Pinnical Peak Ace

Biometric Software the Best Tool for Managing Time & Attendance of ACE Hardware Employees

In 2004, John Arterburn realized his dream and together with his wife opened his own business in Scottsdale , Arizona. The Pinnacle Peak Ace, which he built from the ground up, would be more than just a traditional hardware store.

"This is an affluent community where lots of New York and Chicago snowbirds have second homes they want to decorate with unique and eclectic accessories. Crediting his wife with both the taste and connections to fill the store's home décor department, Arterburn says loyal customers are lured by one-of-a-kind imports and local artist designs that have earned the store a reputation that goes well beyond a place to buy light bulbs and hardware.

Bent on success, Arterburn says his 20+ year background and lessons learned as an operations manager in the manufacturing industry helped prepare him for managing his own business. "I was well aware of all of the hassles that dealing with timecards meant, explains Arterburn. "I knew punch-clock systems were extremely inefficient, requiring hours of staff time every payroll period to process employee timecards. Even for my staff of 20, I knew I wanted a better way, so I researched alternatives."

Arterburn initially considered card-based applications with bar coding or a magnetic strip. With these, employees swipe their cards through a reader to "clock-in" and out. But these systems cannot prevent buddy-punching – which is card sharing among employees to cover for tardy or even absent co-workers. While Arterburn considered buddy-punching among his staff a non-issue, he didn't want to have to deal with card loss and replacement.

"I really wanted to keep it simple and straightforward, to streamline things as much as possible," he explains. "That's why when I learned about Timecard Monitor, a QuickBooks-compatible program that used employee fingerprints instead of cards, I knew I found the right solution."

The application, made by award-winning, Chicago-based developer, Count Me In, LLC incorporates biometric technology with software that seamlessly integrates with QuickBooks, enabling Arterburn to process the company payroll on his own and save on the expense of outsourcing."

"And, my employees have been very receptive to the system. They appreciate its simplicity and ease of use. On my end, it provides the features I want and need without being overly complex. It's been such an asset that I suggested it to Ace's corporate technology people who now refer new franchise owners to me for information about the technology. Needless to say, I can't recommend it enough."