Iris ID’s iCAM 7000 system compiles employee time-and-attendance for Tongrentang, China

Iris ID, a provider of iris biometric technology, announces iCAM 7000 system has been selected to compile employee time-and-attendance for Beijing-based Tongrentang, a leading manufacturer of traditional Chinese medicine. The company, founded in 1669, operates more than 1,000 retail outlets and hospital locations across the country.

About 20,000 employees are expected to use the system as it completes phased implementation over the next few years. The Iris ID system will also be used for identity authentication at Tongretang’s data centre.

Eliminating ‘buddy-punching’

Integrator Elston Tan, chief executive officer of Shanghai-based Inno Technologies, said the system will help Tongretang human resources better manage the time-and-attendance function, while eliminating the practice of ‘buddy-punching’ in which an employee fraudulently clocks in or out for a friend.

“Accuracy for such a big group of employees is very important for Tongretang,” he said. “When completed, the system will ensure employees are located at the right place and at the right time.”

Real-time attendance reports

The company will receive real-time attendance reports using a virtual private network (VPN) to link locations with corporate headquarters. Tan said the Iris ID system was selected for its accuracy and ease of use.

Mohammed Murad, Vice President, global sales and business development for Iris ID, said after the Tongretang employees have been enrolled in the iCAM system, they will be able to check in or out of work in about a second.

“Even small errors in an employee payroll can add up to significant added operating costs for any organisation,” he said. “Recent reductions in product and deployment costs have made a time-and-attendance application a realistic investment for organisations of almost any size.”

In addition to this project, Iris ID identification systems are being used for time and attendance in many countries, as well as for national ID programs, border crossings, voter registration and access control applications.