CLIENTS

Febno Technologies: Optimizing Attendance Management for Arabian Bedding LLC

OVERVIEW

Arabian Bedding Trading LLC (ABT), a subsidiary of Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company (DFMC), encountered significant challenges in managing its HR operations across multiple locations in Saudi Arabia. With operations spread across a factory in Riyadh and showrooms in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar, attendance was tracked manually in branch-specific formats, creating inefficiencies in payroll, shift scheduling, and compliance monitoring.

As the workforce grew, the reliance on outdated biometric devices without cloud support further compounded the challenges. Payroll processing, which was managed from DFMC’s headquarters in Dubai, was frequently delayed, and compliance risks increased due to manual tracking of contract and ID renewals.

By implementing Zoho People, configured and deployed by Febno Technologies, ABT transformed its HR operations. Real-time attendance tracking, automated shift scheduling, proactive compliance alerts, and seamless payroll synchronization with Dubai have streamlined processes, improved accuracy, and equipped the company with greater control and visibility over its workforce.

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Project Overview:

Key Takeaways

  • Attendance data is now captured and synchronized in real time across all Saudi branches.
  • Shift scheduling is automated, accommodating both factory and retail operations without manual intervention.
  • Document expiry alerts ensure HR teams never miss renewals of contracts, IDs, or certifications.
  • Payroll is processed faster and with greater accuracy, enabling Dubai HQ to remain fully aligned with Saudi operations.
  • The company now benefits from clear workforce insights through dashboards and reports, enabling better leadership decisions.

Executive Summary

Arabian Bedding Trading LLC (ABT), based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a 100% subsidiary of Dubai Furniture Manufacturing Company (DFMC), one of the region’s leading mattress manufacturers since 1993. DFMC is the official licensee of King Koil and Serta, two globally renowned bedding brands. With a strong retail presence across the Middle East and India, DFMC manages both manufacturing and retail operations with a centralized supply chain and HR oversight.

ABT employs a workforce of more than 30 staff across multiple Saudi branches. The HR team in Dubai is responsible for payroll and compliance across the Saudi subsidiary. However, manual attendance management and outdated devices created inefficiencies, resulting in payroll delays and compliance risks.

Problem Statement and Key Challenges

ABT’s HR operations were constrained by several critical issues:

  1. Disjointed Attendance Records
    Each branch maintained attendance logs manually and in different formats. This resulted in duplication of data, frequent human errors, and reconciliation delays during payroll cycles.
  2. Shift Complexity Without Structure
    The workforce was divided into factory workers and showroom staff, each following different shift structures. Without a centralized scheduling system, HR had limited visibility and frequently struggled to manage overlapping or misaligned schedules.
  3. Compliance Risks from Manual Tracking
    Employment contracts, residency permits, and certifications were tracked manually, often in spreadsheets. This increased the risk of missed renewals, exposing the company to potential compliance fines and legal complications.
  4. Outdated Biometric Devices
    The existing ZKT Eco devices did not support cloud connectivity, which made it impossible to consolidate attendance data across locations.
  5. Limited Visibility for Dubai HQ
    Since payroll for Saudi staff was processed from DFMC in Dubai, the lack of centralized, real-time access to attendance and HR records delayed salary processing and created decision-making blind spots for leadership.

Evaluation of the Problem

Febno Technologies conducted an in-depth analysis of ABT’s HR workflows. The study confirmed that the manual attendance process was the main source of inefficiency, leading to significant delays during payroll cycles. Different shift allocations for factory and retail staff were being handled without a system-level structure, further complicating workforce management.

The evaluation also revealed that employee documents were not being tracked systematically, putting the organization at risk of non-compliance with labor and residency regulations. The use of outdated biometric devices was identified as a critical gap, since they lacked cloud connectivity and could not provide the real-time, centralized data that the HR team in Dubai needed.

It became clear that ABT required a scalable and centralized solution that could:

  • Capture attendance in real time from all branches.
  • Automate shift scheduling across diverse workforce structures.
  • Track employee documents with automated expiry alerts.
  • Provide Dubai HQ with complete visibility into Saudi operations.

Proposed Solution

Febno Technologies deployed Zoho People, customized to ABT’s operational needs. The solution addressed all identified gaps through the following features:

  • Biometric Attendance Integration
    Existing biometric devices were upgraded to ZKT U270 models, which were fully integrated with Zoho People. This enabled real-time attendance capture, eliminated manual entry errors, and ensured that data was instantly available across all branches.
  • Shift-Based Scheduling
    Custom templates were created to handle the unique requirements of factory and showroom teams. Automated scheduling reduced HR workload and improved accuracy in shift rotation.
  • Document Expiry Alerts
    Employee records were digitized, and proactive notifications were configured to alert HR staff before the expiry of contracts, residency IDs, or certifications. This ensured continuous compliance with labor laws.
  • Centralized Cloud Access
    Attendance and HR data from all Saudi branches were consolidated in Zoho People. This gave HR managers in Dubai direct, real-time access to workforce data for payroll processing and reporting.

Implementation

The solution was implemented within a few weeks and with minimal disruption to ABT’s day-to-day operations.
  • Configuration of Core Modules Attendance rules, shift templates, and approval workflows were designed to align with ABT’s operational structure.
  • User Training and Adoption HR staff and branch managers were trained to use Zoho People’s dashboards, reports, and workflow tools. This enabled smooth adoption and ensured the HR team could maximize the platform’s capabilities.
  • Biometric Integration and Validation ZKT U270 biometric devices were installed across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al Khobar. Devices were tested to ensure seamless, real-time syncing with Zoho People.

Results

The deployment of Zoho People delivered immediate and measurable benefits to ABT:
  1. Centralized Attendance Tracking Attendance data from all branches is now captured in real time and consolidated in a single system, eliminating the need for manual reconciliation.
  2. Faster and More Accurate Payroll Processing Payroll cycles that previously took days due to manual data verification are now completed quickly and accurately, directly supporting Dubai HQ’s payroll team.
  3. Automated Shift and Leave Management Shift scheduling for factory and showroom staff is now handled automatically, reducing errors and easing the workload of HR staff.
  4. Improved Compliance With automated expiry alerts for contracts, IDs, and certifications, the HR team can proactively manage renewals, reducing compliance risks to near zero.
  5. Enhanced Workforce Visibility Leadership in Dubai now has access to dashboards and reports that provide real-time insights into workforce attendance and productivity patterns, enabling more informed decision-making.
Through the strategic implementation of Zoho People, Arabian Bedding LLC successfully transitioned from manual, error-prone attendance management to a fully automated, transparent, and scalable system. With real-time insights, centralized control, and streamlined workflows, the company is better equipped to support future growth across its factory and showroom operations.