Efficiency Tip: Remote start

With more than 15 percent of Country Club Lawn & Tree Specialists’ 30-plus employees starting work remotely on any given day, Co-owner Mark Black knew he had to find a time clock that fit his company’s needs.

Black consulted with his peers, and about a year ago, the South Roxana, Ill.-based company implemented TimeStation, a cloud-based time clock that allows employees to clock in and out remotely with a four-digit pin on a smartphone or tablet.

Allowing management to streamline its payroll process into one system, the time clock also includes a GPS feature, so management can cross-check remote employees’ locations and clock-in times.

“It’ll tell you if people aren’t being honest, and it’s set off a few red flags of people driving down the road and clocking in and out,” Black says. “But (employees) don’t have to worry about that as long as they do their job right.”

Nonremote workers are able to clock in using the app through a tablet that’s set up in the company’s job trailer.

The application costs $350 per year for up to 50 employees. Black says it has saved the company up to 15 man-hours per week when accounting for hours spent doing payroll, potential clock-in errors and system failures.

“For an average of a dollar a day, the remote time clock gives so much ease and peace of mind,” Black says.

Photo: Country Club Lawn & Tree Specialists