18 May 2026  ·  Shop Floor Scanning

7 Steps to Track Shop Floor Time by Barcode Scan

The complete Standard Time® barcode scanning workflow — from clicking the Scan Barcodes icon on the Home page to reviewing finished records in Time Logs. No keyboard entry, no paper timesheets, no missed punches.

  1. 1

    Open the Scan Barcodes Page

    On the Standard Time® Home page, click the large Scan Barcodes icon. This opens the shop floor scan screen — a full-screen interface built to be operated entirely by scanner, with no keyboard interaction required. On a dedicated workstation or kiosk, this page stays open all day and serves every operator on the shift.

  2. 2

    Scan Your Username Badge

    Every sequence starts with identity. Scan your printed employee badge — the barcode encodes your Standard Time® username. One scan tells the system exactly who is about to start work. No typing, no PIN, and no shared login. Each employee has their own badge, so records are always attributed to the right person. See Creating Users and Employee Barcodes if you haven't printed badges yet.

  3. 3

    Scan the Work Order or Job Number

    Scan the barcode printed on the work order, traveler, or job ticket. Standard Time® links the session to that specific job — so every minute tracked is charged to the right work order, the right customer, and the right cost center. Work order barcodes are generated from Standard Time® and printed on job paperwork or labels. See Creating Projects and Job Barcodes for setup details.

  4. 4

    Scan the Task or Process Step — Timer Starts

    The third scan identifies the process step: welding, assembly, inspection, painting, or whatever task codes your operation uses. Task barcodes are posted at each workstation or printed on the traveler. The timer starts the moment this barcode is scanned. If your manager has configured required fields (quantity, part number, formula), prompts will appear first — answer each one and the timer starts when the last prompt is complete. Then put the scanner down and get to work.

  5. 5

    Optionally Scan CLEAR So the Next Operator Can Use the Station

    On a shared station where multiple people use the same scanner, scan the CLEAR label when you step away. CLEAR wipes the screen back to the ready state so the next employee can scan in — it does not stop your timer. Your timer keeps running in the background while other operators scan in and out on the same station. When you return, just scan your username again to check on it.

  6. 6

    Scan Your Username Again to Check Timer Status

    When you return to the station, scan your username badge. If the screen was cleared or has timed out, Standard Time® recognizes the scan as a status check and displays your active timer — which job it is running on, which task is open, and how long it has been running. This confirmation step takes one second and ensures your hours are being tracked before you walk away again.

  7. 7

    Scan STOP — Then View Time Logs

    When the work is complete, scan your username badge (to re-identify yourself), then scan the STOP label mounted at the station. If required stop fields are configured, answer each prompt. The timer closes when all scans are complete, recording the employee, work order, task, start time, stop time, and duration as a single row in Time Logs. Navigate to the Time Logs page to view, filter, and export records for payroll, job costing, or process time analysis.

Want the full details? The step-by-step guide with diagrams for every scan flow is in Shop Floor Barcode Scanning — How It Works. For the complete list of scan types and what each one records, see Things to Scan on the Shop Floor. For hardware setup, see Barcode Scanning Station Setup.

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