Choosing a Time and Attendance System: 2015 Guide

Credit: Shutter/Shutterstock

While you might see your employees every day, logging their hours each week can be a tremendous undertaking. You must know when workers clock in and out, add up the number of hours they work, determine how much paid time off they've taken and how much they have left.  

Instead of spending countless hours performing all of those calculations manually, many businesses are moving to digital time and attendance systems that automatically track and compute the data.

"A true time and attendance system tracks employee hours worked in real time from virtually anywhere, and automatically manages paid time off, vacation and time sheet approvals," Matt Rissell, CEO of TSheets Time Tracking, told Business News Daily.

Ready to choose a time and attendance system? Here's a breakdown of our complete coverage:

• Roundup: The Best Time and Attendance Systems
• REVIEW: Best for Small Businesses
• REVIEW: Best for Small Offices
• REVIEW: Best for Mobile Workforces

Manual time-tracking methods like punch clocks and paper time sheets are often cumbersome and error-prone when it comes to making sure employees are paid the right amount each month. Today's digital systems rely on a variety of technologies to make the time-collection process much smoother.

"More sophisticated and innovative [time collection] methods have become available in recent years to capture time, including intelligent time clocks, mobile devices, GPS location tracking, magnetic swipe cards, biometrics and touch screens," said Frank Moreno, director of product marketing at Kronos Inc. "In an ideal configuration, information is [then] automatically transferred to a system that enables proper payroll processing."

In addition to logging employee hours each day, time and attendance systems can:

• Manage paid time off.
• Administer employee schedules.
• Monitor overtime expenses.
• Provide detailed reports on labor expenses.
• Integrate with payroll services.
• Track mobile employees via GPS locators.
• Help ensure compliance with federal, state and local labor laws.

 

While time-tracking systems were previously used only by large corporations that could afford the expensive costs, the cloud has made these services much more affordable for small businesses. Since these systems use the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, small businesses doesn't have to worry about the expensive costs of ensuring they have the right computer systems in place to run the software. The cloud model allows businesses to log in from any Internet browser and immediately start using the system. 

Armando Ortega, director of product marketing for time-tracking provider Replicon, said many small businesses are attracted to this style because it can easily be expanded as their operation grows.

"You pay for as much as you use," Ortega said. "If they have more employees, they can just buy more user licenses, and if for some reason there is a need to downsize, you have the flexibility to do that, too."

Jim Wacek, president of the time and attendance division for Insperity, which offers the TimeStar time and attendance system, said cloud-based systems are an additional advantage for businesses that don't want to host the application on their own network.

"Having this system helps reduce costs because companies don't have to purchase and maintain their own servers and IT infrastructure," Wacek said.

While large companies can expect to pay thousands of dollars for an on-premise time and attendance system, cloud-based options are significantly cheaper. Monthly fees can range from as low as $20 a month, to as much as several hundred, depending on the provider you choose and how many employees you have. The only other costs are for any time clocks you purchase. For example, biometric time clocks, which automatically punch employees in and out, can cost anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars each. 

Small Business Overall	Very Small Business	Mobile Workforce
stratustime	uAttend	TSheets
Full Review >>	Full Review >>	Full Review >>
Easy to use	Plug and play ready clocks	Numerous punch options
Manages paid time off	Low cost	Mobile app tracks workers locations
Integrates with 60+ payroll services	Quality customer service	14-day free trial

Do I need a time and attendance system?

Any business with one or more hourly employees can benefit from a time and attendance system.

"If you can't accurately track time, how can you predict employee hours, determine your staffing needs, or verify employee time is being spent on the highest priority projects first, avoiding unnecessary overtime?" Rissell asked. "The insight into labor expenses, project costs and overall financial analysis are true benefits to businesses using a quality time and attendance system."

Rissell said there are a number of questions you should ask yourself to determine if a digital time and attendance system is right for your business, including:

• Does your company have hourly employees?
• Do you have a mobile workforce?
• Do your employees work at multiple jobsites or in remote locations?
• Is employee accountability and verification of employee location critical?
• Do you need to know who's working, in real time?
• Do you need to ensure employees are paid accurately for the time they work?
• Have paper time sheets or punch timecards have become too difficult to manage?
• Do you need a way of measuring the productivity of your organization?
• Is accurately measuring the cost of goods or projects a challenge?
• Do you need a way to accurately calculate job-costing and forecasting numbers?
• Do you need a way to ensure overtime, PTO and vacations are calculated correctly, kept in check and paid out properly?

The more questions you answer yes to, the better fit a time and attendance system will be for you, Rissell said.

The features to look for in a time and attendance system

With so many time and attendance systems on the market, it can be difficult to know which one is right for your business. When shopping for a system, experts agree there are a number of things you should look for.

• Keeps accurate time: The best time and attendance systems ensure employers are paying their employees for the actual time they work, not the hours they're scheduled to work. Rissell said even the best employees may be rounding off their times or making unintentional mistakes.
• Tracks all time issues: Make sure you choose a system that takes care of all of your business's scheduling needs, not one that just lets employees punch in and out. Wacek said this includes managing employee schedules and handling all paid-time-off calculations.
• Integrates with programs: Choose a system that integrates with the programs, applications and software, such as HR and payroll programs, that you are already using, Moreno said. 
• Monitors overtime expenses: Make sure the system you select can help you reduce overtime costs. Rissell said setting up overtime alerts can notify you before incurring the cost of overtime pay, and minimize unnecessary or unprofitable overtime hours.
• Cloud-based: Time and attendance systems hosted in the cloud are the easiest to implement and manage and reduce capital and maintenance expenses, Moreno said. 
• Reduces administrative time: Search for a system that's easy to use and allows human resources employees to focus their time on issues that aren't payroll-related, Rissell said.
• Provides real-time information: You want a time and attendance system that provides detailed information in real time, because businesses need labor information when it can be impacted, not after the fact, Moreno said.
• Mobile: Since many employees and managers work outside the office, you want a system that has mobile capabilities so it can be accessed wherever they are, Moreno said.

