Realtime workforce management

Realtime: installed workforce management software in one connected system

Realtime is Computime’s most powerful workforce management software: a single platform that combines time and attendance, absence management, HR, document management, job costing, banked hours and site safety, so everything about your people lives in one place.

It is installed application software, hosted either on your own server or on our UK platform, whichever suits your business, and backed by reliable data backup. Built on over 35 years of UK workforce management experience and trusted by more than 800 businesses.

Looking for a fast, self-service option? Syncro Connect is our cloud, web and app based system.

Computime Realtime workforce management software shown on screen alongside biometric and RFID clocking hardware

The complete platform

What is Realtime?

Realtime is Computime’s most comprehensive workforce management system. It covers the same time, attendance, absence, access control and site safety as our Syncro Connect system, then goes further, adding HR, document management, job costing, banked hours and flexi-time, and direct Sage Payroll integration, all in one connected platform.

Realtime is installed application software, hosted either on your own server or on our UK platform, whichever suits your business. This is an important distinction: it is not a browser based web app, but a dedicated application that gives larger or more complex operations the depth and breadth they need, with your data held in the UK and backed up daily.

Realtime is the right choice if you want:

  • The broadest feature set in a single connected system
  • HR, document management and return to work forms built in
  • Job costing across sites and projects, and direct Sage Payroll integration
  • Employee and management web portals
  • Banked hours and flexi-time that simpler systems cannot handle
Computime Realtime workforce management software shown with biometric and RFID clocking hardware

Comprehensive time, attendance and absence management

Realtime is built on Computime’s core workforce management, giving you accurate, real time control of hours, shifts and absence across your whole organisation.

Time & attendance

  • Flexible shift patterns to suit your business
  • Automated rules to flag lateness and anomalies
  • Real time employee time tracking
  • Overtime and lateness reporting
  • Centralised anomaly management

Absence & holiday management

  • Self-service holiday requests
  • Team planner and manager approval workflow
  • Bradford Factor scoring
  • Absence trend analysis
  • Real time entitlement balances

One platform, far more than time and attendance

Where Realtime stands apart is breadth. Alongside the core system it adds HR, document management, return to work forms, job costing and banked hours, the modules that set it apart, plus site safety and access control shared with Syncro Connect, all running from the same workforce data.

HR module

Employee records, onboarding, appraisals and expense approval, with your data held in the UK and access logged and restricted to named users. See our data security page.

Job costing

Track labour against jobs and cost codes for accurate project and labour costing.

Document storage and sharing

Store and share documents with staff, all held within the same system and against the same employee records.

Return to work forms

Structured return to work forms completed and stored against each employee record, supporting absence management and compliance.

Access control

Control entry across single or multiple sites, driven by the same staff records. See access control systems.

Also available in Syncro Connect.

Fire roll call

Account for everyone on site during an evacuation, with a live roll call drawn from real time clocking data. See fire roll call.

Also available in Syncro Connect.

Visitor management

Sign visitors in and out, see who is on site, and print badges, all linked to the same workforce records. See visitor management.

Also available in Syncro Connect.

How Realtime compares to Syncro Connect

Both systems handle time, attendance, absence, access control and site safety to the same standard. Realtime goes further, adding HR, document management, job costing, banked hours and direct Sage Payroll integration in one connected platform. If you mainly need core time and attendance with mobile clocking, Syncro Connect is the simpler, faster fit.

Feature comparison of Realtime and Syncro Connect
Feature Realtime Syncro Connect
Time, attendance & absence Yes, comprehensive Yes, comprehensive
Access control Yes Yes
Fire roll call Optional add-on Optional add-on
Visitor management Optional add-on Optional add-on
HR, documents & return to work forms Yes. Included No. Not included
Job costing, banked hours & flexi-time Yes. Included No. Not included
Payroll Direct Sage Payroll integration, plus exports for Pegasus and QuickBooks Exports for Sage, Pegasus and QuickBooks
Mobile app Basic app Full GPS app
Delivery Installed application, hosted on your own server or by us Cloud based, web and mobile app
Best for Businesses wanting the broadest all-in-one feature set Fast setup and mobile clocking for remote and field teams

Mainly need core time and attendance with mobile clocking? Take a look at Syncro Connect, or see the full side by side comparison.

Integrations and hardware

Realtime works with the payroll systems you already use, and supports a full range of clocking hardware, or none at all when you use the mobile app.

Payroll integration

  • Direct Sage Payroll integration
  • Pegasus payroll export
  • QuickBooks export
  • Running a different payroll system? Tell us which and we will confirm the export before you commit

Clocking hardware

  • Facial recognition terminals
  • Fingerprint readers
  • RFID card and fob readers
  • Terminals from £395 excl. VAT, or none at all when using the mobile app

Why one connected system matters

The hidden cost of manual, disconnected workforce admin

Most workforce problems start with data spread across spreadsheets and separate tools. Recent UK research shows just how common, and how costly, that still is.

