Clock:In

The Project Goals

One of the benefits of working the way I do is that in addition to being the mastermind behind solving a complex problems such as this, I am also one of the end users. This fact helped me frame the user research I conducted with the officers and managers that would be using the application. Some of the goals that were discovered through this research was:

• Reduce the number of steps it takes to request and approve time worked and leave
• Modernize application by removing it from Lotus Notes, an external application that no one knew how to update, and developing a browser based application
• Seamlessly collect and organize records for employees that span over a dozen different offices, and allow for various administrators to manage the requests
• Develop a timesheet report that a user can validate their timesheets and gain insight into the balances of entries they have
• Gather inspiration from applications that do similar functionality:
  • We aren’t always trying reinvent the wheel, but drawing from how scheduling programs work, to fit the needs and unique environment, is paramount in making an application usable

The Outcome

Clock:In is an incredibly successful application that is integral to the daily lives of producers, and managers within the organization. One of the easiest ways to improve productivity is to make processes simpler, and this app has simplified a task so a user doesn’t have to work to utilize their leave. Since the launch of the application, we have reduced the amount of time it takes to submit requests, and for a user to validate their time sheets.What was formerly a process locked a repetitive loop of checking each individual entry, is now as easy as opening the Timesheet Report alongside the timesheet and pushing validate.

I’m very proud of this application, and it’s positive impact for the group. While this product launched in January of 2017, we are always gathering user feedback and we look for ways to enhance the application. Some of the most recent updates have been for administrators including: Office Schedule Overviews, Weekly Leave Reports, and Shiftwork Reports.