In this blog post, we'll discuss different types of attendance management systems, features, and the cost of developing such a system.
Features of the Attendance Management System
Here are nine must-have features of an attendance management system:
1. Clock-In and Out
Clocking in and out is a must-have feature because it allows employees to clock in, punch in break times, and clock out at the end of the day. Clock-in and out can be easily done via a biometric device or mobile app.
2. Leave Management
Your attendance management system should have a leave management feature, so a missed day does not get registered as “absent.” This feature allows employees to punch in as per their availability, take half a day, or apply for a leave.
3. Payroll Integration
A robust attendance management system is capable of seamlessly integrating with payroll systems. It calculates salaries based on attendance data and reduces manual data entry & errors in payroll processing.
4. Automated Communication
Another must-have feature is automated communication between access control devices and time attendance, with no error. As devices are generally located at different locations, AMS needs to be capable enough to establish effective communication.
5. Notification
Your attendance management system should send regular notifications and alerts about important events. For instance, if an employee clocks in an hour later than their scheduled time, the superior should be instantly notified about it.
6. Employee Self-Service
Equip your attendance management system with an employee self-service feature to make it stand out. With this feature, you can allow employees to mark their attendance or log in via a mobile or web-based app.
Besides this, employees can perform a series of other tasks, like leave requests, any sort of self-compliance, or corrections to their attendance records.
7. Calendar Integration
Your attendance management system should be able to sync with digital calendars so everyone on the team can know about others’ availability. This feature is incredibly useful for remote teams where companies check attendance via a shared calendar.
8. Biometric Attendance
Enterprises with a large workforce and specific clock-in & clock-out times require an advanced attendance management system with biometric integration. It reduces the chances of fraud.
9. Advanced Analytics
Smart AMS comes with advanced analytics, allowing supervisors to view the attendance patterns of employees. This way, organizations can understand which employee works overtime or put in extra hours.
10. Employee Requests
One of the best attendance management system features is employee requests. It allows employees to correct their attendance by making a special attendance request. After the manager approves the request, it automatically updates within the system.
Types of Attendance Management Systems
Here are six types of attendance management systems:
1. Manual Attendance System
Manual attendance is a traditional way of tracking attendance and has been used for many years. This attendance system depends on physical record-keeping, like time punch cards, pen-and-paper, and sign-in sheets. Employees manually have to record their attendance.
2. Biometric Attendance System
It's an advanced attendance management system designed to register employee attendance via unique physiological or behavioral characteristics. It stores biometric templates like facial features, iris patterns, handprints, and fingerprints.
The two distinct classes in this system include physiological biometrics and behavioral biometrics. Physiological biometrics capture face features, fingerprints, iris patterns, and handprints. In contrast, behavioral biometrics include signature analysis, keystroke patterns, and voice recognition.
3. RFID Attendance System
This system uses RFID cards or tags to identify individuals within an organization. Each RFID card or tag comes with an antenna and microchip, which contain the identification details of the cardholder.
4. Online Attendance System
This cloud-based system has revolutionized the time-keeping and attendance-tracking processes. Users can quickly log in via a web browser or mobile app from almost anywhere with a stable internet connection.
5. GPS-Based Attendance System
With a GPS-based attendance system, companies can efficiently manage their workforce. Employees can mark their attendance from any location, whether they are visiting clients, working on the field, or stationed at a remote location. This system can accurately record attendance as per employees' GPS locations.
Cost of Developing an Attendance Management System
Do you want to know the cost to develop attendance management system? Well, the cost depends on numerous factors, such as the type of attendance management system you want to develop, its features, documentation technique, MVP launch, UI/UX layout, and the number of hours spent in developing the system.
The cost also depends on the location of the developers. Here’s a rough estimate:
- Developers based in the US: Between $150 and $250 every hour.
- Developers working in Europe: Between $85 and $150 per hour.
- Developers in India: Between $15 and $25 per hour.
If you want a simple attendance management system with basic features, the cost will be between $9,000 - $15,000. Whereas, if you want a complex attendance management system with advanced features, the cost can increase to $30,000.
Conclusion
By adopting an automated attendance management system, companies can transform how their staff is managed. The advanced features of AMS are necessary for employees’ daily jobs and eliminate the mistakes that might result in regulatory issues.
If you want to develop a robust attendance management system, hire a reliable company to do the work. Besides hiring, select the features and decide whether you want an off-the-shelf solution or custom development.
