When implementing an attendance tracking system, the hardest part is to make sure that all the techniques used are up to date. In this article, we will go through a few of the most common technologies used in the attendance management system and how they can help your system.
The various technologies used
Biometric logins
Biometric logins are finding more widespread use in the past few years. They work by scanning your fingerprint and if it matches the fingerprint data stored by the system, then you are granted access and your attendance is marked.
However, these can also be bypassed by anyone who knows what they are doing. Therefore, these technologies should only be used in place of a punch in/punch-out system, and not to safeguard anything valuable. However, for the average person, they are a very effective deterrent from any untoward practices.
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags are installed in the personal I.D. cards given to employees. The card and the card reader communicate using their built antennae. If a card is brought within range of the card readers EMF (Electro-Magnetic Field), then the chip in the card turn on the reader registers the card as active and his attendance is marked.
This allows the user access to whatever they were using the card for. Since RFID tags operate on a unique frequency, they are much safer than biometric login.
However, RFID tags can be cloned easily, and the tools to do so can be bought on any online retailer. Also, RFID cards take time to replace if lost and are fairly expensive. These problems can be avoided by switching frequencies regularly.
Bluetooth attendance system
A Bluetooth attendance system is fairly an unknown concept; however, it is still effective. For it to work, employee has to have an app installed on their mobile device. After the process of attendance has been initiated, the employees are also required to keep their Bluetooth on. Each device has a unique Media Access Control (MAC) address. This allows the manager to bypass any chance of duplication, errors, or phantom attendance.
Bar code scanning
Similar to how RFID technology works, a barcode scanner works by, well, scanning barcodes. These barcodes are usually in the form of stickers stuck on the employee ID cards and are unique for each individual which are used to mark their attendance. However, these barcodes work is similar to the barcodes used in foodstuff work and are usually very safe. Also, these are cheap to maintain and replace if necessary.
GPS technology
GPS (Global positioning system) is used in company-issued devices like tablets or mobile phones. This allows the company to track the position and location of the device to ensure that an employee is not being dishonest with their location. However, this technology is very easy to fool. Location spoofing apps are dime a dozen, and some of the good ones can even mimic natural human map movement to an extent. In short, this is a simple deterrent, and won’t affect anyone determined to bypass it.
Facial recognition
This is extremely niche and not usually used for attendance tracking. It is more commonly used in security and preventing unauthorized access. However, for more senior members of the organization who like to prevent unauthorized access, this is a much safer way of attendance. In terms of price, it is on par with biometric recognition.
Conclusion
Many technologies can be implemented in an attendance management system that can significantly enhance their effectiveness and efficiency. Each of these technologies has its advantages and disadvantages and none is strictly better than the other. Therefore, if you want your system to be effective, it would be best to implement two or more of these technologies at the same time. This way, if even one of these methods fails, you always have a backup.
Also Read: Attendance Management System and its Role in the Payroll Department
