If your business employs a mobile workforce, it’s important that you’re able to quickly locate your employees in the field.
To efficiently track your field employees, we recommend using a dedicated field employee tracking app equipped with GPS time and mileage tracking features.
It’s important that you choose an app that best meets your specific business needs. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve tested and compared the best field employee tracking apps on the market today.
We've explored the top-performing tracking solutions on the market today and compared them based on criteria such as time tracking features, real-time GPS tracking accuracy, ease of use, unique features, and overall value.
Coming in at number is Timeero, an all-in-one field employee tracking solution best known for its intuitive interface, robust feature set, and friendly and accessible customer support. Timeero is the ideal choice for businesses needing to manage teams on the fly.
Timeero effectively tracks field workers’ activities, including time spent on each job, locations visited, and mileage covered.
Timeero simplifies time and attendance tracking by transforming it from a tedious, error-prone process into an automated, accurate time tracking system.
Once field employees clock in, the app begins tracking their time and captures the necessary data to issue accurate pay.
Timeero’s GPS time clock will help your company comply with labor regulations by tracking employees' work hours, breaks, mileage, and overtime with precision.
Timeero helps businesses meet state-specific labor laws with features like the California Breaks Tracker, which reduces the risk of non-compliance, potential lawsuits, and costly legal penalties. Employees can also enhance the credibility of their timesheet entries by attaching notes, photos, and digital signatures to their timecards from their mobile device.
Timeero’s real-time GPS tracking feature provides you with a detailed overview of employee activity. The app records the specific locations an employee visited during work hours, as well as mileage driven and location specific timestamps.
The app’s ‘Who’s Working’ dashboard displays a live map showing the employees that are currently clocked in, along with their exact locations, and other relevant information, allowing you to manage your team more effectively.
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Timeero’s route replay feature allows you to retrace an employee’s movements starting back to the time they clocked in. As you click on the individual breadcrumbs located on the route map, you can see the exact locations employees visited during the day along with miles driven and time of arrival.
Easily create custom geofences around specific job sites to monitor your employees’ daily work habits. Timeero’s geofencing feature is built to notify managers when employees enter or leave the work zone. Additionally, employees who attempt to clock in or out away from the geofenced area will receive an on-screen notification restricting them from clocking in.
Segmented tracking is a feature unique to Timeero that allows you to manage field employees who visit multiple sites daily. This feature divides an employee’s driving route into individual segments, displaying trip details such as distance traveled and time spent at each location.
As you gain insights from segmented tracking reports, you will be able to make operational adjustments that result in significant cost savings and productivity improvements.
Since the majority of your employees are on the move, having a reliable mileage tracking system helps you issue accurate mileage reimbursement and remain IRS compliant.
Timeero’s mileage tracker records mileage automatically as long as employees are on the clock. For teams that travel to rural areas with limited cell service, Timeero continues to track time and mileage even if your device loses internet connection.
Timeero relies on drive detection technology to track mileage. When an employee’s vehicle reaches the predetermined driving speed, Timeero automatically begins to log business mileage.
Timeero’s scheduling feature is both flexible and intuitive, addressing the scheduling challenges field employees face. Timeero instantly notifies staff about schedule changes as well as new job assignments to keep everyone on the same page.
Timeero’s scheduling features make it easy to handle leave requests, allowing employees to request time off and managers to approve those requests directly within the app.
Beyond tracking and scheduling, Timeero streamlines payroll processes and ensures compliance, reinforcing its position as an indispensable tool for businesses with field employees.
Timeero integrates with popular payroll platforms, such as:
What our users have to say:
“Our clinicians just clock in, and they’re done.They punch in and out for sessions and don’t have to worry about what happens throughout the week. And they are able to complete their billing really quickly. So, Timeero has basically eliminated a lot of headaches from billing and also from the clinician’s end.” David Pickering, IT Director @ Power for Change
“We've been able to accrue data that was nonexistent to us as a company prior to taking on Timeero.” Mike Scott, Facilities Director @ OHSO Brewery
QuickBooks Workforce is a valuable asset for businesses that are deeply integrated into the QuickBooks ecosystem.
The app offers a range of tools to simplify the way you track your employee’s time. There are three different ways employees can track their time with QuickBooks Workforce: QuickBook Workforce’s mobile app (available on iOS and Android), the software’s web interface, or the Time Kiosk app equipped with facial recognition technology.
Other key features of QuickBooks Workforce:
Because of its simplicity and user-friendliness, Jibble is an attractive option for small to medium-sized businesses seeking an efficient solution for time and attendance tracking of field employees.
Jibble is accessible through iOS and Android devices as well as web browsers, which accommodates the dynamic nature of remote work. Jibble’s versatile time tracking options allow employees to log their hours seamlessly, regardless of location or device.
Other key features:
Where's My Staff earns its place on our list as a practical solution for small businesses seeking affordable and effective tracking capabilities.
For field workers, Where’s My Staff uses GPS tracking to verify employee attendance with a simple swipe in the smartphone app.
Other key features:
Hubstaff has carved out a niche in the workforce management software market, tailoring its features for businesses that require a mix of in-office and field employee tracking. Its suite of tools is designed to simplify and improve tracking, scheduling, and management of dynamic teams.
Hubstaff offers three flexible time tracking options: Hubstaff’s mobile app, the software’s Chrome extension, and its web interface.
Other key features:
Primarily designed for the construction industry, Workyard is a solid and intuitive time-tracking software system tailored to meet the needs of field-based teams.
