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Starting up and time tracking

MaD-CNC

Plastic
Joined
Aug 7, 2019
Hello everyone, I tried to look in the forum for similar info but I could not find anything so here I am asking..

We are a small CNC shop, we started less than a year ago and currently have two CNC machines (Mazak lathe from 2019 and Hurco mill from 2018) and 2 full time operators. We are busy 12-18 hours a day and do mostly small volume jobs.

I am looking to set up time tracking to better understand how much time we spend on jobs, not just on the CNCs but on programming, sawing, rumbling etc. We could print sheets for the operators to fill in for each activity, but I see it very bothersome to keep filling in logs, is anyone aware of a better way of achieving this? The ideal solution could be a smartphone app, but I was wondering how is everyone accomplishing this, or are you happy with just a rough idea of time spend on jobs?

Thanks for any advice,
Davide
 
We use a job # system. So every job has a job number. Our guys hand fill out their weekly time cards, every hr. they put on their time cards has to have a job # tied to it. So if they spend six hours on job #2444 & four hours on job #2445, for the day, that is how they log it.
We do not try & track individual operations, rather just job hrs. as a whole.
 
there is software that creates work order paperwork with a barcode at each operation. the workers uses desktop computer and scans barcode and enters his employee number. this tracks time of clock in and clock out and if marked complete.
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if a employee wants info he can use microsoft office excel file to create a work log and can track time uses at each step in a process and record reasons for above average times.
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on a desktop computer which many have at least 2 computers by each cnc it is easy to use one of the computers. depends who information is for. a boss might just want clock in and clock out info. a worker trying to improve times or reduce wasted time might want a record or list of what is causing delays.
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i have seen job estimates of say 5 hours that nobody ever does in 5 hours. if job done 100 times and time needed was 9.0 to 11.0 hours with 10.0 hour average. its a much more realistic record of data. not someones opinion on time but what it actually took to do a job.
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cellphone screen is too small. most places have desktop computers if nothing else to show drawings, work instructions, etc that need a larger screen. absolutely no reason to waste time trying to use a small cellphone.
 
We to are a new shop and like to track every detail to help get a better understanding of how and where time is spent. We use an Android app called Gleeo.
Biggest draw back I can see is its encouraging phone usage in the work shop.
You just export data as a txt or CSV file with as much detail as required.
It's free and with a bit of learning works quite well
 
We don't track time the way you described, but our employees clock in and out with a fingerprint scanner for payroll time tracking. The scanner is wirelessly connected to the network and the tracking software is cloud based. We only need and have one scanner, but there is the option to have multiple scanners in different locations. The software will track when and where the clock ins/outs occurred, which can be downloaded into a spreadsheet for analysis.

If cleanliness is an issue, you can also use an ID badge scanner.

Manual logs are fine if you're benchmarking, but the more hassle you make something, the less likely it's going to be implemented correctly. Folks will forget to record their times and simply guess later to fill in the gaps. Bad data is worse than no data.
 
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who replied so far, really appreciate the input and the different points of views/experiences.
 
We don't track time the way you described, but our employees clock in and out with a fingerprint scanner for payroll time tracking. The scanner is wirelessly connected to the network and the tracking software is cloud based. We only need and have one scanner, but there is the option to have multiple scanners in different locations. The software will track when and where the clock ins/outs occurred, which can be downloaded into a spreadsheet for analysis.

If cleanliness is an issue, you can also use an ID badge scanner.

Manual logs are fine if you're benchmarking, but the more hassle you make something, the less likely it's going to be implemented correctly. Folks will forget to record their times and simply guess later to fill in the gaps. Bad data is worse than no data.

MAN! Nothing I hate worse than time tracking. I get why shops do it, but it really really sucks IMO. ESPECIALLY the shops tracking 1/10 hours! Ugh. :ack2:

edit: I hated punching a clock, but never knew it until I didn't have to! :D My first salary job, 6 years ago, I was super diligent about putting in my hours. I noted (mentally) the time I got to the shop, and watched (not in a bad way mind you) when I left in the afternoon... Always putting in my 50 per our agreement. THEN, maybe 3-4 months in, they said "you don't need to stay and work 50 when there is no work (we did alot of our product with internal engineering at the time)" SWEET CAN O' CORN!!! Since then I have lived/worked the principle that I work when needed, and no more, which luckily for me means 40 hours more or less! :D
 
Filling time sheets is bothersome?? Dosent take 10 sec for each job and is fucking easy. What kind of lazyness is that. It's a big deal to do calculations to see if the job was good or not.

Sendt fra min EML-L29 med Tapatalk
 
I have used a program by quick books. Use it for payroll and billing. Each employee just basically presses a button for each job or function and it's recorded. Since payroll is tied to the system they use it.
We had 65 guys using it with up to 200 jobs running at a time.
If you want it accurate and used make sure payroll is tied to it, not logged in, not paid period. It's amazing how employee's can remember to punch in on their time card but can't on work orders if the system is separate.
 
I'm writing a piece of software right now for this. Didn't really see anything on the market, and its probably cheaper to have bright kid do it. Its all in SQL and browser based its easy to roll out (no local installs or platform concerns).

