Does your office still use one of those analog “in-out boards” to keep track of everyone’s location status? Hey, boss: the 19th century called, and they want their mortar and pestle back!
I mean, sure, it’s still important to know who’s in, who’s out, and where the “out” people have gone, but we’re way past using pegs and magnets on a board that hangs in the break room.
Simple In/Out is a Web-based in/out board, one that leverages employees’ smartphones for easy and even automated location updates.
Getting started is ridiculously simple: just create a free account, then start adding users. When a user signs in using his Web browser, Android phone, or iPhone, it takes just two clicks (or taps) to update status.
You also have the option of adding a status message, like “in a meeting” or “out to lunch.” The updates are immediately reflected on the Simple In/Out board.
That solves the age-old problem of getting people to remember to use the in/out board. With this option, they don’t have to. Note that the Android and iOS apps don’t do any location tracking beyond that, so you won’t have to field any concerns about privacy.
Simple In/Out could use a few tweaks. For example, it would be nice if you could have vanity URL based on your company name, like widgetco.simpleinout.com.
Also, the process of adding users is a little cumbersome; why not just send e-mail invites to employees so they can set up their own usernames and passwords?
If you want features like these, check out Tabzon, a similar in/out-board service. Just bear in mind it has no smartphone companion apps and, therefore, no support for GeoFencing.
The best news about Simple In/Out is that it’s free, so you have nothing to lose by giving it a try. I think it might be just the ticket for small companies looking for an easy way to keep tabs on employees.