Ground-breaking access control

Access & Identity Management Handbook 2009 Access Control & Identity Management

Digging through manual logs produced too many errors for Plantation Farms. Biometric access control was the solution.

Plantation Farms, a distributor of agricultural products based in Boksburg, Johannesburg, has a workforce of over 300 employees. Until recently, the farm was running into problems when it came to time and attendance of its employees.

“We never knew exactly how many hours our staff members worked, nor did we know if they actually came to work,” says Charles Sarinha, a shareholder at Plantation Farms. The farm’s previous time and attendance system comprised a log sheet which needed to be filled in manually on a daily basis by both management and staff. This caused endless problems and frustrations, especially at month end when it came to paying salaries.

Plantation Farms was therefore on a lookout for something far more reliable and robust.

Biometric solution

Plantation Farms was looking for a more reliable time and attendance solution, and the human resources and payroll departments were the ones set to benefit the most from this new solution. Apart from saving the company money at the end of each month, this new biometric solution would also enable the farm to more closely monitor who enters the premises and at what times.

The proposed solution comprised two outdoor Sagem OMA520 and one Sagem MA500 biometric readers. Registration of the employees would be controlled by the CWbio fingerprint management software and the logon details would be sent to a computer running the Clockwatch logging software.

Although there are numerous shareholders, none of them really needed any convincing. They could all see that the farm’s previous time and attendance solution was not working at all and that they were losing money every month due to paying employees for hours that were not actually worked. The shareholders were however a little reluctant to go ahead with the Sagem biometric readers as many of their employees were constantly harvesting and therefore would have dirty hands. As it turned out, this was not a problem.

Plantation Farms experienced a few problems during installation, however Sarinha says, “these were very quickly patched though.”

Plantation Farms did not put the project out for tender, but instead went straight to Timewatch. The project was handled by Timewatch and took under a week to complete.

Plantation Farms was happy with the new time and attendance solution. “Before, making sure we had accurate records of who was and was not at work was our problem, now it is completely up to the employee”, Sarinha says. “If the employee does not clock in and out every day he or she does not get paid.”

Farms in similar solutions are advised to too look very closely at their needs and implement a solution that deals with them. Sarinha went on to say that these farms also need to do a little research before settling on a company to perform the installation. The cheapest is not always the best.

For more information contact Garth Odendal, Timewatch, +27 (0)83 458 4693.





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Defending against SIM swap fraud
Access Control & Identity Management
Mobile networks must not be complacent about SIM swap fraud, and they need to prioritise the protection of customers, according to Gur Geva, Founder and CEO of iiDENTIFii.

Read more...
Access Selection Guide 2024
Access Control & Identity Management
The Access Selection Guide 2024 includes a range of devices geared specifically for the access control and identity management market.

Read more...
Biometrics Selection Guide 2024
Access Control & Identity Management
The Biometrics Selection Guide 2024 incorporates a number of hardware and software biometric identification systems aimed at the access and identity management market of today.

Read more...
Smart intercoms for Sky House Projects
Nology Access Control & Identity Management Residential Estate (Industry)
DNAKE’s easy and smart intercom solution has everything in place for modern residential buildings. Hence, the developer selected DNAKE video intercoms to round out upmarket apartment complexes, supported by the mobile app.

Read more...
Authentic identity
HID Global Access Control & Identity Management
As the world has become global and digital, traditional means for confirming authentic identity, and understanding what is real and what is fake have become impractical.

Read more...
Research labs secured with STid Mobile ID
Access Control & Identity Management
When NTT opened its research centre in Silicon Valley, it was looking for a high-security expert capable of protecting the company’s sensitive data. STid readers and mobile ID solutions formed part of the solution.

Read more...
Is voice biometrics in banking secure enough?
Access Control & Identity Management AI & Data Analytics
As incidents of banking fraud grow exponentially and become increasingly sophisticated, it is time to question whether voice banking is a safe option for consumers.

Read more...
Unlocking efficiency and convenience
OPTEX Access Control & Identity Management Transport (Industry)
The OVS-02GT vehicle detection sensor is the newest member of Optex’s vehicle sensor range, also known as ‘virtual loop’, and offers reliable motion detection of cars, trucks, vans, and other motorised vehicles using microwave technology.

Read more...
Protecting our most vulnerable
NEC XON Access Control & Identity Management Products & Solutions
In a nation grappling with the distressing rise in child kidnappings, the need for innovative solutions to protect our infants has never been more critical. South Africa finds itself in the throes of a child abduction pandemic.

Read more...
Understanding the power of digital identity
Access Control & Identity Management Security Services & Risk Management Financial (Industry)
The way we perceive business flourishing is undergoing a paradigm shift, as digital identity and consumer consent redefine the dynamics of transactions, says Shanaaz Trethewey.

Read more...