It’s Time to Rethink Your POS and Time Clock Integration

hospitality time tracking software

The integration of hospitality time tracking features into the point of sale (POS) system was a leap forward for restaurants, replacing the paper forms and excel spreadsheets that came before.

But times have changed, and so have operational challenges. With new innovations come new opportunities to engage employees with better communications while they clock in and clock out, while also making this critical process smarter, more secure and easier to manage.

POS systems are primarily designed to efficiently process sales and keep track of inventory etc. They don’t make the most of the clock in/out process.

  • They lack the security needed to prevent team members from buddy punching.
  • They lack the precise tracking and integration with schedules to ensure shifts are easily and accurately logged.
  • They’re not designed with restaurant managers in mind, which makes core backend tasks, like processing payroll, far more of a headache than they need to be.

The time has come to stop making the POS more than it should be.

Clocking in and out forms a critical part of an employee’s day. The process deserves its own system, separate from the POS.

One which identifies team members by face recognition and welcomes with details of the day’s special. Where shifts are accurately logged on an integrated system leaving managers free to look after staff and manage the day-to-day running of the floor.

That vision of the future is here.

Introducing TeamHub

TeamHub is a custom-built system focused on improving the clock-in/clock-out experience for employees and managers. It turns the traditionally mundane routine into something positive, solving a host of common problems along the way. Let’s take a look at the three key areas where it provides tangible benefits.

The Benefits Of TeamHub

Accurate Shift and Break Logging

Keeping tabs on clocking in and out and break management has long been a bugbear of busy GMs. POS systems are not specifically designed for these tasks and therefore fall short.

Employees tend to give themselves an extra few minutes here and there, and this can add up significantly over time. Or alternatively, they’ll have a buddy clock them in so they can grab a few more minutes.

TeamHub identifies employees using face recognition technology, or a unique pin, and logs breaks to the second. The time and attendee tracking matches your schedule to what’s really happening, allowing managers to have an accurate view of what’s going on.

All the shift timing data is logged and securely stored on your existing systems so you have access to it when it’s needed most. With the frequent changes to the law – like California’s new strict rest break laws – coming in all the time, it’s vital to have well-maintained records in case of an audit. TeamHub integrates seamless wage and hour-logging into the system as a priority, improving the attendance records of employees and compliance with labor laws.

Improve company culture

In large teams where staff come and go at different times, it’s not always possible to gather the whole team together to motivate staff and relay information.

Every employee must log in and out every day and these touchpoints are the ideal times to foster a sense of community and convey information critical to the shift. But traditional POS systems miss these opportunities to engage with individuals.

 TeamHub streamlines communications between floor staff and management by taking advantage of these critical touchpoints. The system welcomes employees by name, and proceeds to engage them with custom messages. For example, telling them a menu item is 86ed or the details of a new daily special.

By checking the box, employees acknowledge they have read the notice, which helps the manager hold them accountable to its content.

Managers can choose who (ie. FOH or BOH/only supervisors) sees which notices to ensure they are relevant and can set them to appear during specific date ranges to make sure they are timely and up-to-date. The system also allows employees to easily adjust their time card if they need to make a change. This must then be authorized by the manager.

Managers can elicit feedback from employees via a form. This allows them to rate their shifts for a given period and provide details if required. Giving staff a voice assures them their insight is valued and also provides critical information to managers to improve operations and morale.

More efficient management

POS systems tend to be designed to make the lives of floor staff easier and they offer a great user experience in this regard. But they’re not optimized to provide a good UX for managers, which can make performing simple tasks, like managing timesheets, time-clocking and processing payroll, far more painful than it need be.

TeamHub is designed specifically to provide a seamless, integrated, intuitive experience for managers and employees. Moving this functionality from the POS onto a specialized system frees managers up to do what they do best: engaging with customers, leading the team from the front, and ensuring service runs smoothly.

Calculating payroll becomes a simple process of reviewing the pay

data for the period and amending any custom columns. Once complete, the period can be closed and exported ready to be uploaded to the relevant payroll provider.

TeamHub’s app also provides the flexibility to manage on the go. Managers can download and install TeamHub from the app store and use it from their mobile or from a mounted iPad back of house.

Rather than having to keep a close eye on staff as they clock in and deal with issues manually, the app allows managers to authorize certain employee actions remotely such as:

  • Changing their photo
  • Early/late clock in/out
  • Unscheduled breaks

It’s not hard to see how giving managers more flexibility and smart tools to manage on the go will improve efficiency and allow them more time to motivate their teams. Better management and happier employees will affect performance within the restaurant as a whole, ultimately improving your bottom line.

Choose a purpose-built solution

Based on detailed surveys and feedback from major industry players, Harri developed TeamHub as a specialist tool to improve the shift time management process in multiple aspects.

Although, it may seem like adding another system is overcomplicating the process, in fact, the added functionality makes managers’ lives easier and improves company culture.

Overall, the ability to easily and accurately track your employees’ daily activity and associated labor costs while engaging them in the clock-in or clock-out process fosters a more transparent and collaborative work environment.

A smart, well-integrated system is better for managers and floor staff, and for the business as a whole. With improvements in staff turnover, well-being, attendance, efficiency, and legal compliance, the question is: can you afford not to be implementing the latest technology?

To make this vision of the future a reality for your business, book a demo today.