Why and how a company restricted clocking to mobile phones within a 150-meter radius

A 3rd generation family business

Gummi Miral serves as a strong example of first impressions following the introduction of Spica’s solution. We spoke with accountant Petra Hauptman about their initial experiences, just two days after implementing Špica All Hours and after about two weeks of testing. 

First, a bit about Gummi Miral. This family-run rubber company, based in Limbuš near Maribor, is a small business with 11 employees, led by CEO and owner Tomaž Lavrinc. Now in its third generation, the company was founded by Tomaž’s grandfather, continued by his father, and is now under his leadership.

Gummi Miral is engaged in the manufacture of technical rubber products such as rubber-metal dampers, bushings, rubber bellows, diaphragms, seals, rubber grommets, hollow springs for the automotive and machinery industries, quick fasteners and many other rubber products. They handle both batch production and custom orders, developing their own tools to meet specific client needs.

They have already obtained three ISO certifications: ISO 9001 for quality management, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and ISO 45001 for health and safety management.

Challenges: a slow and outdated app and new legislation  

"With fob keys or badges, the first person to arrive at work could clock in multiple people, whereas we don’t give our phones to others; we always keep them with us." — Petra Hauptman

When asked about her first impressions, Petra Hauptman’s response is straightforward: "Great. It’s important to me that employees clock in upon arrival and can see for themselves when and how long they were actually at work. This also meets the legal requirements for tracking this data."

New legislation was a key driver for modernizing the company’s attendance-tracking system. Previously, they used an outdated app that wasn’t ideal. "When I mentioned it to the owner, he said, ‘Gee, Petra, are you still using that? I can't even remember when I implemented it.’ The app was online but slow," Petra Hauptman recalls.

So, this year, Gummi Miral’s accountant took on the challenge in earnest and found Spica's solution. With the director’s approval, its implementation kicked off, and now employees clock in via their mobile phones on the company premises.

Solution: clocking in via mobile phones on company premises 

• Read a case study of first impressions at United Towers after implementing Spica's solution. 

Employees are thus required to carry a mobile phone at work to clock in or out and to log lunch breaks within a 150-meter radius of the premises. Clocking from home is restricted, since their setup doesn’t support remote work.

These are their first days of using Spica's attendance-tracking solution. 

"In November, we’ll get our first timesheet for October payroll. Our existing payroll app allows me to process payroll in under an hour. For me, it’s crucial to have accurate information on hours worked, leave taken, etc. With 10 or 11 employees, I can also enter this manually if needed," explains Petra Hauptman.

A fully mobile-based system 

How are employees responding to Spica's new solution with these features? They initially questioned why they now had to clock in using their phones rather than a fob key or badge. Petra Hauptman explains, "We told them it’s about fairness—everyone should clock in for themselves. With fob keys or badges, the first person to arrive at work could clock in multiple people, whereas we don’t give our phones to others; we always keep them with us."

But what happens if someone forgets their phone at home? In that case, employees have the option of clocking in via computer. Alternatively, they can inform Petra, which, with a small team of 11, is the simplest solution.

Sick leave works differently: it can be entered off-site and is later confirmed by the accountant. "We’ll encourage employees to submit their leave requests in the app a few days in advance, so I can approve them, and they’ll be recorded automatically," says Petra Hauptman.

Was a lot of preparation required before introducing Spica's solution? According to Petra Hauptman, preparation was minimal. She attended two one-hour training sessions with a representative of Spica International. Setting up the app was straightforward —they simply sent employees an invitation to download it. The accountant also tested the app a few days in advance.

The system is fully mobile-based. The average age of employees is around 40 to 45, with only one nearing retirement —and even she quickly adopted the smartphone app, being among the first to install it. "The app has four simple buttons: clock in, start and end lunch, and clock out. It’s really straightforward," says Petra Hauptman. 

The advantages the solution provides to new businesses:

• Employees log their own attendance, without colleagues clocking in or out on their behalf.
• Data is accurate, reliable and processed quickly.
• Clocking in and out is limited to company premises, preventing misuse.
• The mobile app is easy to use.