Administrator Guide

Overview

As an administrator, you have access to the monitoring dashboard where you can track employee attendance, send reminders, generate reports, and analyze tardiness patterns.

The admin account is identified by the username “admin” in the system. Upon login, you’re automatically redirected to the monitoring panel instead of the employee dashboard.

Accessing the Admin Panel

Logging In

Navigate to the login page

Go to your organization’s Checawaa URL.

Enter admin credentials

Use your administrator username and password:

Username: admin
Password: [your admin password]

Keep your admin credentials secure. This account has access to all employee attendance data.

Access the monitoring panel

After successful login, you’ll be automatically redirected to /monitor - the administrative dashboard.

Understanding the Admin Dashboard

The monitoring panel is divided into several key sections:

Dashboard Layout

Attendance History Table

Shows all attendance records with timestamps and status indicators

Tardiness Analytics

Visual breakdown of accumulated tardiness by employee

Quick Actions

Buttons to send reminders and generate PDF reports

System Summary

Total record count and system statistics

Monitoring Employee Attendance

Attendance History Table

The main table displays all attendance records with the following columns:

Column	Description	Example
Maestro	Employee username	empleado1
Fecha	Date of attendance	2026-03-05
Hora de Registro	First check-in time	08:15:23
Estado	Punctuality status	PUNTUAL / RETARDO

Status Badges
How Status is Calculated

PUNTUAL (On Time)

Green badge
Check-in at 8:30 AM or earlier
Employee arrived on time

RETARDO (Late)

Red badge
Check-in after 8:30 AM
Employee arrived late

The system uses the first location update of the day to determine status:

hora_reg = reg.get('hora', '00:00:00')
es_retardo = hora_reg > "08:30:00"

The cutoff time is 8:30:00 AM. Any check-in after this time is marked as late.

Interpreting the Data

Reading timestamps

Timestamps are in 24-hour format (HH:MM:SS):

08:15:23 = 8:15 AM and 23 seconds ✅ On time
08:45:12 = 8:45 AM and 12 seconds ❌ Late
07:30:00 = 7:30 AM ✅ Early arrival

Understanding employee patterns

Look for patterns in the attendance data:

Consistent early arrival - Reliable employee
Frequent tardiness - May need coaching or schedule adjustment
No records for today - Employee hasn’t started tracking yet
Multiple entries per day - Normal (system updates every 50 minutes)

Sending Reminder Notifications

Manual Reminders

You can manually trigger reminder emails to employees who haven’t checked in:

Click the '📧 Notificar Faltantes' button

Located in the header of the admin panel, this button triggers the reminder system.

Monitor the status indicator

Watch for status messages below the analytics chart:

”⏳ Enviando correos…” - Emails are being sent
”✅ Recordatorios enviados con éxito” - Successfully sent
”❌ Error al enviar” - Failed to send

Verify delivery

The system sends emails to all employees who:

Are not the admin user
Have NOT checked in today
Have a valid email address in the system

Automated 8 AM Reminders

Checawaa automatically sends reminders at 8:00 AM every day:

# Automated reminder schedule
scheduler.add_job(enviar_recordatorio_automatizado, 
                  'cron', 
                  hour=8, 
                  minute=0)

The automated reminder runs every day at exactly 8:00 AM server time. Employees who haven’t started their shift tracking receive an email notification.

Email Content:

To: [employees who haven't checked in]
Subject: ⚠️ Recordatorio Automático: Inicia tu Turno

Buenos días. Son las 8:00 AM y el sistema aún no detecta 
tu registro de hoy. Por favor inicia tu monitoreo.

Who Receives Reminders

The system determines recipients using this logic:

Get today's date

Current date in format YYYY-MM-DD

Find who has checked in

Scan all attendance records for entries matching today’s date

Identify absent employees

Create list of all non-admin users who haven’t checked in

Send to their registered emails

Use the email addresses from the user database

Reminders are only sent if employees have valid email addresses configured. Check the user database to ensure all employees have email addresses set.