Benefits of time and attendance systems

A lot more goes into keeping proper time and attendance records than just recording when employees clock in and out each day. From correctly tracking hours logged and paid time off to making sure certain insurance requirements are being met, there are a wide variety of advantages to using time and attendance systems. One of the largest benefits is the added financial insight into your business.

"A time and attendance system is important for businesses because it provides advanced tracking for job-costing and labor distribution," Wacek said. "It also provides enhanced views of the organization's key performance indicators, including hours and wages, employee counts and scheduled/working status."

Time and attendance systems can also be a huge cost-saving tool by providing a detailed look at labor costs and where changes can be made. Wacek said businesses can save as much as 5 percent of their payroll costs by automating their time and attendance system.

"[You can] see time and attendance trends that could be costing you money, so you can control them now and into the future," Moreno added.

These systems also improve employee productivity because it frees some staffers of the time-consuming task of entering each employee's daily hours into the payroll programs. 

"With a time and attendance system, you can manage by exception instead of having to review every timecard," Moreno said. "In a matter of minutes, you can find and correct missed punches, respond to time-off requests, and even access and react to labor data in real time to have a positive effect on your business."

Lower employee frustration is another benefit of automatically tracking time and attendance, Rissell said. That includes hourly employees, managers, payroll staff, human resources professionals and owners.

"Inaccurate and slow payroll, manual and error-prone duplicate entry, and the inability to track performance, labor costs, job-costing and financials is frustrating for everyone within the company," Rissell said.

Small businesses using these systems also praise the benefits they bring. Reeve White, director of marketing for the health care consulting firm Primaris, said the company likes that time and attendance systems allow employees to handle time-related tasks on their own. 

"Employees can quickly track and enter their [own] work time, see how much paid time off they have and submit time-off requests," White said.

Justin Dignam, founder and owner of Big Fish Payroll, said one of the biggest advantages his company gets from using a time and attendance system is that it accurately keeps track of how much time off employees have taken.

"It gives us a consistent, approved time record of all [paid time off] taken, eliminating questions about how much time employees have accrued, and when they may have taken time off," Dignam said.

Deborah Sweeney, CEO of MyCorporation, said such systems are a great tool for assessing insurance requirements.

"Many insurance companies require information about total hours worked by employees," Sweeney said. "Using this software makes obtaining this information simpler."

post from sitemap

Best Time and Attendance Systems 2015

Credit: Frey/Shutterstock

We know that different businesses have diverse time-and-attendance system needs. We have researched and reviewed dozens of time and attendance systems and came up with the ones we think are best for a variety of business types. Here is a roundup of our best picks and an explanation of how we chose them.

Ready to choose a time and attendance system? Here's a breakdown of our complete coverage:

• Time and Attendance System Buyer's Guide
• REVIEW: Best for Small Businesses
• REVIEW: Best for Small Offices
• REVIEW: Best for Mobile Workforces

Best time and attendance system for small businesses: stratustime

Stratustime offers everything a small business needs in a time and attendance system. The cloud-based system has the most comprehensive time-tracking options we found, as employees can clock in and out via traditional time clocks, computers with Internet access, mobile devices and telephones. The system also manages paid time off, generates employee schedules, monitors overtime hours and integrates with a wide range of payroll services. We were also very impressed with the system's easy-to-use online portal, the company's customer service and the system's affordable monthly cost. Go here for a full review of the Stratustime time and attendance system.

Best time and attendance system for very small businesses: uAttend

The uAttend time and attendance system works perfectly for a very small business. A Web-based system, it requires no special software to load or hardware to install, and is very flexible, letting employees clock in with time clocks, Web browsers, mobile devices and telephones. uAttend's time clocks are plug-and-play ready, send data in real time to the system, include lifetime guarantees, and are among the cheapest we found. Besides being able to log when employees come and go each day, small businesses will appreciate that the system also manages paid time off, can track how long employees work on specific projects and can create office-wide schedules. Go here for a full review of the uAttend time and attendance system.

Best time and attendance system for businesses with a mobile workforce: TSheets

TSheets provides just what businesses with a mobile workforce need from a time attendance system. Besides being able to clock employees in and out with laptop computers, smartphones, telephones, text messages and Twitter, the system also records exactly where workers start and end their shifts, as well as their locations throughout the day. These are critical tools that allow businesses to easily monitor and track their mobile employees. The pricing is extremely affordable, and the customer service is among the best we encountered. Go here for a full review of the TSheets time and attendance system.

Our methodology

To determine the best time and attendance systems, we started by listing all of the vendors that have a good reputation online (i.e., services that were favorably and consistently reviewed by other websites). Then, we interviewed small business owners to discover new ones to add to our list.

We ultimately settled on 11 time and attendance systems to consider as best picks. They were: Acrotime from Acroprint, ClockVIEW from Acumen, Kronos' Workforce Ready, stratustime from nettime solutions, TimeAttend from Replicon, TimeClick from Hawkeye Technology, TimeForce from Infinisource, TimeStar from Insperity, TSheets uAttend from Processing Point and Webtimeclock. (See full list of time and attendance systems and their websites below.)

