We do the setup with you. Small teams are live in days, multi-branch companies in a few weeks. Here is exactly what happens — and the one decision that matters most: how your punches reach the cloud.
Three ways. We inspect what you already have and recommend one in the first call.
Recommended
Face terminal from us
Hikvision MinMoe · we supply and pre-configure
DeviceYour internetTimeion cloud
We configure the terminal at our office and ship it. You plug in power and connect it to your WiFi or LAN. It sends every punch straight to Timeion over a secure connection — no computer at your site, no network changes.
You need
A power socket
Internet (WiFi or LAN cable)
Staff present for a 2-minute face enrolment each
Not needed
Static IP or port forwarding
A PC running vendor software
An AMC with a device vendor
Good to know: If the internet drops, the device keeps punches in its memory and sends them — with the original time — the moment it reconnects. Punch to attendance in about 3 seconds.
Your existing eSSL / ZKTeco
Keep the device you already paid for
DevicePC + vendor appStatic IPTimeion cloud
Most eSSL and ZKTeco devices do not talk to the internet on their own. The vendor software on a PC at your site collects the punches and pushes them to Timeion. We whitelist your connection, so a fixed public IP from your ISP is needed.
You need
A PC at the site that stays on, with the vendor software
A static public IP from your internet provider
Device serial numbers and enrolment IDs
Not needed
A new device
Re-enrolling fingerprints
Good to know: We inspect the device model and software first. Punches arrive every few minutes. If the PC is switched off, nothing is lost — it catches up when it is back on.
No device — staff app
Android, iOS and desktop · included in Professional and above
Staff phoneGPS + selfieTimeion cloud
Employees punch from their own phone. A geo-fence around each office or client site decides where a punch is accepted, a selfie proves who punched, and device binding stops proxy punching.
You need
Employees with a smartphone and a mobile number
The office location (we set the radius)
Not needed
Any hardware
Any network setup
Good to know: Ideal for field staff, sales teams and small offices — and as a backup for everyone else when the terminal is out of reach.
Mixed setup? Many clients run a Hikvision at the main gate, an existing eSSL at a branch and the staff app for field staff — all in one account.
The six steps
What happens, who does it, how long it takes
1
Discover
Demo & device inspection
A live walkthrough with your own shifts and sample employees. We look at the devices and internet you already have and recommend the connection path above.
Day 1
We do
Personalised demo on your data
Inspect existing device model and software
Recommend the device path and plan
You do
Share shift timings and headcount
Tell us about branches and devices
Ask every question you have
2
Plan
Proposal & modules
Only the modules you need, per-employee pricing and a dated plan. Any customisation is scoped with a timeline before anything is signed.
Day 2–3
We do
Written proposal with timeline
Scope any customisation
Create your Timeion account
You do
Approve the plan
Name an HR / admin contact
3
Setup
Employee import & KYC
We import your staff list with departments, designations and branches. Employees get an OTP invite, complete their KYC and bank details from their phone, and HR approves each record.
Week 1
We do
Bulk import from your Excel
Send staff app invites
Guide HR through approvals
You do
Share the employee list
Ask staff to complete KYC
HR reviews and approves
4
Configure
Devices, shifts & policies
The terminal goes on the wall or the existing device is connected. Shifts, grace time, lunch rules, leave policies, reporting hierarchy and geo-fences are configured together and tested with real punches.
Week 1–2
We do
Connect and test the device
Configure shifts, leave and approvals
Enrol faces or map existing IDs
You do
Plug in power and internet
Confirm shift and leave rules
Staff punch for a few days
5
Validate
Trial payroll
One full payroll run on real attendance. Salary structures, OT, LOP, PF, ESI, PT and TDS are checked line by line against what you pay today.
Week 2–3
We do
Set up salary structures
Run and explain the trial payroll
Fix every mismatch with you
You do
Share current salary structure
Cross-check the trial payslips
Sign off the numbers
6
Launch
Training & go-live
Hands-on training for HR and managers, then live. Thirty days of priority support follow, and updates are included for as long as you are a customer.
Week 3–4
We do
Train HR, managers and owner
30 days of priority support
Continuous updates
You do
Run payroll from Timeion
Call us for anything
Before we start
Keep these ready and onboarding goes fast
None of it has to be perfect. An Excel sheet and a WhatsApp photo of the shift board is enough to begin.
Excel with name, mobile, department, designation, branch, joining date.
Shift timings
Each shift, grace time, lunch, weekly off and rotation pattern.
Leave policy
Leave types, yearly credit, carry-forward and who approves.
Salary structure
Components, OT rate, PF / ESI / PT applicability, advances.
Device details
Model, count and location of existing biometric devices, if any.
Internet at site
WiFi or LAN near where the terminal will go; static IP if you keep eSSL / ZKTeco.
FAQ
Onboarding questions
How long does onboarding take?
Small teams are live within days. Multi-branch companies with payroll typically take two to four weeks, most of it waiting for a few days of real punches before the trial payroll.
Do we need a static IP?
Only if you keep an existing eSSL or ZKTeco device, because its vendor software on your PC pushes data to us and we whitelist that connection. The Hikvision terminal we supply and the staff app need no static IP, no port forwarding and no PC.
Can we keep the biometric device we already have?
Usually yes. We inspect the model and software first. eSSL and ZKTeco devices connect through the vendor application on a PC at your site; existing enrolment IDs are mapped, so nobody re-enrols.
What if the internet goes down?
The Hikvision terminal stores punches in its memory and sends them with the original time when the connection returns. With eSSL / ZKTeco, the vendor PC catches up when it is back online. The staff app records the punch and syncs when the phone has signal.
Who enrols employee faces or fingerprints?
For the terminal we supply, we enrol faces on site or guide your HR through it — about two minutes per employee. For existing devices, your current enrolments are reused.
Is payroll tested before going live?
Yes. A full trial payroll runs on real attendance and is checked line by line against what you pay today before the first live cycle.
What support is there after go-live?
Thirty days of priority onboarding support, then ongoing support by phone, WhatsApp and email. Updates are included.
30-day free trial · No card required
Ready to see Timeion on your own data?
A 30-minute demo with your shifts and your punches. Then a 30-day free trial with only the modules you need — no card, no clutter.