84%

of UK SMEs have made payroll errors in the past year

31%

still run payroll on spreadsheets or paper, rising to 44% of smaller firms

40%

have paid fines for underpayments, late wages or reporting failures

Source: Employment Hero UK SME payroll survey 2025, 1,000 UK business leaders

Realtime brings time, attendance, absence, HR and payroll ready data into one connected system, so the data is entered once, stays consistent, and reaches payroll without manual re-keying. On Realtime that means a direct Sage Payroll integration rather than an export file.

What our customers say

We are really pleased with our Computime solution. Introducing this system means that payroll is now processed accurately and efficiently, helping to boost morale both for our head office staff and our field teams. Real time data means we know where our employees are, allowing us to operate more efficiently.

James Dunlop
Financial Manager, Landworth Electrics
Read case study

We are very pleased with the smooth implementation. Computime worked very hard to make sure installation was completed within the time frame and with minimum disruption. The in-depth training allowed us to focus on production and keeping our employees safe at work while ensuring efficiency.

Clare Barker
HR Manager, Wholebake Limited
Read case study

I was tasked with sourcing a computerised time and attendance solution to replace our manual clocking system. The Computime website contained all the information I needed, making the decision straightforward. The software proved easy to use and the helpdesk was very helpful and friendly. Computime have exceeded all of our expectations and objectives. I would definitely recommend them.

Purchasing Manager
BSK Laminating

See more from our customers on our Google reviews, rated 4.5 from 41 reviews.

Software you can still get changed in ten years

Installed software is a longer commitment than a cloud subscription, so the question is not just whether it fits today. Realtime is our own code, written and supported by our own team in Leeds, so when your rules change we can change the system rather than raise a ticket with a vendor.

We have been doing this since 1989, and plenty of our customers have been with us for a decade or more. The same people who configure your shift rules at the start are still here when something needs adjusting later.

Realtime scales with no minimum headcount up to 5,000 employees, cuts payroll admin, ends inflated hours with biometric verification, and integrates directly with Sage Payroll, with exports for Pegasus and QuickBooks.

800+

UK businesses trust Computime systems

35+

years of UK workforce experience since 1989

4.5

average from 41 Google reviews

UK

based support team on hand when you need them

Realtime FAQs

The questions we get asked most about the installed system. If yours is not here, call the Leeds team on 0113 350 9043.

What is the difference between Realtime and Syncro Connect?
Both cover time, attendance, absence, access control and site safety to the same standard. Realtime is installed application software and adds HR, document management, return to work forms, job costing, banked hours, flexi-time and direct Sage Payroll integration. Syncro Connect is cloud based, faster to set up and has the full GPS mobile app. Our side by side comparison sets out the full difference.
What does “installed application software” actually mean?
Realtime runs as a dedicated application rather than in a web browser. That gives it more depth than a browser based system can offer, and it means the software and your database sit somewhere you control. You choose whether that is your own server or our UK platform. It also means the system keeps working on your network if your internet connection drops.
Should we host it ourselves or let you host it?
Self-hosting suits businesses with their own IT team and a preference for keeping data on their own infrastructure. Hosting with us suits everyone else, and means we handle the server, the backups and the updates. Either way the data is held in the UK and backed up daily. Tell us your situation and we will tell you honestly which makes more sense.
What does Realtime cost?
Realtime is quoted to your operation rather than sold at a fixed per-employee price, because the cost depends on your headcount, which modules you need and how you want it hosted. Clocking hardware is a separate one-off cost from £395 excl. VAT. Book a demo and we will scope it properly rather than guess.
How long does implementation take?
Longer than a cloud signup, and worth the difference. We build your database around your staff, shift patterns, rounding rules and pay rates, configure the modules you are using, and train your team before you go live. Any terminals arrive already configured. How long depends on the size of your operation and how complex your rules are, which we will tell you at the quote stage rather than afterwards.
Can Realtime handle complex shift patterns and banked hours?
Yes, and this is where it earns its place over simpler systems. Rotating shifts, split shifts, night rates, annualised hours, banked hours, flexi-time, term-time working and multi-site rules are all normal for us. If your rules are the reason a previous system did not work, tell us what they are and we will show you the system handling them at the demo.
Does it integrate with Sage Payroll?
Yes, directly. Approved hours pass into Sage Payroll rather than being exported and imported, which is the main payroll difference between Realtime and Syncro Connect. Pegasus and QuickBooks are supported as exports. If you run something else, tell us which and we will confirm what it looks like before you commit.
What happens to our data if we stop using Realtime?
It is your data and you can take it with you. If you self-host, the database is already on your infrastructure. If we host it, we will provide an export. Worth asking any supplier this before you buy, not after. Our data security page covers retention and access in full.
Can we move from Realtime to Syncro Connect, or the other way?
Yes. They are different architectures, so it is a migration rather than a switch, but it is a conversation with the same company rather than starting again with a new supplier, and the clocking hardware works with both. If you are not sure which system fits, say so before you buy and we will help you decide.
Who supports it once it is live?
Our own team in Leeds, the same people who built the software and configured your system. There is no overseas call centre and no first line script. If your shift rules change in three years, the people who set them up are still here to change them.

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