Time Attendance System for Shopping Malls and Arcades in Kenya: Setup Guide

01Why malls and arcades need a time attendance record

A mall opens on a fixed hour, and every cleaner, guard and tenant-support worker has to be in place before the doors do.

• Cleaning, security and maintenance contractors report to different supervisors
• Early opening shifts are signed for by someone else
• Management cannot prove who was on site when a complaint comes in

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 malls and arcades

Malls run long trading days, so staff come in on early, mid and late shifts, seven days a week. Contract staff such as cleaners and guards are often employed by outside companies, but the mall still needs proof they were on site. Management office staff work normal hours; operations staff follow a rota that changes weekly.

03Where to put the terminal

Put one terminal at the service entrance or staff gate where everyone enters, and a second at the management office. Do not put it on the customer entrance, because the staff route is quieter and easier to supervise.

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 malls and arcades. 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. Make one department per contractor (cleaning, security, maintenance) so each can be reported separately, and set a three-shift rota.
5. Press Calculate and check the first day's report before you trust the numbers (Calculate attendance).

05Reports you will actually use

The operations manager checks the daily report first thing: who has not arrived for the early shift and which contractor is short. At month end the contractor reports back up invoices for hours supplied.

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 cleaning and facility companies.

08A typical scenario

A mall operations manager noticed the cleaning contractor invoiced for twelve people each day, but the early shift always looked thinner. After putting a terminal at the staff gate, the first week's report showed only nine people punching on most mornings. The conversation with the contractor changed from opinion to a printed list.

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

09Common mistakes

• Putting the terminal at the customer entrance, where it is crowded and unsupervised.
• Forgetting to enrol contractor staff because they are not on the mall payroll.
• Using one department for everyone, which hides which contractor is short.

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