Automated time tracking is the natural solution to ensure that your people are accurately paid, and any billable hours are precisely recorded. Of course, making the leap from a manual to automated time tracking system is something your workforce must do as a team. As time tracking experts, Time Tracker by eBillity can help you build the foundations of automated time tracking and usher in a smooth transition to help your workforce begin tracking time in an efficient, transparent, and easy-to-manage automated system.

These helpful tips will make your planning and transition experience easier for the whole team.

1) Identify Your Time Tracking Needs

The first step in updating your company’s time tracking system is to identify your specific business needs. These needs are likely what has led you to consider an automated time system, from handling a large workforce to preparing precise invoices.

Here are some of the most common priorities for time tracking software:

• Shift work time tracking
• Flexible hours’ time tracking
• Project time allocation and efficiency
• Billable hours tracking and transparency
• Scalability and adaptive functionality
• Quick and easy time clocking
• Simple record adjustments
• Integration with payroll and billing software

Time tracking might be universal to all businesses, but it fits into the workflow in very different ways. Some companies need to track shift work, some need to track flexible hours, and some need to track individual project productivity. You might require scalability, using a time tracking system that can grow with your company and maintain clean records across multiple locations. Your company may need to track both employee working hours and specific billable hours for clients.

Existing challenges might also factor in. Struggling with a manual time tracking system can give you a very good idea of the efficiency, transparency, and accessibility you’d like to see in an automated time system. Knowing how the current process is impacting internal performance paints a clear picture of what you could achieve if the hurdles of manual time tracking were removed.

2) Research and Compare Your Software Options

Automated time tracking is a digital solution that tracks how much time is spent on tasks while minimizing manual input. There are several ways to automate time tracking to reduce the risk of missing records, inaccurate entries, and time tracking mistakes.

When searching for the right automated time tracking software, it’s important to do your research. Explore the pros and cons of the available solutions and make sure your chosen solution has all the features you need.

Make a List of Candidates

Explore several time tracking software solutions that might suit your company’s needs. Make a list of three to five automated time trackers and begin your research project.

Explore Reviews and Previews

For each solution on your list, read detailed user reviews and explore available previews of the software. Take note of what people like best and what features seem to be apparent. Remember that not every claimed feature works in the dreamy way it is advertised, so it’s best to get real user feedback and see the app in action to get a good idea of how each automated time tracking solution might work for your company.

Determine Pros and Cons

Make a list of pros and cons for each solution that you research. Each one will have a different balance of features and downsides. It’s important to find the right balance. The solution you choose should have the time tracking features, convenience, and integration you need with downsides that have a minimal effect on your intended workflow.

Common Pros of Time Trackers include:

• Digital time entries
• Dashboards and reports
• Calendars and widgets

Common Cons of Time Trackers include:

• Clunky interfaces
• Manual data correction
• Manual payroll/billing exports

Time Tracker makes your research phase easy by offering a comprehensive free trial. You don’t have to guess the features or rely solely on third-party reviews. You can explore the app for yourself to discover if the features, integrations, and automatic time tracking capabilities are right for your company workflow.

3) Define Your Upgrade Budget

When investing in a new software solution for your business, budget is an important consideration. Now that you have a clear idea of what current automated time tracking software has to offer, you are in position to determine an appropriate budget for the project.

Scalable Seat Budgeting

Your budget will determine which software options are within your price range. Most business solution software like time tracking is offered by the “seat” or the number of employees who will be using the system. This allows you to easily scale your solution and your budget to match the size of your company. 

Transition Investment

Don’t forget to calculate for your transition process, as well as the software itself. Device setup and training have a calculable cost in time and materials. A successful budget for any upgrade project is a budget that comprehensively includes all related costs.

