Digital time clock – clocking in and out has never been this easy.

A digital time clock – also called a time clock app, online time clock or digital punch clock – is software that lets employees record their working hours with a click or a tap. Unlike a hardware punch clock with cards and ink ribbon, everything runs digitally: on a smartphone, in the browser or on a tablet at the entrance.

For most businesses, a software solution is the better choice: no hardware costs, no maintenance effort, an automatic hours account, and the ability to connect the digital time clock with other systems – for example with shift scheduling. Find more detail in the guide to the digital time clock.

In special cases – such as environments without smartphone use or with particular hygiene requirements – a physical punch clock can still make sense. For the majority of SMEs, however, a time clock app offers more flexibility at a lower total cost.

Most time clock apps only document actual times: when did the employee clock in? What they don't know: what was actually planned? With Shiftdesk, the target times come from the schedule and the actual times from the digital time clock. The matching happens automatically.

The result: an hours account per employee that is always up to date. Overtime, undertime and deviations become visible immediately. For the comprehensive time tracking solution, see our page Time tracking for employees.