Time Attendance System for Catering and Event Companies in Kenya: Setup Guide

01Why catering and event companies need a time attendance record

Event teams are assembled for a day, and the company needs to know who actually turned up and for how long.

• Staff are hired per event
• Start times depend on the event
• Overtime on event nights is disputed

A paper register or a verbal "I was here" cannot settle these. A fingerprint terminal records when each person actually arrives and leaves, and the software turns that into a report payroll can use.

02How attendance works at catering and event companies

Catering firms have a core team of cooks and managers plus event staff hired for particular dates. Hours are long and irregular, with setup before and cleaning after the event.

03Where to put the terminal

Put the terminal at the kitchen or main store where staff collect equipment, and use a manual punch for off-site events.

Count how many people arrive at the same time. If a queue forms at shift change, add a second terminal instead of asking staff to wait. See where to install a ZKTeco K40 Pro and how many employees one terminal can handle.

04Setting it up in ZKBio Time.Net

This is the order we follow when we set up a system for catering and event companies. Each step has its own guide with screenshots.

1. Install the software, then add the terminal over TCP/IP.
2. Create departments or areas that match how you are organised (departments and areas).
3. Add staff one by one or import them from Excel, then enrol their fingerprints.
4. Keep a core staff group and add event staff only for the dates they work.
5. Press Calculate and check the first day's report before you trust the numbers (Calculate attendance).

05Reports you will actually use

Use the overtime report after large events and monthly hours for event staff.

They all come from the standard reports: daily report, late and early report, and export to Excel for payroll.

06Supply and installation by Qyvea

Qyvea Limited supplies ZKTeco attendance terminals, installs them, configures the software, enrols your staff and trains whoever runs payroll. We work in Nairobi and deliver countrywide. See ZKTeco K40 price in Kenya or message us on WhatsApp for a quote.

07A typical scenario

A caterer paid event staff on a list prepared before the event. Several were paid for full nights but left early. Terminals at the kitchen showed arrival and departure and set realistic pay.

Illustrative example based on common cases, not a named customer.

08Common mistakes

• Not recording off-site events.
• Paying the planned hours instead of the actual hours.
• Forgetting to remove event staff afterwards.

09Quick checklist

1. Count staff and entrances before you buy.
2. Write the working hours down as timetables.
3. Enrol everyone, including casual and part-time staff.
4. Run a one-week trial and compare it with your old register.
5. Name one person who owns the reports.

10Frequently asked questions