Despite having less than 10 employees in each of his two companies, Chiv Sankhun found himself constantly having to visit both locations.

The 28-year-old Sankhun took a different approach to earlier generations. He employs an app which integrates security cameras to monitor employee activities and attendance. Last year, he introduced CheckinMe, a game-changing solution that streamlines both attendance tracking and sales activities.

“With CheckinMe, it’s different. Once my staff arrive at the location and scan in, it immediately registers on the mobile app,” said Sankhun, the proprietor of KP, a motorcycle shop, and the K+ brand creation agency.

“Another challenge we faced was monitoring sales activities. In the past, we had a real problem because we couldn’t know what our employees were doing unless we personally checked. Now, we can observe their activities, significantly reducing the time we spend on supervision,” he added.

The inspiration for CheckinMe came from the frustration expressed by various businesses struggling to manage employee attendance effectively.

Many found themselves relying on cumbersome technical systems, leading them to explore a simpler solution.

A team of young entrepreneurs realised that if attendance could be scanned with a QR code, similar to a contactless payment, it could provide a convenient solution. Combining their technological expertise with this concept, they set out to create a program that would address this challenge.

Ley Kamthong, CEO of the CheckinMe start-up, explained his team’s approach.

“We developed a QR code system integrated with GPS. This ensures that employees can only scan their presence when they are physically present at the designated location and prevents fraudulent scanning from home,” he said.

The implementation of CheckinMe has revolutionised attendance tracking for businesses, offering a seamless and efficient solution.

By combining QR codes, GPS technology, and mobile app integration, CheckinMe has simplified the task of managing employee attendance and provided businesses with real-time visibility of their workforce.

As SMEs in Cambodia embrace the benefits of CheckinMe, business owners like Sankhun have experienced first-hand the transformative power of this innovative platform.

With increased convenience, reduced supervision time, and improved sales monitoring, CheckinMe is proving to be an indispensable tool for enhancing productivity and ensuring accountability in the workplace.

“Once we developed the QR Code technology, and integrated it with GPS, we needed to take into account the budgetary constraints of small and medium enterprises,” Kamthong told The Post.

Kamthong, originally from the Mongkul Borei district in Banteay Meanchey province, pursued studies in information technology at Norton University and furthered his education in India and Japan.

Kamthong, along with his co-founders, embarked on a start-up project in 2019 with the aim of simplifying staff attendance and sales data for small and medium-sized business owners. The culmination of their efforts, CheckinMe, was officially launched in 2021.

Currently, CheckinMe has the capability to manage sales and attendance, as well as handling certain administrative tasks, for up to 2,000 employees in a single company.

What initially began as a tool to track attendance has expanded its functionalities to include features such as online filing and approval of annual leave applications, as well as the ability to track remaining holidays.

Over time, CheckinMe has also evolved to encompass additional services, including part-time job applications and online application approvals.

Recently, a large company proposed the development of a service that would further motivate employees through their presence.

“The CEO aims at boosting employee salaries by valuing their adherence to working hours and sales revenue,” said Kamthong.

“We have developed a technology that takes into account their star rating, presence, and sales capabilities,” he added.

He highlighted the creation of a unique feature which enables real-time tracking of sales activities.

Sales representatives can report their customer visits in the market at any given time, with automatic reporting functionality via their mobile phones.

Recognising the importance of fair compensation and the recognition of outstanding performance, CheckinMe has integrated features that allow businesses to incentivise their employees based on various factors.

By considering star ratings, which reflect overall performance, along with attendance and sales capabilities, CheckinMe provides a comprehensive evaluation framework for determining salary increments.

CheckinMe’s evaluation system currently revolves around two main categories: attendance and sales performance.

However, evaluating the performance of office or back-office staff remains more intricate due to the diverse range of tasks involved, requiring additional time for assessment and analysis.

Kamthong announced that local users would have the opportunity to experience the CheckinMe mobile app for a trial period that will last for two or three months.

“We have observed two types of business owners. The first type prefers traditional methods, emphasising clear communication and in-person meetings. The second type, typically in no more than 30 years old, prefer a self-driven approach, where they can explore, experiment, and use the app on their own terms,” he said.

He was proud to share that the app has garnered five awards, including two international accolades and three local awards, and that the start-up was recognised by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.

“The first international award was the 1st Runner-up position of Alibaba Cloud, achieved in a competition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which featured 130 start-ups. The second award was secured in Cambodia during the ASEAN Summit, through a prestigious tech competition,” he said.

In the third competition, CheckinMe, further excelled in the semi-finals, held in Singapore, and made it through to the finals in China, securing a commendable third place among the 150 participating start-ups.

Additionally, it was honoured as the best new digital technology of 2022 by the telecommunications ministry. The award was presented by Minister of Posts and Telecommunication Chea Vandeth.

The app also received third prize from the Khmer Enterprises competition and the Outstanding Entrepreneur in Technology Award from the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (YEAC).

The utilisation of CheckinMe provides users with two options: installation of the system on company servers, or a download for international usage. The latter option is set to launch in various other countries later this year.

“Customers have the option to request that our team set up the system within their enterprise. Furthermore, customers can access video tutorials that guide them through the setup process,” said Kamthong.

“Our future plans involve expanding CheckinMe to overseas markets, such as Thailand and Canada, catering to customers who we may not have the opportunity to meet in person,” he added.

As CheckinMe continues to make waves in the market, the young executive expressed his excitement for the upcoming international expansion and the chance to introduce CheckinMe’s powerful features to a global audience.

The app’s user-friendly interface, along with the dedicated support team, ensures that businesses worldwide can easily adopt CheckinMe and leverage its transformative benefits.