Timeliness is of essence for commercial cleaning businesses because an on-time janitorial company is likely to get recurring business and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Cleaning companies are also faced with unique challenges as they need to manage distributed employees across multiple locations. Having time and attendance software to automate staff tracking and improve workforce productivity is thus crucial.
In this article, we will explore the importance of time and attendance software for any janitorial business, and how it can be used for staff scheduling to ensure the efficient running of the business operations.
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Challenges of managing cleaning company employees
Manual time tracking through timesheets isn’t ideal for janitorial companies as they are not accurate and reliable.
Besides tracking cleaning staff at remote locations, managing their schedule and dealing with high staff turnover is another challenge. Janitorial and cleaning businesses also employ many temporary and part-time workers and it can be demanding to manage contractual workers.
It becomes even more complicated when contract employees work remotely, as it is difficult to ensure they are where they are supposed to be and their hours are accurately recorded.
This is why janitorial scheduling software is essential for tracking, analyzing, and optimizing business operations.
Let’s explore the benefits of janitorial time and attendance software in detail.
Advantages of Using Time and Attendance Software for Janitorial Companies
1. Reduces manual pen & paperwork
Manual time and attendance keeping is time-consuming and prone to errors. Furthermore, it produces a lot of paperwork for payroll as managers need to feed data and calculate payable hours manually. Adopting an automated time-tracking solution can eliminate pen and paper.
Cleaning staff can use mobile apps to clock in and out. Such automation removes the risk of human error, such as incorrect entries or missing records. Your business becomes more efficient as software saves administrative time that can be better utilized for core business tasks thus increasing productivity.
2. Increases workplace efficiency
It saves time as your staff can start working promptly without waiting to punch in or fill timesheets. This reduces idle time at the beginning and end of shifts, allowing employees to be more productive.
Janitorial time tracking software provides real-time access to data on employee attendance, making it easier for managers to allocate resources and adjust work schedules as needed. The streamlined operations and minimized downtime enhance the overall efficiency of janitorial companies.
3. Managing multiple customer sites through geo-fencing
Geo-fencing technology creates a virtual boundary around each work site. The software automatically records their location and working hours when employees enter or exit these predefined work zones.
Managers no longer have to track the location of staff multiple times in real time; the janitorial time tracking app will do it for them. By enforcing the presence of employees at the right location at the right time, geofencing enhances accountability and ensures workers are paid accurately for the actual hours worked at each site.
4. Simplify staff scheduling
A janitorial scheduling software simplifies the creation and management of staff schedules, a critical aspect of cleaning businesses. Scheduling features in the software help easily assign shifts, track overtime, and ensure adequate coverage.
Furthermore, the software can help map employee availability, skills, and preferences for generating schedules thus eliminating the highly inefficient manual scheduling process. Staff also can apply for leaves and time offs within the system and these reports can be pulled automatically at the end of each day to evaluate workforce efficiency.
5. Simplify handling time off and absence management
Your staff can submit time-off requests digitally, and managers can review and approve them within the software. With such automation, the efficiency of leave management improves as there is no paperwork or risk of lost requests. It also monitors time off and absence for each employee, ensuring fair and consistent application of company policies.
6. Faster payroll processing
The efficiency and simplification of various aspects of time and attendance recording translates into faster and error-free payroll processing. Janitorial scheduling software like Truein can readily integrate with payroll software, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reconciliation.
It reduces payroll processing time and payroll errors. Faster payroll processing ensures that employees are paid accurately and on time, which boosts their morale.
For these benefits, you have to make sure you choose the right software for your cleaning business. Here are the factors to consider.
Six things to consider before buying time and attendance software for cleaning companies
1. Remote access
As cleaning businesses have operations disbursed over multiple remote sites, janitorial time and attendance software must have remote access. A comprehensive time and attendance software for cleaning businesses must offer a user-friendly web or mobile app interface to access real-time data from anywhere.
It ensures that managers can manage their workforce far more effectively by monitoring employee attendance, making schedule adjustments, and tracking time remotely.
2. Easy installation
The janitorial time tracking app must be easy to install so the cleaning staff can install it on their phones without hassle. The software should also be easily integrated with existing systems, such as payroll or HR management tools.
Easy installation minimizes the need for extensive technical support or training. It ensures a smooth transition to the new time and attendance tracking system.
3. Option to create varied staff policies
Cleaning companies have diverse staffing needs. A janitorial workforce could include a mix of temporary, part-time, and permanent workers. As these employees are not regulated under the same time and attendance rules, a flexible janitorial time and attendance software can help in creating and applying varied staff policies.
Managers can develop policies, including unique pay rates and overtime thresholds, and modify rules easily using the software.
4. Easy task scheduling
Task scheduling is crucial for cleaning companies to allocate work appropriately based on a worker’s skills and availability. This is why your chosen software should provide intuitive scheduling features that allow managers to create and adjust task assignments easily. Easy task scheduling ensures the right employees are assigned to the right jobs at the correct times.
5. Easy streamlining of the payroll process
The ultimate goal of adopting a janitorial time and attendance software is to improve efficiency and productivity. The software you choose should seamlessly integrate with your payroll system to achieve this.
It must enable payroll administrators to export accurate and detailed time and attendance data directly to the payroll software, eliminating the need for manual data entry or reconciliation. Such integration makes payroll processing faster and more accurate, increasing employee satisfaction and compliance with labor laws.
6. Comprehensive reporting and analytics
To improve business revenue and profitability, decision-makers need insights into the workforce’s performance and operational efficiency. The time and attendance software should offer a range of customizable reports that provide data on attendance trends, labor costs, and employee productivity.
The Analytics capability of the software will help you identify areas for improvement, such as optimizing schedules or reducing overtime expenses.
How Truein time and attendance software can help janitorial and cleaning companies?
Truein is an innovative janitorial time and attendance software with AI-backed technology. A cloud-based solution, it is easy to deploy at multiple remote sites. Truein’s comprehensive tracking capabilities with GPS geofencing give managers remote access to various sites from a single dashboard. It is a hardware-less solution that is easy to install.
A simple app installation is all you need to onboard workers to the new system. It offers policy flexibility and comes with over 70 customizable policy templates. Task scheduling, payroll integration, and robust reporting capabilities are some other features that ensure that Truein aligns with the specific needs and challenges of the cleaning industry.
Conclusion
Time and attendance software are indispensable tools for janitorial and cleaning companies. A comprehensive janitorial time-tracking software can help overcome the challenges of managing the workforce. Furthermore, software offers various benefits, such as simplified scheduling, faster payroll processing, and remote access.
FAQs
1. How is janitorial scheduling software easier to use than manual paperwork?
Janitorial scheduling software automates the process of creating and managing staff schedules, eliminating the need for pen and paperwork and reducing the time and effort required to create schedules. It also minimizes scheduling errors and allows for quick adjustments when needed.
2. How does GPS help cleaning companies record their employees' time and attendance?
When integrated into time and attendance software, GPS technology records employee’s location when they clock-in. This helps track employee’s location and ensures that employees are present at the site when they should be at the right time. GPS helps make time and attendance records accurate.