Generating Reports

PDF Attendance Reports

Generate comprehensive PDF reports with all attendance data:

Click '📥 Reporte PDF'

The PDF button in the header generates a downloadable report.

Wait for generation

The system processes all attendance records and creates a PDF file.

Download begins automatically

File name: reporte_asistencia.pdfThe PDF downloads to your browser’s default download location.

Report Contents

The PDF report includes:

Header Section
Attendance Records
Summary Statistics

Report title: “REPORTE DE ASISTENCIA”
Generation timestamp
Horizontal divider line

“RESUMEN TOTAL DE RETARDOS ACUMULADOS”Lists each employee with their total tardiness count:

• empleado1: 3 retardos.
• empleado2: 1 retardo.
• empleado3: 5 retardos.

The report automatically spans multiple pages if there are many records. Each page can hold approximately 40 records before starting a new page.

Using Reports for Performance Reviews

Reports are valuable for:

Monthly performance evaluations - Track attendance trends over time
Disciplinary documentation - Evidence of chronic tardiness
Payroll verification - Confirm work hours and presence
Compliance audits - Provide attendance records to regulators
Identifying patterns - Spot trends across teams or individuals

Interpreting Tardiness Analytics

The Doughnut Chart

The admin panel displays a visual breakdown of accumulated tardiness:

What It Shows

Each slice represents an employee
Size proportional to number of tardy days
Color-coded for easy identification
Legend shows employee names

How It's Calculated

The system counts records where:

if(d.status === "RETARDO") {
    conteoRetardos[d.usuario]++;
}

Only late arrivals are counted, not on-time check-ins.

Reading the Chart

Identify problem areas

Larger slices indicate employees with more tardiness issues.

Compare across team

See relative tardiness between employees at a glance.

Track improvement

Monitor the chart over time to see if interventions are working.

Take a screenshot of the chart periodically to track trends. Compare charts from different months to see if attendance is improving or declining.

Acting on the Data

Based on tardiness analytics, you can:

For employees with 1-2 tardies

Minimal action needed - Occasional lateness happens
Send a friendly reminder about start times
Check if there are legitimate reasons (traffic, family issues)

For employees with 3-5 tardies

Moderate intervention - Pattern emerging
Schedule a one-on-one discussion
Understand underlying causes
Set clear expectations going forward
Document the conversation

For employees with 6+ tardies

Serious intervention - Chronic issue
Formal performance improvement plan
Consider disciplinary action per company policy
Investigate if role/schedule is a good fit
Document all actions taken

Managing User Accounts

User Database Structure

Users are stored in /data/usuarios.json:

[
    {
        "username": "admin",
        "pass": "123",
        "email": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
        "username": "empleado1",
        "pass": "123",
        "email": "[email protected]"
    }
]

Adding New Employees

Access the server

Log into the server hosting Checawaa via SSH or file manager.

Edit usuarios.json

Navigate to the data directory and open usuarios.json.

Add the new user entry

{
    "username": "empleado3",
    "pass": "securepass123",
    "email": "[email protected]"
}

Ensure proper JSON formatting with commas between entries. Invalid JSON will break the system.

Save and restart

Save the file. The system reads this file on each login, so changes take effect immediately.

User Account Best Practices

Passwords
Email Addresses
Usernames

Use strong, unique passwords for each employee
Consider implementing a password policy
Never share passwords between users
Change default passwords immediately
Store passwords securely (consider a password manager)

Removing Employees

When an employee leaves:

Decide on data retention

Determine if you need to keep historical attendance records.

Option A: Delete the user

Remove their entry from usuarios.json. They won’t be able to log in, but their attendance history remains in registros.json.

Option B: Disable login

Change their password to a random string to prevent login while keeping the account for historical reference.

Even after removing a user from usuarios.json, their attendance records remain in the system. This is important for audit trails and payroll verification.

