Attendance control - From RFID to Biometrics
Areas of Application and Goals
Optimize security and organization with attendance control! From educational institutions to field service, we offer flexible solutions for precise objectives.
Special Solutions and Support
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Attendance control is used whenever it is necessary to register whether and which persons are present in specific areas. At the same time, these systems can be used to detect absences and initiate countermeasures. An area can be a building, a particularly sensitive section within a building, a closed outdoor area, or an accessible perimeter around a specific object.
Prior to the technical implementation of an attendance control system, comprehensive planning is crucial as the question of the technology to be used cannot be answered universally. Depending on the purpose, legal framework, available shared systems, and budget, attendance control can be implemented using different technologies.
The areas of application for attendance control systems are diverse and pursue various goals. Possible areas of application include:
► educational and care facilities | ► office buildings | ► production areas | ► logistics companies |
► securing goods | ► company premises | ► field service | ► security areas, etc. |
In the first step, it must be clearly defined what goal the attendance control system should fulfill and what benefits it should provide. Of course, individual systems can also pursue multiple goals. Should it record employees' attendance time for payroll purposes or inform the fire department in case of a fire about how many people are still in the area? Should it monitor students' presence in class or ensure timely arrival of field service employees at customer locations? Should only the number of people be recorded or their exact identity?
The user must be able to describe in detail whose presence should be recorded, for which areas this must be done, and what events they want to protect against with the attendance control system. Typical goals of attendance control include:
► evacuation in case of fire or emergency | ► monitoring school attendance & student whereabouts | ► monitoring working hours |
► overview of people or goods | ► support for service dispatchers | ► increased burglary & theft protection |
Our Approaches depends on the goal of the attendance control, there are several potential technical solution. While some systems prioritize ensuring the reliable identification of the person being recorded, in another scenario, intuitive operation or quick capture may play a more important role.
In the following overview, you can see which of the technologies to be presented in more detail below are best suited for your specific purpose.
Video Sensor Technology
Our video sensor technology automatically detects people present in a defined area and can perceive their number, duration of stay, position, and body posture.
It can analyze both a specific area and – in extensive spaces – the points of entry.
The integrated image processing allows for use without transmitting image data (e.g., in areas sensitive to data protection).
RFID-Time Tracking
Identification of employees is done through a passive transponder. This can take the form of a check card, be made as a keychain, or be integrated into a bracelet, among other options. By holding the RFID transponder near a terminal, a voltage is induced and encrypted communication between the transponder and terminal is established, based on which the identification of the transponder holder can be carried out. For attendance control using RFID time recording, stationary time recording terminals are usually used, where employees can make their clock-in, clock-out, and duty trip bookings.
Mobile Time Tracking
Mobile time tracking terminals like the Chronos Control have been specifically designed for time tracking and attendance control at customers of service companies.
They do not require installation in the customer's IT infrastructure, but typically have autonomous internal power supply and communicate via mobile network.
The devices are, for example, deployed at customers of cleaning companies or security service providers.
Employees trigger corresponding bookings by touching the clock-in or clock-out buttons. Identification via RFID is also possible. In addition to recording working hours, the mobile time tracking device also serves for attendance control and quality assurance at the customers' premises. If a planned clock-in booking is missed, the dispatcher receives a notification and can react accordingly.
Optimize your time management with INCA IDICS from ibes AG. Our time tracking software offers legally compliant documentation, minimized administrative effort, fast vacation planning, seamless integration with ERP or payroll systems, automatic report delivery, and a flexible system that adapts to your company's requirements. Special features such as automated vacation approval and the ability for employees to independently correct their times make IDICS an efficient solution for your company. Discover INCA IDICS.
Biometric Time Tracking & Access Control
Time Tracking
Alternatively or in addition to RFID cards, biometric features can also be used for identification at time tracking terminals.
Hand vein recognition, for example, is a contactless optical method where the pattern of hand veins is used as an identification feature.
Hand vein recognition is considered the most secure biometric method currently available and is particularly used in attendance tracking when the sharing of identification tokens like transponders by students or employees must be strictly avoided. By emitting a flash of light in the infrared range, the venous blood is reflected and the vein patterns become visible. Based on this image, a template is created that uniquely and securely identifies each person. By integrating hand vein recognition with the stationary time tracking terminal, it can be operated solely by the employees' hands.
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Access Control
The hand vein recognition is currently the most secure and convenient biometric identification feature used in access control to secure highly sensitive areas. Instead of presenting a transponder to a reader, the biometric features of hand veins are utilized. This makes it significantly harder to bypass the system. Attendance controls that require the high level of security provided by hand vein recognition should also incorporate access control systems such as turnstiles or revolving doors. Additionally, it is important to ensure that all access points to the monitored areas are equally secured.
RFID Access Control
In attendance control using access control systems, the entry and exit of areas are regulated through access control techniques and turnstile systems, ensuring that only authorized individuals can enter these areas. Information about the people entering is used for attendance tracking. Individuals identify themselves using an RFID card and possibly a PIN code at a reader before entering the area.
To ensure accurate attendance tracking, the use of turnstiles, revolving gates, or airlocks is recommended.
GPS Attendance Tracking
In attendance control using GPS tracking, a person or object is located worldwide and the position is evaluated according to predefined criteria. By defining specific areas in the tracking portal, users can be informed when a person enters or leaves an area. This information can be transferred to an attendance control system, for example, to track working hours for field service customers or ensure timely staffing of these workstations. In addition, dispatchers can always see where individual employees are currently located. Tracking systems can also be used to monitor that objects do not leave a defined area. For example, the "presence" of machines or other valuable goods on the company premises can be ensured.
Near-Field Communication Location Tracking
In our Bluetooth Low Energy attendance control solution, Bluetooth Low Energy beacons are used as employee or guest badges and located within a building or outdoor area.
Anchors are distributed throughout the building for positioning the beacons, creating a wireless network among themselves to locate the beacons within this network. Depending on the operating modes, they can be located with an accuracy of up to 30 cm.
Through the optional integrated RFID transponder, the Bluetooth Low Energy beacon can simultaneously be used for time tracking and access control. The collected data is evaluated through a user-friendly interface. In real-time, you can track how many employees or users are in a building. In case of emergency, you receive immediate information about the number of people in the building. Users can also receive directions if needed. For example, guests can be directed to their desired location or employees can be safely evacuated from the building.
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INCA® is a brand of ibes AG and has been standing for reliable and modern technology in the areas of access control, time tracking, and attendance tracking for over 40 years.
We offer our customers individual system solutions that can be quickly and easily adapted to their needs. The core of our systems is always our comprehensive, modular access control and time tracking software, to which we only connect state-of-the-art hardware components. Since producing our hardware requires a lot of know-how and experience, we manufacture a large part of the technology ourselves. Our proprietary developments include terminals, controllers, and tracking devices including portals. We source the remaining components from leading manufacturers with whom we have long-standing partnerships.
Our customers include many medium-sized companies and educational institutions, as well as corporations such as Audi AG or Verbundnetz Gas AG. We would be very pleased to welcome your company among our customers in the future.
