Introduction to Map and Geolocation in CrewCenter

Overview

This article explains how Map and geolocation features work in CrewCenter, how to enable location permissions on your phone and what different location icons mean in the application. Understanding these features helps ensure accurate time tracking and supports operational needs.

Location Permissions on Mobile Devices

When you first use CrewCenter, you are prompted to grant location access.

• You can grant, skip or deny this request.

• If you deny access, you can still use all CrewCenter features according to your user role.

• If permission is denied, CrewCenter cannot access or share your device location.

CrewCenter uses geolocation to capture your location only during specific time tracking events such as:

• Clock‑in

• Clock‑out

The app does not continuously track your location or monitor your route. Location collection is event-based, not interval-based, which ensures your privacy while supporting accurate project reporting.

Note: For bulk Clock-In/Out, the supervisor’s device location is used for all selected employees

Geolocation feature and account admin control

Geolocation features (including the Map menu and location tracking) are only available if the account has the geolocation feature feature enabled by the admin. 

If the feature is disabled, the Map icon and related pages are hidden and location tracking is deactivated. 

How to Enable Location Permissions on Android device

1. Open your device settings.
2. Select Apps
3. Find the CrewCenter app in your list of installed apps.
4. Tap on Permissions or Location.
5. Select "Allow" or "Allow only while using the app" to enable location access. Ensure the presise location is toggled on. 

How to Enable Location Permissions on iOS device

1. Open your device settings.
2. Scroll down and select Apps
3. Find the CrewCenter app in your list of installed apps.
4. Tap on “Location”
5. Select "Always" (recommended) or "While Using the App". Ensure the precise location is toggled on. 

How to check if location is enabled

There is a simple indicator to check whether location tracking is active. 

How Location is Captured in CrewCenter

When you grant location permission, CrewCenter captures your location during Clock-In and Clock-Out events using the following steps:

1. Saves the last known location from your device.
2. Quickly requests a location with up to 100 meters accuracy.
3. Tries to fetch a more precise location (10 meters for iOS, 20 meters for Android) within 1 minute. 

Additional information:

If a precise location is not available immediately, the app will keep trying for up to one minute. If unsuccessful, it stores and syncs the last known location when possible.

Location data is stored for 90 days and is automatically deleted after that period.

Reviewing Employee Locations as an Admin (Web)

Admins can review employee Clock-In and Clock-Out locations in the web application:

1. Log in to CrewCenter Web.
2. Select Map from the left-hand menu.
3. Choose the desired Project and Employee to view their Clock-In and Clock-Out locations.
4. If no filters are selected, all project and employee data will be visible.
5. Clock-In locations appear as green icons, and Clock-Out locations appear as red icons.

Meaning of Location Icons 

There are three different colored icons used to represent employee location events in CrewCenter:

• Green icon: Indicates the location where the employee Clocked-In.

• Red icon: Indicates the location where the employee Clocked-Out.

• Grey icon: Means the app could not capture a precise location at the time of the event. This may happen if location permissions are denied or if the device could not provide a location.

Troubleshooting Guide

Map feature not displayed

If you do not have access to the geolocation feature, please check with your administrator to confirm whether it is enabled for your account. If it is not enabled, please contact your Sales Person for further information. 

How to check if the tracking location is active