As any other software application or program the time and attendance equipments also have mechanisms to collect data. This software collects data from the attendance information provided to them. The basic working remains to the feature of collecting the data of the employees while they come in and leave the office.


There has been a recent advancement in the way of collecting input data from the resources. With the introduction of new methods and techniques the employee has to enter the time manually. This software is specially used in the clear-cut data records and the area where the employees can be trusted for entering correct data. Today's time and attendance equipments and software can be divided into three basic categories on the basis of their data collection procedure.

• Time clock oriented – The systems collects information through the time clock. There exists an interface to a time clock. These kinds of systems fail to accept the elapsed time data.

• Computer timekeeper oriented - This is a partial automated process where the employees record the time using a traditional or a sign-in sheet. The collected data is then past on to a manager (a software program) who maintains the time and attendance system.

• Computer entry-employee oriented – This system does not accept data in/out format. This software depends on the honesty of the employees to report the time correctly. These are some of the most modern systems being used widely in various white-collar jobs.

The fourth one can have all the methods included. Among all the categories of the time and attendance equipments systems these are regarded as the best systems are the integral part of most modern organization and systems. Here, all the methods can be combined together and can be used accordingly.

These systems also require three basic methods for collecting time:

• a web interface;

• a telephone interface;

• custom interfaces provided by these systems.