A recent innovation for the mobile workforce is timesheets with geo-fencing. This virtual boundary tool makes it possible to create a digital barrier around a particular site or geo-location, which can be particularly helpful construction professionals or field service workers.
What’s even more helpful is when geo-fencing is combined with time & attendance software. Together, these two technologies make it possible to track employees in the field and ensure that employees can only clock in when they’re within the geo-fence that you’ve established.
How does it work? GPS technology allows you to input particular geolocation data or coordinates. Then, the time tracking software will only allow clock-ins from within that boundary.
What’s the benefit? A major benefit is that employees can only clock in when they’re at the worksite. This is also true of your typical clock-in machine; however, geo-fencing allows employees to clock in using their own mobile devices, which prevents buddy punching since users are tied to using their own device and they can only clock in within the perimeter you’ve established.
Another benefit is that employees are automatically clocked out when they leave the worksite. If employees forget to clock out, it’s automatically taken care of, preventing you from accidentally overpaying your employee. Labor mismanagement is a major source of wasted costs.
What geo-fencing time tracking features should you look for? There are plenty of options when you’re looking for the best geo-fencing time tracking software. In particular, you should be looking for software with these features:
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Mobile apps and technology:
This is a requirement for any time tracking system. Employees should be able to use their own devices to clock in and out. But, if you want to use a tablet for everyone to clock in, you should have this option as well. Since construction sites are mobile, the technology should be mobile too.
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Push notifications:
Managers and/or dispatch get notifications when an employee enters a job site. This tracks and ensures that employees are where they are supposed to be and when they’re there. Managers also will know when an employee leaves a job site without clocking out. Having notifications in place will give managers and/or dispatch real-time information, which increases productivity and accountability.
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Device registration:
Employees should be able to register their particular devices to ensure that only they can log into their account from their phone. This can help prevent buddy punching.
Related Article: 8 Reasons to Abandon Spreadsheet Timesheets
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IP address & GPS tracking:
Being able to track all activity associated with an IP address can be helpful in the auditing stage. -
All all-inclusive system:
Employees and managers shouldn’t have to third a third-party tool or to have to pay for additional hardware to get their job done. All they need is to download the mobile app off their smart phone.
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Project tracking:
Your software should be able to make it easy to track employee time related to projects/jobs, so that you can easily bill it back to the client. It is also a great tool to help keep you on budget as well as keep track of what you are spending on both your employees’ time and on materials. Having a project tracking solution in place will also help with future job costing and estimates.
Together, all of these features should help you determine the best geo-fencing enabled time tracking tool for your needs. Look forward to a more productive, more efficiently, less costly 2018 through time tracking with geo-fencing.
For more information on the DATABASICS Time & Expense solutions, contact us, or call (800) 599-0434.
DATABASICS provides cloud-based, next generation Expense Reporting, P-Card Management, Timesheet Management, Leave Management, and Invoice Processing automation. Specializing in meeting the most rigorous requirements, DATABASICS offers the highest level of service to its customers around the world.
DATABASICS is relied upon by leading organizations representing all the major sectors of the global economy: financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, research, retail, engineering, nonprofits/NGOs, technology, federal contractors, and other sectors.
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