Mobile Application for Employee Monitoring Using Location Based

Attendance System

Eisen Ed C. Briones

CHAPTER I

Introduction

Background of the Study:

The civil service commission requires all government employees to submit daily time record every month and for several years now the Bundy clocks have been the main device of government offices in logging and monitoring the attendance of all employees. In this millennium, where new technology comes out faster than we could keep up, the Bundy clock is now considered a legacy device in this digital era. Presently, most government institution are still using Bundy clock and DTR cards, since these are physical in nature, the records can easily be tampered, lost or maliciously damaged. The need to switch to a user friendly digital application is now increasingly important.

Some government offices or private institution have employees that works in the field. Some of these employees are required to report in the office for the purpose of punching-in their DTR first before going to their work area. Some are exempted in punching in their DTR during their field days.

The objective of this study is to create a mobile application that will let a field employee login or logout based on a location or area assigned and scheduled to him. This proposed application provides the tool for employees to login for work remotely in their area of work where there is no bundy clock. This will be an important tool for supervisors to keep track of their employees doing field work by setting their login location based on their specified work location and verify the employees’ whereabouts during work hours.

Scope and Limitation:

The study will focus on the monitoring of attendances of the employees in Philippine Science high School. The purpose of this mobile attendance monitoring system is to monitor the time when an employee logs in and out and whether an employee is present or not.

Flow of the Current System:

Philippine Science high School handles their attendance by using time cards and Bundy clock. The time card holds a lot of information about the employee. The Bundy Clock is the one that puts the time when the employee checks in or out. First, an employee is given a time card which holds their attendance information. They insert their time card into the Bundy clock which holds the time. After their official time, they should insert again their time cards into the Bundy clock for the information when and what time they left the company. The computation of hours work is done after the last employee checks out of the office, they do this by checking the log in and log out of the time card of an employee and compute for the working hours on that certain day.

File Management Used by the Current System:

The Philippine Science High School’s DTRs are stored in a file cabinet that is arranged in alphabetical order. The employees are using Bundy clock to log in and out for work.

Statement of the Problem

The employees in PSHS are now using a legacy device when clocking their time for work without the ability for them to log and out whenever they work off site for field work assignments. The supervisors or department heads can’t also track the hours spent by their employees on field work.

This study will help create a DTR system using a mobile phone without the use of Bundy clock.

CHAPTER II

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Local Literature

John Aquilan(2004) made a comparable thesis on the automation of Time attendance that records the time in and time out of every employee using barcode system. It tends to eliminate the manual recording system of time and attendance and also include salary computation of each employee based on the time and attendance reports.

Ramon Faloran (2005) wrote in the article “The Computer Edge of the New Employment and Opportunities “in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He stated that computer gives you a different feeling about what is happening in the company. Business will be highly competitive and innovative because the computer provides instant information.

Study by Andrea Cantoma (2004) in her thesis entitled “Computer Library System for St. James Academy” stated that, in manual system in retrieving, maintaining security and piling records take place because of the years gone by. Furthermore, these files were only kept in envelopes and folders in wooden rocks. There are also instances when the right information is given to a wrong person, which affect quality of service.

Foreign Literature:

According to Thomas Primer on his article “Automated Computerize Process”, in Readers Digest Magazine, May 2005, page 45, for many businesses automating the collecting of employee attendance data when employees begin their shifts is still a manual process.

Even business that has automated or computerized processes such as scheduling, inventory, purchasing, general ledger and payroll processing still use manual methods such as time cards or attendance sheets to collect time and attendance data.

NOVAtime (2007) a group system developer announced a system that will give management the power to not only utilize the tools we have available to us today, but will continue to grow and evolve, giving it the capability to incorporate and utilize the tools the new millennium promises to bring us. NOVAtime has brought a system designed for growth while maintaining the maximum in flexibility. Where the sophistication lies within

The programmed mechanism of the system, allowing for a quick and simple implementation and employee training cycle. After all the true test of a system is not only in the production and wealth of reporting, but in the simplicity and ease of its operation, in conjunction with a simple and accommodating implementation program.