Previously we used a finger print clock and paper based forms and there's a lot of issue with it. It takes a lot of time for someone to renter data, and days and weeks go buy before they're looked at and entered. I wanted get away from that and to have it real time for accountability and scheduling - i.e. the plant manager can't remember a week later who was working on what so its hard to ensure data accuracy. The new system keeps the clock for pay, automatically pulls the data off it, applies rules (rather than the crappy time clock options) and sends spread sheet to accounting for payroll (not the crap the clock generates, but clean and summarized data). There's a DB of shifts and each employee will have that noted in their employee DB. The system will look for punches contrary to it will generate exception reporting (it can be a pita to things work just with the rules in the time clock so we're scrapping them)

For job tracking, its not about looking over shoulders its about knowing if a project is coming off the rails, scheduling new jobs based on how much of current ones are done and how well we're hitting the estimated times. All with up to date, accurate info. Maybe it is partially looking over there shoulder, but imo its the better way - treat them like trusted adults, which they are, give them a responsibility and have accountability .....rather than CCTV and yelling (like my competitors)

There'll be kiosks in the plant, cheap touch screens with a keyboard. A simple pull down for job and employee, then they enter a pin and they enter what they did in the comment field or anything noteworthy. They do this when they change jobs or if they want to add a comment midstream. At any time during the day the plant manager can see who's logged in as working on what - if its not what he expects he can deal with it then - "Bob you're working on JN1213, why are logged into JN456?". Beginning of each day the manager gets message to sign off on the previous days times and jobs, as well as an exception report on the clock and expected shift times. This imposes accountability as it happens and in turn he'll push for more accuracy from the guys. Inaccuracies in the times sheets now isn't because anyone's cheating, its because with data that's weeks old no one does much with it and its impossible to dispute (who can remember) so they learn if they get a sloppy with the accuracy, like they can put anything down, nothing really happens. The plan is making that real time and accountable will change it.
 
Filling time sheets is bothersome?? Dosent take 10 sec for each job and is fucking easy. What kind of lazyness is that. It's a big deal to do calculations to see if the job was good or not.

Sendt fra min EML-L29 med Tapatalk

Well so you have some context, a few jobs ago when I had to do that the boss was a prick about every little thing AND I was the shop foreman so I was all over the place. Inevitably every couple weeks I would hear "why did you have time on this job?" Because I was helping so and so with a problem "why did you have 2 hours of 4000 (our internal non job time)?" Because xxxxx equipment needed work. Fuck all that! THAT SHIT was completely counterproductive to time tracking IMO.
 
From a owners point, time tracking is needed for lots of issues. For the guy you had to help it's needed to know can he do the job? What is his skill set for raises and promotions etc.
On the individual jobs for quotes for the next job.
On machine costs, are there problems with a machine that needs addressed or does the machine need replacing.
It's kinda funny how a lot of employees think time tracking is about them or trying to control them. In most instances we don't care about the particular employee. If we didn't meet our profit margin we need to know why so we can adjust our quote next time.
 
Well so you have some context, a few jobs ago when I had to do that the boss was a prick about every little thing AND I was the shop foreman so I was all over the place. Inevitably every couple weeks I would hear "why did you have time on this job?" Because I was helping so and so with a problem "why did you have 2 hours of 4000 (our internal non job time)?" Because xxxxx equipment needed work. Fuck all that! THAT SHIT was completely counterproductive to time tracking IMO.
Well that has nothing to do with time tracking and all with your boss being an idiot.

Sendt fra min EML-L29 med Tapatalk
 
I'm writing a piece of software right now for this. Didn't really see anything on the market, and its probably cheaper to have bright kid do it. Its all in SQL and browser based its easy to roll out (no local installs or platform concerns).

Previously we used a finger print clock and paper based forms and there's a lot of issue with it. It takes a lot of time for someone to renter data, and days and weeks go buy before they're looked at and entered. I wanted get away from that and to have it real time for accountability and scheduling - i.e. the plant manager can't remember a week later who was working on what so its hard to ensure data accuracy. The new system keeps the clock for pay, automatically pulls the data off it, applies rules (rather than the crappy time clock options) and sends spread sheet to accounting for payroll (not the crap the clock generates, but clean and summarized data). There's a DB of shifts and each employee will have that noted in their employee DB. The system will look for punches contrary to it will generate exception reporting (it can be a pita to things work just with the rules in the time clock so we're scrapping them)

For job tracking, its not about looking over shoulders its about knowing if a project is coming off the rails, scheduling new jobs based on how much of current ones are done and how well we're hitting the estimated times. All with up to date, accurate info. Maybe it is partially looking over there shoulder, but imo its the better way - treat them like trusted adults, which they are, give them a responsibility and have accountability .....rather than CCTV and yelling (like my competitors)

There'll be kiosks in the plant, cheap touch screens with a keyboard. A simple pull down for job and employee, then they enter a pin and they enter what they did in the comment field or anything noteworthy. They do this when they change jobs or if they want to add a comment midstream. At any time during the day the plant manager can see who's logged in as working on what - if its not what he expects he can deal with it then - "Bob you're working on JN1213, why are logged into JN456?". Beginning of each day the manager gets message to sign off on the previous days times and jobs, as well as an exception report on the clock and expected shift times. This imposes accountability as it happens and in turn he'll push for more accuracy from the guys. Inaccuracies in the times sheets now isn't because anyone's cheating, its because with data that's weeks old no one does much with it and its impossible to dispute (who can remember) so they learn if they get a sloppy with the accuracy, like they can put anything down, nothing really happens. The plan is making that real time and accountable will change it.
Did you ever get the software done?
Please advise contact info.
thanks, Jmckee
 
there's a number of opensource time tracking programs out there. Build for your platform of choice. If you're new to the concept, at least on linux and the BSD's, the build sequence is these commands, in order, ./configure; make; make install. You'll need to be root to install.
 








 
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