Jim Courtwood
Author of the Time & Attendance Consultant's Guide Series

5 Things a Time & Attendance System Won’t Do for You -  and why understanding these limitations will save you time, frustration, and money 

Time & attendance software has come a long way in recent years. Modern systems automate payroll calculations, improve compliance, cut out manual data entry, and give businesses real-time visibility over hours worked. But even the best systems have limits and knowing those limits is the difference between a smooth implementation and a frustrating one. 

Here are five things a time & attendance system won’t do for you*… and what you should do instead. 

1. It Won’t Fix Bad Rosters 
A time & attendance system applies rules and calculates hours — but it cannot rescue a poorly structured roster. If your shifts are riddled with inconsistencies, last-minute changes, or unclear break rules, the system can only calculate based on what it’s given. Garbage in, garbage out. What to do instead: Standardise shift types. Define break rules clearly. Use the system’s rostering tool so the rules are applied upfront. 

2. It Won’t “Guess” Your Award Rules
Despite what some lower-end products imply, no time & attendance system magically knows the dozens of clauses buried inside an award or enterprise agreement. Systems need clear, structured interpretations of rules — and those rules must reflect what actually happens on the ground. 

What to do instead: Document your real-world practices (grace periods, rounding, overtime triggers). Work with an expert to interpret your award and configure it properly. Review exceptions early in the implementation. 

3. It Won’t Force Employees to Clock Correctly 
If employees forget to clock, buddy-clock, or ignore instructions, the most advanced system in the world can’t physically stop them. A system can highlight the issues — but it’s still up to management to enforce correct behaviour. 
What to do instead: Communicate expectations clearly. Use supervisor approvals or exception alerts. Provide training and consequences for repeat offenders. 

4. It Won’t Replace Your Payroll Officer 
A good system will cut payroll processing time dramatically — but it won’t remove the need for a human who understands payroll, awards, and exceptions. Payroll still needs to check anomalies, review unusual patterns, and ensure the business is compliant. 
What to do instead: Treat the system as a calculation engine, not a replacement for human oversight. Train payroll staff properly. Use system-generated exception reports each pay period. 

5. It Won’t Make Bad Data Suddenly Accurate 
If employee classifications are inconsistent, pay rates haven’t been updated, or supervisors aren’t approving hours properly, the system isn’t going to magically repair that data. A time & attendance system amplifies whatever data you feed it. 
What to do instead: Clean up employee profiles before going live. Assign responsibility for maintaining accurate data. Use audit trails and validation rules to enforce quality. 

The Bottom Line 
A time & attendance system is not a silver bullet  and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling oversimplified software that will let you down. But when paired with: 

Clear award rules 
Clean employee data 
Good rostering 
Proper training 
Active management involvement 

…a high-quality, enterprise-grade system can transform accuracy, compliance, and payroll efficiency. If you implement the right system properly, it won’t just save time ,  it will pay for itself in just over 12 months, even for small teams.


Jim Courtwood

Time & Attendance Consultant

jimc@timeandattendance.com.au

1300 553 254

0437 772 977