Local Study:

Andrew Mendrez (2007) made a similar study for Vision Designer Inc. He developed a machine to identify the person when they swipe their identification cards. The person must first enter their given code, the cards are then swiped to trigger the verification process. If access granted, the micro switch will then automatically unlock to allow enter. This will help a lot in monitoring attendances accurately and more precise.

A group of computer engineers in Rebisco Biscuits Corporation proposed a thesis report that is now a computerized daily time record as an alternative for Bundy clock. The means of getting inside the company premises is by swiping cards into a machine that reads every record of each employee then monitor and displays the time a particular employee logs in and out.

In the 2005 annual report of the Forest Products Research and Development Institute under the Department of Science and Technology, it is said that, “The computerized database and attendance on Forest Products Research and Development Institute was designed to facilitate the Institute's data entry, processing, computation and maintenance of employee time and attendance transactions. The system allows employees to log in/out as the swipe their IDs through a barcode reader attached to a computer terminal. The processing forms include those for legal holidays, travel order, tardiness, undertime, vacation and sick leave. Pertinent Report forms have been designed for easier access to all these data.”

Foreign Study

Columbia State Community (2006) uses computer identification account (Log In Name and Password) for access to the institutions computer usage logs occurs electrically through the individual users log in/out process. Users are also informed that they are responsible for any computer file’s, database and/or internet sites that are accessed through their computer identification account, notwithstanding their failure to adhere to the log in/out process, on their voluntary publication of their account information to others.

Johnson (1994) said, since modern computer accelerates work and keeps track of information accurately and promptly, it’s only natural that industry needs the services of computer and the modern technology devices for great help and improvement.

Watson (2011) offers more accessible, fast and efficient way to enhance Log-in Log-out Using Biometrics Finger Prints Reader. By using ESVES biometric system for security and database management the employee can Log-in and Log-out by Pointing Thumb finger and Index finger.

Definition of Terms

BiometricsThis refers to the measurement of physical characteristics such as fingerprints and DNA, or retinal patterns for use in verifying the identity of individuals.Bundy Clock This refers to a clock card machine or punch clock or time recorder is a mechanical (or electronic) time piece used to assist in tracking the hours an employee of a company worked.DatabaseThis refers to an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, it is usually in digital form.Employee This refers to a person who is hired to provide services to a company on a regular basis in exchange for compensation.Daily Time Record This refers to a record of how a person’s time has been spent. It is used to calculate pay, asses the efficient use of time, or charge for work done.

Conceptual Framework:

In this research, the aim is to provide a better way of monitoring attendance of the employees, where the staff and the manager can handle a faster and easy way of recording and monitoring their daily Attendances. Only the Manager has the authority to use the system and set the login location of the employees. The system will provide a reliable and efficient way of recordkeeping activity. The study aims to produce a result of Attendance Monitoring System that can cope up with the needs of the company.

Input Process Output

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study

Proposed SystemHardware and Software RequirementsHardwarePentium I3 1800MHz or higher1 Gigabytes (GB) of RAM minimum; 4GB or higher recommended512MB of available hard-disk space1GB Ram Mobile Device running android 3.0 and aboveSoftwareWindows XP/Windows 7

User:ManagerEmployeeData:Password & usernameEmployee NoGPS Location

Device:MobileComputer Printer

Daily Attendance Monitoring System

Attendance Report

Flow of the Proposed System:

Location Login will be setup using a web based application powered by google maps API. The administrator will set the login location using a rectangular bar for each employee. If the employee is doing office work then he/he will be given a default login location. For those doing field work he will be assigned with a login location on days he will be out of the office.

Administrator

MONDAY LOGIN TUESDAY LOGIN

Employee

1. Open the app. The first time you use the app it will first verify your identity by entering a code assigned to you by the manager. Succeeding use the application will automatically log you in. Wait for the phone to get your location.

2. Make sure that you are inside your login location. The application will prompt you to proceed once you have met the requirements.

3. Logging in will also simultaneously take a picture of yourself. This will be save in the server to verify your identity.