M2SYS Blog On Biometric Technology

RightPunch™ PC-based biometric time clock

Today M2SYS announced another partnership to broaden the reach of RightPunch™ a PC-based biometric time clock designed as an affordable alternative to a wall mounted time clock or a way to augment exist time clocks. We are proud to say that RedPrairie Corporation, a leader in enterprise workforce management software and labor tracking solutions that improve employee performance will now offer the RightPunch™ biometric time clock as a complement to their existing workforce optimization tools.

Many companies are already using the RightPunch™ biometric time clock and realizing the benefits after switching from paper time sheets, non-biometric time clocks or outdated time and attendance systems. Among the long list of benefits that a PC-based biometric time clock can bring to a company seeking to lower costs, raise employee productivity and maximize return on investment with a workforce management application the following are important benefits for companies to consider that seek to control labor costs:

• Increased employee productivity by eliminating time theft and speeding up punch times.
• Strengthened security and efficiency over ID cards or personal identification numbers (PINs).
• Reduction of payroll inflation and payroll error rates.
• Ensuring compliance with labor tracking laws by establishing a concrete audit trail of punch activity.
• Offline punch capture and schedule enforcement to ensure accurate data and compliance in cases of network loss.

M2SYS has developed a customized version of RightPunch™ that interfaces with RedPrairie’s workforce management platform and communicates with RedPrairie time and attendance software to seamlessly submit stored punches, enforce schedule restrictions and provide access to employee self service features. RightPunch™ also has an optional touch screen interface allowing it to run on kiosks or terminals that can be mounted to the wall just like a traditional time clock. Under the terms of the partnership, RedPrairie will market and resell the RightPunch™ biometric time clock to its customers and prospects.

We are excited for the future of PC-based biometric time clocks and the benefits they can bring to companies seeking to fortify their workforce management software solutions. Please contact us with comments or feedback on this partnership or any other questions about our RightPunch™ solution.

A link to the press release announcing the partnership between M2SYS and RedPrairie can be found here.

M2SYS White Papers

Recently, we launched a new page on our Web site for current and future M2SYS biometric research White papers written on a variety of topics. Separated by tabs that categorize the White papers based on the vertical markets to which they apply, currently you can find the following research:

1. Patient Misidentification in Healthcare  - “Eliminate Patient Fraud and Increase Patient Identification Accuracy with Vascular and Iris Recognition Biometric Identification Technology” – this White paper examines the growing concern of medical identity theft and patient misidentification, measuring the negative impact they have on patient care and how healthcare facilities can use palm vein and iris recognition biometric technology to correctly identify patients.

2. Retail Point of Sale (POS)/Workforce Mangement – “Eliminating Time Theft and Increasing Profits with PC-Based Biometrics” – This White paper details the effect that time theft, manual labor tracking methods, and non-compliance can have on employee productivity and the corporate bottom line. It then studies how PC-based biometric identification technology is a smart solution to halting these productivity and profit killers and why companies should consider incorporating biometrics for employee identification.

3. U.S. Biometrics – “The Perception of Biometrics in the United States” (co-written by Ravi Das from biometricnews.net) – Biometric technology is quickly being adopted across the globe for a multitude of purposes ranging from border security to voter registration to benefit entitlement parity. Despite the wide scale adoption of biometrics in other countries, it has been slow to catch on here in the U.S. This White paper studies theories as to why biometrics has not been embraced in this country, fear about how biometrics affects privacy and civil liberties, what steps biometric vendors can take to educate the public on the technology and a conclusion explaining what can possibly be done to increase U.S. adoption rates.

4. Global Biometrics - (White paper forthcoming) – Due to be released within the next month, this White paper will focus on future applications and growth areas of biometric technology as seen through the eyes of biometric vendors from all over the world.

We hope that you enjoy our collection of White papers and welcome any comments or feedback on the content. Have a suggestion for a White paper topic? Let us know in the comments section below.

Yesterday, Fujitsu and M2SYS hosted a webinar on how palm vein biometrics can help strengthen PCI and Workforce Management (WFM) Compliance. We discussed some common challenges that PCI and WFM non-compliance create as well as how businesses need to identify technology applications that will help to lower risk and create efficiencies.  In addition, we covered discussed how palm vein biometrics can:

1.  Replace complicated passwords with a palm scan

2.  Increase record storage security

3.  Establish significant cost savings

4.  Stop employee buddy punching

5.  Improve productivity

6.  Create a concrete audit trail

7.  Reduce payroll errors

8.  Strengthen labor law adherence

A copy of the slides are available on SlideShare by clicking here.  If you would like to hear an audio recording of the webinar, please click on the video below:

The negative effects of employee time theft on a company are well documented.  Time theft not only drains profits but it can also lower employee morale, stifle accountability and damage loyalty.  Despite these facts, employees who are overly productive at work may feel that they are entitled to occasionally sneak a couple of extra minutes here and there on breaks or during working hours because they more than make up for it through high productivity.  Their philosophy about time theft is rooted in the misconception that performance above and beyond standard job responsibilities and exceeding established expectations is somehow entitlement to steal time.

Not only is this a fallacy and a ridiculous justification of time theft, but what these employees may not realize is the ripple effect that this type of rationalization can have on other staff through the power of influence.  Overly productive employees tend to be role models within a working environment by setting a good example and proving that with dedication, focus and determination, goals can be met and exceeded.  As role models, they are closely watched by other employees who want to be successful and move up the ladder, mimicking their habits and copying their actions with the hope that it will help them to become more productive too.  However, if a model employee sets an example that occasional time theft is earned by being overly productive, they send the wrong message to others that may be following in their tracks exacerbating the problem and multiplying the negative effects in can have on a company.

As we stated in a blog post last month and a recent White paper on the detrimental effects of time theft,

“If everyone in a 100 employee organization took a 15 minute extended lunch each day, that would equate to 1,200 free vacation days per year.”

Justifying employee time theft due to high levels of productivity is a dangerous practice because of the impression that it can leave on other employees and ultimately the negative repercussions it creates for a company.  Instead, be proactive about publicly recognizing and rewarding employees for exceeding expectations to set an example that outperforming goals while following the rules is ethical and a strong motivator to quickly advance in a career.  Work quickly to quash employee habits that center on strong production but occasional time theft so they do not spread to others.

What strategies have you used to stop time theft from highly productive employees?

M2SYS and Fujitsu will be offering a free webinar on August 30th from 2:00 to 2:30pm EST, 11:00 to 11:30pm PST on how palm vein technology can help to strengthen workforce management and PCI compliance.  The webinar will cover how using biometric palm vein technology to strengthen compliance can: help replace passwords with a palm scan, increase record storage security, establish significant cost savings, stop employee buddy punching, improve productivity, create a concrete audit trail, reduce payroll errors and strengthen labor law adherence.