Item: Deputy
Rating: 8
Author: Jeremiah Alexander

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We upgraded to Deputy after outgrowing our old-time system. We have three locations where employees need to punch in/out and previously were using individual time systems at each location. We needed a solution that would allow all our employee time information to be combined in the cloud and reviewed by managers from each building. Deputy instantly shows up who is working and where and allows us to view it online or on our phones from anywhere.

Pros and Cons

Cloud Based.
Instantly See Employee Punches.
Simple Setup for new Time Clock Locations.
Easy New Employee Setup.

Time clock lists all employees at a location no filter/grouping.
Shifts can be overly complicated to setup for businesses with normal shifts.
Reports aren't available if you just want time tracking.
Access to the app but cant block phone clock ins.

Return on Investment

It has cut our time to run payroll in half.
Checking Employee Status from anywhere saves time when employees don't show.
Installation time is almost zero with iPad based time clock (vs. box time clock).
Instant upload of time (vs. manual download) cuts hunting for punch problems..

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets)

For years we used TimeTrax systems but they were hard to use and required manual downloads of punches, networked setups, and we needed separate setups for each location. When evaluating cloud-based solutions we first tried TSheets, but the higher cost and lack of features made us choose Deputy. Our main complaint about the actual TSheets system was the IPads did not store punches when it first launched so if you lost internet it couldn't store the punches. When we were evaluating the system they were building a police station next door that resulted in intermittent internet outages and the kiosk app basically became a brick until the internet came back on.

Key Insights

Do you think Deputy delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Deputy's feature set?

Did Deputy live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Deputy go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Deputy again?

Yes

Usability

The system works as advertised. It is simple to get up and running. It is better for businesses with changing shift needs but with a little work, it is capable for any business. While it does have some problems (no fine-tuning on the clock in choices, lists of employees on the kiosk) it gets better all the time and is a major improvement over retail time clock systems. The ability to pull up my phone and instantly see who is clocked in/out is a lifesaver.

Implementation Rating

All you really need are some iPads and a computer and you are good to go. We use Quickbooks payroll and it pulled our employee information from there and assigned pins. We were set up within 1 day of making our choice in three locations over 2 states. Our old system required running complicated networking cables from the plant to the office.

Likelihood to Recommend

Deputy is perfect for restaurants or companies where employees work different shifts or can swap shifts. Its focus on that makes it a little annoying if your company works set shifts for all their employees. It is a great tool for growing businesses adding new locations at it works much better than box time clock solutions and allows you to pull all your timesheets into one location. Our major problem is that we have a few employees that work from home that need to clock in on their phones and the rest should use the time clock. The system is all or nothing on phone clock in access so there are no fine-grain controls over how employees can clock in. The other major problem is that employees at a location must select their name from a list on the time clock before entering their pin (if you don't use facial recognition). Once you have over 40-50 employees at a location it becomes a hassle for them to scroll down to their name.

Deputy Makes Time Tracking Simple & Fast

Overall Satisfaction with Deputy