How a Paxton time and attendance integration with RotaOne could benefit your business

19 April 2021
Time & Attendance Integration

Yin and Yang, Fish and Chips, Ant and Dec – sometimes two things belong together. RotaOne and Paxton are no exception.

Paxton Access Control is one of the world’s leading access control platforms. Our seamless Paxton integration combines the benefits of two powerful software solutions.

Our own innovative time and attendance software and Paxton’s access control system, Net2, each work brilliantly as standalone solutions. But together they’re like Rock ‘n’ Roll.

At Thinking Software, we’re experts in integration. In this article we explain the benefits of combining these two powerful software solutions.

What is RotaOne?

RotaOne is the very latest in time and attendance systems from Thinking Software. Cloud-based and secure, it’s an innovative one-size-fits-all application suitable for any business.

Our expert implementation team will configure RotaOne precisely to your business needs. Offering a whole range of options, from simple time and attendance management through to complex shift planning and payroll integration, RotaOne time and attendance software can do it all.

What is Paxton Net2?

Net2 is a networked access control system from Paxton; a household name in access control solutions. It supports centralised administration and control of sites with up to 1,000 doors and 50,000 users.

System administrators can easily add and maintain users and their access permissions by using Paxton's online user-friendly software, Net2Online

There are two versions available; Paxton Net2 Lite is ideal for most sites and is free of charge, and Paxton Net2 Pro which offers a range of additional features including new tools to hel keep sites COVID-secure.

What is access control?

An access control system is an essential part of building security, enabling businesses to control access to and from their premises, and monitor the flow of personnel inside.

Access control systems involve the use of a ‘token’ (fob, card or PIN) or ‘biometric’ (fingerprint or eye) alongside a reader or keypad. This allows staff and visitors in and out of the building, and access to particular areas within it.

These systems generate huge amounts of data. Access control logs reveal all sorts of useful staff information and trends, as well as flagging concerns about attendance and security.

Why time and attendance integration?

Integrating your time and attendance system with your access control systems could save your business serious time and money. You’ll streamline internal processes, avoid duplication and cut down on human error.

If you’re using one application to record staff attendance, and another to control access to the site, it makes more sense for the two systems to talk to each other than run as two standalone applications. With the systems integrated, you can use the data on movement of staff in and out of the building to monitor their hours, which could avoid the need for clocking terminals.

And if you’re using your time and attendance system to record staff hours for payroll purposes, you’ll save on the time and cost of manual processing by integrating the payroll system with your time and attendance application. It’ll be much easier to record staff absences or lateness, adjust salary and manage sick pay.

All this extra efficiency will help seal up cracks, reduce leaks and save you money. So if you want to avoid duplication of tasks and extra spend, integration is a savvy investment – with a real financial return.

How does RotaOne integrate with Paxton Net2?

We make it our business to turn complex problems into simple solutions for end-users. We’ve done so many integrations with third-party access control applications that it’s become second nature. Our expert combination of RotaOne with Net2 will give you a seamless integration of time and attendance with access control.

Here’s how Paxton Net2 and RotaOne's time and attendance integration works:

  • Both systems are driven by their own database.
  • Net2 records the movements of personnel into, out of, and within a location.
  • So, when Jan Evans shows her access fob to the reader as she comes through reception at the start of the day, the Net2 readers send a token to the Net2 Controllers.
  • The Net2 Controllers deliver the event to the access control database on the Net2 system.
  • An event log is created and recorded in the database: ‘Jan Evans. 08/04/21. 08.58. Reception.’
  • The Net2 time and attendance integration enables RotaOne to request Jan’s data from the Net2 system.
  • Using an API (Application Program Interface), Jan’s event log is securely transferred between the two systems, and processed as a time and attendance record in the RotaOne database. It can then be used as a clock-in event.
  • Using data it already holds on Jan in its own database, RotaOne can use her Net2 event logs to process her payroll.

Diagram shows how a sign-in at a Paxton door reader is converted into data which is sent to the Paxton Net2 access control server, and then sent onto Rotaone's Time and Attendance database

So that’s it: a simple, secure and effective way of combining data. And you avoid the need for additional hardware and infrastructure by using what you’ve already got.

What’s in it for the end-user?

As an end-user, there are many benefits in having your Net2 access control system integrated with RotaOne time and attendance software.

For a start, it makes sense for you to use what you’ve got in the most efficient way. Why have two applications with so much cross-over data running side-by-side, when they could be working together? Much better to have them talking to each other. That way you’re avoiding the duplication of tasks and the risk of data inconsistencies.

Reliable reporting is essential to enable businesses to monitor attendance compliance and manage absences. RotaOne allows you to configure and schedule reports giving you insight into staff behaviours and attendance trends. But the reports are only as good as the data.

Integration of time and attendance with access control offers you pinpoint accuracy in absence and lateness reporting, including real time data for ad hoc reports. And having access control data as an integrated part of your time and management systems reduces manual checking and cross-referencing, and lowers the risk of reporting inaccuracies.

What are the other benefits of integration?

Some more key benefits of Paxton time and attendance integration with RotaOne include:

  • less duplication (e.g. employee updates are only required on RotaOne),
  • tighter control over staff access (e.g. linking access control with shift schedules),
  • simpler onboarding of new starters,
  • greater access security on staff terminations,
  • streamlined process on loss/reissue of staff access token.

RotaOne also offers you the option to integrate time and attendance with your payroll solution. Again, hours saved that you would have spent on manual processing; and less risk of human error.

Time to integrate?

If you’d like to find out more about how a RotaOne/Net2 integration could work for your business, one of our friendly staff would be happy to speak to you.

We’ll do our very best to find you the right solution. Thinking Software has been supplying customers all over the world with time and attendance solutions for over 25 years.

Call us on +44 (0) 1993 ​878 671 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more infomration. Alternatively book a RotaOne demo on the link below.

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