Where the CIA meets KFC

There is now a brand new tool on the market to help restaurant owners and managers control their costs; and it looks like something right out of Mission Impossible. The product is called Hand Punch. Click here to watch a quick video demo of how this product works.

As you can see, this product is pretty intense, and you may be thinking that it is a little over the top just to control an employee punching in and out. But "buddy punching" is an increasing problem in the restaurant industry. This example of payroll fraud is when one employee punches in or out for another employee, in essence stealing time and money from the company.

Systems like this ensure that employees are in fact present during their time on the clock, or as they used to preach when I worked at Starbucks, "time worked = time paid."

Surprisingly enough, 5 minutes of an employees time is equal to 1% of their daily pay, so 5 minutes here and there can quickly add up to lost revenue.

My first thought about this product was that it was a little too Big Brother. If there was a big problem with buddy punching at a restaurant, most likely there would also be a lack of good leadership and management for it to take place.

But as I thought about it any more, it is just like any other part of the industry. Technology continues to evolve, and just as it makes POS easier and more efficient, it should spill over into all other aspects of the business.

So next time you clock in before flipping burgers, you may feel like Will Smith in Men in Black. Don't forget to put your shades on before the red light flashes...