Track time to save time

With pupil transportation operations expected to do more with less and managers juggling a multitude of tasks, utilizing technology that can accurately track employees’ work hours is one less thing that managers have to devote time to overseeing.

The JobClock Hornet from ExakTime accomplishes this, and it provides additional benefits as well.

The JobClock is a wireless time clock that tracks remote bus drivers in real time. The technology automatically sends digital time records to the payroll offices of drivers being tracked.

“The wireless unit tracks employee hours, locations and job activities and delivers all the data directly to our time tracking software, TimeSummit, running on your payroll clerk’s computer,” explains Casey Powers, vice president of marketing.

Increase payroll recording efficiency
The JobClock Hornet not only relinquishes operations from having to mechanically record time by filling out timecard paperwork by hand, it helps to increase efficiency in several aspects of tracking and recording employee payroll.

“Because the time clock delivers job-site updates every hour, payroll clerks can plan for payroll in advance instead of reacting to it at the end of each week,” Powers says, adding that as a result, payroll clerks don’t have to deal with what can be the frustrating task of collecting paper timecards from drivers.

Because the whole system is automated, clerks also don’t have to manually type driving hours into their computer systems or payroll programs.

“At a higher level, managers and supervisors have detailed knowledge of their bus drivers throughout the workweek and can make on-the-fly adjustments based on the data they receive,” Powers says.

JobClock Hornet stores all payroll data and produces digital timecards and summary reports ready for analysis.

Reduce timecard inaccuracy, costs
Powers says hand-recorded payroll timecards can be inaccurate, which can create additional expenses for operations. The JobClock can protect against this.

“Not only does it track labor wirelessly and automate payroll procedures, it saves a ton of money by accurately tracking time down to the minute,” Powers says.

He points out that the American Payroll Association reports that the average weekly time theft is four hours and five minutes per employee with paper timecards.

Powers adds that users “get peace of mind knowing that their payroll is accurate and on time and that their workforce, both out on the streets and back in the office, is more efficient with their time on the clock.”

[PAGEBREAK]Easy to use
Not only can traditional timecards be time-consuming for payroll clerks to process, it can be a time-consuming process for employees to fill them out, and rushing at the end of the day to turn in a time sheet can be an added stress.

The JobClock Hornet eliminates these issues — a paper timecard is unnecessary, as the JobClock Hornet technology is already in the bus the driver is operating, and Powers says it is easy to use.

“Drivers simply touch a green Keytab to the unit to clock in or a red Keytab to clock out,” he explains. “It takes just seconds, and the workers can get back to what really matters — safe transportation.”

Size of workforce isn’t an issue
The size of the workforce doesn’t matter when it comes to the JobClock Hornet, as the system is completely scalable and can be adjusted based on number of employees.

“We have customers that use one clock, and we have others that use hundreds of clocks,” Powers says. “It all depends on how many workers and locations you’re trying to track.”

He says that both small operations and large ones are taking advantage of what the product has to offer since it assists in maintaining accuracy and saving costs.

Many smaller operations that use the technology are surprised to see how much money they save in payroll even though they don’t have many employees, Powers adds.

Durable device
The JobClock Hornet is designed to be a durable system. According to ExakTime, the battery life of the JobClock Hornet won’t be affected by loss of electricity. The technology runs on a lithium ion battery, enabling it to last longer. If the battery does die, however, records are safe and will still remain stored within the program.

The technology is also protected by a case created to withstand difficult weather, while still enabling wireless signals to be sent from environments with even the most extreme temperatures. The JobClock Hornet functions normally from -10 F (-23 C) to 170 F (76 C).

In addition to the wireless transmission of data, the device supports Bluetooth and infrared data collection.