Calculating for ROI

Consider how to calculate the return-on-investment (ROI) that would come from transitioning to automated time tracking software. You may be able to calculate the time saved waiting at the punch clock, correct records, and manually enter data into payroll each week. Consider the money saved from accurate time tracking or the additional revenue you can make with more accurate and transparent billable hours records. These savings and earning opportunities will eventually ROI the cost of your time tracking upgrade.

4) Consider New Data Collection Methods

An essential part of efficient time tracking is how your time data is collected. Automated time tracking minimizes the need for manual entries with a combination of schedules, detection, and streamlined interactions. Every workforce is different. Highlight how different types of workforces may track time differently. For example, some companies exist entirely of remote employees requiring a web-based time and attendance solution, while others want employee time clock hardware for their office.

Adaptive time tracking software makes it possible to shape your data collection to the structure and flow of your workforce. Backed with security measures like identity detection and location tracking, it is possible to ensure both easy and accurate time tracking data.

There are many potential data collection methods with a solution like Time Tracker.

Digital Time Clock Kiosk

If your workplace functions best with an on-site time clock, trade out the clunky old device for a streamlined kiosk with a touch-screen interface. You can invest in a dedicated device or mount a tablet loaded with your time tracking software.

This makes it possible for your team to clock in as they arrive, clock out at the end of their shift, and quickly tap the screen when it’s time for a break. On-site kiosks work best for companies where the work is based on your company’s physical location.

Mobile App Flexible Time Tracking

Time Tracker is also available through a mobile app. This makes it possible for employees to clock themselves in whenever and wherever they begin work. Remote workers, hybrid schedules, or simply dodging the line at the kiosk, employees can make sure their day starts exactly on time – or whenever they put in a few extra hours.

Mobile app data collection is paired with GPS location tracking so you can confirm the employee is at work, with a client, or in a known office location when they clock in. This method of time tracking is also extremely useful when your clients travel, work a few hours during vacation, or build their own schedules.

Schedule-Building and Keeping

Many companies benefit from the ability to build a schedule that helps employees clock in and out on time. Reminders are used to ping employees when it’s time to take a break or wrap up at the end of the day. Employees can use the time tracking app to check when they are scheduled to be at work and clock in when they arrive or begin working at home.

Schedule building and keeping is ideal for any team with a schedule that can change and if your team has struggled with consistent manual time entries in the past. Employees can, instead, respond to the schedule reminder to clock in and out at the right times.

Task-Based Time Tracking

Time tracking isn’t just for clocking payroll hours. It can also be used to track progress on specific tasks and projects. Task-based time tracking can help you measure efficiency and insightfully allocate your employee’s time. It is also essential for businesses that bill clients based on billable hours. Task-based time tracking creates a transparent record of the exact hours worked on each client’s project.

5) Conduct a Trail Run

One of the best ways to discover how a new time tracking system works for your business is to conduct a trial run.  A free trial or temporary subscription can allow you to implement the new time tracking system with a few select team members. You can set up a kiosk or connect teams through their workstations and mobile devices using each time tracking app that you wish to explore.

A trial run can help you discover whether a system’s set of features are suitable to your business needs and if the design fits efficiently into your workflow. Feedback from your teams may also be useful. Feedback offers direct insights into the benefits your team members enjoy when tracking their time in comparison to your existing manual time tracking procedure.

6) Training for Employees

Once the decision has been made to switch to an automated time tracking software, it will be important to introduce employees to the new software and train them on how to use it. 

Employee Introduction and Training

Start by implementing the new software and integrating it with your payroll and billing systems. Then, initiate training for your employees who will be using the new software. Give them a tour of the features and then walk them through the procedures that go into time tracking for each role and routine. With a diverse automated time tracking system, different departments can even track their time with a variety of data collection methods best suited to their separate routines.

Manager Time Software Training

Managers should also go through training on how to use the new time software to streamline insights and performance. Managers will need to know how to audit time tracking records, build schedules, set reminders, and approve requests for time off.

Each team manager may also want to focus on the specific methods and workflows of time tracking that apply to their team’s style.

