Auto Time Solutions forms strategic partnership with M2M specialist ViaTelemetry

Auto Time Solutions forms strategic partnership with M2M specialist ViaTelemetry

LEADING time and attendance specialist Auto Time Solutions has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with ViaTelemetry, the UK’s leading Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications solution provider.

The partnership brings together industry leading solutions for workforce management, leading edge data collection and automated machine connectivity.

Auto Time will utilise ViaTelemetry’s expertise in M2M to enhance the efficiency of its flagship product Vanquish, an advanced mobile workforce management solution that allows businesses to centrally manage remote workers wherever their location.

Vanquish will operate using ViaTelemetry’s patented ìWEAVE remote monitoring platform.

ìWEAVE comprises an intelligent GPRS gateway which enables Auto Time’s biometric handscan terminals to communicate with web-based back-office management software without the need for human intervention. The system can also be integrated with conventional landline telephones to create a cost-effective time and attendance solution (Vanquish Telecheck).

Having direct access to remote equipment in the field will provide clients with real-time data of employee attendance from remote locations. As well as automatically verifying staff attendance, the system can also pinpoint employee location to provide reassurances about their personal safety.

Christian Berenger, Business Development Director at Auto Time Solutions says: "At Auto Time we are always striving to be at the cutting edge of innovative workforce management solutions. By integrating ìWEAVE into our Vanquish product we’ve created a whole new platform for mobile workforce management by gathering real-time data from remote biometric terminals.

“As well as ensuring the welfare of remote workers, our customers can also turn this data into meaningful information to automate the payroll process, pro-actively manage absences and remove the burden of manual timesheets."

Barry Lowe, Business Development Director at ViaTelemetry says: “Our expertise in M2M wireless communications is ideally suited to Auto Time’s portfolio of remote time and attendance products. By gaining real-time data from remote locations organisations can not only make better informed decisions about their business but also ensure the welfare of remote workers at the touch of a button.”

Tracking labour costs is extremely challenging in industries where employees work irregular hours and often alone. With Vanquish employees simply clock in and out from any client location using biometric handscan terminals. These provide fast and accurate verification of employee attendance and help to eradicate buddy punching - the act of an employee clocking in for a colleague.

When clocking in using a conventional landline telephone via Vanquish Telecheck, employees simply enter a unique PIN to verify their identity, whilst the system also verifies the site by recording the CLI (Calling Line Identifier).

All captured data is instantly transmitted to a centrally managed application, enabling managers to gain active visibility of employee time and attendance on remote sites.

Should an employee fail to register their attendance within an allotted time tolerance SMS or email alerts are instantly sent to line managers, enabling them to take action immediately to pro-actively cover the absence.

Sophisticated reports can also be generated automatically using the all data fields held within the system, and these can be exported in a range of formats as well as to popular payroll packages such as Sage to automate the payroll process.

Because the terminals communicate using GPRS technology the system is hosted independently from client networks and no cabling is required. This makes Vanquish an ideal solution for helping recruitment agencies monitor temporary workers and comply with impending Agency Workers Regulations.