In most organizations, your access control system and your time and attendance system live in separate worlds. One is managed by security or facilities, focused on who can go where. The other is handled by HR or payroll, focused on who worked when. Both are critical, but they rarely, if ever, talk to each other.
This separation creates inefficiencies, opens the door for inaccuracies, and misses a massive opportunity to turn two standard business utilities into a powerful, unified operational tool.
By integrating these two systems, you can move beyond simple security and unlock a new level of efficiency, accuracy, and insight for your entire business—particularly valuable for manufacturing facilities and commercial properties across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
The Problem with Disconnected Systems
When your systems are siloed, you’re likely dealing with familiar headaches:
Manual Data Entry: HR staff spend hours manually inputting, verifying, or correcting timesheet data from a separate punch clock or paper-based system. For a manufacturing facility with multiple shifts, this can consume 10-15 hours per week of administrative time.
“Buddy Punching”: An employee who is running late texts a coworker to punch in for them. This time theft is a common and costly problem. Studies show that buddy punching costs U.S. employers over $373 million annually in overpayments.
Inaccurate Records: A worker swipes their access card to enter the building at 8:00 AM but forgets to punch in at the time clock until 8:15 AM. Which record is correct? These discrepancies create payroll nightmares and disputes that consume management time.
No Real-Time Visibility: During an emergency evacuation, how do you know who is actually inside the building right now? The access log shows who entered, but not necessarily who left. The time clock shows who is “on the clock,” but not their physical location. This creates serious safety and accountability issues.
Duplicate Hardware Costs: Maintaining separate card readers for access control and separate time clocks for attendance means double the hardware, double the maintenance, and double the points of failure.
These aren’t minor inconveniences—they are operational drags that cost time, money, and create compliance risks.
How the Integration Works: One Scan, Two Actions
The concept is elegantly simple. When an employee presents their credential—a key card, fob, or mobile phone—to a reader at the main entrance, that single action accomplishes two tasks simultaneously:
Access Granted: The access control system verifies the credential and unlocks the door, logging the entry for security purposes.
Time Punch Recorded: The system automatically sends that same timestamped data to your time and attendance or payroll software, creating an accurate, indisputable “in-punch” for the day.
The same process works in reverse when they exit, logging them out of the building and clocking them out for the day.
Modern cloud-based access control systems from PDK and Feenics integrate seamlessly with popular time and attendance platforms, creating a unified data flow without complex custom programming.
The Key Benefits of an Integrated System
1. Eliminate Time Theft and Ensure Payroll Accuracy
By tying the physical act of entering the building to the act of clocking in, you virtually eliminate the possibility of “buddy punching.” You cannot clock in for someone who isn’t physically present with their credential.
You are paying employees for the exact time they are on-site. This direct link between presence and payroll ensures your labor costs are accurate down to the minute, preventing overpayments and disputes.
Real-World Impact: A 100-employee facility that eliminates just 15 minutes per day of time theft per employee saves approximately $109,500 annually (assuming $30/hour average loaded labor cost). The system pays for itself quickly.
2. Drastically Reduce Administrative Overhead
Imagine an HR department that no longer has to chase down manual timesheets or spend hours correcting punch errors. The data flows automatically and accurately from the door reader to the payroll system.
This frees up your administrative team to focus on more strategic initiatives instead of tedious data entry and dispute resolution.
Real-World Impact: Eliminating 10 hours per week of manual timesheet processing saves approximately $26,000 annually in administrative labor costs, while also reducing payroll processing errors that can lead to costly corrections and employee dissatisfaction.
3. Enhance Employee Safety with Real-Time Muster Reporting
This is one of the most powerful yet overlooked benefits. In the event of a fire or other emergency requiring an evacuation, an integrated system can instantly generate a real-time muster report.
This list shows exactly who badged into the building and has not yet badged out. Providing this accurate list to first responders is invaluable for accountability and can be a life-saving tool.
For manufacturing facilities handling hazardous materials or operating heavy equipment, knowing exactly who is on-site at any given moment is not just convenient—it’s a critical safety requirement.
