Auto Body Shops Use Facial Recognition Employee Time Clocks to Eliminate "Buddy Punching"

Baltimore, MD, November 05, 2011 --(PR.com)-- According to a study by Nucleus Research, a global provider of IT advisory and research services, 74 percent of organizations experience payroll losses directly related to buddy punching. Nucleus also found that organizations save on average 2.2% of gross payroll by eliminating buddy punching through the use of biometric time clocks.

An auto body shop business with three locations in the Baltimore metropolitan area has succeeded at eliminating buddy punching through the use of Fareclock’s facial recognition employee time attendance system. Camden Body & Fender was founded in 1925 and is currently the oldest auto repair shop in Maryland. They made the switch to Fareclock earlier this year, and have no regrets.

Camden Body owners Mota Gur and Jay Weinberg have seen tremendous benefits to using Fareclock. In past years, they used the classic punch card method, which was very vulnerable to buddy punching. It was simple to take any one else’s punch card and punch in or out. Moreover, processing all the cards and adding up hours each week for payroll was a nightmare.

In 2006, in order to combat buddy punching and to simplify payroll processing, Camden Body moved to an electronic badge swipe system. The intent behind this new system was that the employee would carry their badge with them, as opposed to leaving punch cards on a rack next to the clock for any one to take. However, this method did not work as hoped, since employees were still able to leave their badges with a co-worker and have a buddy swipe in or out of work. The badge system was also difficult to administrate. It required complicated server software installed at the shop and constantly required rebooting. The badges cost the shop three dollars each and would periodically deteriorate and require replacement.

In 2009, Camden Body gave up on the badge system and switched to a web-based time clock using a touch screen and pin number for each employee. Although this new system had the benefits of using a web-based service without requiring a server and employee badges, it had the severe deficiency of not working whenever the Internet connection was not reliable. Whenever such a situation would arise, employees could not clock in or out, creating a payroll nightmare.

Finally in 2011, Camden Body decided to switch to Fareclock, the world’s only web-based facial recognition time clock service. Fareclock promised all the features that Camden Body had been looking for, including buddy punch prevention, no server required, easy payroll processing, and zero downtime. And they weren’t let down. Fareclock came through on all these features and more. Because Fareclock’s wall-mounted time clock will work offline in the event of a disruption to the internet connection, there’s no longer a concern for employees not able to clock in or out.

The switch was a no-brainer.

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More about Fareclock:

Fareclock LLC operates a highly scalable service capable of supporting the entire business spectrum, from small businesses to large corporations with hundreds of thousands of employees at thousands of locations across the globe.

Fareclock's unique service is designed to use low-cost iPod Touch devices attached to the wall as a kiosk, running time clock software. The device is normally connected to the internet via a Wi-Fi network, and communicates with the Fareclock hosted service. Customers do not need computer servers or additional IT infrastructure to support the functionality. The time clock can also operate offline in the event that the internet connection is unavailable and then synchronize with the Fareclock service when internet connectivity is later restored. A company can use one or multiple time clocks wherever it needs.

The Fareclock service also includes an administrative web site that managers can connect to via a desktop browser. The web site supports dozens of features, including business rule configurations, multiple administrators with varying permissions, location and clock set-up, employee set-up, punch management, and reporting. The web site can be accessed from anywhere via manager sign-in, either using a unique password, or via Google or Yahoo sign on.

The service is offered either by monthly or annual subscription, and includes free technical support. There are multiple subscription plans to choose from. Details and pricing are listed on the Fareclock web site.

For more information about Fareclock, you may visit their web site at:
www.fareclock.com.