Thumbs Up Using biometrics to keep your employees honest and save you money

David Karpman knew his payroll was too high. And he even knewthe reason: Some of the 30 employees of Del Rey Nut Co.were filling out phony timecards and cashing paychecks for hoursthey hadn't worked. "We were paying for people whoweren't there," says the 48-year-old owner of the LosAngeles food and promotional products company, which has $3.5million in annual sales.

Karpman didn't know what to do about it--until he tried abiometrics time-and-attendance system that requires employees toscan their thumbprints when punching in. Says Karpman, "Youhave to have a thumbprint, so unless they bring in a cadaver,we're covered."

Biometrics is the use of body measurements to identify people.The technology has been around for a long time, but it got a bigpush after 9/11 when it was promoted as a tool for preventing actsof terrorism. Now, experts say the post-9/11 hoopla was overblown.Limitations such as lack of interoperability, error rates and highcosts are keeping biometrics from the widespread adoption that waspredicted.