Compliance Note: OSHA requires employers to account for all employees after an emergency evacuation. An integrated system provides instant, accurate accountability.
4. Strengthen Compliance and Audit Trails
For businesses that need to comply with labor regulations, an integrated system creates a single, unimpeachable source of truth. The electronic data trail, tying a specific credential to a specific person, time, and location, provides a robust and easily searchable audit log for any compliance or HR investigations.
This is particularly valuable for:
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) compliance: Accurate records of hours worked, overtime, and break periods
- Department of Labor audits: Complete, tamper-proof time records
- Workers’ compensation claims: Verification of employee presence during claimed incidents
- Unemployment claims: Documentation of attendance and punctuality issues
5. Improve Operational Visibility and Labor Management
Beyond security and payroll, integration provides valuable operational insights:
Shift Adherence Monitoring: Instantly see who arrived late or left early, allowing supervisors to address attendance issues proactively.
Department-Level Tracking: Track time by department or cost center for more accurate project costing and labor allocation.
Overtime Management: Real-time visibility into hours worked helps prevent unplanned overtime and manage labor costs more effectively.
Trend Analysis: Identify patterns in absenteeism, tardiness, or overtime that may indicate operational or morale issues requiring attention.
6. Eliminate Duplicate Hardware and Maintenance
With integration, your access control readers serve double duty. You no longer need separate time clocks at every entrance, reducing hardware purchase costs, installation and wiring costs, ongoing maintenance and support costs, physical space requirements, and employee confusion about which device to use.
Real-World Application: Manufacturing Facility Example
Consider a typical manufacturing facility in the Pureland Industrial Complex with 75 employees working across two shifts:
Before Integration:
- Separate card readers for building access
- Separate time clocks for payroll
- 12 hours per week spent on manual timesheet processing and corrections
- Estimated 5-10 percent time theft through buddy punching and rounding
- No real-time visibility into who is on-site during emergencies
- Frequent payroll disputes requiring management intervention
After Integration:
- Single credential system for both access and time tracking
- Automatic data flow to payroll system
- Less than 1 hour per week spent on timesheet administration
- Buddy punching eliminated entirely
- Instant muster reports available 24/7
- Payroll disputes reduced by 90 percent
- Annual savings: $35,000-50,000 in labor costs and administrative time
The system typically pays for itself within 12-18 months through labor savings alone, while providing ongoing operational and safety benefits.
Integration Options and Compatibility
Modern access control systems from PDK and Feenics offer flexible integration options:
Direct Integration: Native connections to popular time and attendance platforms like ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks Time, and others.
API Integration: Custom connections to proprietary or specialized payroll systems through secure APIs.
Data Export: Scheduled exports of time punch data in standard formats for import into any payroll system.
Systems Integrations works with your existing HR and payroll platforms to ensure seamless data flow without disrupting your established processes.
A Strategic Move for a Smarter Business
Integrating your access control with time and attendance is more than a technical convenience. It’s a strategic decision that improves your bottom line, enhances the safety of your employees, and streamlines your core business operations. It transforms your security infrastructure from a passive cost center into an active contributor to operational excellence.
For manufacturing facilities managing shift work and overtime, property management companies tracking maintenance staff across multiple properties, and any business looking to reduce administrative burden while improving accuracy, this integration delivers measurable ROI.
At Systems Integrations, we understand that a security solution should solve business problems, not just security problems. We specialize in designing and deploying systems that integrate seamlessly with your existing HR and payroll platforms, creating a holistic solution that works for your entire organization.
With over 20 years of experience serving businesses throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, we’ve implemented integrated access control and time attendance solutions for manufacturing facilities, property management companies, and commercial businesses of all sizes.
We’re fully licensed in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Florida, and we’re active members of NJELSA, ESA, and BNI. Our team of licensed, certified technicians undergoes annual continuing education on the latest access control technologies and integration capabilities.
Ready to connect your security to your operations? Contact Systems Integrations today at (866) 417-3787 to learn how we can streamline your workflow with integrated access control and time attendance solutions.