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Time tracking software has become an invaluable tool for small business owners and managers who need to closely monitor employee hours for payroll, scheduling, and productivity purposes. One such program, Shopclock, offers robust time tracking specifically designed for businesses with hourly employees. In this comprehensive review, we'll take an in-depth look at Shopclock's features, pricing, pros and cons, and how it compares to other popular time tracking systems.

What is Shopclock?

Shopclock is a downloadable time tracking program that installs locally on a Windows PC. It allows managers to track when hourly employees clock in and out, take breaks, go to lunch, and more. The software captures this time data and generates reports for payroll, scheduling, productivity analysis, and other purposes.

Shopclock is designed specifically for small businesses with hourly employees, such as restaurants, retail stores, call centers, manufacturing companies, and more. It's not meant for remote employees or distributed teams. The software is installed on a manager's computer on-site, and employees physically clock in and out on that computer.

Key Features

Here are some of the notable features in Shopclock:

- Tracks clock in/out times, breaks, lunches, and more
- Employees can enter reasons for missed punches or edits
- Manager approval required for employee punch edits
- Employee shift scheduling
- Overtime tracking and alerts
- Customizable reports (payroll, productivity, attendance, etc)
- Export data to payroll systems
- Tracks vacation, sick time, and other leave
- Access control to limit employee punch privileges
- Data accessible from multiple manager computers
- Secure data hosting included


As you can see, Shopclock covers all the essential features needed for closely monitoring hourly employees. Managers can see exactly when workers are on the clock, take breaks, leave early, and more. The scheduling features help align staffing to busy periods. And robust reporting provides insights into productivity, absenteeism, payroll, and more.

Shopclock doesn't have more advanced features like GPS tracking, project time tracking, or integrations with many common software systems. But for basic time clock functionality, it hits all the key needs of small businesses with hourly staff.

Pricing and Plans

One downside of Shopclock is that it has a fairly expensive pricing model compared to other time tracking systems. Here's a breakdown of the plans:

- Starter: $119.99/year per computer, tracks up to 5 employees
- Regular: $239.99/year per computer, tracks up to 15 employees
- Pro: $479.99/year per computer, tracks up to 50 employees


The pricing is per computer, so if you need the software installed on multiple manager computers, you need a plan for each one.

The starter plan allows time tracking for up to 5 employees on a single computer. This is likely sufficient for very small businesses like single-location retailers or restaurants.

But the pricing jumps substantially if you need more employee capacity or multi-computer access. The middle Regular plan is still limited to 15 employees on one computer. And the Pro plan tracks up to 50 employees on one computer.

For larger businesses or those with managers at multiple locations, Shopclock can get very expensive. You'd need a separate plan for each computer at each location that needs access.

The one positive is that Shopclock's pricing includes hosting of your data in the cloud. So managers at any location can access employee timesheets and reports with an internet connection.

In general though, Shopclock is one of the more expensive solutions for basic time tracking, especially for larger businesses. There are no tiered pricing plans based on number of locations or total employees.

Pros

- Very simple and easy to use
- Good features for managing hourly employees
- Employee shift scheduling
- Custom reports for payroll, productivity, etc
- Cloud data hosting included
- Accessible from multiple manager computers
- Good security and controls


Cons

- Very expensive, especially for multiple locations
- No mobile app for remote access
- Limited to Windows desktop
- No GPS tracking of remote employees
- No project time tracking
- Few software integrations
- Requires manual time clock workflow


Shopclock is a good fit for super small businesses with hourly employees at a single location. The interface is straightforward and it includes all the must-have features like scheduling, overtime tracking, reporting, etc.

But the pricing makes it prohibitive for larger businesses with multiple locations and higher employee counts. And the lack of a mobile app or web access limits flexibility for managers.

Competing Software

There are a number of alternative time tracking solutions that offer similar or greater capabilities at lower prices:

- TSheets - Editable timesheets, mobile app, many integrations, base plan $5/month
- TimeClock Plus - Browser-based, variety of time clock options, base plan $36/month
- Homebase - POS integration, shift management, mobile app, $1.50 per employee monthly
- Deputy - Scheduling, timesheets, tasks, mobile app, base plan $2.50/month
- QuickBooks Time Tracking - Integrated payroll, project tracking, base plan $10/month


Many of these competing options provide web and mobile access, hardware time clocks, more pricing tiers, and integration with payroll or POS systems. They offer greater flexibility and features, often at lower prices.

Of course every business has unique needs when it comes to managing hourly employees. But Shopclock finds itself at a relative disadvantage compared to other leading time tracking tools.

Verdict

Shopclock provides solid desktop-based time tracking tailored to small businesses with hourly employees. It offers all the essential features like scheduling, overtime tracking, reporting, cloud data access, and more.

However, the pricing is quite high, especially if you have multiple locations or more than 5-15 employees. And the lack of mobile and web access limits flexibility for managers and employees.

There are several competing software options that provide more features and flexibility at lower price points. Shopclock really only makes sense for tiny companies with just a handful of hourly staff at a single location. Any larger business is likely better served by one of the more full-featured and affordable systems.

Hopefully this detailed review gives you a clear sense of Shopclock's capabilities and limitations compared to alternatives. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Implementing Shopclock: Rollout Tips for Managers

If you do choose Shopclock as your time tracking solution, proper implementation will be key to driving employee adoption and getting accurate data. Here are some tips for successfully rolling out Shopclock at your small business:

Choose Access Points Wisely

Take time to think about the optimal computers for Shopclock access. You want them to be convenient for employees to clock in/out, but secure from tampering. High-traffic areas like near the entrance or breakroom are ideal. If you have multiple locations, consider access points near the main entrance at each site.

Train Managers First

Your management team should fully understand Shopclock before introducing it to employees. Take time to walk managers through the interface, reporting, schedule creation, and editing punch times. The more comfortable they are, the smoother the employee rollout will be. Provide managers with training guides or quick reference sheets too.

Educate Employees on the Why

Employees will be more receptive to Shopclock if they understand the purpose behind it. Explain how the software improves payroll accuracy, provides helpful productivity insights, and leads to better staff scheduling. Show how responsible time tracking translates into fair compensation for their work.

Automate the Clock-In/Out Process

Shopclock lets you automate clock-in when an employee logs into a designated computer. Explore enabling this option to streamline the process down to a single log-in click for employees. Just be sure they don't have access to manager approval controls.

Set Expectations on Edits

Employees need to know your approval expectations for punch edits or missed clock-ins/outs. Shopclock allows staff to enter a reason for edits, which managers can then approve or reject. Set clear guidelines on appropriate reasons, and when edits will and will not be approved.

Identify Exceptions & Adjustments

No time tracking system is perfect right away. Keep an eye out for processes that don't translate well to Shopclock, like off-site staff, fluid shift changes, contractor time, etc. Create policies for how you'll handle exception cases like these within Shopclock.

Reinforce and Remind

Periodically reinforce Shopclock adherence in staff meetings and internal communications. Gently remind employees if you notice repeated missed punches or unauthorized edits. And highlight positive results you see from using Shopclock, like better-informed schedules and payroll.

By taking the time to properly implement Shopclock, you can maximize adoption and get accurate data. Employees will adjust to the new system faster if the rollout is thoughtful and collaborative. Shopclock can provide great insights into your team's work hours - you just need to get started on the right foot.