and from which payroll administration is done. It’s a cost-effective and straightforward means of gathering vital work time records of hourly employees. Since the TimeClock Pearl Kiosk Solution uses the FileMaker Runtime application, included when you download the Kiosk Solution, the only cost is your TimeClock Pearl License Key. The Kiosk Solution is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems.
Using the Kiosk Solution on multiple computers: Though the Kiosk Solution is designed for installation on one computer at which all employees clock in and out, it can be installed in a shared folder on a network allowing employees to open TimeClock Pearl on their own workstations, with the limitation that only one employee can have TimeClock Pearl open at a time to clock in or out. That may be a workable arrangement for smaller businesses, but would pose an inconvenience for businesses at which many employees arrive or leave at the same time. Note: If you choose this configuration, we recommend you set the “Auto Exit TimeClock Pearl after Clock In and Clock Out” preference to “On” under “System Preferences” from the Admin Menu screen, which will
automatically close TimeClock Pearl after employees clock in or out. Note 2: This configuration could also be used to administrate TimeClock Pearl from another office, though TimeClock Pearl would have to be closed on the workstation used by employees or any other workstation, so it could be opened in another office for administration (printing timecards and reports, etc.).
There are two ways to set up a Kiosk Solution for use on multiple workstations. The first option is quick and simple. The second option is more complicated, but provides better performance because the FileMaker Runtime application resides on each computer and doesn’t have to be opened across the network. The application is instead opened directly from a client workstation’s local disk and only has to open the TimeClock Pearl data file across the network.
OPTION 1
1) Install the Kiosk Solution of TimeClock Pearl in a “shared” folder on the computer that will act as a server and that will host TimeClock Pearl and your time clock data. This should be a computer that will always be on when employees are arriving for work and when they’re leaving work.
2) Make a shortcut (Windows) or alias (Mac) of the TimeClock Pearl.exe (application) found in the TimeClock Pearl folder.
3) On the client workstation(s) from which you want to access TimeClock Pearl, open the shared folder where TimeClock Pearl is located, make a shortcut (Windows) or alias (Mac) of the TimeClock
Pearl.exe (application) found in the TimeClock Pearl folder and drag (which copies) the shortcut/alias to the desktop of the client workstation. Double click on the shortcut to open the TimeClock Pearl Kiosk Solution on the client workstation.
Note: Because the FileMaker Runtime is platform-specific (Windows or Mac) and every workstation in this option is using the FileMaker Runtime that resides in the shared folder on the server, this option requires all the workstations use the same operating system, Windows or Macs. If you have a mixed network of Windows and Mac workstations, you’ll need to use Option 2 below. You’ll have to install the appropriate (Windows or Mac) Kiosk Solution with its platform-specific FileMaker Runtime on each workstation.
OPTION 2
1) Just like Option 1, install the Kiosk Solution of TimeClock Pearl in a “shared” folder on the computer that will act as a server and host TimeClock Pearl. This should be a computer that will always be on when employees are arriving for work and when they’re leaving work. 2) Next, install the Kiosk Solution of TimeClock Pearl on every computer on which you want
TimeClock Pearl access.
3) On the computer that is hosting the TimeClock Pearl data file, create a shortcut/alias of the TimeClock Pearl data file named "TimeClock Pearl.fmpk” located in your TimeClock Pearl 4 folder.
4) Next, from each client workstation, copy (drag) that short-cut/alias from the shared TimeClock Pearl folder to the TimeClock Pearl 4 folder on all the client workstations, replacing and deleting the actual TimeClock Pearl.fmpk data file on the client workstations with the shortcut/alias of the same name in the TimeClock Pearl 4 folder on the client workstations. Rename the
shortcut/alias "TimeClock Pearl.fmpk” so it EXACTLY matches the name of the original data file being hosted in the shared folder, i.e., delete the "Short cut to” / “Alias” phrase/word from the "Short cut to TimeClock Pearl.fmpk”
5) When TimeClock Pearl is opened on a client workstation, the TimeClock Pearl FileMaker Runtime application will first go to the shortcut/alias, which will then direct it to the actual TimeClock Pearl data file in the shared folder on the workstation or server that is hosting your TimeClock Pearl data file.
