--- title: "ZKBio Time.Net Departments and Areas: Set Them Up Right | Qyvea" url: https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-departments-and-areas description: "Create departments, positions and areas in ZKBio Time.Net so devices, staff, shifts and reports line up. When to use areas versus departments." updated: 2026-10-20 --- > Markdown copy of https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-departments-and-areas for AI assistants. Prices and stock change; check the live page. 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Get them right once and shifts and reports become easy. [Shop ZKTeco K40 terminals →](https://qyvea.co.ke/products/zkteco-k40-fingerprint-time-attendance-terminal-67)[Get help on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/254113301244?text=Hi%20Qyvea%2C%20I%20read%20your%20guide%3A%20ZKBio%20Time.Net%3A%20Set%20Up%20Departments%20and%20Areas.%20I%20need%20help%20with%20my%20ZKTeco%20K40%20Pro.) Quick answer Create areas under Device > Area for each site or device group, and departments under Personnel > Department for each team. Assign each device to one area and each employee to a department and the areas where they may punch. **Buy your ZKTeco K40 from Qyvea**: Supplied and installed across Kenya. Delivered within 24 hours once payment is confirmed. [Shop ZKTeco K40 terminals →](https://qyvea.co.ke/products/zkteco-k40-fingerprint-time-attendance-terminal-67)[All attendance terminals](https://qyvea.co.ke/products?cat=biometrics&search=attendance)[Ask Qyvea on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/254113301244?text=Hi%20Qyvea%2C%20I%20read%20your%20guide%3A%20ZKBio%20Time.Net%3A%20Set%20Up%20Departments%20and%20Areas.%20I%20need%20help%20with%20a%20ZKTeco%20K40%20Pro.%20Please%20quote%20me.) ## Key takeaways - Area = where the device is; department = which team the person is in. - A device belongs to one area. - Assign shifts by department. - Use the Parent field to nest departments. ## Areas An area is a place or group of devices, for example Head Office, Warehouse or Mombasa Branch. Create it under Device > Area > Add. Each device belongs to exactly one area. Employees are then linked to the areas where they may punch. ## Departments A department is a team: Admin, Sales, Security, Cleaning. Create them under Personnel > Department > Add. Use the Parent field to nest sub-teams. Departments drive shifts and reports. **Figure 1.** Departments are created under Personnel. ## Positions (optional) Job titles under Personnel > Position are useful in reports but not required. ## A worked example - Areas: Head Office, Warehouse. - Departments: Admin, Sales (under Head Office team), Loaders, Drivers (Warehouse team). - Devices: K40 Pro at reception in Head Office area; K40 Pro at the gate in Warehouse area. - Shifts: Office 8 to 5 for Admin and Sales; Warehouse 6 to 3 for Loaders and Drivers. ## Next steps Add people ([add an employee](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-add-employee)) and build shifts ([timetable and shift](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-create-timetable-and-shift)). ## A typical scenario A distributor created one area per depot and one department per team. When a manager asked for a report of only the Nakuru depot drivers, filtering by area and department gave it in seconds, with no spreadsheet clean-up. *Illustrative example based on common cases, not a named customer.* ## Common mistakes - Treating area and department as the same thing. - Creating too many tiny departments. - Putting every device in one area for convenience. - Renaming areas often. - Forgetting to assign employees to areas. ## Quick checklist 1. Areas for sites 2. Departments for teams 3. Devices assigned to one area 4. Employees linked to areas 5. Shifts assigned by department 6. Names kept consistent ## Frequently asked questions Can an employee be in two areas? Yes, if they work at more than one site and you allow both areas. What if I rename a department? Reports show the new name; history stays linked. Do I need areas for a single terminal? Yes, create one area. A device cannot be added without it. How many departments can I have? Plenty. Keep them practical; hundreds make reports hard to read. This guide is part of our [ZKTeco K40 and ZKBio Time.Net series](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkteco-k40-zkbio-time-net-guides-kenya). For the full start-to-finish walkthrough with screenshots, read [How to Configure a ZKTeco K40 Pro with ZKBio Time.Net](https://qyvea.co.ke/how-to-configure-zkteco-k40-pro-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. **Want us to do this for you?**: We supply, install, configure the software, enrol your staff and train your HR team. [Shop ZKTeco K40 terminals →](https://qyvea.co.ke/products/zkteco-k40-fingerprint-time-attendance-terminal-67)[All attendance terminals](https://qyvea.co.ke/products?cat=biometrics&search=attendance)[Ask Qyvea on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/254113301244?text=Hi%20Qyvea%2C%20I%20read%20your%20guide%3A%20ZKBio%20Time.Net%3A%20Set%20Up%20Departments%20and%20Areas.%20I%20need%20help%20with%20a%20ZKTeco%20K40%20Pro.%20Please%20quote%20me.) ## Why customers choose Qyvea **Genuine brands**: Manufacturer warranty on what we sell, so you are not gambling on the box. **One team, start to finish**: The people who advise you also install and support it. **Fast answers**: WhatsApp replies usually within 30 minutes, and delivery within 24 hours in Nairobi. **Easy to buy**: Pay by M-Pesa, bank transfer or card. Free delivery in Nairobi on orders over KES 5,000. **Risk taken off you**: 7-day returns and exchanges on products, and a workmanship warranty on installations. **Customers say so**: Rated 4.6/5 from 57 Google reviews. **Your next step takes one minute:** send us a photo of the place on WhatsApp and we will tell you what it needs. ## Related articles [Biometrics & Attendance · Guide ZKBio Time.Net: Assign a Shift to a Department or Employee A shift does nothing until it is assigned to people for a period of dates. 2 min read**READ FULL ARTICLE →**](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-assign-shift-to-employees)[Biometrics & Attendance · Guide ZKBio Time.Net: Set Up a Night Shift That Crosses Midnight Cross-day timetables for guards, factory and hospital night staff. 2 min read**READ FULL ARTICLE →**](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-night-shift-setup)[Biometrics & Attendance · Guide ZKBio Time.Net Transactions Report: Audit Every Punch The raw punch log: the evidence for disputes, audits and buddy-punching checks. 2 min read**READ FULL ARTICLE →**](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-transactions-report-audit) ### Related guides [All ZKTeco K40 and ZKBio guides](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkteco-k40-zkbio-time-net-guides-kenya)[Configure a K40 Pro with ZKBio Time.Net](https://qyvea.co.ke/how-to-configure-zkteco-k40-pro-zkbio-time-net)[Use ZKTeco attendance software](https://qyvea.co.ke/how-to-use-zkteco-attendance-software) ### Related products [ZKTeco K40 terminal](https://qyvea.co.ke/products/zkteco-k40-fingerprint-time-attendance-terminal-67)[ZKTeco K40 price in Kenya](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkteco-k40-price-in-kenya)[ZKTeco attendance machines](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkteco-attendance-machine-price-in-kenya) ### Related services [Biometrics & attendance](https://qyvea.co.ke/biometrics)[Biometric attendance systems](https://qyvea.co.ke/biometric-attendance-systems-kenya) [← Previous**How to Delete a User or Fingerprint on a ZKTeco K40 Pro**](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkteco-k40-pro-delete-user)[Next →**: ZKBio Time.Net: Create a Timetable and Shift**](https://qyvea.co.ke/zkbio-time-net-create-timetable-and-shift) ## Need this system installed? 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