Accurate, Efficient, Simplified Timecard Reporting

Modern organizations can be efficient by automating manual tasks. The right technology can help small businesses streamline productivity, increase profitability and positively impact the bottom line. In particular, investing in an integration-friendly platform with a robust set of tools can help you easily share information back and forth with your other business software solutions, including your existing time tracking solution.

Time tracking factors to consider

A comprehensive digital solution can help eliminate manual, paper timesheet-based solutions. It can be more efficient, provide accurate time tracking and is less prone to error than manual methods like Excel spreadsheets. It also allows managers to log in from anywhere to review and track time entries, even if they are out of the office. Integrated time and attendance data with a digital scheduling solution can help reduce payroll errors, as well as add a way to analyze employee data to track productivity and efficiency.

Find a solution that makes back-office tasks easy on your end. Your system should be intuitive and help streamline administrative operations and reporting. Your solution should also simplify compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). A common cause of noncompliance is inadequate or inaccurate record keeping. Make sure overtime is readily viewable in timesheets and reports, digital records are backed up, and timesheets are easily accessible and auditable at any time.

How telematics can help streamline time reporting

Investing in a near real-time GPS tracking system for your fleet can help corroborate worker timesheets and simplify vital time-reporting tasks by verifying important information, such as locations and time spent on jobs.

For example, the Scheduler technician report lets you review the work that your technicians have completed. It displays a complete history of your technicians’ on-site and off-site activities, including:

• Contact information: Customer’s address and name of contact
• Job details: Job ID & Job To Do
• Scheduled time: Scheduled start & end times
• On my way status (technicians): Time at which the technician selects “On my way” on the mobile app.
• Started status (technicians): Time at which the technician selects “Start” on the mobile app.
• Finished status (technicians): Time at which the technician selects “Finish” on the mobile app.
• Time on-site (vehicle GPS): Any time the technician’s vehicle is within 100 feet of the contact address is considered on site, even if the technician arrives early or leaves late. This is tracked by the vehicle tracker.
• Time off-site (vehicle GPS): Any time the technician’s vehicle is more than 100 feet from the contact address is considered off-site. This is tracked by the vehicle tracker and includes time spent travelling to the address, going to get parts, and so on.

Integrating a time reporting system into fleet tracking also provides a central repository to view, access and analyze information. Timekeeping details are always at your fingertips and both cost measures and reporting accuracy are improved.

All job information, including name, location, time windows, time on site, etc., is stored in your ERP system, and an API works with your existing time and attendance software to sync everything up. For example, you can export all delivery information into your route planning to create optimized routes and corroborate time cards. The API can then send that route information (such as start and stop times or ETAs) back to your ERP system for customer billing or notification.

Paul Davis Restoration cut out unnecessary payroll costs

Shortly after John Gugliotta, Owner and President of Paul Davis Restoration, rolled out telematics across his organization, he caught a huge payroll discrepancy.

Prior to the installation of the telematics system, Paul’s crews filled out their timecards on the honor system. In this case, everyone on this particular crew of 10 employees marked nine hours on their timecards for a Saturday job. But when Gugliotta reviewed records from his time reporting system, he saw the time the crew spent on the road and at the job site added up to only seven hours of work — a two-hour difference. Gugliotta adjusted the employees’ hours on their timecards and saved $800 for time that wasn’t actually worked.

Additionally, his GPS location tracking system allowed him to see that his crews of five people each spent 5-10 minutes at Dunkin’ Donuts every day while on the clock. That added up to 35-50 minutes of paid time spent at the coffee shop each day. Over the course of a month it became 8-10 hours at about $40 per hour in pay. Armed with this knowledge, Gugliotta asked his crews to make their coffee pit stop before they clocked in each morning — as a result, he has saved as much as $400 per month.

Find out how Verizon Connect fleet tracking can help you improve time reporting and save money.