Introduction
Introduction
Welcome to the Empress guide on integrating your biometric attendance devices with the Empress system. This feature allows you to synchronize your access control systems, like biometric devices, with Empress. Empress stores the IN/OUT logs from these systems in a document known as the Employee Checkin. Empress can then automatically mark attendance based on these records and the assigned Shift Type of each employee. This guide will guide you through the process step-by-step, ensuring a seamless integration experience.
Why Integrate Your Biometric Device with Empress?
By integrating your biometric device or access control system with Empress, you can streamline your attendance tracking process. Instead of manually logging attendance or dealing with multiple systems, all attendance data is gathered directly from your biometric system and stored within Empress. This not only saves time but also increases the accuracy of your attendance records, leading to more efficient business operations.
Step 1: Setting Up Auto Attendance
Before integrating your biometric device, ensure that you’ve set up Auto Attendance in Empress. You’ll need to have your employees and their shift schedules already configured in the system. Once these are in place, Empress can automatically generate attendance based on the Employee Checkin records and the Shift Type for each employee.
Step 2: Importing Biometric Punch Logs into Empress
There are several methods to import your biometric system’s Punch logs into Empress, depending on your biometric system’s capabilities:
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Data Import Tool: This is the easiest method. Simply generate an Excel or CSV file containing the Check-in/Check-out logs from your biometric system, and then use the Data Import Tool in Empress to import these logs into the Employee Checkin Document.
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API Integration: If you’re comfortable with a bit of technical work, you can automate the log syncing process by integrating with Empress’s API. This will require creating a user in Empress with the necessary permissions, generating an API Key and Secret for this user, setting the Attendance Device ID for employees, implementing the API details, and creating a script to send a POST request to the API.
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Python Script Integration: If you’re using a ZKTeco device or similar models that use the ZKProtocol, you can use a Python script to pull biometric logs from your device and push them into Empress via the API.
FAQ: Selecting a Device and Integration Method
If you’re using the Data Import Tool or API Integration method, any biometric device is compatible. However, if you’re using the Python Script Integration method, you should use a device compatible with the ZKProtocol, such as ZKTeco.
As for which method to choose, the Data Import Tool is easiest but requires manual log imports. The API and Python Script methods require a one-time setup, but automate the log syncing process. For single-location setups, we recommend the Python Script method. For multi-location setups, we suggest the API Integration method, as most biometric vendors offer services to sync logs from multiple locations to Empress.
By integrating your biometric attendance devices with Empress, you can streamline your attendance tracking process, saving time and increasing accuracy. For further support, please refer to the Empress Help Center or reach out to our support team.