TERMINOLOGY

4G – 4G is the short name for fourth-generation wireless, the stage of broadband mobile communications that supersedes 3G (third-generation wireless).

Access Control – Access Control (AC) is the selective restriction of access to a place or other resource. Permission to access a resource is called authorization.

Administrator – A person / manager responsible for carrying out the administration of the system.

API – API stands for Application Programming Interface. In the context of APIs, the word Application refers to any software with a distinct function. Interface can be thought of as a contract of service between two applications. This contract defines how the two communicate with each other using requests and responses.

Attendance / Attendance Register – Being present / marked present at or for work.

Barcode Scanner – A barcode reader is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a barcode.

Bio Technology – A system or application which is designed to employ biometric data.

Biometrics – Biometrics is the measurement of people’s physical characteristics. Biometrics is usually used for identification and access control, or for identifying individuals that are under surveillance.

Biometric App / Attendance App – A biometric App enables its user to remotely “clock IN or OUT” using their smartphone or mobile devices.

Biometric Hardware – Gathers, reads an compares biometric data. Biometric System is the term more often used.

Breathalyser – A breathalyser typically refers to a device that analyzes a person’s breath to determine their blood alcohol concentration. 

Buddy Clocking – Occurs when one employee clocking/punching in on a clocking machine for their co-worker, helping them avoid penalties such as showing up late, leaving early, or not showing up at all.

Enforcer / Exception Management – Management by exception is a style of business management that focuses on identifying and handling cases that deviate from the norm, such as late arrivals, short time, absenteeism etc.

Enrolment – Gathering and processing of biometric data with the intent of storing them into a database.

Facial Recognition – A facial recognition system is a technology capable of identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video source.

Fingerprint – A fingerprint in its narrow sense is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. Human fingerprints are detailed, nearly unique, difficult to alter, and durable over the life of an individual, making them suitable as long-term markers of human identity. 

Geofencing – The use of GPS or RFID technology to create a virtual geographic boundary, enabling software to trigger a response when a mobile device enters or leaves a particular area, enabling attendance software to automatically “clock IN or OUT” as you enter or leave the area.

Ghost Employees – Someone recorded on the payroll system, but who does not work for the business.

GPRS – General Pocket Radio Service, how clocking information is send to our central servers. 

Identification / Recognition – Biometric sample which is matched against templates and other biometric references.

IP-Rating – The IP rating or IP code (Ingress Protection) classifies the degree of protection provided by an enclosure for electrical equipment, such as waterproof or dustproof.

Job Costing – Job costing is defined as a method of recording the costs of a manufacturing job, rather than process. With a job costing systems, a project manager or accountant can keep track of the cost of each job, maintaining data which is often more relevant to the operations of the business.

Job Line Costing – The system allows for multiple labour lines on Jobs, which will record times worked on specified tasks for both billing and productivity purposes.

LAN – Local Area Network, How information will be sent to our central servers.

Leave / Leave Management – Leave Management encompasses the processes employees use to request time away from work and supervisors use to grant or deny leave based on organization policies. 

Liveness Check – A biometric liveness check refers to the verification that the features being presented to the biometric application are those of a living subject, and not a copy or imitation of those features.

Module – Each of a set of standardized parts or independent units that can be used to construct a more complex structure/product.

Online / We-based / Cloud-based – Web-based / cloud-based software is software you use over the internet. You don’t need to install software, or worry about upgrades. Examples of Web-based / cloud-based software is email programs like Gmail or Hotmail, or a banking App.

Online Training – The delivery of learning / training by electronic means, involving the use of a computer or electronic device. Online training can be done in the form of live streaming seminars, pre-recorder videos, e-books etc.

Overtime – Time worked in addition to one’s normal working hours.

Optical Sensor – An input device using light beams to scan and digitally convert images ( Fingerprints).

Payroll – A payroll system is any means of paying employees, depositing employment taxes and maintaining records of the transactions. 

PIN – Personal Identification Number, usually a four digit number is entered into a system to gain access.

Remote Staff / Work-from-home – Remote work is the practice of employees doing their jobs from a location other than a central office operated by the employer. Such locations could include an employee’s home, a co-working or other shared space.

RFID – RFID is an acronym for Radio Frequency Identification which means RFID is the wireless, non-contact use of radio frequency waves to transfer data and identify objects, such as cards and card readers.

Shifts – Shiftwork is an employment practice designed to make use of, or provide service across more than 9 hours of each day, up to 24 hours, 7 days a week.

SLA / Service Level Agreement – A service-level agreement (SLA) defines the level of service you expect from a vendor, laying out the metrics by which service is measured, as well as remedies or penalties should agreed-on service levels not be achieved. 

Smartphone / Mobile Clocking – Enables employees to “clock IN or OUT” from a remote location, using the phone’s GPS functionality to plot them on Google Maps to verify their location. 

T&A / Time & Attendance – Methods for tracking and gathering information about how much time an employee spends working.

Timesheet – A timesheet, or time sheet, is a method for recording the amount of a worker’s time spent on each job. 

Work Cycle – Work Cycle means a period of time specifying a number of consecutive days during which accrued time and approved leave will be accounted, as well as the amount of non-work days.