Punch screen

-> Available from ALIX 11.28.0. How do I find out the current version?

The punch screen is an ALIX page designed for a shared station, such as a tablet or a wall-mounted screen at the plant entrance: each talent uses it to punch their clock-ins, clock-outs, meals and breaks with their PIN. This screen works apart from the rest of ALIX: it shows neither the header nor the menu, and it does not let you navigate to other pages.

Access the punch screen #

No item in the ALIX menu leads to the punch screen. There are two ways to reach it:

• By its address. Once signed in to ALIX, replace the end of the address with /punch (for example https://smart.alix.ai/punch). On the shared station, save this address as the browser’s home page or as a bookmark.
• Automatically. An anonymous user — a user with no associated talent — lands directly on the punch screen as soon as they sign in to ALIX, provided their security group is the one for the punch screen.

Leave the punch screen #

No button leads back to ALIX from the punch screen: the only way out is to sign out.

1. Click Logout at the top right of the board.
2. A window asks you to confirm that you want to sign out of the punch screen. Click Confirm.
   

Screen layout #

The screen is divided into two areas.

The left rail groups, from top to bottom:

• the ALIX logo, the time and today’s date;
• the shift or shifts currently running (Current shift(s)), or the mention No shift in progress;
• the Dark mode toggle;
• the Clock in, Clock out, Meal and Break buttons;
• the Timesheets button and, if the configuration allows it, the Manual entry button;
• the Keyboard line, which lists the keyboard shortcuts.

The board, on the right, shows:

• four tiles that summarize attendance;
• the Logout button;
• the At work and Away lists. The content of the lists (clock-in time, indicators, grouping by department) is described in the Talent list section of the Introduction – Time stamp page.

The tiles and the lists update live: a punch made from another station moves the talent from one list to the other without the screen having to be refreshed.

Clock in or clock out #

Note: depending on your company’s configurations, a shift selection window, a comment request or an equipment selection may open after the PIN entry. These windows always appear before the outcome. For shift selection, see the Choose shift on punch page.

1. Click Clock in (“Start of shift · return from break or meal”) to start your shift, or Clock out (“End of shift”) to end it.
   
2. Enter your PIN (see the Enter your PIN section).
3. The outcome is shown full screen (see the Read the outcome section).

Punch a meal or a break #

It is impossible to punch a meal or a break if you are not clocked in.

The Meal and Break buttons show the duration that will be recorded. There are two ways to start a meal or a break:

• Click the button to use the displayed duration.
• Click the button’s arrow: the menu offers the preset durations (30, 45 and 60 mins for the meal; 10, 15 and 30 mins for the break), except the one already shown on the button, along with a custom duration field where you can enter a number of minutes. The PIN entry opens with the chosen duration.
  

The PIN entry heading names the chosen duration, and that duration is the one recorded, even if entering the PIN takes a while.

Note: on the punch screen, the default duration comes from your company’s Default dinner time and Default break time configurations. It is the same for every talent; the break time set on the talent’s shift is not used here. For more information, see the Talents configurations page.

To end a meal or a break, click the same button again, or Clock in, then enter your PIN. The screen shows Meal ended or Break ended, without a duration.

Enter your PIN #

Once you have chosen an action, the PIN entry fills the whole screen. The heading names the current action (Clock in, Clock out, Meal 30 mins, etc.), and a circle fills in with each digit entered. The PIN is checked as soon as the last digit is entered; there is no button to click to confirm.

• Use the on-screen keypad or a physical keyboard. Erase clears the entry; the on-screen back key, or the Backspace key on the keyboard, removes the last digit.
• To abandon, click Cancel at the top right or press Esc. Nothing is recorded.
• While the PIN is being checked, extra digits are ignored and the window cannot be closed. If the response is slow, a waiting indicator appears over the keypad.
• If the PIN is wrong, a message appears under the circles, the keypad shakes and the entry clears: enter your PIN again. After three consecutive failures, a second line invites you to contact your supervisor.
  

Read the outcome #

Once the punch has been processed, the outcome replaces the keypad, still full screen. It shows your name, what was done and the time. Whatever the outcome, you leave it by clicking anywhere on the screen or by pressing Esc or Enter.

Note: skipping an optional comment request is not a failure; the outcome shown is then a recorded punch.

Keyboard shortcuts #

On a station equipped with a keyboard, a key replaces clicking a button. The Keyboard line, under the buttons, lists the four letters; they are the same in French and in English.

Note: the shortcuts are inactive while a window is open or a punch is in progress.

View your timesheet and add a manual entry #

• Timesheets: click the button, then enter your PIN. Your timesheet opens in a window; close it to return to the punch screen.
• Manual entry: click the button, then enter your PIN. A window lets you add a time entry manually. This button appears only if the Enable manual punch entry configuration is enabled. For more information, see the Talents configurations page.