Time and attendance are important components of your business and staying current improves your understanding of the industry and the services they provide. Discuss your five and ten year plan with your staff and ask them to review the trends in time and attendance as part of that larger picture.

Focus on changes that revolve around data collection methods. This includes the different functions and features added to fingerprint scanning. Multiple uses of this information for access control, physical location monitoring and movement tracking are all possible. Follow the three steps below to learn more about time and attendance news and trends.

1. Enroll in time and attendance forums.

2. Review time and attendance newsletters.

3. Participate in time and attendance seminars.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Join time and attendance forums

Stay current with time and attendance news and trends by subscribing to industry newsletter. Time and attendance software is central to almost all human resources and payroll systems and is a central focus of staff management. Track changes in the industry to gain insight into the issues and needs of other businesses.

I recommend: Focus on enhancements by the time and attendance system suppliers, as a widely adopted change is a good indicator of changing business climate. Register your firm and select a senior human resources manager as the key contact on this issue. Join the Time and Attendance Forum and TimeTrex Forum to participate in group discussions.

Subscribe to time and attendance newsletters

Read news on jobs in time and attendance and trends in the industry to gain valuable insights into the time attendance distributor network. Biometrics, handheld devices and portable time clocks are all devices that have an impact on time and attendance. Sign up for a newsletter to stay informed on the changes in equipment.

I recommend: Subscribe to the free newsletter from Time Clocks MTS. Register for newsletters from Simply Hired to stay current on changes in the job prospects for time and attendance employees. Sign up for Infotronics newsletter to stay current on equipment changes, updates and more.

Attend time and attendance seminars

Select key staff and send them to employee time and attendance system seminars. These sessions provide an important forum to network with other users of employee time clock systems. Select meetings that focus on topics relevant in your industry to obtain the maximum benefit.

I recommend: Artman.net and Paychex both provide online seminars on time and attendance. Staff who attend these seminars should be required to present the information they learned to the other managers. This method encourages the sharing of information to the benefit of the company.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Information about the future direction of time and attendance is very useful when negotiating long term contracts with unions or employees so that appropriate language on the use of attendance tracking devices can be included.

New time and attendance solutions for every size of business, including web- and PC-based systems, remote systems and high-tech time clocks are replacing paper time sheets and mechanical clocks at a rapid clip. These systems also integrate easily with popular payroll software, making them huge time and money savers for almost any business.

You'll want to decide what type of time and attendance system you want. It could be software you install on your own PCs. Or perhaps you want the convenience of a web-based service where you don't need in-house hardware. Other choices include remote systems and more traditional time clocks.

You'll also want to look for systems that fit your business as measured by number of employees. Businesses with less than 20 employees, for example, may want different technology than those with several hundred.

Popular features are another way to narrow your choices. For example, do you want a system that works with swipe cards, numeric keypads, proximity cards or perhaps "biometric" capabilities such as fingerprint recognition? These and others are available. Whatever you select, a time and attendance systems can help you:

1. Control employee absenteeism by helping you keep better and more accurate records.
2. Reduce employee "time theft" through over-reporting of time spent on the job and "buddy punching" where co-workers clock in for each other.
3. Employ the latest time and attendance technology to your benefit, such as magnetic swipe cards, proximity cards, passwords and even fingerprint or other biometric systems to assure accuracy.
4. Make payroll easier by automatically integrating time and attendance records with your payroll software or system.

Business.com's "What Works for Business" blog is a great way to keep up with the latest solutions, trends and strategies for small and medium business — including time and attendance tracking technology.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Move to Web-based solutions

Growth-minded small businesses that want to eliminate the need for any on-site technology are tapping into Web-based time and attendance solutions.

I recommend: Kronos is one of the best known names in workforce management products for every size business, including a popular web-based time and attendance system called Workforce Timekeeper. Timekeeper automates the error-prone process of tacking employee time and attendance. And if you have complex pay policies, the system can make payroll calculations a snap. WorkArea.com also has a line of time tracking tools. Its Time Clock feature, for example, lets you track time for any combination of clients, projects or tasks, replacing inaccurate and easily-manipulated paper methods. TimeLedger is another Web-based time tracker favored by small biz. Create online timesheets, download the information anytime, integrate with QuickBooks and receive customizable e-mail alerts.

Install or upgrade an on-site system

With high-tech time and attendance solutions you can easily and accurately collect data on hours worked, track vacation time, sick time and flex time - even break time - and integrate the info with whatever payroll method you use.

I recommend: Lathem Time Corp. is a leading provider of time and attendance products for small business. PayClock EZ, their top selling automated timekeeping system, integrates easily with QuickBooks and popular finance and payroll services including ADP and Paychex.

Pop it on your desktop PC

PC-based systems let you track everything from a desktop computer at your place of business.

I recommend: Time Clock Plus Small Business Edition lets employees clock in or out from a designated PC using an on-screen time clock. All reports can be managed from the same PC using the system's TimeClock Manager.

Contrast & compare prices, features and shopping tips

Hundreds of vendors compete to offer time and attendance products designed specifically for small business.

