Biometric Time Clocks (#40)
/In this podcast, we discuss the advantages of using biometric time clocks, as well as how they function. Key points made are noted below.
Today’s topic is biometric timeclocks. Before I get started on this topic, I’d like to point out that I receive no compensation to talk about the suppliers in this podcast. I only mention specific manufacturers, because I think you might be interested in what they produce. So, getting back to the topic - The main questions are, what is a biometric timeclock, and why would you want to use one?
What is a Biometric Time Clock?
A biometric timeclock can theoretically use any unique feature on your body to verify that you’re the person who is entering time information. Though this could involve a retina scan, your voice, or facial features, the timeclocks currently on the market that are cost-effective only use either fingerprint scans or the shape of your hand to verify who you are.
The only company putting out a biometric clock that measures the shape of your hand is Recognition Systems, which is a division of Ingersoll Rand. For this clock, which is called the HandPunch, you have to initially record the geometry of your hand in the timeclock. To do this, you place your hand on a template and hold it there for about 30 seconds. The clock uses a built-in digital camera to take about 90 measurements of the length, width, thickness, and surface area of your hand and four fingers. The measurements don’t include your fingerprints, which I’ll get back to in a minute.
Once someone is registered in the system, they then clock in and out by punching in their employee number and putting their hand on the template for verification. The verification process takes about one second.
There are several versions of the Handpunch on the market. The small business version is the HandPunch 1000, which has a capacity of 50 users. You can buy a new one on eBay for $850. You can also add memory capacity to bring the number of users up to 100.
A more advanced version is the HandPunch 4000, which has a capacity of several thousand employees, depending on the amount of memory you buy for it. It retails for $3,600, but you can buy it on eBay for about $2,700. This version presents up to 24 information fields for employees to view. For example, they can view their work schedule, or total hours worked so far in the pay period, and unused vacation time. It also includes a bar code reader, in case employees want to scan in their access codes instead of punching it in by hand.
Another variation on the biometric timeclock is the fingerprint scanner. In this case, an employee places their finger on a template, which scans the fingerprint and matches it against a stored record. Kronos sells the Kronos 4500 TouchID terminal, for which there’s a limited market on eBay. The pricing I found for an essentially new terminal was $600. InfoTronics also makes a couple of versions of a fingerprint scanning timeclock. Your best bet with them is the IDpunch 5, which can be used by up to 250 employees.
Now, there are scenarios where fingerprint scanning may not work. If you have a rugged industrial environment where people can get dirt or grease on their hands, this may obscure their fingerprints, and result in rejected scans. In this type of environment, you may be better off using a hand measurement system, such as something in the HandPunch product line.
When to Use a Biometric Time Clock
So, to get back to the second question, why would you want to use a biometric timeclock? There are two reasons. First, it eliminates buddy punching. This is when one employee punches in or out for another employee who isn’t actually on the premises. The result is that a company pays an employee for work that was never performed. With biometric technology, the actual employee really has to be present in order to punch in or out.
The second reason is that there’s no need for employees to swipe their employee badge into the machine. This is a really neat feature, because lots of employees forget or lose their badges, and the company then has to go through the effort of issuing new badges.
So, in short, you use biometric timekeeping to save money by eliminating buddy punching, and by eliminating the administration of employee badges.