Next, we researched each provider by investigating its services, watching tutorials and how-to videos, trying out the system when possible, and reading user comments. We also considered the pricing that was listed on these services' websites. After narrowing down the list to eight contenders, we contacted each company's customer service department by phone, and live chat if possible, and posed as new business owners to gauge the type of support each provider offered.

In all, we analyzed each service based on the following factors:

• Cost
• Time-tracking capabilities
• Accrual options
• Overtime monitoring
• Scheduling capabilities
• Available reports
• Ease of use
• Customer service
• Integration options
• Mobile access

Here is a full list of time and attendance system providers and a summary of what each company claims to offer. This alphabetical list also includes our picks for best services.

AcroTime – Acroprint's AcroTime is a Web-based system offered in both standard and platinum versions, neither of which requires the installation of special software. With the system, employees can clock in and out via their computers, biometric time clocks and badge terminals. Features exclusive to the platinum version include the ability to track accruals and a system to schedule time-off requests. acrotime.com

ADP Small Business Time and Attendance  – ADP's Small Business Time and Attendance system is Web-based and offers multiple ways of collecting employee time-and-attendance information, including electronic or online time sheets, badge-card time clocks, biometric time clocks and wireless devices, or via an interactive voice response system. The software automatically adds up employee hours and feeds them directly to the business's payroll and tax solutions. ADP's system allows managers to create work schedules and then track absences, late clock-ins, long lunches and early departures. ADP's solution also allows employees to request and track their time off. The software integrates with a variety of payroll, tax-service and human-resources solutions. adp.com

APS – APS' time and attendance solution is cloud based. It offers multiple options for time tracking, including biometric verification, online time capture and mobile clock-ins. The system's dashboard provides alerts for an instant view of missed punches, time-off requests, and employees who are in or approaching overtime. With the solution, employees can submit time-off requests through the employee self-service site or on their mobile devices, while managers can view potential overlapping time-off requests and available accrual balances, and approve requests all from one screen. apspayroll.com

ClockVIEW – Acumen Data Systems' ClockVIEW is a Web-based time-and-attendance system. The software gives businesses a complete overview of when their employees are working, taking vacation and out sick. Managers can set notifications for when employees take time off. ClockVIEW also allows employees to clock and in and out, submit time-off requests and bid for shifts when other employees call in sick. In addition, the software boasts an instant-messaging feature and the ability to limit when employees can clock in by time of day, employee schedule and location. acumendatasystems.com

Easy Clocking – Easy Clocking is a Web-based time-and-attendance system that offers employees the opportunity to clock in and out via time clocks, fingerprint scanners and their computers. Each of the time-clock options works in conjunction with the Easy Clocking time-and-attendance software. The software automatically calculates total hours worked, including overtime, vacation, sick days and holidays. The software is also designed to help reduce employee time theft by applying rounding rules, restricting schedules and eliminating the ability for co-workers to clock other employees in. Additionally, the Easy Clocking time-and-attendance system is built to automate the payroll process by allowing management to transfer time data to all payroll providers. easyclocking.com

EmpCenter – Designed to meet the needs of large and growing organizations, Workforce Software's EmpCenter Time & Attendance is an enterprise-grade, cloud-based solution that captures time and attendance, as well as labor data, and automates complex pay rules, entirely through configuration. workforcesoftware.com

InfoTronics – Infotronics' Attendance Enterprise is a full-featured time-and-attendance system. Attendance Enterprise fits any size organization, since it can easily scale to accommodate the size of your workforce. With the system, you can identify attendance exceptions, such as tardiness and absenteeism, and take action quickly; eliminate unapproved overtime; automate time-off requests and approvals; and correct and approve employee time cards. The systems' self-service option provides employees with timely information in a secure Web browser. There's no need for a time clock, as employees can clock in and out, request leave, and review schedules from any computer. infotronics.com

Kronos Workforce Ready – Kronos Workforce Ready Time Keeping is a cloud-based solution that allows small businesses to fully automate their time-and-attendance information. Employees can clock in and out via mobile devices, computers and time clocks. Workforce Ready can also manage a variety of employee types, including those who are hourly, salaried and contracted. The system has a GPS feature that automatically records mobile employees' locations when they clock in and out. Workforce Ready also gives employees the ability to check their work schedules, review benefit accruals and request time off. Additionally, the software integrates with a variety of other Kronos Workforce Ready applications, such as human resources, payroll and tax solutions. kronos.com

Nortek – Nortek's Workforce is a cloud-based time-and-attendance system that includes time tracking, scheduling options and leave-management functionality. The system tracks time in and time out by Web-based, card-based or bio-clocking devices. Clock punches record the day, time and time zone, and are automatically mapped onto an employee's timesheet to cut down on data entry. Businesses can also define and automate attendance policies and time-off accrual rules based on their own policies. The software gives businesses better insight into labor costs with real-time analytics and integrates with the majority of payroll providers. norteksolutions.ca

NOVAtime – NOVAtime provides complete time-and-attendance and workforce management solutions that are fully equipped with badge time-clocks, biometric time clocks, proximity time clocks and Web-based kiosk devices, as well as integration capabilities with virtually any human resource or payroll application. The system allows supervisors to see who is in, who is out and which employees are approaching overtime. In addition, the NOVAtime Quick Navigator and Dashboard guides users through step-by-step workflows of daily, monthly, annual, payroll and new-hire procedures. NOVAtime offers both cloud-based and on-premise systems. The on-premise systems are designed for companies with more than 1000 employees. novatime.com

*stratustime – nettime stratustime is a Web-based system that provides employees with an online dashboard in order to clock in and out, as well as check their hours, schedules and accrual balances. The system also allows staff members to request time off. A mobile application is also available that lets employees clock in and out via their smartphones when they're out of the office. Additionally, it tracks them via GPS, so managers know where they were when they clock in and out. stratustime also features options for generating schedules. nettimesolutions.com. Read our full review here .

