Time Attendance System for Horticulture Packhouses and Fish Processors in Kenya: Setup Guide

01Why packhouses and fish processors need a time attendance record

Fresh produce and fish do not wait, so packing teams must start on time and finish when the cargo is ready.

• Large casual teams arrive for each consignment
• Hours depend on arrival times of produce
• Early shifts begin before dawn

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 packhouses and fish processors

Packhouses run according to harvest and flight schedules, with early and late shifts. Teams grow and shrink with the volume of produce, and many workers are seasonal or casual.

03Where to put the terminal

Put the terminal at the packhouse entrance before the cold room, and use a second one at the harvest collection point if workers report there.

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 packhouses and fish processors. 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. Import the casual list from Excel at the start of the season (see import guide) and set an early timetable.
5. Press Calculate and check the first day's report before you trust the numbers (Calculate attendance).

05Reports you will actually use

Use monthly hours per casual worker for payment, and the daily headcount to match the consignment.

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.

07Related guide

A wider guide for this sector: Biometric attendance for flower farms.

08A typical scenario

A packhouse paid casuals by a foreman's tally. During the export season, the same worker was recorded in two teams. A terminal ended double counting.

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

09Common mistakes

• Not importing the season's casual list in one go.
• Placing the terminal in the cold room.
• Using a start time that ignores the pre-dawn shift.

10Quick 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.

11Frequently asked questions