Every different business sector has its own respective challenges when it comes to employee time tracking and attendance. The manufacturing industry is no exception. As one of the industries forced to adapt to a rapidly changing work environment from the production floor to the supply lines, it has a unique set of challenges with team time tracking that needs the right solution.
An online timecard system has many significant benefits and features that can both address and fix many of the issues that the manufacturing industry faces. With the right modern tools, such as a Buddy Punch, and integrations, time tracking can be run much more smoothly than traditional means, especially in the new work environment.
No More Worrying About Time Clocks
There are several downsides to the physical time clock in the manufacturing space. One particular problem is the potential for damage and the cost to repair and replace them. If you have multiple physical time clocks, then the time and expense are multiplied many times over.
With a time card app, there is no more need for a physical job clock. The time and attendance app can be accessed from virtually any mobile device, meaning employees can clock in and out on their own device, and there is no expense for wear and tear that the business has to cover. This also reduces the time it takes to clock in and the potential for congestion.
Time clocks can also be defrauded by employees who choose to punch in for others or not clock in or out. It is challenging to manage time tracking with physical time clocks without constant managerial oversight. A desktop time tracker eliminates the need for oversight as managers can see at a glance who is absent or not, who’s clocked in, and what they are doing.
No More Scheduling Issues
Scheduling can be a nightmare in the manufacturing space because of large crews and multiple shifts. Manual scheduling is very time-consuming and not very easy to adapt to changes. Add to that the inability to actively track employees in real-time, and it can cause issues if there is a problem with production.
A time card app makes scheduling a breeze for managers and allows employees to see their schedules from anywhere almost instantly. This makes employees happier because they have their schedules sooner and can adjust to them. It is also easier for managers to see who is working and adjust schedules or call in extra help if necessary. Updating schedules easily is both a productivity-boosting feature and a cost-saving feature for times when there is a lot of business and when there is not.
Employee Tracking and Control
Keeping track of employees is complex with manual time clocks; beyond the efforts to commit time fraud, it requires oversight to manage large crews. This can cause gaps in productivity when there are shortages in staffing, orders change, shifts change, or other problems.
A time card app handles all of these things seamlessly and can even give managers more control over what employees do, where they go, what areas they have access to, and most importantly, whether or not they are productive.
Features like GPS allow employers to track the location of their employees, and geofencing can prevent them from clocking in or out outside of a certain radius. Activity trackers can show what employees are doing, and managers can quickly see whether they perform their duties. This also helps if there are legitimate issues with production and poorly trained workers or too few personnel.