Sundial Time Systems' RealTime Web – Sundial's RealTime Web is Web-based time-and-attendance software designed for companies of all sizes. It offers a flexible mix of management tools, employee self-service and time-clock options. The online self-service portal gives employees access to time records, Web punching and time sheets. sundialtime.com

TimeAttend – Replicon's TimeAttend is a cloud-based time-and-attendance system. With its configurable and intuitive time sheets, the software allows businesses to track time for any employee type. TimeAttend also automates the time-off management process with self-service time-off request capabilities and accrual calculations. To help streamline the payroll process, the system enables project managers to store information about employees' schedules, overtime and pay rates. Additional features include automatic emails and alerts that can be set up to ensure the requests for paid time-off are submitted and approved on time. replicon.com

TimeClick – TimeClick from Hawkeye Technology, an on-premise time-and-attendance system, allows employees to clock in and out from computers across their networks. The system also manages paid time off, has scheduling capabilities and includes nearly 20 different report options. Since it isn't cloud based, there is only a one-time fee and no monthly charges. timeclick.com

TimeClock Plus – TimeClock Plus offers a variety of time-attendance systems, including server-based, Web-based and software-as-a-service options. The TimeClock Plus Web Edition is a browser-based time-and-labor management application that provides employee time-and-attendance tracking on the Web. To use the system, employees open their Web browsers, log on to the designated Web page and perform clock transactions. Many of the TimeClock Plus options also include mobile features that allow employees to clock in and out via their smartphones. TimeClock Plus also offers a Small Business Edition that runs on the business's own network. With this version, employees can clock in and out from their own computers, while managers have access to a "Who's Here" feature that shows which employees are currently working. timeclockplus.com

TimeForce II– TimeForce II from Infinisource is a cloud-based system designed to manage employee time and attendance. It gives businesses of all sizes the ability to easily and accurately collect and organize their employee time data. The system keeps track of the time employees work, as well as their holiday pay, overtime, and other time-and-attendance records. Employees have the option of using a Web browser or a simple time card to clock in and out. The TimeForce system offers an array of features, including time-off request notifications, time-off denial notes, time-card error alerts and role-based security options, which control what each employee is able to see and access. There is also a mobile application that allows employees to punch in and out via their smartphones. mytimeforce.com

TimeIPS – TimeIPS is a comprehensive computerized time-and-attendance system that includes software and optional hardware that work together to track and report on labor, jobs, projects, benefits and schedules. TimeIPS can be run on a business's server or hosted at TimeIPS. Employees can clock in and out via TimeIPS' Network Clock, which provides immediate visual feedback on employees' hours worked and available nonovertime hours remaining. Employees can also use a telephone system, as well as their computers or mobile devices, to clock in and out. Additional features include the ability to calculate overtime and track sick and vacation days. timeips.com

TimeStar – Insperity's TimeStar is a Web-based time-and-attendance system that automates time-keeping and scheduling tasks. The software allows employees to clock in and out from any computer or mobile device. In addition, the company offers a badge-based time clock that captures time data on-site with the swipe of a badge. With the software, employees can swap shifts, review PTO balances and make scheduling requests. TimeStar also lets managers easily approve or deny employees' requests to switch shifts, leave early and take time off. To help cut down on expenses, TimeStar will send managers alerts when employees are nearing overtime conditions so they can make scheduling changes if needed. The system also provides real-time labor analytics in order to control payroll costs. insperity.com

TimeStation – TimeStation is a time and attendance system that's quick to set up and easy to use. It runs on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch with a front-facing camera. Using the Fast-Scan technology, employees can punch in and out in less than a second, and because TimeStation runs in the cloud, there are no software programs or servers to maintain. Managers can see who's in, and run time and attendance reports anytime, anywhere. With the self-service portal, employees can review their activity, clock in and out, run reports, and create or edit time entries. Managers have full control over which functionality each employee has access to. www.mytimestation.com

TimeTrak – TimeTrak offers several time-and-attendance system options, including a software-as-a-service solution that captures and calculates employee time, eliminates paper time sheets and time cards, and alerts employers when employees are tardy or absent. With the system, employees can clock in and out via their computers, while supervisors can manage time off to ensure vacation days or sick time isn't taken when not available. The solution is available on a monthly basis with the "pay as you go" option. timetrak.com

TimeTrex – TimeTrex's time-and-attendance module tracks and monitors employee attendance in real time, from anywhere in the world. The system offers a variety of ways to track employee attendance: time clocks, Web browsers, smartphones and touch-tone telephones. With the system, businesses can set up an unlimited number of accruals to automatically track employee vacations, sick days or banked time. Employees can also see their own accrual balances. www.timetrex.com

*TSheets – TSheets is designed as a way for businesses to both track and manage employee time. With the software, employees can clock in and out on their desktop or laptop computers, as well as from their mobile phones. There is also a GPS option that lets businesses automatically see where its mobile employees are starting and ending their days. In addition, TSheets lets employees clock in and out in real time, enter their time manually, and allocate time to custom fields, projects or tasks. The system allows administrators to manage an employee's time off, sick days and holidays. Additional features include overtime alerts, time-sheet approvals and the ability to see which employees are working at any given time. TSheets accounts can be configured to be DCAA and DOL compliant. tsheets.com Read our full review here .

