“Clocking-in” is a time-honored use of ID cards. Employees have been “punching-in” when they arrive at work since the early days of industrial automation. The word “punch-in” came from the now outdated technology of punch cards, or paper cards with small slots in them to allow automated reading for payroll purposes. Today, modern technologies make the clock-in process much smoother and more fool-proof. And the same technology options can be used for much more than merely recording hours for payroll. Workers can use their employee ID badges to check-in at a specific location, update job codes for costing purposes, and efficiently record activities records for audit and tracking purposes. Instantcard offers a wide range of ID card technologies to assist in this function, including:
- Mag stripe – swiping the card in a reader connected to a PC or the network to identify the card-holder
- Barcode – scanning a barcode on the ID card with a “gun” to create a record for subsequent processing
- QR Code – these modern 2-D barcodes are designed to be scanned with any smartphone equipped with a camera. They give access to data or websites, rendering their potential uses on an ID card virtually limitless
- RFID – cards with an embedded RFID chip can transmit a unique code to a compatible reader to, for example, open a door or a turnstyle
- Smartcards – these chip cards can read and write data, with varying levels of encryption and security. They are used for more complex applications than RFID, such as payments or transportation, but can be easily adapted to a wide range of “check-in/check-out” functions.
Don’t hesitate to ask your InstantCard rep about these different options, and how these technologies can be implemented in your organization to improve tracking and accountability.
