Fixing Punch Prompt Issues

So you have set up Timesheet Mobile and your workers are starting to punch in/out of the designated work sites but are saying that they are not receiving notification when they enter or leave the geofence sites?  Thousands of our customer's workers rely on the accurate and efficient notifications provided by Punch Prompt but there are some common issues that can cause missed notifications and alerts:

1. Make sure the Punch Prompt is enabled.  The value in Account > Settings > App Settings controls the value set when a worker first registers their phone and the Timesheet Mobile app will sync with the value set in App Settings or for the individual worker (accessible from the worker Control Panel) if you have this set up for custom settings for each worker.
2. Make sure Location Services are enabled and set for the highest accuracy.  Every smartphone allows workers to adjust location services for their phones and for each app individually.  This is part of the terms for listing an app in the Google Play Store and iTunes.  These settings are monitored and can be displayed in case you believe the worker is changing their settings. In order to receive notifications and alerts, location services must be enabled and the phone should be set for the highest accuracy:
• iPhone users should make sure Settings > Privacy > Location Services is ON, that the app location services setting is set to "Always" and that the WiFi radio is ON (no need to connect to a network).
• Android users should make sure Location is set ON and select "High accuracy" mode in Settings > More > Location > Mode.
3. Check the Site Geofence Location.  Make sure that the geofence for the selected site is in the right spot on the map - sometimes coordinates resolved from a map query are not exactly where you think they are.  Adjust the geofence by dragging the pin while in the Control Panel for the job.
4. Check the Site Geofence Radius.  Verify that the defined radius is large enough that your worker is not "on the edge" while moving around the work site.  This works in conjunction with item #2 and making sure the worker phone is reporting the most accurate location.  If the phone is not able to report the worker location accurately and the geofence is too large or too small, performance will suffer.
5. Check for Updates.  Smartphones and the Timesheet Mobile app are getting smarter all the time.  Make sure your workers are using the latest version of their operating system (Android or iOS) and the latest version of the Timesheet Mobile app.

Checking the items above resolves the vast majority of reported issues with Punch Prompt.  Even then, differences between app platforms (Android vs iPhone), smartphone hardware performance, operating system version and even specific location (e.g. one in which GPS satellites are not visible) can have a strong impact on Punch Prompt.  No technology is fool proof but Timesheet Mobile takes advantage of everything available to us from the smartphone to provide a system that helps workers learn a new system or keep in compliance once the learning curve has been climbed.

Contact Timesheet Mobile support if you require more detail about the checklist above or further questions about Punch Prompt.