*uAttend – Created by Processing Point, uAttend is a Web-based time-and-attendance system that allows employees to clock in and out from time clocks, Web browsers, mobile devices or telephones. The software tracks vacation, sick days and holidays; prevents employees from clocking in or out early or late to earn overtime; and gives managers the ability to see which employees are working at any given time. The software also easily integrates with nearly all payroll-processing systems, such as QuickBooks, Paychex, ADP and Sure Payroll. uAttend offers subscription options for businesses with workforces ranging from fewer than nine employees to more than 100 employees. uattend.com Read our full review here .

When I Work – When I Work is a cloud-based time-and-attendance system that has both time-tracking and scheduling features. Use a desktop, laptop or tablet as a fixed clock-in terminal, or give employees the option to clock in from their iPhones or Android phones. Attendance alerts remind managers and employees when they forget to clock in or out, while overtime alerts help manage labor costs. The scheduler tool allows you to view the entire week's schedule and move shifts easily from person to person or day to day. wheniwork.com

 

Are you time-and-attendance system provider that would like to be added to this list and possibly considered for our next round of reviews? Please feel free to contact Chad Brooks at cbrooks@purch.com.

post from sitemap

Frequent Job Hopping Not Just a Millennial Trait

Credit: Koch/Shutterstock

While millennials are often criticized for the frequency with which they change jobs, they are far from alone in taking this approach. Job hopping was just as prevalent, if not more so, among baby boomers, new research finds.

Workers born in the latter years of the baby boom held, on average, nearly 12 jobs between the ages of 18 and 48, according to a study from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The total number of jobs held by boomers doesn't differ much from what many millennials are looked down upon for. Emily He, chief marketing officer of talent-management solution Saba, told Business News Daily in 2014 that research suggests today's college graduates will have a dozen or more jobs by the time they hit their 30s.

The new research shows that people born between 1957 and 1964 tended to switch jobs less frequently as they got older. Specifically, these baby boomers held an average of 5.5 jobs while ages 18 to 24, three jobs from ages 25 to 29, 2.4 jobs from ages 30 to 34 and 2.1 jobs from ages 35 to 39. From ages 40 to 48, the average worker born in those same years held 2.4 jobs.

The overall numbers were nearly equal for both men and women, and for minorities. The research discovered that men held 11.8 jobs, while women held 11.5 jobs from ages 18 to 48. In addition, while younger white workers held more jobs than black and Hispanic workers, there was no significant difference in the average number of jobs they held between the ages of 25 and 48.

The researchers found that short job stints among baby boomers weren't relegated to just their younger years.

"Although job duration tended to be longer the older a worker was when starting the job, these baby boomers continued to have large numbers of short-duration jobs" even as they got older, the study's authors wrote. "Among jobs started by 40 to 48 year olds, 32 percent ended in less than a year and 69 percent ended in fewer than five years."

Today, many millennials say they believe they will actually end up working for significantly fewer employers than baby boomers over the course of their careers. Previous research by Bentley University revealed that 80 percent of millennials predict they'll work for four or fewer companies during their entire careers.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' study was based on data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a survey of 9,964 men and women who were ages 14 to 22 when first interviewed in 1979 and ages 47 to 56 when interviewed most recently in 2012-13. Participants were interviewed annually from 1979 to 1994 and biennially since 1994.

post from sitemap

Bright Ideas: 6 Bold Startups Reinventing Their Industries

Credit: Gonzalo Aragon/Shutterstock

Some industries have been around almost as long as commerce itself. For new companies in markets like clothing and furniture, there are two options: Stick with the time-tested status quo, or take a risk and try something new. These six startups took the latter path and put their own twists on each of their respective, long-standing industries.

The company: Boll & Branch
The industry: Textiles

What do you do when you're going to launch a business in an unfamiliar market and every industry veteran tells you that you're doing it wrong? For the founders of Boll & Branch, sellers of fair trade, organic bedding, the answer was to keep doing it anyway.

CEO Scott Tannen and his wife/co-founder Missy, outsiders to the world of textiles, set out to create an honest company that bucked the unethical labor practices and high markups that are standard in much of the industry. By avoiding importers, exporters and expensive licensing fees, Boll & Branch is able to sell a high-quality product at an affordable price, all while supporting fair wages and sweatshop-free labor.

Tannen said they were told they were overpaying for materials and not building enough profit into their business, but despite the critics' warnings, their self-funded startup flourished.

"We have incredible pride that we've proven that luxury and ethics can go hand in hand," Tannen said. "Watching our business grow so quickly and virally has been incredible validation and a source of pride for us. But most importantly, our customers rightly feel that they are a part of our story and our mission to change this industry." 

The company: Comite MD
The industry: Medicine

With the exception of an annual physical exam, most people only go to the doctor when they're sick. This disease-centric model of treating symptoms as they appear has long been the standard, but a handful of visionary practitioners believe that an alternative method called precision medicine (PM) is more effective. This customized, tailored approach treats individual patients based on their genetics, medical histories and lifestyles.

One such practitioner is Dr. Florence Comite, a New York City-based endocrinologist whose precision medicine practice offers proactive, preventative medical care that helps patients remain healthy throughout their lifetimes. Much of this care is based on individual genome mapping, as well as lifestyle and environmental factors.

