Is Employee Time Clock Software a Good Investment?

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Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Making smart business decisions isn’t always as straightforward as it might sound. Determining whether something is a good investment can be a lengthy process because what works for someone else’s company might not work for yours. When it comes to technology, this can get even more complicated—after all, with so many different types of business tech out there, how can you be sure that a product isn’t only effective but is also necessary?

Employee time clock software is quickly becoming the most popular method of timekeeping in the modern business world. In fact, it’s likely that paper punch cards will soon be obsolete. Keep reading to find out more about time clock software and what makes it a good investment.

What Is Employee Time Clock Software?

While the name might seem complicated at first, employee time clock software is actually pretty simple. Basically, it’s a web-based time tracking tool that records the hours that your employees spend on the clock. This means improved accuracy, faster clocking in and out, and fewer errors when it comes time to calculate your payroll.

Most time clock software providers use a form of cloud technology so that employees can clock in and out from any Internet-connected device, whether it be a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Flexibility is among the top benefits of time clock software, as its highly customizable to accommodate a wide range of business needs. For this reason, providers typically offer a few different login options that can be as basic as entering a username and password or as sophisticated as facial recognition.

And because you can use it with any device that connects to the Internet, time clock software doesn’t require you to buy (or install) any additional technology or devices.

More Than Just a Time Clock

Time clock software might start with timekeeping, but it certainly doesn’t end there: Additional features and integrations make time clock software a versatile tool that can streamline your business in more ways than one. These are just a few of the features that typically come with time clock software.

Scheduling Software

Scheduling, like timekeeping, is an administrative task that can take up a large chunk of time throughout the workday. Because time tracking and scheduling are so closely related, many time clock software providers offer a scheduling feature so that employers can create schedules with the same platform that they use to process timesheets. With features like drag-and-drop functionality and color-coding, scheduling software makes it quick and easy to build clean, organized schedules and share them with your employees. Scheduling software also allows you to send out notifications to employees when a new schedule has been published or an existing one has been changed, ensuring that everyone always has the most up-to-date version of the schedule and knows when—and if you have multiple locations, where—they’re supposed to be working.

Make sure to look for a software provider that offers a mobile app—your employees will love being able to check their schedules on the go!

Image courtesy of Pixabay.

Reports

Not only does time clock software make it more convenient to clock in and out, but it also saves you from having to process your timesheets by hand. Reporting features allow you to automatically generate detailed, customizable reports that include data like total hours worked, individual employees’ daily hours, in-and-out activity, PTO summaries, and more. Create, download, and export reports that show the information you want and nothing more, cutting down on manual paperwork while still retaining comprehensive records for your company.

Easy Integration

The widespread digitalization of administrative taskwork means that your business probably uses a long list of online tools and software. But while these tools are useful and time-efficient on their own, having them work together can save you more time than ever. This is why integration is such an important part of time clock software, and luckily, most service providers offer easy integrations for payroll, billing, and a variety of other HR tools. Integrating time clock software with your other forms of business tech doesn’t only make data processing faster and more convenient, but it can also prevent errors from occurring and costing you money.

Take Your Business to the Next Level

Investing in employee time clock software is a business decision that can make life easier for both you and your employees. And, when it comes down to it, isn’t that what business technology is all about? Of course, choosing the right time clock software provider will play a big role in just how much you’ll be able to get out of your investment, so be sure to take the time to research a couple of different providers and compare the features that they offer.

While there are some free time clock apps and websites out there, most of them don’t give users the same number of benefits that paid time clock software usually provides—which is why it’s generally worth the investment to go with a paid provider. So, if you think it’s time to take your business to the next level (pun intended!), consider trying employee time clock software, and see for yourself just how much of a difference it can make.

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John is a serial entrepreneur and writer who is passionate about helping small businesses launch and grow. His work has been featured in Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, and Forbes.