System Administration

Monitoring System Health

Regular checks to ensure Checawaa is running smoothly:

Check scheduled tasks

Verify the 8 AM reminder is running:

Check server logs for scheduled task execution
Confirm employees are receiving automated emails
Look for error messages in console output

Verify data integrity

Periodically review the data files:

data/registros.json - Attendance records
data/usuarios.json - User accounts
Ensure files are not corrupted
Check file sizes are growing as expected

Test email delivery

Use the manual reminder button to test email sending
Verify employees receive the notifications
Check spam folders if emails aren’t arriving
Confirm SMTP credentials are still valid

Backup and Recovery

Always maintain backups of the data directory to prevent loss of attendance records.

Backup Strategy:

Regular backups

Schedule daily backups of the /data directory containing:

usuarios.json - User accounts
registros.json - All attendance records

Automated backup script

# Example backup command
tar -czf backup_$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz data/

Off-site storage

Store backups in a separate location (cloud storage, different server).

Test restoration

Periodically test that you can restore from backups.

Troubleshooting Admin Issues

Can't access admin panel

Symptom: Redirected to employee dashboard instead of /monitorCause: Your username is not exactly “admin”Solution:

Verify your username in usuarios.json is exactly "admin"
The system checks: if user_input == 'admin'
Case and spacing matter

PDF reports not generating

Symptoms: Download fails or PDF is corruptedPossible causes:

ReportLab library not installed
File permissions issue
Too many records causing timeout

Solutions:

Verify ReportLab installation: pip install reportlab
Check server error logs
Test with smaller date ranges

Emails not sending

Symptoms: Status shows error, or employees don’t receive emailsCommon causes:

SMTP credentials expired - Gmail app passwords expire or are revoked
Network/firewall blocking - Port 587 might be blocked
Invalid email addresses - Bounced emails due to typos
Gmail security restrictions - Google blocking the login attempt

Solutions:

Verify SMTP settings in configuration
Test with a different email provider
Check server logs for specific error messages
Ensure “Less secure apps” is enabled (or use app-specific password)

Advanced Features

Customizing the Tardiness Threshold

The default tardiness threshold is 8:30 AM. To change it:

Locate the threshold in code (app.py:149):
```
es_retardo = hora_reg > "08:30:00"
```

Change to your desired time:

es_retardo = hora_reg > "09:00:00"  # 9 AM threshold

Also update in the report generation (app.py:206):

estado = "RETARDO" if hora > "09:00:00" else "PUNTUAL"

Make this change in both locations to ensure consistency across the monitoring panel and PDF reports.

Adjusting Location Update Frequency

Employees send location updates every 50 minutes by default. To change this: In templates/index.html:27:

// Current: 50 minutes
setInterval(enviarUbicacion, 50 * 60 * 1000);

// Change to 30 minutes:
setInterval(enviarUbicacion, 30 * 60 * 1000);

// Change to 1 hour:
setInterval(enviarUbicacion, 60 * 60 * 1000);

More frequent updates increase accuracy but also increase server load and battery drain on mobile devices. Find a balance that works for your organization.

Changing Automated Reminder Time

The 8 AM reminder time can be adjusted in app.py:90:

# Current setting: 8:00 AM
scheduler.add_job(enviar_recordatorio_automatizado, 
                  'cron', 
                  hour=8,  # Change this
                  minute=0)

# Example: 7:30 AM
scheduler.add_job(enviar_recordatorio_automatizado, 
                  'cron', 
                  hour=7, 
                  minute=30)

Set the reminder time 30-60 minutes before your tardiness threshold to give employees time to respond.