"Your genome helps figure out how to best predict what path you'll follow on your health trajectory," Comite said. "What happens in [your family's health] is a guide to where you're going, but you can't look at a gene map and say, 'This is your destiny' — it's your life. There are other drivers within your ... environment that cause disease. Wouldn't it be great if we could take control of our own maps, and [therefore] our health and happiness?"

Comite noted that it's been difficult to convince others in the industry to rethink their approach to traditional medicine, but she's hopeful that consumer technology such as fitness trackers and health apps will advance the understanding of and demand for precision medicine.

The company: Fractured Atlas
The industry: Arts services

Technology has revolutionized nearly every conceivable industry in the last couple of decades, from improving the efficiency of processes to keeping consumers and businesses better connected. In the early 2000s, an off-off-Broadway production company called Fractured Atlas saw an opportunity to bring tech into the arts services industry. They saw that this could help artists learn the practical business and technology skills they need to become thriving entrepreneurs.

"Producing theater and dance on a shoestring budget gave me first-hand experience with the obstacles that independent artists face," said Adam Huttler, founder and executive director of Fractured Atlas. "I managed to develop some innovative solutions to a lot of common challenges, like insurance and fundraising. When Fractured Atlas was reborn as a service organization in 2002, we essentially took those solutions and ... made them accessible and affordable to a whole community of artists and organizations."

Huttler said that his national, multi-disciplinary company met with skepticism at first, as arts service organizations are typically specific to a particular discipline or geographic region. But adopting the mentality and attitude of a tech startup has helped Fractured Atlas innovate and thrive, and ultimately help artists make a living doing what they love.

"If we stand still or are afraid to change, we'll stagnate and be disrupted," Huttler said. "We have to listen to the field and be responsive to its needs, while at the same time being creative about solutions that might not be obvious to folks working in the trenches. We can't be afraid to try new things or shut down old things that no longer serve their purposes."

The company: Jack Erwin
The industry: Men's dress shoes

Fashion changes almost constantly, but over the years, a few key designs and styles have continually resurfaced in the public's collective wardrobe. For women, it's the "little black dress" and a pair of pumps. For men, it's the classic dress shoe, and e-commerce startup Jack Erwin is looking to bring that item back into the spotlight in a big way.

"The simple basics we grew up wearing were no longer available," said co-founder Lane Gerson of the inspiration behind Jack Erwin. "Where are the classic, clean men's dress shoes? Everything [in our price range] was stylized and trendy. We can make a beautiful, timeless dress shoe that's affordable [and] accessible."

Gerson and co-founder Ariel Nelson said that by showcasing classic styles rather than trying to make their own statement, their company is able to stand out by bringing tradition back to a market that's become all about chasing trends. As it turns out, the shoe literally and figuratively fit: Just a few short months after Jack Erwin's October 2013 launch, all 3,000 pairs of shoes from their initial batch sold out, and sales have only grown from there.

"Because we're direct-to-customer, we have the ability to own every [customer] relationship," Gerson said. "Men are loyal — when we find a brand that speaks to us, [we want] to re-engage over and over. [Jack Erwin] starts and works [on] that dialogue with customers."

The company: Leesa
The industry: Mattresses

The basic mattress as consumers know it today has been around for centuries. While materials and construction may have changed over the years, the mattress and its function have remained essentially unchanged. So how can a company shake up this industry? As fast-growing mattress startup Leesa will tell you, it's all about the experience.

Leesa was founded with the simple mission to give its customers the best night's sleep possible. The company's American-made, compressed "mattress in a box" uses a unique combination of foams and a design focused on comfort. But what really sets Leesa apart is the hassle-free shopping experience. According to founder and CEO David Wolfe, one of Leesa's goals was to eliminate the awkward, uncomfortable process of mattress showroom sales.

"We make shopping for a mattress very simple," Wolfe said. "You're not dealing with that awful showroom moment where a salesperson is telling you the difference [between mattresses]. It's easy to order [online], and you get 100 nights to try it."

In addition to Leesa's risk-free, no-questions-asked return policy, the company is also committed to bringing a better night's sleep to as many people as it can by offering sleep education resources and donating one mattress to a shelter for every 10 it sells.

The company: Opoli
The industry: Ride share

With the steep competition and legal issues surrounding private-transportation tech giants Uber and Lyft, it might seem nearly impossible to enter the ride share industry successfully. But that hasn't stopped one entrepreneur from trying to not only break into the field, but to do it better.

Rattan Joea, founder and CEO of transportation app Opoli, has put his 20 years of car service industry experience to use by providing a way for consumers to easily and safely schedule a private car service. Unlike its main competitors, Opoli allows you to hand-select a fully insured, commercially licensed professional driver and the specific vehicle (Town Car, BMW, Mercedes Benz or Tesla) to transport you for a fixed price.

"We know how to move people with efficiency ... by optimizing the experience with our technology," Joea said. "Our mission is to replace your car by providing a safe, efficient and price-sensitive transportation option."

Despite the regulatory difficulties of the car service industry, Joea said he is confident that Opoli will benefit both commuters and the environment, as the company is determined to reduce the number of cars on the road and cut down on pollution.

post from sitemap

Lenovo ThinkPad T450s: Is It Good for Business?

The ThinkPad T450s earns 4.5 out of 5 stars. Credit: Jeremy Lips

Business notebooks don't get much better than this. Lenovo's new ThinkPad T450s is an updated version of my previous favorite business notebook, the ThinkPad T440s. In fact, it looks and feels almost identical to last year's model, with only a few small changes like faster performance and a better trackpad.

