On this page
01. Terminals: one or two?02. Departments and shifts03. Enrolment day04. Reports and payroll05. Who owns it06. A typical scenario07. Common mistakes08. Quick checklist09. Frequently asked questions
For about 50 staff, plan one or two terminals so no queue forms at shift start, create departments, set a timetable per group, import the staff list from Excel and use the monthly summary for payroll. Name one person who owns the system.
Key takeaways
- Plan two terminals if most staff arrive together.
- Create departments.
- Import staff from Excel.
- Name one system owner.
01Terminals: one or two?
The limit is not usually the number of fingerprints stored but the queue. If everyone arrives within ten minutes, a single terminal makes people wait. Two terminals at the same entrance, or one at each entrance, solve it. Confirm the stored-user capacity on the spec sheet of the model. See how many employees one terminal can handle.
02Departments and shifts
At this size you will have groups with different hours: office, production, store, security. Create departments (departments and areas), then timetables and shifts (timetable and shift) and assign them (assign shifts).
03Enrolment day
Do not enrol fifty people at a trickle. Import the list (import employees from Excel), set aside a half day, and enrol department by department. Enrol two fingers each.
04Reports and payroll
Use the monthly summary report and payroll hours. Check the first week against your old register before paying from it.
05Who owns it
Pick one person in HR or admin to run Calculate, check missing punches and export the reports. A system with no owner decays quickly.
06A typical scenario
A company with fifty staff added a second terminal after the first week because the morning queue ran to the door. The extra terminal cost less than the ten minutes a day lost in the queue.
Illustrative example based on common cases, not a named customer.
07Common mistakes
- One terminal for a simultaneous start.
- No department structure.
- Skipping training for the person who runs reports.
08Quick checklist
- Count staff and entrances before you buy.
- Write the working hours down as timetables.
- Enrol everyone, including casual and part-time staff.
- Run a one-week trial and compare it with your old register.
- Name one person who owns the reports.
09Frequently asked questions
How many terminals for 50 staff?
One or two, depending on how many people arrive together and how many entrances you have.
Can HR run it without IT help?
Yes, after a short training session. We offer training with every installation.
Can we add people later?
Yes. Add and enrol new staff at any time.
This guide is part of our ZKTeco K40 and ZKBio Time.Net series. For the full start-to-finish walkthrough with screenshots, read How to Configure a ZKTeco K40 Pro with ZKBio Time.Net.
ZKTeco and ZKBio are trademarks of ZKTeco Inc. Menu names on the K40 Pro and in the software vary slightly by firmware and software version; where yours differ, look for the nearest match. Qyvea is a ZKTeco reseller and installer in Kenya.
