Instant Messenger Presence State for Accurate Time Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing time tracking systems indiscriminately record employee time without user input to distinguish between work and personal activities, leading to inaccuracies in time recording.
Innovation Solution
A method where employees can select their presence state in an Instant Messenger (IM) to indicate whether they are working or on a break, with clock-in and clock-out events recorded based on user input, allowing for accurate time card generation and submission to an accounting system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If time tracking systems automatically record employee time without user input, then automation extent is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates because the system cannot distinguish between work and personal activities
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring employee presence status from the instant messenger and automatically updating time card records based on state changes. The server receives presence information from employees' IM clients and uses this feedback to automatically determine when employees are working or on break, resolving the contradiction by making the system both automatic and accurate through continuous status feedback
Solution Approach 2:
The instant messenger presence status serves as an intermediary mechanism between the employee's actual work state and the time tracking system. Instead of directly monitoring employee activities or requiring manual time card entries, the system uses the IM presence status as a mediator to infer work state, enabling automatic tracking while maintaining accuracy through the intermediary's reliable status information
2Ease of operation
If the system integrates with instant messenger to track presence status, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to integration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The instant messenger client serves multiple functions: it provides communication capabilities and simultaneously acts as a presence monitoring tool for time tracking. By making the IM client multi-functional, the system avoids adding separate tracking devices or interfaces, thus improving ease of operation without significantly increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the time tracking functionality with the existing instant messenger platform. Instead of creating a separate time card system that employees must separately access and manage, the presence tracking is combined with the IM client they already use, simplifying operation by consolidating functions into a single familiar interface
Data Source
AI summary
In an Instant Messenger, a current state that is transmitted to other employees is selectable by user input, to be a first state identifying a given employee as working or a second state identifying the given employee as taking a break. A draft time card is automatically prepared for the given employee, by using a time at which the current state is set in the IM to the first state as a time of occurrence of a clock-in event in tracking time to be paid, or when it is set to the second state as a time of occurrence of a clock-out event. The draft time card is displayed to the given employee and finalized based on additional user input identifying any changes to periods of time in the draft time card, to obtain a finalized time card. The finalized time card is submitted to an accounting system, for payment.