The problem
Wedding days run late, and casual bar, waiting and set-up staff write their own times on a sign-in sheet that the manager types up for payroll. If 5 weddings a month need 60 shifts and each takes 4 minutes to check and type, plus an hour sorting disputed finishing times, that's 300 minutes, 5 hours a month, and written times tend to be rounded up.
What the AI does
RotaCloud is rota software with a Time & Attendance add-on. Its pricing page lists mobile and on-site clocking in, a free terminal clocking-in app, GPS restrictions, automatically generated timesheets, scheduled versus worked hours, lateness flagging, and a payroll report and export. You put each wedding's shifts on the rota, staff clock in on a tablet at the staff entrance or on their phone within the venue's location, and timesheets build themselves. The manager checks differences, agrees changes with the person, and exports payroll.
A worked example
A wedding venue in Lincolnshire has 22 people on the books, mostly casual bar, waiting and set-up staff, working about 60 shifts a month across 5 weddings. Staff clock in on a tablet by the staff entrance.
Before
60 shifts x 4 minutes + 60 minutes of disputes = 300 minutes, 5 hours a month, with written times rounded up by about 10 minutes a shift
After
60 shifts x 1 minute to check + 15 minutes of queries = 75 minutes, about 1.3 hours a month
What it's worth
About $273£205€244A$394C$385 a month saved, against about $116£87€104A$167C$164 for RotaCloud. That's 3.75 hours of the manager's time (300 minus 75 = 225 minutes) at an assumed $27£20€24A$38C$38 an hour, $100£75€89A$144C$141 plus about $173£130€155A$250C$244 of pay for rounded-up time: 60 shifts x 10 minutes = 10 hours at an assumed $17£13€15A$25C$24 an hour. The rounding is an assumption; check your own sheets. For 21 to 30 employees RotaCloud Standard is $80£60€71A$115C$113 a month and the Time & Attendance add-on is shown as $36£27€32A$52C$51 for that band.
How to set it up
- Count everyone on the books, including managers, to find your price band, and start the 30-day free trial.
- Add Time & Attendance and set up the free terminal app on a tablet at the staff entrance, with GPS restrictions for phone clock-ins.
- Put each wedding's shifts on the rota, including the late finish you expect.
- Tell staff the clock-in is the record for pay, and that they clock out when they actually finish.
- Each pay period, review flagged shifts with the person and export the payroll report.
What goes wrong
- Pricing goes by headcount band including managers: 21 to 30 people is $80£60€71A$115C$113 plus $36£27€32A$52C$51. The page doesn't say whether the add-on price is monthly, so check.
- Pay for all working time. If staff are asked to arrive before they can clock in, or to stay for clearing down, that time counts for National Minimum Wage.
- Location data is personal data under UK GDPR. Tell staff what is recorded and use it only for clocking in.
- Casual staff who work one wedding a season still count towards your band while they're on the system. Archive leavers promptly.