Have you been thinking about getting a modern attendance system for your company, but you're not sure where to start? Or do you find yourself overwhelmed by the range of options causing you to continually postpone your decision? Here are some tips on what to consider when selecting a new system and how to pick the one that suits you best.
When getting any new IT system, start by thinking about how it fits into your business operations. Identify the must-have features while avoiding additional features that may go unused. This saves you worry and money in the future.
How Are You Going to Record Attendance
The first step should be to establish how you intend to record attendance. Do you have a production with hundreds of employees? Then it might be best to consider getting a wall-mounted punch clock, for example, using a smart card at the entrance. If, on the other hand, you run a creative studio with only a few employees who work from the office, home, or during business trips, then you may prefer a mobile app-based attendance system.
Often, a company needs to combine attendance recording methods to make possible occasional remote work for administrative staff while simultaneously tracking the attendance of on-site employees.
What You Can't Do Without and Where to Save
It can be difficult to get to grips with the features on offer, especially if you are getting your first advanced attendance system. Carefully evaluate what you truly require. What are the extra features you might want to consider for the future, or those you can do without. For example, most attendance systems can also calculate meal allowances. But some lack the ability to calculate meal tickets differently for various groups of employees. Others might provide options like "Meal Tickets" or payroll system export, but these features could come with an extra cost. The inclusion of similar features might unexpectedly lead to a higher total cost or necessitate changes in the client's internal procedures. Experienced suppliers will be happy to assist you. In many cases, they've done hundreds of installations, so they can estimate what solution will work best for you.
Recording attendance is the basis of all these systems. When considering an investment in such a system, think about incorporating features like a shift plan or the ability to submit and approve applications. You can keep track of both attendance and project-specific work hours in a unified system, allowing you to easily track who is present at work and who is on leave, as well as the time spent on individual projects. This comes especially in handy for agencies that have to report work done to clients at the end of each month. Or maybe you have a sizable workforce, and they regularly divert the HR department's attention with constant questions, such as inquiries about leave balances. Choose features that will increase workflow efficiency and eventually the productivity of your employees. The GIRITON attendance system is designed to display data such as leave balances, overtime, and fund balances, not only on the punch clock but also on the web and mobile app.
What is crucial is the connection parameter to other systems in the company. One of the most practical features that you will surely appreciate is the export of data to the payroll software. Everything such as attendance, overtime, night shifts, bonuses or meal allowances will be available within one place, which can be used for payroll calculations. It is a quick process with minimal risk of errors, unlike the potential mistakes that can occur when, for example, data is manually overwritten from the attendance book or copied from an Excel spreadsheet. You can also consider integration with other systems in the future. The flexibility of importing data is useful especially when working on a project-based schedule. By synchronizing the attendance system with the calendar, everyone will know who is on leave at any given time.
Cloud or Private Server?
When making your choice, you'll also need to decide between opting for a Cloud-based solution or one that operates on your own server. With Cloud, you'll be able to access the system from anywhere. In this way, you can easily give your approval for requests from your reports, even when you're on an extended vacation, or request time off from your bed if you're feeling unwell. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations across different industries have significantly increased their requests for remote access.
Another major advantage of Cloud-based solution is that the responsibility for all updates, backups and data security falls on the provider. This way, you can relax knowing that any changes prompted by new laws and decrees are automatically incorporated into the system, so you don't have to keep an eye on legislative updates.
See also our article on Cloud Based Attendance System: Your Key to Efficiency and Security.
Get Only a Regularly Updated System
Related to the previous point, always opt for a system that is regularly updated by the supplier. This way, you will keep getting new features, making the system even more valuable for you over time. Also, systems that are regularly updated tend to keep pace with changing legislation, among other things.
Also make sure your chosen system complies with all data protection regulations (GDPR).
Does It Provide Phone-Based Support?
The only kind of attendance system you want is one that offers technical support. Especially when getting a new attendance system up and running, you might often need a bit of help or advice at the beginning. So, before you get a system, make sure the supplier offers technical support and check the details of its availability and any associated costs. For larger multinational companies, it's also essential to consider factors like having technical support available in various languages or the accessibility of technicians.
The details regarding the provided support should be clear and transparent, just like the pricing information. Right from the beginning, you should have a clear picture of what's included and what might come with an extra charge. Is the mobile app included in the final price quote? Does the price cover things like data export to payroll software or other features that seem like they should be included in the product? Is there an additional charge for technical support? Make sure you have a good grasp of what you're paying for and how much to avoid any unwelcome surprises later on.
The System Can Be Used by (Almost) Everyone
When choosing a new system, the most important thing is to think about your employees. Is the system intuitive and user-friendly, and can they use it without needing complex training? Does it offer features that they will actually use? Consider, for example, providing a demo version of the product to rank-and-file employees and asking them to try requesting leave, reviewing shifts, and entering attendance. They should more or less be able to do this without ever having seen the system before. If they are struggling and making errors, it's worth reconsidering your choice. After all, a user-friendly system is usually a substantial part of success. If your employees feel comfortable with the system, they're more likely to use it regularly in the future, allowing it to perform its primary role effectively – the reason you got it in the first place.
Our GIRITON attendance system is user-friendly, secure, flexible, and packed with features. We will be more than happy to show you what it can do.
Please contact us either by phone +420 728 543 275 or e-mail info@giriton.com. We will be happy to discuss everything with you and show you how easy and efficient it is to manage attendance records, while also proving that we can be a dependable partner for your attendance system.
