Any organization with payroll employees based on time (hourly, weekly, monthly), has a need to keep track of people's time. For those that micro-manage the time, particularly for union related contracts, breaks, etc., standard practice has turned to time clock software. This is really a misnomer in that the actual solutions in most cases involve both hardware and software.
The typical solution for a business involves a series of clock hardware placed at common or convenient entrances, for employees to register when they come or go. For a small business there may be only one clock device.
These devices connect in various fashions to a central database, and relay names and times to a primary database.
Depending on the type of business you have, you may want to investigate several types of timekeeping software:
- Custom Developed, as a standalone – affordable by large, unique corporations only. There are very few of these, primarily since they usually have to interact with a package accounting and payroll system
- As part of another enterprise or HR package. There are many of these, most of them under the general category of ‘HR software'. Some are timekeeping oriented, with interfaces to other standard business software. Some are parts of more complete business software that includes timekeeping software
Software for staffing needs includes tracking applicants and positions have developed, it typically includes connections to benefits software, often to HIPAA or other regulatory software, and usually to accounting or payroll software as well.
Because of their preponderance and the competitiveness in the market; basic to moderate functions for staffing software are now very affordable for medium or even small business.
Major entries in the time keeping system market include:
- Time Clock Plus
- Workforce Software
- Replicon
- and many more
In selecting the proper timekeeping software for your staffing needs, several factors come into play. Many of these factors are similar to those for selecting other software packages:
- Union and timekeeping business requirements: For instance, some businesses may require keeping time for types of breaks (lunch vs. coffee break vs. other off-clock)
- Interfaces: Are there interfaces built into the software to allow for automated interfaces into other standard software such as other HR software or business management software or Payroll software, or does it have its own payroll system?
- Specifics of business: If you hire predominantly seasonal or migrant workers, certain packages may work better. If union requirements force certain functionality, it may eliminate certain options or force others. If you are in certain states with specific reporting requirements, certain packages may be better. If you have a employee base that is part time clock oriented and part not, certain packages must work better.
- Training: Especially with a small business, getting everyone up to speed quickly on a new time clock software package is critical. Unlike other software, typically a vast majority of the workforce needs to learn how to use at least a portion of the system (usually the clock interface, not the timekeeping software.
- System resources: Not usually an issue, but sometimes small business environments are on weak server hardware already.