Organizations around the world have started integrating biometric time clocks with their workforce management systems and are enjoying the benefits. Biometric technology offers end users higher levels of security and a convenient way of identification that is simply not found through other identification methods. Combining biometric identification with a workforce management solution has its advantages; today we will discuss the top 5 benefits of using a biometric time clock.
eSchedule – a leader in timekeeping for public safety agencies – leverages the power of a biometric finger scanner for many customers.
#1 – Eliminates Time Theft
One of the core benefits of using a biometric time clock is to eliminate employee time theft which costs businesses billions of dollars annually. Relying on security cameras, barcode swipe cards, or personal identification numbers (PINs) to prevent employee time theft are less effective solutions compared to biometrics. A biometric time clock provides a concrete audit trail and accurate tracking of employee time and attendance.
Biometric time clocks identify a person based on their unique physical credentials which cannot be lost, forgotten, guessed, or easily cloned. Therefore, time theft can be completely eliminated with a biometric time clock because an employee must be physically present to clock in and out.
#2 – Increases Productivity
Implementing a biometric time clock with a workforce management system will increase employee productivity. A biometric time clock significantly speeds up the process of collecting time and attendance records, which, if done manually, can be a drain on resources. In addition, a biometric time clock allows business owners to produce automatic time sheets and provide an entire employment history with a few clicks of the mouse. This will reduce the amount of time tracking employee hours and allows the ability to generate a quick report to see overall attendance data.
Biometrics saves employee time by eliminating the practice of keeping manual time and attendance records plus it decreases staffing overhead and provides accurate labor data to the payroll system to effectively manage business operations, thereby increasing productivity.
With a biometric time clock in place, HR departments are able to free resources otherwise spent on manual payroll processing, overtime adjustments, and accuracy checking to concentrate on core job responsibilities.
#3 – Eliminates Buddy Punching
Buddy punching is the practice of one employee punching in or out for another employee and it’s not extremely rare for employees to “do a favor” by punching in another employee using their ID card or PIN. Unfortunately, buddy punching undermines the ability of a company to maximize return on investment (ROI), accurately forecast strategies for future growth, and to maintain faith in the integrity of their workforce.
According to an estimate by The American Payroll Association, buddy punching effects 75% of businesses in the U.S. and can cost a business up to 7% of gross payroll annually.
Buddy punching can be easily eliminated with the use of a biometric time clock. Due to the fact that biometric characteristics cannot be duplicated, it prevents employees from punching in a co-worker while not present in the workplace.
#4 – Greater ROI
Implementing a biometric time clock can help businesses achieve fast ROI by eliminating problems caused by inaccuracies and loopholes of an old-fashioned manual time and attendance system. Biometric employee authentication saves human resources (HR) working hours by providing data electronically, effectively eliminating the time required to manually calculate work and overtime hours. Eliminating the practice of maintaining manual time and attendance records, biometric time clocks also reduce administrative expenses by:
• Decreasing staff overhead
• Removing the need to reset employee passwords saving IT full time equivalents (FTEs)
• Replacing lost/stolen ID cards
#5 – Efficient Payroll Processing
Efficient payroll processing is a crucial part of any business and the use of biometrics for workforce management has a direct and distinct impact on payroll processing efficiency. In many organizations, biometric time clocks are used to track employee time and attendance instead of relying on time card or PIN punching. This attendance data can then be directly uploaded to the workforce management solution within minutes. Using biometric technology, companies are streamlining their payroll processing.
Biometric technology helps accurately track employee time and attendance that prevents time theft issues such as early arrivals, early departures, and unauthorized overtime. As a result, when attendance data is transferred into payroll processing software, HR staff has access to the most accurate and up-to-date data which reduces payroll errors.
Conclusion
A biometric time clock brings efficiency to the workplace by providing an unparalleled ability to quickly and accurately capture real-time workforce data. Thousands of organizations worldwide have already implemented biometric time clocks and are seeing reductions in costs and increases in workforce productivity.
For EMS/Ambulance agencies looking to take control of buddy punching, contact EMS eSchedule.
About EMS eSchedule
EMS eSchedule is a customizable web-based scheduling application that can help with scheduling as well as many other tasks that EMS administrators are faced with. Our custom approach to configuration eliminates the need to change effective practices that already work within your organization. We spend time listening to our customers and design solutions that makes agencies more efficient in scheduling, time and labor management, training and personnel inventory.