They were once merely imaginative concepts used in science fiction, but, like so many other futuristic predictions, biometric devices are now very real. As technology continues to advance, security and administration systems are becoming more and more sophisticated – while at the same time their implementation grows ever easier. If you work in management for a company of any size, you may just discover that investing in a biometric time and attendance system will take a great amount of pressure off the human resources and administrative aspects of your role, freeing your time up for more productive activities. So what exactly is a biometric time and attendance system and how could it help you, your colleagues and your company?
Biometric – What Does it Mean?
The word “biometric” relates to the application of statistics and statistical analysis to biological data. To simplify, you could say that “biometrics” is the practice measuring aspects of the human body for use in a study, system or database.
How Can Biometrics be Used in a Time and Attendance Management System?
There are a number of ways in which companies can employ biometric technology to help manage members of their personnel. Two of the most popular are fingerprint and retinal scans – fingerprint scanning proving the most regularly used. The process is simple. When an employee first joins the company, a scan of their fingerprint is taken and mapped. Particular coordinates of the fingerprint are then recorded, so that every time the individual “signs in” from now on, the points located on the tip of their finger will match up with the points recorded on the system, allowing them access. This approach means that no other person can log into this employee’s work profile, access their sensitive data or enter their place of work posing as them, thus increasing the security of the site and all employees’ personal information. Additionally, if a physical area of the company’s premises can only be accessed by authorised personnel, a biometric time and attendance management system can ensure that this directive is effectively enforced.
What Can My Company Achieve With a Biometric Time and Attendance Management System?
Through the use of a time and attendance management system, a huge number of time consuming jobs can be automated. By having employees sign in and out using fingerprint scanning technology located at data capture terminals, the system can register the hours they have worked per shift and calculate their payroll. It can also track the speed of their completion of tasks, revealing areas where productivity could be increased. As mentioned earlier, it can allow or deny area access to certain individuals depending on their job role or level of health and safety training. You can also programme the system to know when employees are taking holiday, or are due to be working at another site, to avoid any confusion.
Rise of the Robots?
Some sci-fi aficionados may worry that the implementation of biometric systems will lead to the dawning of a dystopian future presided over by “Big Brother”. There’s no cause for concern, though – no data collected from personnel is retained in any way that can be abused or illegally accessed. In fact, the fingerprints themselves are erased from the system once they have been mapped, so all that remains are the relevant coordinates that were recorded for the system’s unique use. The database of employees who are registered via a time and attendance system cannot be hacked to yield personal information or data, whether by individuals, terrorist cells, local police or MI5 themselves. In fact, the opposite is true – a biometric system is really the most secure way to store employee profile information, which can be deleted as soon as that individual leaves the organisation.
How Can My Company Obtain a Biometric Time and Attendance Management System?
If you feel that the use of a time and attendance management system would be of use to your company, the next step is to enter into discussions with a supplier. Equipment of this kind is so versatile that it is worth making a list of work currently undertaken by management or human resources that you would like to arrange to be automated, as it is highly likely that this could be covered by a time and attendance system. By calling Time and Attendance today on 01257 256000, you can find out more about what can be achieved using custom compiled software including your choice of add-ons. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have.