What is Field Employee Tracking Software?

Are you wondering what field employee tracking software is?  How will it solve your problems of field visibility, productivity, and calculating distance traveled? Read to find out!

It’s time we end the struggle and make good use of technology!

With field employee tracking software, you can do away with not knowing where your field staff is.

Instead, you can say with confidence: Rajesh is meeting with a client, Sam is travelling to the next client location, and Mathew has marked in at 11:30 a.m.

Intrigued to witness the magic and power of the software, then keep scrolling and reading.

What is Field Employee Tracking Software?

In simple terms – field employee tracking software helps you track and manage your field executives or remote workforce in real time.

But it is not limited to that, as you can even track your individual staff’s

• Current tasks status and overall productivity
• Location-based attendance trends
• The distance they traveled across tasks site
• Expenses incurred to buy fuel or urgent equipment
• Orders placed by the field sales team
• and client sites visited.

The major benefit of using the software is that you get all the data in real time. There is no discrepancy in information. Monitoring, tracking, and managing field employees becomes lucrative and profitable.

Why Does Employer Need to Monitor Field Team?

You will be shocked to know that nearly 43% of hourly workers admit to stealing time. These employees arrive late at work and depart early.

This is worrying for your business, which depends on its field employees to increase sales and customer satisfaction.

There are many more reasons why employers have to and must monitor their field teams. Here are 5 of them:

1. Fluctuating Productivity

Are you noticing fluctuating productivity among the field staff? The software explains why this is happening by sharing insights in real-time productivity graphs.

When bottlenecks and roadblocks are discovered on time, a proactive approach can be adopted to solve them. After all, productivity is the key to the successful completion of field operations.

2. Higher Accountability and Transparency

Accountability and transparency of work and actions are important in the company’s hierarchy. Tracking field employees in real time can achieve this.

There will be no more second-guessing about whether the employees went to the client site or finished their tasks on time and with 100% efficacy.

3. Need for Location Tracking

You should use field employee tracking software because manual tracking is inefficient. With technology you will not be left blindsided.

Additionally, location-based tracking provides clarity on – 

• Task timeline and hours taken to complete them
• Distance traveled per client
• And on-duty hours vs. actual working hours.

All these important metrics further help calculate each employee’s productivity.

 

4. Visibility of Tasks

Managing and tracking task progress or updates of employees’ tasks is outright challenging without FFA. Field employee tracking tools now come with a task management module. These tools enable remote task allocation and allow you to track the progress of each task seamlessly.

The all-rounder software helps you effortlessly…

• Schedule and execute tasks calendars.
• Get updated each time a task is completed 
• Tracks and logs the timeline of each task. 
• Offers target vs. achievement report of each employee. 

Managers can get all this information through intuitive dashboards and reports in real-time.

5. Uncontrolled Idling or Time Theft

There is a rise in idling and time theft due to a lack of monitoring.

However, you can significantly reduce idle time with employee monitoring software. It does not spy or micro-manage. Rather, it offers reports and alerts that notify whenever employees are indulging in compliant activities.

What Features to Look for in a Field Employee Tracking App?

When investing in field employee tracking software, ensure that all the features are there to assist you in tracking field employees.

1. Task Allocation and Management

Using task management software will streamline job allocation and utilization of resources.

Assign the right tasks to the right field staff. Doing it in bulk will save time and effort. You can also track the status of each employee’s task and checklist. A good field employee tracking software would include a code scanner, a calendar scheduler, ad-hoc task feasibility, and location-based task allocation.

Furthermore, allowing the field workforce to create and self-assign tasks, but only if they have your permission.

2. Real time Tracking and Geofencing

You can track field employees without relying on phone calls for locational updates.

Track employees in real time over a digital map. Choose field employee tracking software that offers 99.9% reliability and no lag or downtime. Also, it should have geofencing capabilities.

These features ensure that the employees are at the job at the right time, follow the schedule, visit the sites, and do not indulge in time thefts. You can create geofences at client sites by coloring and name-coding them.

Also, it should have a distance calculator for accurate reimbursement and reports like distance vs. duration breakup. 

3. Location-based Attendance Marking

Employees can mark their attendance remotely from designated locations only via geo-coded attendance.

Location-based clock-in coupled with visual verification is a foolproof attendance formula for field teams. They must click a picture of themselves through the app. The picture will be stamped with the current location, date, and time, helping prevent buddy punching and time theft.