I recommend: BuyerZone is a great place to comparison shop for time and attendance systems and software. And here's a great bonus: The site also has super-helpful buyers guides that explain the basics of how these systems work and what to look for in an electronic time clock vendor.

Dedicated solutions just for professional services firms

Some time and attendance systems available online are geared to specific types of businesses.

I recommend: Timesolv, from Thomson Elite, is a Web-based solution offering professional services (attorneys, CPAs, medical practices, etc.) firms an easy way to handle time-tracking and billing without having to buy software or hire an outside billing service.

Same-day solution online

Need something right now! Some online systems can get you up and running today!

I recommend: TimeDirect is an online timesheet and expense reporting service. You can be up and running on the system in hours.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Things to look for in a small business time and attendance system:
• •  Data collection: basic time in/out.
• •  Time accounting: The ability to apply your own rules on overtime, breaks, etc.
• •  Cost distribution: Lets you allocate time worked by location, project, job or other categories.
• •  Scheduling: An easy way to schedule time on and time off by group or individual and record employee requests for vacation, sick and paid time off.
• •  Payroll integration: The ability to automatically flow your time and attendance system data into QuickBooks or a payroll service.
• •  Attendance tracking: The ability to keep an attendance calendar for each employee.

Investigate time and attendance options now available and how they could save your company staff time and money. Many time and attendance tracking devices are computerized, allowing the potential for a direct data exchange with your payroll system.

This option reduces the need for human data entry and greatly increases the quality of the data. Time and attendance is the basis for all hourly paid staff and must be accurate, as there is no room for error in payroll. Follow the three steps below to learn more about time and attendance basics.

1. Identify time and attendance system requirements.

2. Take time and attendance courses.

3. Build link between time and attendance and accounting software.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Utilize free trials of time and attendance software

Make a list of your time attendance system requirements such as number of employees, number of employee groups, number of locations, total number of staff and any other requirements. Discuss your needs with a time attendance distributor or use a free trial version of software to determine if it meets your requirements.

I recommend: Look at the options available and decide what features are necessary, and look at the suppliers that can meet those needs. Both Net Time Solutions and Replicon provide free 30 day trials. Download the software and test out the standard and advanced features. Look for any limitations on the number of users and the types of reports available.

Attend time and attendance management courses

Locate courses in time and attendance for human resources staff and department managers. The purpose of these courses is to ensure a consistent level of knowledge and understanding of time and attendance system implications. This understanding improves the success of any time and attendance software changes or implementation.

I recommend: Sign up for online support on MyTimeForce.com to access extended knowledge center, detailed support and classes. Ceridian offers online courses on time and attendance software for their customers.

Integrate time and attendance software

Select and implement a time and attendance system that meets your needs by reviewing your list of requirements and providing it to the solution providers. Work closely with the accounting and payroll staff to determine what information needs to be provided to the time and attendance software to facilitate the integration of the two systems.

I recommend: Launch a pilot project to track time and attendance and to test the data flow from the time attendance solutions to the human resources or payroll system. Take advantage of the resources provided by Exact America or Novatime in the integration of time and attendance devices and software with payroll and human resources systems.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Time and attendance management is critical to managing payroll costs. Investigate all the possible methods to automate the flow of information from the time and attendance devices, such as portable time clocks to the payroll system.

Time and attendance entails everything from installing time clocks to processing payroll. The tasks involved vary from one organization to another, but the concept is always the same. Correct and efficient time and attendance keeping leads to efficient payroll processing.

Find out how options like employee lock-out can benefit your company, or why buddy punching should be closely monitored. Learning the basic key terms associated with time and attendance can keep your payroll and time keeping operations running smoothly.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Payroll service bureau

A payroll service bureau is a business that handles all payroll tasks for other companies. These businesses cater to smaller sized companies that can't afford to take on all the tasks associated with payroll.

I recommend: Qqest defines a payroll service bureau and explains the benefits of outsourcing the time and attendance payroll process.

Payroll export

Payroll export refers to a time or attendance information system that can transfer all employee time information directly to a payroll tracking system. The export allows human resource managers to track how employee attendance, labor costs and work efficiency compare.

I recommend: E-timetracking.com explains how payroll export works as a part of a time and attendance information software system.

Employee lock out

An employee lock out is a basic restriction on employees trying to punch in at a time clock. Managers make restrictions so employees not scheduled cannot punch in or for any other reason management specifies.

I recommend: Read the definition of employee lock out at Mytimeforce.com. Find out how some time keeping devices allow for lock out options and what the benefits of the options are.

Benefits and accruals

Time and attendance is based solely on employee work, but time not spent at work also is considered under this heading. The terms benefits and accruals are defined as vacation, sick or any other type of leave provided to an employee.

I recommend: The International Time Recorder defines benefits and accruals in its glossary of terms.

Buddy punching

Buddy punching is an illegal way co-workers cheat the time system. When a worker punches in for another because the second is late or not there, this is called buddy punching. The illegal act can cost companies a lot of money in unearned payments.

I recommend: Sundial Time Systems explains buddy punching and how to prevent it.

Incentive pay

Managers use incentive pay as a reward system to get employees to work beyond what they are accustomed to working.

I recommend: The term "incentive pay" is defined at Human Resources Directory.