Workforce management software FAQs
The questions we get asked most, answered properly. If yours is not here, call the Leeds team on 0113 350 9043.
How much does workforce management software cost?
With Computime, Syncro Connect is £2 per employee per month for the web software, or £3 with the app, excl. VAT, so a 50 person business on the web software pays £100 a month. HR Connect adds £1 per employee per month, Fire Connect is £395 a year and Visitor Connect £495 a year. Realtime is quoted to your operation. Clocking terminals are a one-off cost from £395 excl. VAT, and there are no setup fees. See our pricing page for full details.
What is the difference between Syncro Connect and Realtime?
Both handle time, attendance, absence, HR, flexitime, access control and site safety. Syncro Connect is our cloud system, in a browser and the app, hosted in the UK, which is what most new customers choose. Realtime is installed software, on your own server or our UK hosting, for organisations that need job costing, rotas today, banked or annualised hours, or a direct Sage Payroll link. Both use the same clocking hardware and the same Leeds support team. Our side by side comparison sets out the full difference.
Does it work with Sage Payroll?
Yes. Both systems export approved hours in the layout Sage expects, and the payroll export is also set up for Pegasus, QuickBooks, BrightPay, Xero, IRIS and ADP. Realtime can also pass hours straight into Sage Payroll through an optional integration module at £395 a year excl. VAT. If you run something else, tell us which and we will show you the export before you commit.
How long does it take to get set up?
With Syncro Connect you have access from day one, and staff can be imported from a spreadsheet. Completing your rules and checking the data usually takes about two weeks from payment, and our Leeds team shows you how to set up your shifts and schedules. Any terminal arrives configured: you plug it in, and staff enrol at the device if it is biometric. Realtime takes longer, and we give you a timeline at the quote stage.
Do we have to buy clocking terminals?
No. Staff can clock in through the mobile app with GPS or a desktop browser, which suits field teams, drivers and office workers who never pass a fixed point. Plenty of customers run both, with a terminal on the factory door and the app for everyone else, all feeding the same system.
Is biometric clocking legal in the UK?
Yes, but biometric data is special category data under UK GDPR, so there is more to it than switching it on. You need a lawful basis, a data protection impact assessment, and normally a non-biometric alternative for anyone who objects. Our fingerprint readers store a mathematical template rather than an image of the print. Our data security page sets out what is stored and who can access it, and our UK GDPR guide covers what employers need in place.
What happens to biometric data when an employee leaves?
Entering a leave date stops their clocking and door access straight away, including at the terminal. The biometric template itself stays on the clocking terminal until it is cleared, so build clearing it into your leaver process and retention policy. Deleting the employee from the software removes their record, along with the enrolled image if you use facial recognition.
Can it handle our shift patterns and overtime rules?
Yes, and our Leeds team helps you set it up rather than handing you a blank system. Shift patterns, rounding rules, break deductions, overtime thresholds and pay rates are all set up around how your business actually runs. Rotating shifts, split shifts, term-time hours, night rates and multi-site rules are all normal for us, and if your rules change later the system changes with them.
What reports does it produce?
Bradford Factor absence scoring, lateness and early leaving, hours by pay rate or department, overtime, and timesheet summaries with missed clockings flagged. Realtime adds hours by job. Reports run on demand or arrive by scheduled email, and you can build your own, with our team on hand if you need help.
Does workforce management software help with the Working Time Regulations?
It gives you the records, which is most of the work, but it does not do the whole job. Both systems record every clocking and report total hours worked over any period you set. Neither calculates the 48 hour weekly average over the 17 week reference period or checks rest breaks automatically, so that check is still yours. The gov.uk guidance on maximum weekly working hours sets out the rules.
What size of business is it for?
There is no minimum or maximum headcount, and our systems work across single or multiple sites, with more than 800 UK businesses using them. We support construction, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, hospitality and education, including remote, field based and shift based teams. If a system genuinely will not pay for itself at your size, we will tell you rather than sell you something you do not need.
What if there is no internet or phone signal on site?
The mobile app stores clockings on the device and syncs them automatically once connectivity returns, so nothing is lost and nobody has to remember to do anything. Clocking terminals hold their data locally too, which means a dropped connection does not stop people clocking in or out.
Can we try it before committing?
Yes. Syncro Connect has a free trial with no card required and no commitment, giving you the software, the mobile app and Leave Connect. If you have complicated shift rules or specific payroll requirements, a demo is usually more useful, because we can show the system handling your situation rather than a generic example.