Workyard combines GPS tracking, geofencing, and project management tools to provide companies with comprehensive workforce management capabilities.
Employees can easily log work hours, locations visited, and project assignments using the Workyard time tracking app. They can also add notes, photos, and receipts for expense tracking within the app.
Other key features:
Buddy Punch is a flexible GPS time tracking and employee scheduling solution that offers features tailored to the needs of businesses with mobile workforces.
Employees can check in and out with Buddy Punch through various methods, which include the mobile app, web browsers, and even SMS. Managers can view the real-time location of employees who are currently on the clock and even restrict clocking in/out through geofencing.
Other key features:
Apploye is a solid time-tracking solution that offers a wide range of features catering to both field and in-office teams. It combines GPS tracking, geofencing, and task management functionalities to streamline workforce management and boost productivity.
Apploye offers two forms of time-tracking: manual and automatic. Apploye’s manual method requires employees to enter their work hours into timesheets, while the app’s automatic method accurately captures work hours with a simple start/stop function.
For field workers, Apploye’s automatic timer pairs with GPS tracking to ensure attendance is logged only from designated job sites.
Other key features
Hellotracks is a user-friendly GPS tracking solution for those involved in sales and field service operations.
Hellotracks offers robust territory management and real-time location tracking capabilities, helping businesses manage their mobile workforce efficiently.
Other key features:
As a business owner, knowing where your field staff is at all times is a necessity. There are several reasons why tracking your field employees is important, we’ve listed them below.
Safety first: Live tracking of your field staff allows you to respond quickly in emergencies, ensuring the safety of your employees.
Trust and fairness: Field employee tracking tools allow you to issue accurate payment based on the actual time your employees spent on projects. Honest reporting and accurate compensation increase trust between you and your employees.
Boost productivity: Knowing the location of your workforce improves efficiency by allowing you to send employees where they’re needed most, optimizing the use of resources.
Stay compliant: As you monitor your field employees, keeping accurate records of time worked, as well as breaks, and overtime will help you comply with labor laws and regulations.
Cost-effectiveness: By automating time and mileage tracking, you can reduce operational costs, minimize the need for time-consuming manual work, and reduce errors in payroll and reimbursements.
Improved accountability: When employees know you have access to their real-time location as well as location history, they are more likely to be where they should be during work hours.
Empower your team: Field employee tracking increases work efficiency, productivity, and accountability, all which allow your teams to perform at peak levels.
Field employee tracking apps do much more than just locating workers by putting a dot on a map.
The best field employee tracking apps blend location-tracking features with other essential business functions, like scheduling, route optimization, and mileage tracking.
Ready to find the best employee GPS tracking solution for your employees? Here are some key features you should keep in mind:
Make sure the field employee tracking app is available on both iOS and Android platforms. The app’s functions also need to work seamlessly across different devices, this way you can provide a consistent user experience for all employees.
This core functionality allows you to see where your employees are at any given moment, improving visibility and optimizing overall dispatch.
You can use this feature to create virtual boundaries around specific locations to automate clock-in/out procedures, track time spent at job sites, and prevent time theft.
Issue fair compensation and comply with labor regulations by accurately tracking employee work hours, breaks, and overtime.
Mileage tracking is an indispensable feature for employees who travel to multiple job sites. Choose a field employee tracking app that keeps a detailed record of business travel so you can quickly provide accurate mileage reimbursement.
Your app of choice should allow employees to continue tracking offline in the event internet connection is lost. Field employees who use an app with offline tracking capabilities, experience uninterrupted data collection alongside accurate time and mileage records.
Look for a field employee tracking app that easily pairs with your payroll or HR software, to streamline workflows and eliminate manual data entry.
Generate comprehensive reports showing employee time, attendance, location history, and project progress to gain valuable insights into workforce productivity and identify areas for improvement.
Streamline your scheduling management processes with a built-in scheduling feature so you can assign tasks easily and adjust workloads directly from the app.
Choosing the right field employee tracking app for your business requires careful evaluation and consideration of your company’s specific needs. What are the steps you should take to make sure you are choosing the right app?
1. Identify your priorities. Determine which features are most critical for your business operations, whether real-time location tracking, geofencing, time tracking, or integrations with other tools.
2. Compare features and pricing. Research and compare different apps, focusing on their feature sets, pricing plans, and user reviews to find the option that best fits your budget and meets your requirements.
3. Consider scalability. Choose an app that can grow with your business, accommodating an increasing workforce and evolving needs.
4. Prioritize user experience. Select an app that has a user-friendly interface and easy-to-use features to ensure smooth adoption and minimal disruption to your workflow.
5. Test and pilot. Take advantage of free trials to test the app's functionality and ease of use. If possible, give the app a test run with a small group of employees to gather feedback and assess its effectiveness within your company.
For businesses with a mobile workforce, monitoring field employees effectively is crucial. Timeero stands out among our list of the top GPS tracking apps evaluated, thanks to its comprehensive feature set tailored for field service optimization.
Timeero offers all of the key features mentioned in this article, and does so at a competitive price point. Timeero is a practical and cost-effective choice for businesses of all sizes. With a 14-day free trial available, you can experience Timeero’s capabilities firsthand to see how it can benefit your organization.
Andjelka is a researcher and writer with 6+ years in digital marketing. Her background in social work and journalism has sharpened her skill in connecting with people from all walks of life. For the past 3 years, she’s specialized in time, location, and mileage tracking. Outside work, she enjoys yoga, swimming, and unwinding with her cats while listening to Leonard Cohen’s music.
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