Look we get it. Things like “I don’t want to micromanage my team” or “Time-tracking will slow us down” have surely crossed your mind, but if you’re a business owner, we’re here to tell you that you couldn’t be further from the truth!
You might be surprised to know that there are many advantages to using time tracking. And if it’s done right, it won’t lead to micromanagement or the death of originality.
Knowing how to keep tabs on employees’ time is not always easy. So, it’s quite alright to use the services of a time-tracking software to improve a lot of sections in your business.
Do we have your attention? Good. Take a look at the benefits we’ve mentioned below of using a software like that for your organization:
Maximize the potential of your staff
Is it common that team members come to you with questions about what they should be doing? Perhaps they’re taking it easy even though the clock is ticking? Sounds like a real headache if you ask us.
Your staff members probably aren’t slacking off. It’s possible that they just don’t care about deadlines. Or maybe they can only see what’s right in front of them at any given time.
Awesomely enough, by keeping track of how much time they spend on various tasks, employees gain insight into how much time is required to accomplish their work and may gauge how well they are doing. Participating in your team’s productivity increases their sense of control over their time and job.
They will always have work to do if they utilize time tracking software because they can see what tasks are waiting to be completed. So, invest in one ASAP. Check out this link for more relevant info https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00866-9.
Enhance your pricing and estimations
We want you to know that maintaining detailed time logs for each project type allows for more precise quotation creation and a better first impression to potential customers.
Use the quote feature of your time tracking software to quickly and easily compare actual work hours against your estimates. Then you can low-key adjust your quotes as needed to ensure that no jobs are undervalued. You, as well as your customers, will come out on top. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
Charge customers ONLY for completed jobs
Each member of your team can probably provide a ballpark estimate of the time it takes them to finish a certain task. Therefore, an approximate value cannot replace a precise log. If you don’t keep track of how much time you spend on a project, you can’t charge the client for it.
If you perform 10 jobs per week on average, and each one takes 20 minutes longer than expected, you lose out on more than 170 billable hours each year. Timesheets ensure that workers are paid fairly for their efforts.
Pay attention to contractors
Ah freelancers! Where would we be without them in the world? If you’re using contractors or freelancers, it’s important to monitor pay close attention to their hours and workload to avoid going over budget.
We advise you to make your contractors use the same timesheets as your employees. It’s only fair, right? If you use time tracking software ASAP to keep tabs on your contractors’ working hours, you can low-key rest assured that you will only be charged for the job that has been completed. Discover more on this page.
Quickly assess how things are going
It can be challenging to keep track of the progress of individual tasks when multiple people are working on different aspects of a project (or when multiple projects are running in parallel).
Not if you have time tracking software, of course! After logging in, you’ll be able to view the current standing of every task. Sounds like a dream come true for every business owner who has a life!
Amazingly enough, if your software is hosted in the cloud, you’ll low-key be able to access this information regardless of your location by narrowing your view to a specific department or job type.
Streamline project timelines
Do projects and their milestones frequently run behind schedule? We also hate it when that happens! If that’s the case, it’s time to review your project schedule and timeline. What if you set unreasonable expectations for yourself?
You’re in luck because with time tracking software like Harvest, among other relevant options, you can learn how long it takes to complete certain tasks. It may be necessary to change your schedule to a more realistic timeline if you notice recurring patterns in specific project types or stages. Using a software like this will be a piece of cake once you get the hang of it, we’re sure!
Analyze the team’s performance
All business owners listen up! Your awesome team is the most important component of a business. They are basically the brave employees who keep the business running and blooming.
So, we want you to understand that data can be very helpful when annual performance reports come along. You can get the necessary data on individual workers and see how they stack up against the team as a whole, and all thanks to using a time-tracking software!
Team members may use this information to see how they measure up, and everyone can use it to better understand what they should be focusing on and where they need to improve. Talk about a well-managed business, right?
Stop overworking team members
It’s possible for someone to volunteer for multiple tasks, only to later realize they’ve bitten off more than they can chew. Sure, you can congratulate the brave soul for working multiple tasks at once, but does it make sense in the long run? No, of course it doesn’t.
By keeping track of who’s doing what on the team and how many hours they’ve put in, an online time clock or time tracking software can improve morale and productivity for all of your staff. So, you should be able to prevent any overloading issues before they become problematic.
