Biometric Clock-in with Aloha

[BinaryWasp]

Hello everyone,

I thought I'd introduce myself before I explained my problem. I'm the new IT manager for a first run movie theater/resturant. It's a really great concept with a lot of potential for growth.

Before I started working here, I worked in the helpdesk field, and then before that...commercial website design. Thus, POS and all these things Aloha related are totally foreign to me.

Anyways, the owner of the company mentioned that he saw at some convention that thumb-print readers are available to use within aloha to allow employees to sign in. I have a box of about 10-20 sitting here and I was told that the company did a test run with them, but it crashed their systems. Now they want to try to implement this project again under my control. I'd prefer employees to only use the scanners to clock-in and out and not sign in with them.

Have any of you folks implemented something like this, and how did it go? Any suggestions or tips?

 

[DTSMAN]

We use the U.areU. 4000 (model URR4s-U1) in conjunction with software interface developed by LoneTree Technolgies. Supposedly there is now a cheaper reader that works with the radiants but I don't have any info on that as of now other than it exist. The system is only good for clocking in and out, as most servers can swipe a card or key in their number faster than these things read. They are promoted as security against employees punching each other in and out because you can set it in Aloha to only allow clock in\out with the thumb readers.

Bo

Kentucky phone support-
"Mash the Kentrol key and hit scape."

 

[BinaryWasp]

I have a box of the U.are.U 4000's right here. Apparently, the last IT manager had implemented this solution, with limited success.

Did you have any problems or are there any tips that I should be aware of before trying to tackle this?

 

[DTSMAN]

http://www.lonetreetechnology.com/aloha/fingerprint.php

Here is the link to the stuff you need. You have to have one on the back of house to enter them. You have to be in employee maintenance when you do it I believe. I have only done it once and it does work. I haven't done it enough to spit out any details but I may be able to remember things as you ask more specific questions.

Bo

Kentucky phone support-
"Mash the Kentrol key and hit scape."

 

[DTSMAN]

OH YEA,

Download the installation manual and follow it without skipping around. I remember that being very important.

Bo

Kentucky phone support-
"Mash the Kentrol key and hit scape."

 

[zahead31]

What version of Aloha are you running? I use 5.3 gold edition , which has an option in Employee Maintenance to use biometrics. However, my resller informed me that I need the enhanced version (vs. gold) of the software to use biometrics - biometrics will not work with 'gold'.

You may want to check with your reseller to make sure you have the correct version. When you get it running, please let me know how the setup and implementation went, I am interested in utilizing biometrics as well.

Thanks.

 

[bbqITman]

I am the IT Manager for a BBQ franchise and I have experience with the LoneTree product. If you are planning to implement the UrU 4000 scanners then I first recommend an upgrade of RAM for your point of sale registers. Secondly I wish you the best of luck....... The only scanners you can purchase now are the UrU 4000B which require the new software and driver by LoneTree which does not work. You can install the software and driver on the terminal; the device will be recognized by the LoneTree Software but the software does not seem to read the database correctly. LoneTree swears that the problem is not with there software, but our Aloha reseller could not get them to work on there end ether. I have the UrU 4000 scanners working at another location with the older driver and software but when I tried to implement the UrU 4000B scanners at a second location I ran into problems. The difference is in the software but unforchanetly the new scanners require the new software. The location I have working has gone to only managers using the scanners and servers using cards. At that location I have one Radiant 1510 which the scanner works great on due to RAM and three IBM Sure POS which the scanners run slow on. Aloha and Radiant have a scanner due to come out with the release of Aloha Ver. 6.0 The scanner is produced by AuthenTec and included on the Radiant 1220, but I am not sure if a USB or serial device from the same company will interface with Aloha. The scanners by LoneTree interface with Aloha like a Mag Card would. I hope this helps.

The BbqITMan

 

[RadAlohaQE]

Actually in Aloha, version 5.3.26e and higher supports the Radiant Biometrics reader on the 1220. Now before that the software (all versions) supported Veridicom, so zahead31, you would need 26e or higher to use the Radiant ones on the 1220. BbqITMan is correct in that the LoneTree one interface like a magcard would.

The Radiant one is pretty straight forward, you put the FPS files in the bin directory, enable COM interface and start enrolling fingerprints. The main database resides on the server but is synced up with each terminal so as to be able to function in redundancy.