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How Knowledge Grid Academy (KGA) Optimized HR Processes Using Zoho People
OVERVIEW
Knowledge Grid Academy (KGA), established in 2012 in Muscat as a joint venture between IRCA Global and Polyglot Institute, is a leading provider of operational risk management, process safety, and technical safety engineering training. Offering flexible learning solutions including short courses, certificates, and diplomas, KGA customizes its services to meet the specific needs of its clients, primarily in the oil & gas sector.
To address this, KGA implemented Zoho People to automate key HR processes, including attendance tracking, shift scheduling, leave management, and document handling and reminders. Additionally, KGA integrated biometric devices to automate attendance capturing for over 120 employees, further streamlining operations and enhancing employee satisfaction.
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Project Overview:
Key achievements included:
Biometric device integration with Zoho People for automated attendance tracking.
Automated shift scheduling customized for various roles and locations.
Leave management with tailored leave type configurations.
Hierarchical leave approval workflows
Efficient document management, including automated expiry notifications for essential documents
Executive Summary
KGA, a provider of professional training across Oman, needed an HR solution to manage its expanding and diverse workforce. Zoho People was integrated to automate routine tasks, enhance transparency in leave management, and ensure compliance with internal policies and regulations. With the integration of biometric devices (Anviz FaceDeep 3) for automated attendance capturing, KGA significantly improved HR operations and overall employee experience.
By using Zoho People, KGA was able to:
- Automate routine HR tasks, freeing up time for more strategic initiatives.
- Enhance employee experience by improving the efficiency and transparency of HR processes.
- Ensure compliance with internal and external requirements.
- Streamline attendance tracking using biometric devices for over 120 employees.
This transformation allowed KGA to maintain operational excellence while focusing on its core mission of delivering exceptional educational services.
Problem Statement and Key Challenges
Before the integration, Lamasat Alkhayal faced several issues:
- Manual Attendance Errors:Â Tracking attendance manually at each location led to frequent discrepancies in payroll.
- Administrative Overhead:Â HR teams across offices spent excessive time managing attendance and payroll calculations.
- Need for Centralization:Â With attendance data stored separately across offices, consolidating information for payroll processing was challenging.
- Integration Requirements:Â Lamasat Alkhayal needed a solution to integrate their existing Zoho portal with multiple ZKTeco F18 devices to achieve a unified system.
Evaluation of the Problem
The Febno Technologies team assessed the challenges and identified that a centralized solution integrating all four ZKTeco F18 devices with Zoho People was essential. This approach would enable Lamasat Alkhayal to consolidate attendance data across offices in real-time, reducing manual work and improving payroll accuracy. Our team recommended Zoho’s ZAttendance plugin to facilitate seamless integration with Zoho People.
Proposed Solution
To meet these needs, we integrated all four ZKTeco F18 devices with Zoho People. Key features of the solution included:
- Centralized Attendance Tracking: Consolidated attendance data from multiple locations in Zoho People for real-time tracking and payroll synchronization.
- Real-Time Data Sync Across Offices: Enabled data from each ZKTeco F18 device to be synchronized directly with Zoho People, providing centralized access for HR.
- Advanced Biometric Capabilities: Leveraged F18’s fingerprint recognition across offices for consistent, accurate attendance tracking.
This centralized setup allowed Lamasat Alkhayal to maintain a unified view of attendance across all offices while leveraging their existing Zoho infrastructure.
Implementation
The integration process, completed over 7-8 weeks, involved the following steps- Biometric Device Database Conversion: Migrated the ZKTeco F18 database to a Zoho-compatible format, ensuring seamless data integration.
- Creation of Additional Tables and Triggers: Configured custom database tables and triggers to support automated attendance calculations and ensure real-time data synchronization with Zoho People.
- Installation of Integration Software on the Server: Deployed necessary integration software on the server to establish secure and reliable connectivity between the biometric devices and Zoho People.
- Plugin Connectivity and User Mapping: Installed and configured the Zoho ZAttendance plugin for device compatibility, mapping all users across the four locations to their profiles in Zoho People for accurate attendance tracking.
- Testing and Validation: Conducted thorough testing to ensure that data from each device was accurately reflected in Zoho People, validating attendance tracking and payroll calculations across all locations.
- Training: Provided hands-on training for the HR team on using the new system, ensuring they understood how to manage attendance and payroll through the integrated solution.
The Result
The centralized integration provided significant improvements:
- Improved Accuracy Across Locations:Â Consolidated attendance data from all offices reduced payroll discrepancies and manual errors.
- Streamlined Operations:Â Automated attendance tracking reduced administrative workload, allowing HR teams to focus on strategic tasks.
- Enhanced Productivity and Employee Satisfaction:Â Unified tracking and payroll consistency improved operational efficiency and provided transparency for employees across all locations.
Customer Testimonial
We have partnered with FEBNO Tech for the integration of our ZKT biometric devices into Zoho People. During the integration, there were a few glitches that needed to be fixed to properly integrate the data into the Zoho system.
The FEBNO Tech team was patient during the entire process. This integration helps to streamline our attendance system. They have also provided excellent customer support when one of our devices has downtime; their technical team is quick to respond and provide assistance.
High Recommended.
— Freshel – Lamasat Alkhayal
 
 