When companies evolved from paper-based attendance to one that was technology enabled, they were asked to install machines for card swiping or thumb imprints. Once upon a time that felt like an obvious choice. Not anymore! If you are still installing bulky attendance systems, you are probably living in a cave.
There are choices. Go hardware-less!
Table of Contents
Introducing hardware-less face recognition attendance
The charm of technology is not in its complexity, but in its practicality.
Consider Truein’s face attendance app – it can be installed on any tablet or mobile to get started in no time. A common tablet (any Android or iOS device) at the gate is all the infrastructure you need. Or better still – install nothing!
Ask your employees to do a selfie-attendance from their very own phone. How do you ensure they are not marking attendance from home or a beach holiday? With Truein geo-fencing, of course. Our geofencing attendance feature lets employees mark selfie attendance only from geographical boundaries set by you. Define the radius from your office and you are set.
Why does hardware-based attendance increase liability?
1. Initial investment
If you have hundred construction sites or two hundred retail stores, would you invest a machine everywhere? The cost would multiply manifold. Besides, nothing lives forever. You are looking at a similar investment every few years.
2. Recurring maintenance
Hardware that you or your IT does not understand will always have an external dependency. It will have its maintenance requirements. It means calling the technicians every time you hit a snag. It can also mean annual maintenance contracts and more cost.
In comparison an Android or iOS based simple tablet or mobile needs little to no troubleshooting. And anyone can do it!
3. Lack of portability
Typical hardware-based systems have heavy installations which act as permanent fixtures. They are immovable. They sit with your furniture. When you move somewhere, you need a technician again.
Contrast that with a simple iOS or Android-based mobile attendance system with a temporary stand. Move it around as you please. Rainy days? Move it inside. No problem!
4. Parallel systems
Whether it is card-based system or thumb-based system, you always hear complains about card not getting recognized or thumb not being accepted. An oily hand or scratches on card are common reasons for the system to not work. Result? The admin pulls out a manual entry register which is reconciled end of the month.
We take attendance seriously. With Truein face attendance, you get practically hundred percent accuracy and reliability. No parallel systems, please!
5. Limited use case
When you install a hardware, you are only thinking about your desk employees. What about your field workers or mobile workforce? Can a marketing manager mark attendance from agency’s office? Can a salesperson report from distributor’s office? Not if they need a large machine to mark attendance.
Consider the Truein mobile-based selfie attendance. It works for very many use cases:
- On field staff doesn’t have to come to office only to mark attendance
- In construction industry or similar industry where sites keep changing, there is no unnecessary infrastructure created. The security guard can take attendance of all contract workers from his device.
- Retail outlets which run in hundreds and thousands can just geo-fence their stores and let employees mark attendance from their phones.
6. Onboarding pain
Every time a new employee joins in, there is a long process of thumb registration or card activation. How would you like to replace it with a face recognition system that lets new employees click a selfie and onboard themselves in no time? You will like it very much, especially when the organization grows. Think scale? Think ease of onboarding with face attendance.
It becomes even more relevant when you are dealing with contract staff that changes on daily basis. The common bane in the construction industry!
Step into the future
Don’t hold yourself in the past. In the 21st century, getting an attendance machine is like buying a keypad based mobile. It is like using pigeons when you can use emails. Embrace technology that is light, portable and practical.
Go touchless, go hardware-less.
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