Why Acumatica Payroll Clients Still Need a Better Time Tracking Front End

When a client chooses Acumatica for payroll, they’re typically looking for flexibility, integration, and a cloud-first solution that works well with the rest of their tech stack. And while Acumatica is robust when it comes to handling payroll calculations and compliance, there’s one area where it often falls short—time tracking at the front line.

It’s a gap that becomes even more apparent when managing a fluctuating workforce, or when trying to scale operations across multiple locations. The good news? You don’t have to scrap your backend payroll system. You just need the right front-end time tracking companion.

Acumatica Payroll: Great at Payroll, Not Built for Time Capture

Acumatica does many things well—HR, finance, project accounting—but it wasn’t designed to handle the real-time time capture needs of modern frontline workforces.

Here’s where users often struggle:

• Employees can’t easily clock in or out using hardware already on-site (like tablets or kiosks).
• There’s no support for job or cost center transfers on the fly.
• Self-service is limited—employees have to ask HR to update records or check balances.
• External scanner support is non-existent, and workaround solutions become costly and hard to maintain.

In short, Acumatica is back-end strong, but front-end weak—and that creates payroll inefficiencies, compliance risks, and frustration for both employees and HR teams.

A Real-World Scenario: Frontline Needs, Backend Limitations

Recently, a client requested a solution for tracking time at individual desks for a workforce that scales from 32 to 148 employees depending on the season. Their Acumatica setup had no native way to handle QR scanning, job transfers, or even simple clock-ins without bringing in expensive hardware or custom integrations.

The idea of deploying handheld scanners like Honeywell or Zebra was floated—but the complexity, cost, and IT involvement made it unfeasible. Not to mention, Acumatica wouldn’t even support external scanner input for time tracking in the first place.

That’s when they turned to hrPad.

Why hrPad Is the Perfect Front-End Time Tracking Solution

hrPad turns any iOS, Android, or Windows tablet into a smart employee self-service kiosk—bringing all the missing time tracking functionality right to the frontline.

Here’s what hrPad adds to your Acumatica-powered setup:

Clock-In/Out with Facial Recognition, QR, or PIN
Employees can verify identity using whatever method suits the work environment—no proprietary hardware needed.

Job Transfers and Attestations Made Simple
Switch between jobs, departments, or cost centers directly from the kiosk. Prompt employees for attestation questions during punch-out.

Real-Time Data Sync to Back-End Systems
All time data captured via hrPad is immediately sent to your WFM or HCM system—including Acumatica—for payroll-ready processing.

AI-Powered HR Support 24/7
The built-in assistant can answer HR questions, share policies, and help employees request PTO or view balances—right from the tablet.

Surveys and Custom Feedback
Need to measure sentiment or compliance at clock-in or clock-out? hrPad allows for quick surveys and instant feedback capture.

And the best part? It’s fully customizable to your client’s specific workflows and doesn’t require complex development or IT support to get started.

The Business Case: Why This Matters to Your Client

Let’s break down what this means in practical terms for Acumatica clients:

• No More Hardware Lock-In: Tablets replace legacy time clocks, reducing spend on proprietary devices and avoiding compatibility issues.
• No Retraining Cycles: When payroll systems change, hrPad doesn’t need to—it works with any system and remains consistent for employees.
• Faster, Cleaner Payroll: Accurate, real-time data capture reduces manual entry, errors, and processing delays.
• Better Employee Experience: Employees get answers instantly and feel empowered to manage their own time and tasks.
• Scalable Across Locations: Whether a site has 10 workers or 200, hrPad scales without additional overhead or configuration headaches.

For consultants, system integrators, or HRIS teams working with Acumatica, hrPad is the missing puzzle piece—the layer that brings Acumatica’s payroll engine to life on the frontline.

How to Position hrPad to Your Client

If your client is considering Acumatica for payroll—or already using it—show them what it lacks in employee-facing capabilities. Demonstrate how that gap results in:

• Inaccurate time data
• Delays in payroll
• Frustrated HR teams handling manual requests
• Overreliance on email, paper, or outdated hardware

Then, introduce hrPad as the fast, flexible, AI-powered front-end that makes everything work in real time—without changing the system they’ve already invested in.

Final Thoughts: Acumatica Payroll + hrPad = Full Time Tracking Stack

Your clients don’t need to rip and replace their payroll system to modernize time tracking. They just need to extend Acumatica’s capabilities with a tool built for the frontline—and that’s exactly what hrPad is.

Ready to enhance Acumatica payroll with a smarter time tracking layer?

Book a Live Demo of hrPad Today

Let’s show your clients how easy it is to capture time, streamline HR, and reduce costs—no scanners, no headaches, just results.