Tackling Time Collection on Your Own? Here's Why Amazon Is a Bad Idea

Written by Ian Zang | Jan 22, 2021 5:00:00 AM

So, you’re now live with Frontline Time and Attendance - congrats! The journey to automated, secure, and reliable time tracking is almost over.

 

However, there is one last piece to the puzzle - something often overlooked until the very end - the hardware to interface with the software!

Your initial thoughts may be “Oh, it’s software! I can just use the old desktop in storage and save money!” or even, “I’ll just buy any old USB scanner on Amazon.”

 

Sure, that will work if you’re okay with having:

  • Long lines with staff waiting to clock in

  • Products that frequently go offline

  • Devices that don’t allow for contactless scanning

And then there’s also your poor IT department that would be stuck with setting everything up

We considered using old computers to make our own kiosks, but they would have cost man-hours to create, and we would have not been able to put them where they needed to be. 

— IT Department in Pennsylvania

Okay, so we’ve told you what not to do, but what should you do when it comes to taking the DIY approach?

 

Well, we’ve got you covered with a host of cost-effective DIY products ready to solve your time collection struggles

 

Here are our top 3 DIY scanning methods that blow Amazon out of the water.

 

 

 

Proximity Scanner

 

Our proximity scanners allow you to skip the heavy-lifting.

 

We work with your district beforehand to capture existing badge information and ensure your scanners are preconfigured to work as soon as you receive them.

 

No badges? No problem. We can provide preprogrammed badges starting as low as $1 per card!

 

 

Omnidirectional Barcode Scanner

 

 

Barcodes make for fast and secure methods of clocking that you can print right from the office.

 

Equipped with a bright LED light, this omnidirectional reader makes it easy to scan in dimly-lit rooms, and simple to avoid issues with poor print quality.

 

Hold from any direction, wait for the beep, and you’re all set!

 

 

Touchpoint Tablet

 

 

Our most powerful DIY scanning method is none other than the Touchpoint Tablet - our latest, budget-friendly time collection offering. 

 

Featuring a powerful, custom Windows 10 tablet with an optional kiosk mode and additional badge scanners - this tablet is ready to integrate with your Frontline system and make time collection a breeze

 

1-year of our White Glove Service and Support is also included at no extra charge, meaning we can walk you through setup from start to finish and remotely log in if there’s ever an issue.

 

Place on a desk or mount on a wall, this Tablet is a versatile solution to automated, budget-friendly time collection.

 

“We tried doing it ourselves with a laptop and a 3rd party scanner, but it was too cumbersome. With me being the only tech person, it didn’t make sense to have something that needed so much maintenance.”

— IT Department in New Jersey

 

 

Need more information on why you should avoid Amazon and go with Frontline’s preferred hardware partner?

 

Check out this detailed PDF on our custom DIY solutions!