| Clocking In and Time Recording Options CaptureIT offers three different options in relation to clocking and making the right choice depends on a number of factors, such as your working environment, network capabilities, links between sites and usual location of employees, e.g. on / off site or a mixture. CaptureIT allows you to “mix and match” the various clocking technologies within the same system, giving you complete flexibility to implement the solution that will work best. We work with you to advise which of these technologies will be best for you and carefully explain the pros and cons of each option. The most popular technologies are by the use of On and Off-line terminals, clocking via a PC in the office and clocking via the internet or web using a web browser, palm top or mobile phone.
On-Line Terminals Our range of on-line terminals operate over Ethernet and connect directly to theCaptureIT database, so that as soon as an employee makes a clocking it is reflected in CaptureIT. This offers the advantage of real-time operation and provides management with live information regarding employee status. On-line terminals are suitable for environments with a stable, reliable network connection and come with either proximity or biometric readers. With proximity terminals, you have the choice of issuing employees proximity cards, key fobs or a mixture of both to identify themselves at the terminal. Proximity terminals are completely sealed units and suffer no wear and tear from everyday use and are, therefore, exceptionally reliable. With biometric terminals, the employee does not require a card or key fob and instead uses their fingerprint to identify themselves at the terminal. Biometric terminals are a foolproof solution for companies with a possible “buddy clocking” issue, where employees could be clocking in their colleagues to cover for lateness, etc. Clocking with biometrics proves without doubt that the employee using the terminal is indeedwho they say they are.
Off-Line Terminals Our range of off-line terminals also operate over Ethernet, but have additional built-in memory that stores clockings locally as they are made. The terminals are then “polled” by the CaptureIT server program on a regular basis, with any new clocking transactions being added to the CaptureIT database. The “polling” frequency can be set to as often as every minute, meaning that all attendance information is accurate to one minute. Off-line terminals are suitable for environments where there may be issues with network stability, or for remote sites connecting via technologies such as Virtual Private Network (VPN). Like their on-line equivalent, off-line terminals are available with either proximity or biometric readers. With proximity terminals, you have the choice of issuing employees proximity cards, key fobs or a mixture of both to identify themselves at the terminal. Proximity terminals are completely sealed units and suffer no wear and tear from everyday use and are, therefore, exceptionally reliable. With biometric terminals, the employee does not require a card or key fob and instead uses their fingerprint to identify themselves at the terminal. Biometric terminals are a foolproof solution for companies with a possible “buddy clocking” issue, where employees could be clocking in their colleagues to cover for lateness, etc. Clocking with biometrics proves without doubt that the employee using the terminal is indeed who they say they are.
Clocking Via a PC – The Remote Clocking Utility (RCU) The RCU is a software tool which enables an employee to make clockings at their own PC, as opposed to using a hardware terminal. The RCU is, therefore, suitable for any environment where employees work at a PC for the majority of their day and is particularly popular for organisations running flexitime. The RCU can still be used in conjunction with hardware terminals and, in fact, many customers do operate CaptureIT in this way to ensure that employees are recorded on the fire register when they arrive on site. Click here to find out more about the RCU
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