No, it's not perfect, and depending on your needs, there may be much better options out there. The T450s is far from the sleekest, lightest or thinnest work notebook, and it lacks the graphical horsepower of some competing machines. But the T450s means business, with way more ports and connectivity options than you'll find on most thinner laptops, plus a durable design, an unbeatable keyboard and great security features. That's why I think the ThinkPad T450s is the new business notebook to beat.

Design

It's not much to look at, but the T450s feels extremely sturdy and well constructed. It sports the same smooth, black casing as last year's model, with a carbon-fiber lid and magnesium deck. Lenovo says there's an integrated roll cage built in to help the notebook survive drops and dings. 

The overall design of the T450s is boxy and understated, but I think those are fine qualities in a work machine. The ThinkPad logo (complete with a blinking red LED for the dot of the "i") adds a bit of embellishment to the lid. I also like that the T450s also has a smooth finish that resists fingerprints, so the lid keeps a clean look.

Lenovo didn't mess with a successful design, and that's a good thing. Since the T450s retains the same footprint as last year's model — 13.03 x 8.90 inches — you won't have any trouble using it with older accessories and docking stations.

Measuring 0.83 inches thick, the T450s looks a bit chunky compared to superslim options like the 0.63-inch EliteBook Folio 1040, or like the Dell's XPS 13, which tapers from 0.6 inches to 0.33 inches at the front. The T450s' extra thickness isn't necessarily a bad thing, though, since it allowed Lenovo to include essential ports (like Ethernet and VGA) that you won't find on many thinner machines.

The T450s feels deceptively light for a notebook as thick as it is, but keep in mind that there are plenty of laptops that offer comparable performance in thinner, lighter frames. Configured without a touch screen, the T450s starts at 3.4 lbs., putting it in the middle of the pack among 14-inch notebooks overall. Superthin models like Lenovo's own ThinkPad Carbon X1 (3.15 lbs.) are lighter, but there are plenty of heavier options, like Acer's TravelMate P645 (3.5 lbs.).

The touch-screen version weighs significantly more, though, starting at 3.9 lbs. If you plan on lugging the T450s on your daily commute, I would recommend giving your back a break and forgoing the touch-screen option.

Display

Unfortunately, Lenovo doesn't offer a version of the T450s with a quad-HD display; the top-end model comes with an ordinary, 1,920 x 1,080-pixel panel. It's sharp enough, but I would like to get a higher resolution for a notebook in this price range. 

Regardless, the screen is certainly large and sharp enough for everyday productivity tasks, and I was able to multitask in a split-screen view without it feeling claustrophobic.

I'm not crazy about the matte finish on the display, though it has its benefits. Matte screens are a lot less reflective than glossy displays, which means you won't have to deal with glare from a window or the reflection of overhead office lights. The downside is that the matte finish gives the display a slightly dull look; colors don't pop as much as they do on a machine like the MacBook Pro, for example.

Keyboard

Lenovo's ThinkPad line is known for its stellar keyboards, and the T450s is no exception. In my opinion, no other laptop keyboard feels better. The individual keys are large and well spaced, with a sculpted shape that makes them easy to navigate by touch.

The tactile feel of the keys is their best quality, though. Key travel is surprisingly deep, and the keys offer just the right level of feedback. Lenovo managed to craft a keyboard that feels great for extended typing sessions, without clacking loudly every time you press a key. 

A few extra features sweeten the deal. The keyboard is backlit, so typing in the dark is easy. I also like how the function keys in the top row are automatically set to perform shortcuts like adjusting the brightness, volume and more. The full-size arrow keys are another big bonus; you won't find those on many notebooks this size. Plus, the keyboard is water-resistant, with a protective layer beneath the keys that funnels spilled water out of the bottom of the machine. That could be a lifesaver in case of an accident.

Touchpad and TrackPoint

Like all ThinkPads, the T450s offers two cursor-control options: the standard touchpad and the red TrackPoint pointing nub, located amidst the G, H and B keys. Both controls are excellent.

The trackpad is large and responsive. Mousing around feels good, and multi-finger gestures like two-finger scrolling work well. I also love the soft, smooth finish of the pad, which lets my finger glide easily without sticking or slipping.

The touchpad has built-in buttons that provide good feedback for left and right clicks. Some people prefer dedicated buttons beneath the pad, but personally I prefer this approach since it provides more space to navigate. 

There are left, right and center buttons above the touchpad, which are meant to be used in conjunction with the TrackPoint nub. Last year's model didn't offer those buttons; instead, they were built into the top of the large touchpad. I think this approach is a good compromise. The TrackPoint itself it as good as ever, giving you precise control over the mouse without requiring you to move your fingers from the keyboard.

Specs and performance

The T450s comes in a variety of configurations, with the most expensive model topping out with a 2.6-GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 12GB of RAM and 512GB of solid state drive (SSD) storage. The 14-inch display comes in touch and nontouch versions, with a resolution of either 1,600 x 900 pixels or 1,920 x 1,080 pixels.

Lenovo doesn't offer the option of a dedicated graphics card, even in the highest-end configuration. That's disappointing, since similar computers like the 13-inch MacBook Pro do let you upgrade to a dedicated GPU.

The model that Lenovo sent us for review came with the following hardware:

• 2.3GHz Intel Core i5-5300U processor
• Intel HD 5500 (integrated graphics)
• 8GB RAM 
• 256GB SSD storage
• 14-inch; 1,920 x 1,080-pixel; 10-point multi-touch display

During my testing time, I observed fast, fluid performance from the T450s. Heavy-duty multitasking was generally smooth, even while juggling several large documents, HD streaming video on YouTube and more than a dozen tabs in Firefox.