Best Practices for Administrators

Daily Routine

Morning check (8:00-8:30 AM)

Log into admin panel
Review who has checked in
Note any absent employees
Verify automated reminder sent successfully

Mid-day review (12:00 PM)

Check if late employees have now checked in
Review any unusual patterns
Follow up on chronic absence

End-of-day verification (5:00 PM)

Confirm all expected employees checked in
Document any discrepancies
Prepare notes for follow-up conversations

Weekly Tasks

Generate PDF report for the week
Review tardiness analytics chart for trends
Compare week-over-week attendance patterns
Schedule conversations with employees showing concerning patterns

Monthly Activities

Export and archive monthly attendance data
Performance reviews using attendance as one factor
System maintenance - check backups, update passwords
Review and adjust policies if needed

Communication Tips

When Addressing Tardiness

Be fact-based (use exact timestamps)
Listen to employee’s perspective
Identify root causes
Collaborate on solutions
Document the discussion

When Recognizing Good Attendance

Acknowledge consistent punctuality
Highlight employees with zero tardies
Consider attendance in performance reviews
Set positive examples for the team

Security Considerations

Protecting Attendance Data

Attendance records contain sensitive employee information. Treat this data with appropriate security measures.

Security best practices:

Secure the admin account - Use a strong, unique password
Limit admin access - Only give credentials to authorized personnel
Use HTTPS - Ensure the site uses SSL/TLS encryption
Regular password rotation - Change admin password periodically
Audit admin actions - Keep logs of who accesses the panel
Secure the server - Implement firewall rules and SSH key authentication

Data Privacy Compliance

Consider your jurisdiction’s privacy laws:

GDPR (Europe) - Employee consent, data minimization, right to access
CCPA (California) - Employee rights to know what data is collected
Local labor laws - May regulate employee monitoring

Consult with your legal team to ensure Checawaa’s attendance tracking complies with applicable privacy and labor laws.

Getting Support

If you need help with administrative tasks:

Technical issues - Check system logs for error messages
Email problems - Verify SMTP configuration and credentials
Data questions - Review the JSON files in the /data directory
Feature requests - Document your needs and discuss with your IT team

This guide is based on Checawaa’s current implementation. Custom modifications may require additional documentation or support from your development team.

Get Started

Core Features

User Guides

Deployment

​Overview

​Accessing the Admin Panel

​Logging In

​Understanding the Admin Dashboard

​Dashboard Layout

Attendance History Table

Tardiness Analytics

Quick Actions

System Summary

​Monitoring Employee Attendance

​Attendance History Table

​Interpreting the Data

​Sending Reminder Notifications

​Manual Reminders

​Automated 8 AM Reminders

​Who Receives Reminders

​Generating Reports

​PDF Attendance Reports

​Report Contents

​Using Reports for Performance Reviews

​Interpreting Tardiness Analytics

​The Doughnut Chart

What It Shows

How It's Calculated

​Reading the Chart

​Acting on the Data

​Managing User Accounts

​User Database Structure

​Adding New Employees

​User Account Best Practices

​Removing Employees

​System Administration

​Monitoring System Health

​Backup and Recovery

​Troubleshooting Admin Issues

​Advanced Features

​Customizing the Tardiness Threshold

​Adjusting Location Update Frequency

​Changing Automated Reminder Time

​Best Practices for Administrators

​Daily Routine

​Weekly Tasks

​Monthly Activities

​Communication Tips

When Addressing Tardiness

When Recognizing Good Attendance

​Security Considerations

​Protecting Attendance Data

​Data Privacy Compliance

​Getting Support

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Accessing the Admin Panel

Logging In

Understanding the Admin Dashboard

Dashboard Layout

Monitoring Employee Attendance

Attendance History Table

Interpreting the Data

Sending Reminder Notifications

Manual Reminders

Automated 8 AM Reminders

Who Receives Reminders

Generating Reports

PDF Attendance Reports

Report Contents

Using Reports for Performance Reviews

Interpreting Tardiness Analytics

The Doughnut Chart

Reading the Chart

Acting on the Data

Managing User Accounts

User Database Structure

Adding New Employees

User Account Best Practices

Removing Employees

System Administration

Monitoring System Health

Backup and Recovery

Troubleshooting Admin Issues

Advanced Features

Customizing the Tardiness Threshold

Adjusting Location Update Frequency

Changing Automated Reminder Time

Best Practices for Administrators

Daily Routine

Weekly Tasks

Monthly Activities

Communication Tips

Security Considerations

Protecting Attendance Data

Data Privacy Compliance

Getting Support