional punch card devices and paper time sheets is that they simply cannot provide results as accurate as a biometric time clock. The software used to run a biometric fingerprint time clock records all employee work hours in a secure and reliable manner. It is also extremely helpful in creating detailed time and attendance reports for HR departments. These reports help streamline business processes by saving the time and efforts of Human Resource and payroll departments.

The introduction of the biometric time clock has simply made the workplace a much more efficient place. Not only do these time clocks improve productivity and efficiency, but they also help cut down on operational costs. With fine-tuned administrative processes and reduced time theft, there is great potential for return on investment.

Businesses also save money with the online biometric fingerprint time clock because they no longer need to purchase extra accessories such as time sheets, punch cards, ribbons and ink for manual punch clocks. With all these positive savings and benefits, it’s easy to see how business owners that want to be competitive must have this powerful management tool in his or her organization.

Web Based Time Clock – The Window into Your Shop Floor

admin | Posted on March 14, 2012 by admin

The web based time clock is widely credited for revolutionizing employee time tracking systems largely due to the use of cloud computing. Employee time and attendance management has been a tricky aspect of administrative and operational tasks for business owners. Manual time tracking, whether done using paper time sheets or mechanical card punching clocks, has always been considered flawed and error prone. This situation changed drastically once biometric fingerprint time clocks emerged onto the employee time management solutions scene.

The online functionality of these time tracking devices offers many conveniences for employees, as well as business owners. Online fingerprint time clocks are generally regarded as one the most uncomplicated time tracking systems simply because they do not involve complicated software. In addition, online biometric fingerprint time clocks allow business owners to keep track of employee punch ins and outs, late arrivals and early departures, even if they are not at their office or on the shop floor. It’s like you have a window into your business that is open 24/7 and you can look through at any time from anywhere in the world. A web based time clock is an ideal solution for small businesses as they do not need to buy expensive software or pay heavy annual licensing fees.

Furthermore, business owners do not need to spend their hard earned money on accessories for fingerprint time clocks, worry about data storage and security. All of these are taken care of on the service provider’s end. The employee time data is stored at servers that have additional security features for increased security. Web based time clock service providers keep all payroll data for one month in case there are any disputes between the employer and the employees.

The web-based functionality of biometric fingerprint time clocks presents a unique opportunity for small business owners to track their employees’ time accurately and more cost effectively.