The solution eliminates the need for employees to travel to the office just to mark their attendance. It also saves employees time and effort, which can be used to complete tasks productively.

4. Leave Management System

Manage leaves in a minute, be it overtime, short, casual, or sick leave. Field employees can apply for leave anytime and from anywhere through the app.

As a manager, this will automate your leave reporting and approval workflow. You can also set a hierarchy for leave approval.

The solution is synced with the company’s monthly calendar, which helps to avoid conflicts with job schedules. Also, a centralized view of leave requests and an employee’s leave balance in one place assists in either accepting or overriding the request.

5. Expense Management System

Field employees naturally incur expenses while working remotely. These expenses include fuel bills, food bills, equipment, and stationary purchases.

The expense management software module eliminates the need to save each receipt and the risk of losing it. The system allows staff to upload pictures of their bills to the platform for reimbursement.

The claim request is visible to every manager in the hierarchy for approval. Employees can even track the status of their requests in real time.

It eliminates the need for employees to constantly go back and forth to the accounts department to check on the status of their claim requests. Because the process has accelarated, this acts as an incentive, urging employees to improve in the field.

6. Order Management

Basic order management is important for streamlining sales and order billing. Order management automation helps reduce the time and energy your field sales reps spend placing orders and getting them approved.

With the software, your sales rep can take sales order,  and add discounts directly through the executive app.

7. Payroll Management

The field employee tracking software must also have a payroll management engine to ensure your staff is paid accurately and on time. The engine automates attendance compilation, overtime, PTO, and leave data and converts them into payroll hours.

This will help you process the payroll hours and salary data much more clearly and faster for the accounts team. Incensed expenses are auto-computed with the salary.

8. Analytical Reports

Monitor the field team’s productivity and performance quality through automated and real-time reports.

For example, reports like distance traveled reports, tasks assigned vs. achieved, tickets closed, sales recorded, and time taken to complete tasks help to make decisions that are just and on time.

5 Best Field Employee Tracking Software

Here is a list of the top 5 field employee tracking software to choose from:

1. TrackoField

TrackoField is the leading field employee tracking software. It allows you to automate task allocation, create workflows, and leverage GPS-based attendance.

Geofencing enhances the visibility of employees’ locations and task status. TrackoField offers real-time task monitoring, target vs achievement reports, geofence-based activities and more.

It assists field employees in staying connected with the in-office team, completing tasks, and sending SOS in emergencies.

Additionally, managers can see if the employees are in no-network areas, have their phones on silent, or have switched off when not answering. TrackoField tracks even when staff appears offline.

2. Zuper

Zuper is a field service management software that leverages real-time location intelligence for efficient dispatching, automated workflows, and smart customer notifications.

It allows you to track time, technician locations, mileage, and labor costs at job sites, improving team productivity. Zuper provides real-time visibility into team movements and offers geofencing to prevent time theft and absences.

It has features like automated dispatching, accurate time tracking, and map-based monitoring of employees, customers, and assets. Zuper ensures efficient field workforce management while protecting employee privacy.

3. Truein

Truein is a powerful time and attendance tracking solution designed for large or distributed teams. It uses touchless facial recognition for secure clock-ins. It also offers real-time attendance data via a cloud-based system.

With its geofencing capabilities, organizations can restrict attendance to specific locations. Truein simplifies workforce management with detailed reporting. Helping managers track attendance trends, overtime, and performance.

It integrates easily with payroll systems. And its mobile app provides convenient access for employees and administrators. Thus, boosting productivity and operational efficiency.

4. TrackOlap

TrackOlap is an efficient field employee tracking software. That is designed to enhance workforce management for businesses with mobile teams. It allows managers to track real-time locations, monitor tasks, and ensure employee accountability through GPS-enabled technology.

It has features like automated attendance, route optimization, and task management. These boost productivity and streamline operations.

Whether your team is in sales, delivery, or field services, TrackOlap ensures seamless coordination and better decision-making. This leads to improved overall performance and customer satisfaction.

5. Where’s My Staff

Where’s My Staff provides real-time location tracking for employees using GPS technology. This field employee tracking software allows organizations to monitor the exact whereabouts of their staff members at any given time.

The user-friendly mobile app, compatible with iOS and Android, enables staff to share their whereabouts and receive updates. It also functions as an attendance system by integrating with NFC or QR codes.

