Biometrics Transforms Transformer Manufacturer’s Productivity and Prevents Buddy Punching
About the Customer
For over 50 years, and with over 3,400 employees, ERMCO is America’s largest manufacturer of oil-filled distribution transformers, which keep the world running reliably, even in the toughest conditions.
The Challenge
ERMCO was experiencing a high number of false reads with their incumbent time and attendance palm readers, leading to bottlenecks at the beginning and end of shifts.
This was partly due to a cumbersome time clock interface, but mainly because their manufacturing plants occasionally required employees to work without gloves to manipulate copper by hand, often leading to greasy fingerprints or fingerprints being burnt off altogether. Swipe cards were considered as an authentication method but were discounted as the HR department were keen to prevent buddy punching.
The obsolete workforce management terminals also consumed management time through the constant cleaning and repair of hardware. In fact, on average, three terminals were being returned for repair every month and even experienced a systems failure when an I.P address change was required.
The Solution
We recommended a solution that is a purpose-built time clock designed to withstand the rigors of a manufacturing environment, and its modularity allowed for both a frictionless Suprema biometric reader and a pin number as an alternative authentication method for the 5% of the workforce that do not have fingerprints (facial recognition was also an option).
The intuitive interface, coupled with slick biometric readers, cut through the dirt, which in turn, slashed read failure rates and queues for their 1,100 strong workforce by over 50%. It also meant that management spent far less time cleaning or returning time clocks to their supplier due to physical abuse or build-up of dirt and grease. Plus, available remote terminal diagnostics allows additional features to be installed and repair to be administrated without a clock ever leaving the plant.
The new clocks are much easier to maintain, makes employee enrolment a breeze, and decreases clock in/out time for quicker processing during shift change. We previously had some struggles with biometrics for a select few of our employees as they no longer have fingerprints, but with the ability to clock in/out using a PIN was the answer we needed for these special cases. The remote interface gives you the ability to access the clocks at any time and allows full control of the clock allowing diagnostics as well as a virtual tutorial for employees that are off-site..
– Russ Shepard, VP of IT, ERMCO