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The benefits of an automated time and attendance system

In a business environment, manual and repetitive tasks take up a lot of time, time that could be greatly reduced if an automated system was introduced. One of the most time-intensive processes for many businesses is the tracking of staff attendance and coordinating payroll accordingly.

Mark Simpson, sales leader for Tyco Retail Solutions South Africa.

“Think about how much time is spent reviewing timecards, analysing how many days each employee worked and how long they worked each day,” says Mark Simpson, sales leader for Tyco Retail Solutions South Africa. “Automated time and attendance systems greatly reduce this strain on resources. Automated, web-based systems that integrate with human resources and payroll offer significant cost savings, increased productivity, accurate workforce reporting and easier access to attendance data.”

Simpson says it made sense to include time and attendance management as part of Tyco Retail Solution’s bouquet of services. “As part of our holistic approach to our customer’s businesses we saw a need to sell, install and support a reliable time and attendance system and we now manage this service at a leading national book retailer with close to 50 stores around the country as well as numerous fashion retailers.”

He says that Tyco Retail Solutions has partnered with Control Instruments to supply AstrowWEB, world class workforce management solution, to its customers.

The Astrow Suite virtual terminal allows employees to clock in using a web browser, which means the system can be centralised and is able to cater for remote workers too. The fingerprint biometrics can be connected to an existing network. All data is then processed centrally and accessed via AstrowWEB throughout the enterprise using a standard web browser.

“Automation of the time and attendance system enables users to accurately track staff hours, eliminating the costs and frustrations of a traditional payroll system. But over and above the payroll benefits, the system gives users the ability to monitor leave days, overtime and breaks, as well as offering better insights into an employee’s performance and time management skills,” explains Simpson.

“This information is recorded and can be reported on, making it a useful tool for human resource management. Employees are able to access this information as well as any other messages easily, which empowers the employee and creates a mutually trusting relationship.”

Managers can be assigned specific rights that enable them to draw reports, track absenteeism, authorise overtime and also request leave on behalf of a staff member. Easy access to accurate data enables business owners to predict the number of hours and manpower required for a project. We need to mention integration with fingerprint biometrics that can be connected to an existing network. All data is then processed centrally and accessed via AstrowWEB throughout the enterprise using a standard web browser.

“The Astrow Time and Attendance system gives business owners a good grasp on some of the workforce trends in their organisation, giving them insights into labour expenses and project costs,” says Simpson. “The return on investment is quickly realised, owing to the cost savings related to reduction in human errors and increased productivity.”

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