In 2006 when Corona, CA-based TimeRack Inc. launched its first web-based proactive time clock systems, the concept was met with a bit of skepticism.

Company President Sammy Singh, who is a partner with his brother, Chief Executive Officer TJ Sehmi, said most companies had only had experience with a traditional manual time clock and didn’t get the concept. Six years later, with class action lawsuits alleging pay improprieties proliferating and overtime pay out of control in many circumstances, Mr. Singh said that his proprietary TimeRack solutions are much more popular.  

Simply put, TimeRack provides web-based software programs that can automate and customize the reporting of all time and attendance data. Mr. Singh said small to mid-sized businesses are the company’s target customer, with a specific focus on reaching independent grocery chains, with the firm’s TimeRack Grocer program.

He said the system utilizes a fairly traditional time clock at each location that employees utilize to clock in. The time clock can be of any type but typically features a badge-scanning device for check in. However, it can also be the typical hand-punch time clock or more sophisticated models that recognize finger print or face recognition. The real key is the computer tie-in behind the time clock.

Mr. Singh said the system is a custom program so it can be programmed to provide whatever reports are wanted or needed by the individual users.

One of the more popular uses of the web-based system is to control and track employee overtime in real time, he said, explaining that under a traditional manual system, an employee punches in and punches out and then a supervisor or office employee must physically analyze the time cards to determine if the employee was on time, late or worked any overtime. With the web-based TimeRack solution, a manager can be alerted by email or via a smartphone alert anytime an employee is approaching overtime.

“It’s a proactive system,” Mr. Singh said. “If you want it to alert you each time an employee approaches the end of the shift, it will do so. If you want an alert just as overtime kicks in, it will do that also.”

Because the manager or supervisor is getting real-time information, he or she can deal with the situation immediately. Mr. Singh said one of his grocery store clients told him that it has completely eliminated overtime since going on this system.

He said all a manager has to do is enter the schedule for the next pay period and the system will keep track of every employee and how each is performing against the schedule.

“The manager can find out what is happening in real time and act accordingly,” he said. “He doesn’t have to wait to look at the time cards.”

Because of how the company prices the system and its services, Mr. Singh said it can work for any firm ranging from one location and 25 employees to hundreds of locations and 8,000 employees. The basic price is $3.50 per employee per month, but he said there are discounts as the number of employees goes up and as the user adds different features of the system. “Right now we are working with someone who has between 500 and 800 employees and they are going to pay a flat fee of $1,500 to $2,000 per month.”

Mr. Singh said the data is stored on a private “cloud” so all data is secure.

He said the hardware can be bought or leased for a very reasonable sum so most firms choose the leasing option. “The fingerprint clock is only $55 per month on a lease,” he said.

He added that these pricing structures are designed to enable small to mid-sized business users to reap the same benefits in advanced functionality, enhanced productivity and cutting-edge technology as their larger counterparts without the massive price tag that typically goes along with that.

Mr. Singh came to the time clock business after being involved in the temporary staffing industry for many years. Consequently, he has ties to that industry and that is one of the three industries that TimeRack has targeted. Along with independent grocery chains, the third vertical is the certified public accountant industry.

But the TimeRack executive said the system will work for anyone, including a packingshed or any produce company that utilizes time clocks and wants better control of managing its workers’ hours.

He said one of the factors that sets TimeRack apart from its competitors is that it is not a reseller of equipment made by outside firms, but rather the manufacturer itself as well as the developer of the TimeRack solutions.