Jonathan Orcutt, owner of Driven Landscapes in Norfolk, Mass., has saved at least two hours per week since discovering a cloud-based device that lets employees clock in and out by scanning their fingertips.
The scanner, Fingertec’s TA200 Plus, compiles each employee’s hours and automatically generates payroll.
Before incorporating the scanner in 2013, Driven Landscapes’ employees reported their own hours to management, and Orcutt conducted payroll manually.
When the company started to grow, Orcutt knew he couldn’t afford to spend so much time on something that could be automated.
“The one thing you cannot control is how many hours you have in the day,” Orcutt says. “You need to find a way to maximize the hours you have.”
In addition to saving time, the scanner eliminates the possibility of employee time theft and makes finding clock-in history easier when employees request a raise. It also allows users to deduct a set lunch period.
The scanner cost Driven Landscapes about $800 initially with a $60 monthly fee. The fee varies based on employee count. Driven Landscapes carries 20-30 people throughout the year.
Despite the cost, the investment was a no-brainer, Orcutt says, adding that it is just one of the initiatives his franchise program implemented to ensure scalability and efficiency.
“It’s incredibly simple, and I would recommend it for anyone that has more than two crews in operation,” Orcutt says.