Employees can scan their NFC cards or QR codes via the app to register attendance, streamlining the process and eliminating the need for separate systems.

How Field Employee Tracking Software Can Be Useful for Your Organizations

There is no point in investing in technology, a resource, or an asset if it can’t guarantee a good ROI. Thus, it’s important to learn about the benefits of field employee tracking software before investing in one.

1. Automation

One of the biggest perks of using software to track field employees is automation. You can track location, task status, expenses, attendance, and leave. That, too, in real time. Report generation & process management is automated and streamlined with the software aid.

2. Reduced Chances of Errors

There are fewer chances of manual errors as the tasks are allocated, monitored, and reported via software. Similarly, attendance, expenses, payroll, etc., are also managed through automation. This can save a lot of time, effort, and resources that could have been spent correcting the errors.

3. Enhances Remote Working

Using field employee tracking software benefits field staff during their on-field routine. It does so by cutting the need to go back and forth to the office for attendance punching, document verification, leave application, form submissions, etc.

For example, the app shares all the details and schedules of the employees. Also, since the employee tracking software is cloud-based, managers and employees can access the data anywhere.

4. Enhanced Productivity

Using the software reduces manual input and streamlines tasks and operations. Thus, optimally utilizing employees’ bandwidth and skills enhances productivity and efficiency.

5. No More Attendance Issues

One of the benefits of using a field employee tracking app is that it helps automate location verification. It combines all the data on a centralized platform, allowing you to rely on the data blindfolded.

6. Data-backed Decision Making

Automated data compilation, customized reports, and an intuitive dashboard all provide deep insights into the field operation status. Also provides a basis to judge employee productivity performance quality. All this is enough to help you make the right decision without second-guessing or procrastinating.

No more mining for data!

7. Cost and Time Efficient Operations

The software makes the entire operation time cost-effective, as field teams no longer indulge in idling and time theft, which is very expensive for businesses. Also, with the right data in hand, you can put the right employee on the job, thus making the operation time and cost-effective.

Reasons to Choose TrackoField as Your Field Employee Tracking Software

When choosing a field employee monitoring software, your best bet is TrackoField. We say it because it has become a prime choice in 40+ countries for employee tracking.

Besides all the solutions mentioned above, TrackoField’s field employee tracking software has API integration. It can easily be integrated with pre-existing software like CRM, HRMS, etc.

It has a whole list of alerts and notifications you can choose from and pair them with reports. For example, it can notify employees of upcoming meetings or alert you if employees are idling excessively.

Apart from that, it’s renowned for providing 99.99% accurate real-time tracking information without any lag or downtime. This will help streamline and optimize field operations.

Additionally, TrackoField is hands-on in assisting its users, be it the onboarding process, creating shifts, or solving glitches (which are very rare). It has dedicated experts and support, and every presenter is here to assist you.

The Biggest Concern – Is Real-time Tracking Ethical?

It is now common knowledge for field employees that they will be tracked and monitored, as this is a business requirement. But businesses should remember to respect employees’ privacy.

To answer your question – is real-time tracking ethical- yes, it is ethical and legal when you inform and gain employee content. Good employee tracking software like TrackoField allow tracking to be consensual by:

• Only start tracking the activities after employees grant consent.
• The tracking stops once the shifts end or the system auto-marks out.

To make this process even more ethical, organizations should offer separate work phones to employees. This way, only their work devices are tracked while their personal lives stay private.

FAQs

• What is the best app for keeping track of Field employees?

  TrackoField is the best field employee tracking software. It is built to assist managers and field technicians in being productive. Its automated solutions make field operations more streamlined, cost-effective, and time-effective. Also, there are fewer chances of errors.

• How much does a field employee tracking app cost?

  The cost of a field employee tracking app varies based on -
  - Features it offers
  - Scalability it can provide
  - And subscription plans.
  Many providers offer customizable options. It will ensure that the businesses find a solution that fits their needs. TrackoField offers white-label software. It is customizable to your budget and fulfills your requirements as well.

• How do companies track Field employees?

  Earlier, managers would call their field technicians or sales reps updates. However, this method was very archaic and time-consuming. Now, they use employee tracking software to automate the tracking process. The software provides real-time information on multiple aspects of the business.

• How are field employee management software useful for managers?

  The software is extremely helpful for managers as it provides them visibility into the entire field operation. It helps them track and monitor the actions of their spread field team. They get tools that will assist them in allocating tasks and judging performance quality.