Security

The T450s offers a slew of really good security features that will give business users peace of mind. On the hardware side, you get a fingerprint scanner, located just to the right of the keyboard. I registered all five fingers on my right hand, and found the scanner to be quite reliable. It only failed to recognize my fingers a few times during my testing, and only when I slid my finger too fast. I like the location of the scanner too, which is easy to reach. Overall, it's a handy, well-designed tool for keeping your work laptop locked down.

The T450s' hard drive also comes with built-in hardware encryption, and a smart card slot on the notebook's left side provides an extra security boost. There's also a Kensington lock, so you can chain your computer to your desk to prevent theft.

Videoconferencing

Like most notebooks, the T450s' middling webcam can't capture high-quality video, but it's good enough for basic video conferencing. I was able to snap some decent shots in my low-light workspace, but even images taken in direct light suffer from graininess and visual noise.

On the bright side, the notebooks dual-array microphones capture very clear audio. Plus, the speakers are relatively loud, so you'll have no trouble hearing the person on the other end of the call.

Ports

The T450 might be relatively thick, but that means it can offer a lot more ports and connectivity options than you'll find on its slimmest competitors. The right side includes a headphone jack, a SIM-card slot for optional LTE broadband, a 4-in-1 memory-card reader, a USB 3.0 port, a Kensington lock, and a VGA video-out port that will really come in handy if you want to connect to an older projector or a monitor that doesn't have DisplayPort. The left side of the unit adds a SmartCard reader, two more USB 3.0 ports and a DisplayPort.  

Another big perk is the docking connector on the underside of the T450s, which lets you snap the notebook onto a dock just by setting the computer down. The accessory makes it easy to connect to a larger monitor, and adds a bunch of extra ports, so you can keep desktop accessories like a mouse and keyboard ready to go. A snap-in docking port is something you won't find on consumer notebooks, or even on thin business notebooks like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

Battery life

You actually get two batteries with the T450s: one sealed inside the chassis and one that's accessible from underneath the notebook. The theoretical benefit of this dual-battery design is that you can swap out the removable battery for a fresh one while the computer continues to run on the internal battery. Of course, you'll need to be the kind of person who carries around an extra battery to take advantage of the feature, but it's a nice perk for road warriors who need the longest battery life possible.

You might not have use for that extra battery, though, since the T450s offers good longevity out of the box. The notebook ran for a solid 8 hours and 15 minutes on our battery test, which involves continuous Web browsing over Wi-Fi with the screen set to 100 nits of brightness. That beats out the thin-and-light laptop category average (6:46), as well as the Dell Latitude 7440 (5:25). But we got longer times from other notebooks, including the Acer TravelMate P645 (9:46) and Tecra Z40-a1410 (9:28).

In addition to the standard three-cell battery, Lenovo also offers a swappable six-cell extended battery, which nearly doubles the notebook's longevity. The machine ran for an epic 16 hours and 1 minute with the extended battery installed. The downside is that this battery adds an extra 0.4 lbs. to the weight of the notebook. It's also physically taller, boosting the back end of the notebook off my desk by about a half-inch. That actually provides a nice, angled surface for typing, but I'm not crazy about the extra weight, so I wouldn't spring for the extended battery unless I really needed it.

Software

I like that Lenovo lets you choose between Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 when you buy the T450s. I personally like Windows 8.1, but some business users might prefer Windows 7’s basic Start menu and classic desktop interface. The company charges $50 extra for the older operating system, though. You can also upgrade from basic Windows 8.1 to the Pro version for an additional $50. Windows 8.1 Pro has some extra functionality, like the ability to connect your computer to a corporate domain network, or use it as a remote desktop host so you can access your apps and files from another PC.

Pricing 

The baseline model starts at $880, with an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 1,600 x 900-pixel display and a 500GB spinning hard drive. The most expensive configuration offers a Core i7 CPU, 12GB of RAM; a full-HD, 1,920 x 1,080 display; and a 512GB SSD. 

My recommendation is to upgrade to a full-HD nontouch screen and at least 8GB of RAM for good performance with modern applications. If you can afford it, upgrading to an SSD will give you much faster speeds than a traditional spinning hard drive, but you'll pay a lot for a little bit of storage space; upgrading from the 500GB baseline drive to the smallest 128GB SSD will cost you an extra $90. With those configurations, which I consider to be a good sweet spot for the average business users, the T450s costs $1,052.

The competition

In terms of overall design, features and price point, similar notebooks include Acer's TravelMate P645 and Toshiba's Tecra Z40-a1410.

The Acer TravelMate P645 offers a similar feature set, but it's slightly heavier (3.5 lbs. compared to 3.4 lbs. for the T450s). On the bright side, the TravelMate can be configured with a dedicated graphics card, an option the T450s lacks.

Meanwhile, the Tecra Z40-a1410 is quite a bit lighter than the ThinkPadT450s, at just 3.24 lbs., but it tops out at a low-res 1,366 x 768 display that makes multitasking feel cramped.

Bottom line

It's not perfect, but the ThinkPad T450s is the best overall business notebook on the market. You get a durable machine with an industry-leading keyboard, long battery life and a slew of excellent security features. Other big perks include the docking connector on the notebook's underside and extra ports like a SmartCard reader and VGA port.

If you want something more portable, Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon retains most of Lenovo's trademark features in a thinner, lighter package. But overall, the T450s strikes the best balance between portability and power for serious business users. 

post from sitemap