The Complete Handbook of Time & Attendance Clocks

It's a pretty solid reference, I'll give it that. I run a small machine shop and just needed to figure out if we should replace our old punch clocks with something digital. The choosing chapter at the start was genuinely helpful. My only real complaint is that it dives a little too deep into the weeds of repair and business opportunities, which I couldn't care less about. It's not exactly a page-turner, but it's a useful resource to have on the shelf when the clock starts acting up.

I got this because my boss handed me the task of researching time clocks for our two new warehouses, and I knew nothing about them. Chapter three, on choosing, is worth the price alone, it made me realize we didn't need the expensive biometric ones and that a basic digital model would be fine. The reason for three stars is that the language can be a bit dry and technical in places, and I found myself glossing over some of the chapters on maintenance because they just aren't relevant to my job. But for the core info, it gets the job done.

I've been repairing time clocks for over 20 years, and this is the first book I've seen that actually treats the subject with the gravity it deserves. The detailed explanation of the mechanical timers and their calibration drift was fantastic, and I even learned a trick or two about the newer digital models. The business chapter gave me some great ideas about moving into system integration consulting. This will be my go-to recommendation for any new tech at the shop. Absolutely loved it.

This is a very thorough and well-organized handbook. As an HR manager, the chapters on types, choosing, and installation gave me the confidence to manage our transition from a legacy punch card system to a new biometric one. The troubleshooting chapter also saved me from a potentially embarrassing failure on a Monday morning. I'm not knocking it for this, but I just wish some of the more advanced technical specs and maintenance details were in an appendix or something. That would make it a little quicker to get to the parts I need.

Decent book, though I was hoping for a bit more on the software side. We use a cloud-based app on a tablet for time tracking now, so I mostly bought this to understand the history and the physical devices. The chapter on future trends was the most interesting part for me, it made me feel a bit better about our direction. The buying guide stuff is good for anyone considering a physical clock, but for us, it was a bit of a history lesson. Still, it's a nicely written and comprehensive text on the subject matter.