We have grown accustomed to the fast pace of technology development. What was cutting-edge five years ago might as well be on display in an ancient history museum. For businesses looking to upgrade their workforce management solutions, it may have been a while since they reviewed the market offerings and the range of new options may be overwhelming. The best way to navigate these new offerings is to work with your ZKTeco workforce management partner who can guide you through the process of selecting the best-fit solution for you and your business. To get started, we have identified five key trends to watch in the workforce management space to help you better understand this fast-changing landscape.
Trend 1: Form Fitting Timeclock Devices.
Timeclock devices are now like Swiss Army Knives with many options available for your business to use when needed. Devices like ZKTeco’s Ultima offer multiple connection options, cloud-based software, multiple user-facing configurations such as finger print and facial recognition functions, multiple types of badge swipe readers, and the flexibility to be installed wherever is best for your business. These devices are easy to reconfigure, too, meaning you are never stuck if your business needs change.
What’s next: The list of available configuration options and functionality offerings will continue to grow to help businesses adapt to public health issues or device installation challenges. Mobile time tracking applications usage is expanding and is poised to become more common, especially for companies with a remote workforce.
Trend 2: User friendly Android Applications.
Timeclock devices are easier to install and integrate with your workforce management system and IT infrastructure than ever before. Devices equipped use an Android operating system and applications which are highly user-friendly. The technology is easy to learn for your employees using the device to record their time and makes IT professionals happy because of how easy these devices are to install.
What’s next: The trend towards user-friendliness will continue as the Android software continues to evolve and user experience improvements are implemented. Touch-screen devices are becoming the norm as too are biometrics-based functions which are rapid expanding during the COVID-19 pandemic to include temperature and mask check functions.
Trend 3: Seamless integration with Workday.
Today’s timeclock devices are equipped to connect seamlessly with Workday, a leader in the workforce management software space. Companies invest a lot of time and resources into installing and maintaining Workday and need partner products to connect without significant effort. Workday partners like ZKTeco understand this need and have developed a suite of products that are compatible with Workday out of the box.
What’s next: Workday compatible devices continue to track Workday’s functionality changes. More devices will be fully compatible with Workday and other commonly used workforce management tools.
Trend 4: Cloud Base Middleware.
Timeclocks now connect to workforce management systems via a software as a service (SaaS) provider. ZKTeco devices operate using CirrusDCS and can connect to your business’s Workday or other workforce Management software from anywhere. There is no need for a hardwired connection to your business’s network. The middleware solution will make the necessary connections for your business, permitting a great deal of flexibility.
What’s next: SaaS options will continue to grow in popularity. Businesses are recognizing that timeclock functionality can be customized to their business and permit new freedoms and efficiencies in how they manage their employees.
Trend 5: Customized options for every customer.
With an ever-increasing number of configuration options, customers will continue to see better-fit tools for their business. ZKTeco is able to fully configure devices for businesses in-house, simplifying the number of steps required to stand-up a workforce management system. ZKTeco directly supports the timekeeping devices, middleware software, and the implementation process, serving as a one-stop-shop for customers which is a departure from the way timekeeping solutions were sold in the past.
What’s next: ZKTeco is constantly listening to customer feedback to ensure we are providing best-in-class products and services. ZKTeco is committed to providing customers with high-quality products that fit their business needs all at a competitive price-point. As customized options continue to grow, ZKTeco will work directly with customers to implement new features to ensure their workforce management solution is working as well as possible.
Following developments in technology broadly, the workforce management technology space is seeing a lot of new development. This development has focused on making systems more user-friendly and compatible through an increased number of configuration options. As you explore options for your business, ZKTeco is ready to help navigate this fast-changing space.
