Measuring and Making Time Work!

Ciaran Rowsome, CEO of FlexTime, an Irish Company that develops & supplies working time solutions for flexible, home, mobile & shift work arrangements. Their systems work for organisations of any type and size.

When passing through Bristol Airport some time back, I was called aside by Police, and in routine questioning I was asked my occupation, to which I replied that “I’ve been doing time for over three decades now”. When I explained the context, that my company develops and supplies systems for Time and Attendance purposes, we had a good laugh between us and thankfully, I was allowed to move on.

In its odd way, I feel the story underscores our longevity in business. FlexTime is just one of those many Irish companies that have worked through these past three challenging decades, by providing innovative solutions to happy long-term customers.

Our system is called VisionTime, and we are based in Churchtown, Dublin 14. This is where all the software development happens, and we have our core team of support, installation and sales personnel. Many of our highly skilled staff, similarly have two or three decades experience, and with a common focus supplying quality working time solutions.

Initially, FlexTime as our name might imply, was associated only with flexible working solutions mainly for office staff. However,
we have long since widened our horizons. Now you will find a FlexTime system capturing time for staff for payroll purposes, on factory floors, retail outlets, and distribution centres. This includes customers involved in Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail and Construction etc.

Indeed, to underpin the diverse nature of our user-base, our attendance system can also be found in 60% of Government Departments including the Houses of the Oireachtas where it is in use for TDs and Senators, as a means of their verifying attendance for the payment of expenses. Also, on all Education Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), Solas (formerly FAS) Training Courses throughout Ireland, as over 10,000 Trainees clock in an out each day to record their times for outputting to the payroll system. They depend on the system each week to be paid accurately and on time.

So how does it all work?

VisionTime is a web, cloud and mobile system for managing time and attendance, accommodating many approaches to the
subject with automated features for handling: –

• Shifts, Rosters, Overtime, TOIL (Time off in Lieu)
• Late`s, Grace/Rounding Rules, Breaks
• Job Times
• Flexible Working

VisionTime operates on the company’s computer network or alternatively, as a hosted SaaS cloud solution. The system provides multiple methods to allow employees and users to clock in and out seamlessly. Examples are clocking at Time Terminals (Time Clocks), PCs, Tablets and/or Mobile Phones. Time Terminals (Time Clocks) can be activated by touchless cards, finger touch, facial recognition, or by Bluetooth whereby the employee points his/her mobile phone at the Terminal. We have also created a software link to the world-renowned Gallagher Access Control System, so that once employees use swipe cards at the access Security readers, that time record goes straight to our VisionTime software. Some customers love that there is no need for two devices!

There are also multiple ways to keep time & absence records up to date so that adjustments for holidays and sickness can be handled by central administration, payroll office or supervisors. Alternatively, there is a workflow process whereby the employee can request a holiday, look to have a late excused, submit sickness details with supervisor’s sign off at PCs, Tablets, mobile phones. The system also has Visitor Management features.

Covid-19 – new developments

Great news about vaccine releases is being tempered somewhat by the effects of the shutdowns. Therefore, to support our customers, during the recent shutdowns we took the opportunity to develop new system features – such as for remote and home working arrangements. Then just as vital is the return-to-work aspect and for that VisionTime now caters for:-

• electronic request forms completion by employees and visitors before permission to be at base is approved,
• a roster programme to ensure social distancing
• indication when a building is full via a building capacity module
• employee and visitor temperature checking on Time Terminals.

Ciaran Rowsome can be contacted on 01-260968 or at ciaran.rowsome@flextime.ie.

This Business Support arciles featured in the January/February 2021 edition of The Hardware Journal