The simple time clock or clocking in machine has undergone many changes in recent years. Some of the many benefits of having a new one are listed below.

• Can be set to Automatically print in the correct column i.e. in/out. Hence no manual selection is needed eliminating some of the human error that can be involved in clocking in/out.
• Dot matrix print heads are now standard giving improved clarity of print.
• Ribbon cartridges are standard meaning that when the ink runs low it is normally a simple task to change the cartridge, as you would in your printer for example.
• Battery memory reserve is standard so no resetting is needed after a power cut.
• BST/GMT hour change forward and back should be automatic as standard so no resetting in March and October. Some systems only do it on a date and not on a week number and day so you may find for example the hour changes on 31 Oct this year but this will not be the same day next year , check this point with your supplier before purchase, as he will charge you for sending an engineer to reset the time in the 2^nd year.
• A new clock will have a perpetual calendar so that it will know to compensate for leap years etc.
• A new clock should be more reliable and require less maintenance than an old mechanical one and will be very much cheaper to buy than it was even 5 years ago.

An intelligent stand-alone clock will have the capabilities as detailed below but basically will perform its calculations and give you the results without the use of a computer.

Two types of this clock exist the first is able to calculate worked hours and overtime based on a large amount of shift data fed into it, and can typically handle 9 shifts, with start times rounding lunch breaks overtime etc. This will print out either on a tally roll, or an external printer, typically weekly as memory capacity is limited. This type however is being replaced rapidly by cheep p.c. linked systems, and will be priced at similar levels to a mid range p.c. linked system so understandably is not a popular choice today. The second and by far the most popular is an upgrade of the basic time clock, that still takes a cardboard card but prints on it each clocking made and adds up on the card, so at a glance the hours worked can be seen. These can be weekly systems or monthly and typically can accommodate 50 staff i.e. Seiko QR375 or 100 staff i.e. Seiko QR475. Rounding can be accommodated and lunch breaks also in the case of the Seiko QR475 tea break and lunch bells can be activated. These clocks are limited however to the complexity of the shifts they can accommodate and are best suited to be used with an open shift arrangement with minimal restrictions.

A p.c. linked system will encompass at least a clocking terminal linked to a p.c. running a controlling software which will calculate and report on hours worked sickness lateness etc.

This system could accommodate any number of employees and shifts with no limits on archive attendance / absence record storage. Also it should enable you to monitor accurately the attendance or not of your staff and give you tools to track labour costs and enable you to improve the efficiency of your company saving Human Resources staff much time and effort in payroll preparation and processing.

A proximity reader fitted into a p.c. linked time and attendance terminal means that you can use a key fob or card that has an embedded chip in it to clock in and out. The card or fob is read from a distance of typically 7cm from the front of the reader so no contact is needed thus reducing wear and tear on the equipment. The other advantage being that most access control systems now use proximity cards or fobs. You can integrate the two systems using a common card or fob, some time and attendance software’s offer an access control module so simplifying this further by having only one package controlling access control time and attendance and also project / production costing as part of the deal.