Manual timesheets record what someone remembers at the end of the day. Automated attendance records first and last seen, time in each named area and time by category from the card a worker carries, with no clock-in step. It is more detailed, takes no time from foremen, and feeds wages and labour cost directly.
| Criterion | Manual timesheets | Automated attendance (SmartSites) |
|---|---|---|
| How time is recorded | Written or typed by a foreman | Carrying the card onto site starts the record |
| Detail | Hours per worker per day | First and last seen, time in each named area, time by category |
| Effort | Daily admin for every crew | None after enrolment |
| Errors | Rounding, missed days, copied entries | Gaps are shown; time while a device was offline is marked as estimated |
| Labour cost | Calculated later from the sheets | Wages calculated from attendance alongside site expenses |
| Sites without hardware | The only option | A manual daily timesheet can be kept in the same system |
No clock-in
Workers do not tap a reader or open an app. Wearing the card is the clock-in, so attendance does not depend on anyone remembering to record it.
Time by area, not just hours
Because receivers sit in each room or zone, attendance shows where the day went (which trades worked in which areas, and for how long), not just a daily total.
Privacy boundaries
SmartSites only tracks inside the site areas you configure. Productivity analysis from cameras is anonymous and zone-level, never per worker.
Certificates and compliance
The same worker record gives 30 days' warning before a safety certificate expires, so expired credentials are caught before someone is on site.
