Technology has revolutionised how we record attendance, from paper to digital.
Manual timesheets were once integral to workplaces who needed track attendance. However, advanced terminals and mobile apps have made it easier and quicker to keep an accurate account of hours worked.
For most of human history, timekeeping relied on the sun and seasons. People depended on crops which could only be sown and harvested at certain times of the year, and work could only be done when there was enough daylight. Several advances and ideas around paid labour emerged over time, but they were not widely adopted.
The Ancient Babylonians codified the first working laws which included minimum wage and compensation, and the Ancient Romans gave us the word 'salary' from 'salarium' which was a Roman soldier's allowance to buy salt.
It wasn't until the nineteenth century and the Industrial Revolution that this really changed. Urbanisation and factory work meant that people were able to start earlier and finish later, regardless of the season. These hours also needed to be tracked, with strict shift schedules and set breaks to produce maximum output while minimising wasted time.
In the 1880s, two inventors independently created early versions of punch card machines. Employees placed a paper card into the machine, and it was stamped with the time they started work. They would then insert their card again at the end of their shift to be stamped with their finishing time. These machines became common in offices and factories across the world, as they provided employers and employees with reliable data of hours worked.
By the late twentieth century, spreadsheets and electronic time clock systems started to replace mechanical punch card systems. The data collected this way could now be entered and stored digitally. This could then be used to calculate hours and payroll more efficiently, but these systems still relied on manual inputs which could run into issues due to human error.
As technology advanced, Tensor pioneered several digital Time and Attendance innovations. This included the launch of the world's first smart card-based system in 1991, followed by WinTA, the first Windows-based smart card software, and by 1995, the introduction of a 16-bit clocking station capable of managing thousands of employees and multiple Access Control points. These innovations helped set the standard for the integrated systems used by businesses worldwide today.
Today, time and attendance systems have evolved far beyond mechanical punch cards. Modern solutions like Tensor's clocking terminals, smart cards, and mobile applications record real-time attendance and integrate with HR and payroll software. By combining automation, accessibility, and accuracy, these systems help businesses track time efficiently and fairly, while freeing employees from unnecessary admin.