Overview: The real-time GPS feature allows you to track an employee's location throughout their shift. An employee is required to use our mobile app and share their GPS for it to work correctly.
Important: Real-time GPS is available on the Enterprise plan or as a paid add-on for Starter and Pro.
Instructions:
Enable Basic GPS
Enable Basic GPS
1. Start by clicking Settings in the top navigation followed by GPS Settings:
2. On the GPS Settings page, check the box next to Allow GPS on Punches. You'll then be able to set one of the following options for each employee:
Off: No GPS coordinates will be captured for the employee when they punch in or out.
Optional: The employee has the option to share their GPS coordinates when they punch in or out.
Required: The employee is required to share their GPS coordinates to punch in or out.
3. Click Save once done.
Enable Real-Time GPS
Once you've enabled the Basic GPS feature, you can then proceed with enabling real-time GPS.
1. To enable real-time GPS, start by clicking Settings in the top navigation followed by GPS Settings:
2. From there, check the box next to Allow GPS Tracking During Shifts, if an employee is set to Required for GPS on Punches then GPS Tracking During Shifts can be switched to On per employee:
Important: You cannot set GPS Tracking During Shifts to On while an employee is actively punched in.
3. Save your choices when done.
View Real-Time GPS Details (Web)
Real-time GPS information can be viewed from the Buddy Punch website in a few different ways. The first is from the Administrator Dashboard.
1. From the Dashboard under the Punched In section, select the Map View option. Here you'll see a map displaying the employee's most recently reported GPS position.
By clicking Route next to their name, you can see the full GPS route for their current punch or click Timecard to view their work hours in more detail:
Note: Clicking +Expand All or -Collapse All at the top right above the map allows you to expand or collapse employee information bubbles.
2. You can also switch to the List View and click the location icon to the right of a punch to view it in more detail:
3. The Timecard is another other area where GPS information can be viewed. You can view GPS information for all punches in the pay period by choosing View Punches on Map or by selecting Map to the right of an individual punch:
4. The final place to view real-time GPS information on our website is by running the GPS Activity Report.
View Real-Time GPS Details (App)
1. To view real-time GPS information in-app, start by clicking the three dashes, or hamburger menu, in the top left-hand corner. (Left image below)
2. Once the menu is open, select Map. (Middle image below)
3. You can then filter by Employee and Date. (Right image below)
4. By default, you'll see the most recent GPS data for the selected employee. To see their route for the day, select the location icon:
View GPS Activity Report
After enabling real-time GPS and workers start punching in, the GPS Activity Report can show you real-time GPS routes for select employees on a specific day or over a specified timeframe.
1. To view the GPS Activity Report, start by clicking Reports in the top navigation followed by GPS Activity:
2. From here you can select Employee(s), enter a Start/End Date, and Submit to populate GPS data:
3. If there's any data available, a list of employees will populate on the left-hand side under GPS Positions. Any employees without GPS data will be listed under No GPS:
4. For those under GPS Positions, the color of their name will be the same color as their route. By clicking an employee name, you can center focus on their route:
FAQ
Q: What do the dots on the map represent?
A: Each dot indicates a timestamp showing where the employee was located at that time. You can hover over a dot to see the employee's name and the time the GPS coordinates were captured.
Q: What do the arrows mean on the lines between dots?
A: The arrows between each dot indicate the direction traveled based on the chronological order in which the coordinates were received.