Case Study Battels Revitalizes Business with Automated Timekeeping Serving the Community Battels Hardware and Tool Company was founded in 1943 in the heart of Whittier, California. The store specializes in hard- ware for property management, residen- tial buildings, municipalities, schools and water works. They are big in plumbing and fasteners, stocking everything from chrome to zinc. Car and motorcycle enthusiasts are regular shoppers. Battels also sells woodworking machines and provides consignment services for the community. They cut glass, make screens, and repair woodworking equipment. The store changed hands in the 1960s and again recently as it passed from one generation to the next. A recent financial review showed that a few process im- provements could make a big difference in their ability to continue serving the community. Switching from manual to automated timekeeping was one of these important process improvements. Moving into the 21st Century Battels was inspired to act by the time savings that automated timekeeping offered. In their old system, the store supervisor had to review punch cards manually. It was too hard to scrutinize everything. Early employee clock-in and improper breaks led to unplanned pay and associated taxes. Battels made the change to automated timekeeping in 2017 with the assistance of their payroll provider. The system includes a biometric clock that recognizes individual workers through their finger- prints. Clock times for each worker are immediately available for review through the TimeWorksPlus online portal. The store supervisor receives a daily re- port and can immediately coach workers who are outside their schedule. The CFO reviews all digital time cards weekly and makes any necessary adjustments, add- ing a note of explanation. Employees can review their digital time card at any time using their phone or computer. The control is fantastic according to Andrew Winans, CFO. Employees know exactly what is expected of them, super- visors spot and address problems right away, and management reviews time cards whenever they want from wherever they are. Adjustments are rare because the rules are clearer. Retailer maintained its family atmosphere while reducing payroll costs and improving management oversight efficiency, achieving a $13,000 first year savings. Retailers face stiff competition and narrow margins, making cost control imperative. Battels keeps inventory costs down through membership in the True Value cooperative, which provides favorable warehousing services and greater buying power. A financial re- view showed that Battels could also improve payroll cost control by moving to automated timekeeping. The company has 15 hourly and 2 salaried employees. Synopsis • Challenge: Too much time was spent reviewing payroll. Too much money was spent on non-productive time and associated expenses. • Solution: Biometric time clock and online portal for easy time recording and immediate activity oversight. • Benefits: Improved oversight efficiency, no more non-productive early clock-in, better break time management, stronger sense of fairness.