UG2 Brings Innovation to Facilities Management with EPAY Facial Recognition
At UG2, we are constantly working to improve our service delivery model, modernize systems, and increase efficiency. With thousands of hourly employees distributed across multiple sites, we identified timekeeping as a high priority for innovation. New facial recognition technology is replacing traditional punch clocks, and we’re in the forefront of adopting it. Our goal: improve productivity and accuracy while providing more time to work directly with customers.
“Labor and labor hours are an enormously significant factor for productivity, management, and customer service,” says Jeff Peterson, Senior VP of Strategy & Innovation for UG2. “We are always seeking innovative solutions to help us manage our workforce effectively, so that we can deliver higher quality and more cost-effective service to our customers.”
Traditional systems such as punch cards are mechanically reliable and widespread, but a closer look reveals their shortfalls. “Time card data gets captured, then converted into a spreadsheet, then transferred into payroll,” says Peterson. “There are a lot of steps where human error can impact the accuracy of a paycheck.” Fingerprint scanning solutions modernize data capture, but they can be finicky with employees who handle equipment oils and cleaning solutions — any dirt or residue can impact scans. “The innovation in this space now is with facial recognition and mobility,” says Peterson. “Employees walk up to the clock, the camera recognizes their face, and punches them in or out. It is a natural regular part of their day.”
UG2 researched systems and chose EPAY Systems, the leader in facial recognition for timekeeping, as its technology partner. EPAY’s time clocks use cutting-edge facial recognition biometrics that measure and match employees’ unique facial characteristics. Time is captured accurately and integrated seamlessly into payroll and other databases with no additional re-keying of data.
“Our solutions are designed for companies like UG2, which has a large and distributed hourly workforce,” says Michelle Lanter Smith, Chief Marketing Office, EPAY Systems. “We specialize in making it easier for companies to manage those complex time keeping needs.”
UG2 started partnering with EPAY in 2018 and currently has more than 1,500 employees — approximately 40% of our workforce — using the system at 26 sites. We’ve discovered the following benefits for the back office, our employees, and our customers:
- Enhanced Service Productivity: Our account managers can spend less time reviewing punch cards and managing data, and more time with our customers. Our investment in this technology enables us to continue moving in a customer-centric direction.
- Reduced Costs: Managing timekeeping for a large, distributed labor pool is costly; increasing efficiency in our systems can have a real impact.
- Improved Accuracy: Errors can occur in multiple points during the traditional punch card process, from mistaken or fraudulent punches to errors in data entry and transmission. Facial recognition eliminates much of the potential for human error, bringing accuracy to the entire system.
- Environmental Suitability: Fingerprint scans fail when employee’s hands are cold or dirty, and the technology can’t always capture a good print. Facial recognition is a better fit for our environment.
- Ease of Use: Employees like how easy the system is to use, making the punch-in process quick and efficient.
Now more than ever, a touchless system is also crucial for health and safety. With COVID-19 precautions, having multiple employees use the same system at around the same time would be challenging, if not impossible, when it comes to cleanliness. Being unable to disinfect the whole apparatus of a traditional timecard system, within a short time frame, would put employees at risk.
The EPAY system integrates into our UG2 ReNewSM Cleaning4Health and Engineering4Health programs, which both focus on best practices with janitorial, maintenance, and safety. Having a system that is easy to use, reduces errors, and protects employee health is a crucial component of better, safer operations.
While the EPAY system automates many time-keeping processes, the system still is flexible and customizable. UG2 sites have different shift schedules, overtime calculations, union requirements, spoken languages, and other business rules and factors — account managers can easily make changes to accommodate every variable and option.
“Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to set up the EPAY system for flexible shifts and other factors,” says Ivan Serrett, Account Manager, who is the on-site manager for a large complex. “It’s more accurate than other systems we’ve used, and it cuts out two or three steps in the approval process. This system is definitely easier.”
Our initial installations of the EPAY facial recognition solution have proven successful, so we are moving fast to roll it out to more UG2 locations. “We are excited about the benefits of the EPAY system for UG2 and our clients,” says Peterson. “New ideas, new techniques, and new technologies are just one of the ways that UG2 drives innovation in the facilities management industry.”