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We did it – Guide for your DIY NFC Time Tracking Terminal.
A guest post on NFC time tracking by Gerd Beidernikl, vieconsult GmbH (20 employees, Vienna)
In May 2021, my company, the management consultancy vieconsult, switched to MOCO – after 10 years of rather painful experience with other ERP solutions. After comparing around 20 providers on the market, the decision quickly fell on MOCO: The decisive argument was the reduction to the essentials. We love it! Here we show why and how we created our own top-notch time tracking terminal with simple means.
Time tracking – a necessary evil?
As a management consultancy, we work on over 50 projects annually. Therefore, a team-accepted and efficient time tracking is important. Because time is also money. MOCO has met all our requirements. In addition to the time booked on projects, effective recording of working hours was particularly important to us as an Austrian company.
Working time recording in Austria
In Austria, the legal requirements for working time recording are comparatively strict. This creates conditions in which start times, end times, and break times must be recorded – even in the home office.
Working time recording in Austria
In Austria, the legal requirements for working time recording are comparatively strict. This creates conditions in which start times, end times, and break times must be recorded – even in the home office.
New Work – New Time
Our everyday life is characterized by many New Work principles. This also includes a maximally flexible flextime framework that does not specify core hours or workplaces. Time tracking in MOCO is flexible and location-independent – via web application, browser plugin, or smartphone app. So everyone can track their time as they wish. What we still lacked, however, was a ritualistic "Check In" when arriving at the office.
NFC – we have to try it!
When news about the automation of working time recording came with the further development of MOCO News zur Automatisierung der Arbeitszeiterfassung, we pricked up our ears. In this context, NFC or RFID tags were also mentioned as possible triggers for time tracking. A promising idea was born: We build our own local time tracking.
Thought – done:
Thought – done:
1. Ordered NFC tag stickers on the internet – for 1.50 € each.
2. Repurposed picture frames and fired up the color printer. One sticker is for check-in and the other for check-out.
3. Every willing employee set up their iPhone themselves: Created a shortcut for check-in when entering the office > Linked shortcut with NFC sticker > Repeated the same for check-out.
Voilà!
The homemade time terminal in our lobby is ready. From now on, time tracking is done in passing. Literally. And: Those who want can also equip their home office with NFC tags.
English image not yet available...
The homemade time terminal in our lobby is ready. From now on, time tracking is done in passing. Literally. And: Those who want can also equip their home office with NFC tags.
English image not yet available...The Learnings
The idea is simple, good, and quickly implemented. The DIY terminal hangs next to our wardrobe/in front of our kitchen, which minimizes "forgetting". However, there was a minor setback: NFC is not supported by every operating system and we have some old company phones that do not yet integrate this technology. No matter: Christmas brings new phones, then it will work for everyone! We won't let that stop us.
Thank you, MOCO!
English image not yet available...A big thank you to you, Gerd, for your contribution 💙
and warm greetings to all colleagues at vieconsult 👋 🙌
