When the first computerised time and attendance system named Weeney Clocker was produced by Baur Automation in Johannesburg South Africa and became commercially available in 1992, many companies not only saved a lot of paperwork but also labor time on processing enormous calculations to produce each employee’s timesheet that will eventually fill-up the payroll.

The Weeney Clocker made its goodbye in 2005 but it opened a new chapter that gave an opportunity for software companies to create time and attendance software of their own. These companies continue to showcase their ability to unlock and improve every aspect of what the Weeney Clocker left undiscovered.

From punching the time cards into the bundy clock, all you need to do now is to swipe your ID or touch the sensor with your finger to indicate your login and logout time. From manual calculations, everything now is automated and all you need is the power of your fingertips; less labor time, less headache for the payroll department. And since time and attendance deals with figures, accuracy is crucial – an issue that is often neglected by manual calculations.

And from that point, every time and attendance software became more and more advance but also more and more complex.

Time and attendance software is easy to use because of its simple interface but in the wake of its simplicity lies the complexity of how it works. It’s a good thing that you should learn this before its implementation.

So, why time and attendance complex? Here are the reasons;

1.   Technicalities.
   

Sql database manipulation, LAN and WAN networking principles, terminal hardware communication and advanced payroll and award interpretation; these are the foundation of an effective time and attendance system, one can not work without the other.

Although you can leave this to the I.T, department, it is better that you also somehow understand the basic components of time and attendance system and how they interact with each other not only for emergency but also for security.

2.   Company’s framework.
   

Whether you’re in a big or small company, either a sole proprietorship or a corporation, it’s a must that you consider your company’s framework so that it will be properly coupled with the right time and attendance system.

Companies that have branches in designated areas are required to set up a number of clocking points. This means that the time and attendance will gather all the records from isolated locations, put them in the main database, compile the necessary information, compute the taxes from every branch and come up with an accurate report.

3.   Adjustments.
   

Many companies make a mistake of implementing time and attendance system without considering some adjustments in the future. Fortunately, most time and attendance software tools have back-up storage. Some software tools even allow you to store the back-up files in some file storage sites.

These back-up files are necessary especially when there are some changes to consider such a wage increase, tax adjustments, penalties and so on. However, this also means adjustments on the software’s algorithms and report creation.

In a nutshell, time and attendance software is complex because of wide array of components that revolves around it. These components should properly correspond with each other to generate a fast, accurate and secure payroll that will be beneficial to all employees and eventually leads to the company’s growth.