Caution: The Kiosk Solution gets the date/time stamp from the computer that opens TimeClock Pearl, (the Network Solution and Cloud Solution retrieve the date/time stamp from the workstation or server hosting TimeClock Pearl) which enables TimeClock Pearl Kiosk Solution to operate on a workstation that is not connected to a network or the Internet. Employees are not able to modify time clock entries within TimeClock Pearl – only authorized Timekeepers and Payroll Administration may do that - however, an employee could manipulate their clock-in or clock-out time by changing the computer’s clock prior to clocking in or out and then changing it back after they clock in or out. If this is a concern, we recommend you restrict an employee’s ability to do this (see Restrict System Date/Time change below). To monitor or verify potential abuse, you may be able to compare your network server’s event log of employee login times with their timecards and/or randomly monitor employee arrival/departure times and compare them with their timecards. We also recommend that you establish a workplace policy stating that any employee who falsifies time clock entries is subject to termination.
Restrict System Date/Time Change
The Administrator’s account on both Windows and Mac operating systems always have the ability to change the system date and time on a workstation. In order to prevent a user(s) from having the ability to change the system date and time on a computer using a Kiosk Solution, make employees members of a user’s group, instead of the administrator’s group and restrict that user’s group from being able to change that computer’s clock. Note: This also limits the user's ability to perform other administrative tasks on that computer. See below on how to set up this restriction for
Windows and Macs. (Restricting System Date/Time Change isn’t necessary with the Network Solution or our Cloud Solution since both get the date/time stamp from the server hosting TimeClock Pearl).
Restricting System Date/Time Change on Windows:
Go to the Control Panel
Double-click on Computer Management Select Local Users and Groups
Select Users
Double-click on the user you wish to prevent from changing the date and time Click on the Member Of tab
If the group "Administrators" is listed, select it and click the Remove button. Select OK
Go to Administrative Tools Double-click Local Security Policy Expand Local Policies
Select User Rights Assignment
Double-click Change the System Time
If the users you are trying to restrict are listed, or are members of a group that is listed, they will have the privilege of changing the system time. Remove the users from the list and from any group in the list. Note: Removing users from a group will also remove any other privileges they had through their membership to that group.
Restricting System Date/Time change on Mac OS:
Click System Preferences icon on the Dock Click Users & Groups
If there is only one account listed, click the “+” (plus sign) to add/create another user account. (If the + / - (plus and minus signs) are dimmed, you’ll need to click the padlock icon to “Make Changes.”
Enter the name, short name, password for that account and leave the “Allow user to administer this computer” unchecked. Then click “Create Account.”
Click “Show All” to display all the System Preferences once again.
Click the Date & Time icon in the System row and ensure the padlock icon at the bottom of the Date & Time screen is in the locked position and close the window.
TimeClock Pearl Network Solution
As stated earlier, your Network Solution purchase includes one copy of FileMaker Pro to host and administrate TimeClock Pearl from a workstation on your local network. First, install FileMaker Pro we provided you when you made your purchase or the 30-day free FileMaker Pro trial, then follow the step-by-step instructions below to set up, host and administrate TimeClock Pearl Network Solution on a workstation:1) Open TimeClock Pearl by doubling clicking on the TimeClock Pearl icon inside the TimeClock Pearl 4 Network folder.
2) Go to the File command on the menu bar, pull down to Sharing, slide over to Instant Web Publishing.
3) On the “Instant Web Publishing” screen, click Instant Web Publishing to On. Jot down the URL that looks something like http://192.168.0.4/ or http://10.0.1.10/. That is the IP address you’ll use to create the URL your employees will use to open TimeClock Pearl on their own workstation. (Note: If the workstation you’re setting up to host and administrateTimeClock Pearl is already hosting web files using port 80, FileMaker Pro will alert you to this conflict and you’ll need to change the port FileMaker uses to host TimeClock Pearl – click the Specify button next to Advanced Options on the Instant Web Publishing screen and enter 8081 for the port number. If you change the port number from 80 to 8081, you’ll need to add “:8081” to the end of the IP address in the URL employees will use, so it will look like: http://192.168.0.4:8081/)
4) And last, create the URL your employees will use to open TimeClock Pearl in their browser. Replace the 192.168.0.4 in the link below with the IP address numbers you had on your Instant Web Publishing screen (if a different port number was needed, don’t forget to add the “:8081”.)
http://192.168.0.4/fmi/iwp/cgi?dbpath=%2Ffmi%2Fiwp%2Fcgi%3F-db%3DTimeClock%20Pearl%26- startsession&acct=account&name=user&password=timeclock&login=Login&-authdb
NOTE: Make sure your employees create a favorite, bookmark or shortcut of the entire link above, from beginning to end. They can’t just bookmark the Time Clock screen that opens in their browser the first time they copy and paste the URL into their browser.
That’s it. You’re ready to go. To test, open your web browser, copy and paste the URL you’ve created and hit return.