With the exponential rise of smartphones, fingerprint sensing has become necessary for the masses. The use of biometric login for devices like cellphones, tablets, and even laptops is standard now.
Also, many companies relied on fingerprint attendance systems to manage their workforce time and attendance as they offered better security and automation. But, when COVID-19 struck, the same fast and non-invasive attendance systems became hotspots for spreading the infection. So began the rush to install non-contact biometric systems like facial recognition, and with this rapid change the disadvantages of fingerprint-based time and attendance systems were exposed.
The limitations of fingerprint attendance system are not limited to just the fear of contact and the spread of germs. In this article, we explore other disadvantages and how facial recognition has overcome these challenges.
The drawbacks of depending on fingerprint attendance systems
1. Issues with recognition of damaged fingerprints
There is a lack of flexibility to identify the person in case of a cut or wound or when fingerprints are smudged with dirt or grease. Fingerprint sensors are sensitive, which works in their favour if the fingers are clean, but these fingerprint sensors are inefficient for industries like mining, construction, and manufacturing.
2. Fingerprint data can get stolen
Some fingerprint time and attendance systems store data about physical traits such as fingerprints in a local database. This information is linked with individual workers. It is essential to keep the data protected at all times. Companies enabling fingerprint attendance systems have to deploy measures to prevent the data from being hacked or stolen.
3. Not ideal for remote and distributed sites
Enrolling employee fingerprints has to be done where the employee is based and needs to be done with the same reader as the time and attendance system. This results in extra costs and also a potential loophole where the head office cannot be 100% guaranteed that the fingerprint enrolled belongs to that specific employee.
4. Accuracy is not as high as facial recognition systems
Fingerprint attendance systems are not as accurate as facial recognition systems. Also, workers utilize tools and heavy machinery that leads to bad quality in labour-intensive industries such as mining. It makes it difficult for machines to recognize the fingerprints leading to frustration.
Fingerprint rejections lead to reliance on manual time and attendance sheets.
5. Rate of error
Biometric attendance machines that use fingerprints are prone to two errors: False Acceptance Rate (FAR) and False Rejection Rate (FRR). When the system accepts an unauthorized person, it is a FAR error, while FRR occurs when the system rejects an authorized person.
These errors can be quite volatile in labour intensive industries like construction and mining.
6. Environmental challenges
Fingerprint attendance systems have high error rates under extreme cold or heat. Cold, dry, wet fingers can have adverse effects on fingerprint recognition.
Why are facial recognition time and attendance systems a better alternative to fingerprint systems?
Adopting a facial recognition time and attendance system can eliminate all the above-listed disadvantages of the fingerprint attendance system:
- Facial recognition systems have almost 100% accuracy and work with facial hair, changes in facial features, aging, masks, etc.
- Faces can be distributed using a cellphone mugshot or selfie of the employee. No need to enrol them physically via the reader
- Facial recognition systems are highly accurate with much better scores in terms of FAR and FRR.
- The type of industry has no bearing on the performance of a facial recognition system as the system does not need physical contact to work efficiently. Facial recognition is much more suitable for labour intensive industries like construction, mining etc.
- Due to the accuracy and flexibility of facial recognition environmental challenges do not have an effect on the performance of the system
- Facial recognition data is stored in the cloud and protected by state-of-the-art server security.
If your company suffers with any of the above-mentioned fingerprint system problems, Biometric Time Solutions offers great alternatives to fingerprint time and attendance systems. Our facial recognition solutions have been tried and tested in the marketplace. There is a common misconception that facial recognition is far more expensive than fingerprint systems. This is simply not true.
Call Biometric Time Solutions today for a free quote and consultation.