Develop New Time Tracking Best Practices

One of the most important steps for employees and managers is creating a new list of time tracking best practices that align with the automated system you’ve chosen to implement. 

Give helpful tips on how to make time tracking easy and accurate. Provide guidelines on data entry, timely arrival, and identity confirmation. Share the best procedure on how to build a framework of tasks that employees can track time on individually, how to take breaks, and how to clock in from home for remote work, if relevant.

7) Monitor Progress

The final stage of any major business upgrade is to monitor the changes. Very soon, you will see the difference made by accurate, complete, and automated time tracking and the progress your workforce is making toward a completely integrated system.

You may notice more accurate payroll, deeper insights on productivity, better client invoicing. You may also notice that grumbling around the timesheet or machine around clock-in and clock-out times has become a thing of the past. Any new frustration is likely the simple result of unfamiliarity. Proper training can help to smooth your entire team’s transition process for a more enjoyable and efficient time tracking experience.

Explore Time Tracker with a Free Trial

If you are looking for an automated time tracking solution for your business, eBillity makes it easy to explore our Time Tracker app before you commit. Explore our 14-day free trial to discover if our versatile time tracking app is the right fit for your business. Contact us today to schedule a demo, consult on your time tracking needs, or simply begin your free trial to learn more. 

The post 7 Tips for Transitioning from a Manual to Automated Time Tracking System appeared first on eBillity.

What is Time Tracking and Billing Software?

Time tracking software for accountants is a tool that helps businesses monitor and record the amount of time an employee spends on a given task or project. This information is used for billing clients, project management, and productivity analysis. In accounting, keeping track of billable hours is a critical part of doing business, and such accounting timekeeping software provides accurate and efficient record-keeping. The software also eliminates manual data entry, making it easy for team members to submit real-time and accurate time logs.

Why Should Accountants Use Time Tracking and Billing Software?

Time tracking software for accountants can significantly improve invoicing and reporting accuracy and efficiency within your organization. The tool can track multiple invoices at a time and simplifies the generation of reports, thus saving you time to focus on other critical business aspects. Consider this, if your accounting team is tallying timesheets and processing payroll every week, this task is taking time away from other work responsibilities and is not cost-effective. Billing software automates all these tasks and makes your accounting team more productive.

Time-tracking solutions are also helpful in reducing idle time among employees. Employees often spend time without realizing it, but the 5 minutes spent on little distractions add up at the end of the day. Time and billing solutions for accountants give better oversight on how time is spent, which can help employees become more productive and accountable for their working hours. Other reasons that may influence you to try time and billing software include a spike in data input errors due to manual processes, high employee absenteeism rates, low project profit margins, client invoicing delays, and frequently missed deadlines.

Some of the critical business benefits you can unlock with time and billing software include:

• Complete and accurate capture of billable hours for improved profitability as you can identify the most and least profitable clients and then make necessary adjustments
• Time entry for staff is made easier
• Improved visibility on the utilization of labor resources which can help in improving your workforce
• Increased customer satisfaction through timely billing and comprehensive and transparent reports of how they were billed
• Reduces administrative costs associated with manual time collection and invoice creation since the software automates all these actions
• Eliminates the use of paper timesheets and excel spreads to track employee time

Features That the Best Time Tracking Software Have in Common

Multiple time tracking software solutions with different feature sets and user experience needs are available. However, the benefits you experience hinge on the tool you choose to work with. The best tool must deliver all the essential features your employees and business need to track billable hours and should also streamline interactions with clients by providing spot-on estimates and delivering accurate and timely invoices.

Here are some top features you should look for when hunting for the best time and billing software for accountants:

Time Trackers

This feature allows employees to measure and track how long it takes to complete specific tasks. The tracker can pause for breaks or stop and restart once you move on to the next task/project. For example, consider a time tracker that supports manual input tasks outside the program, such as in-person meetings or research projects. Some tools come with built-in break timers that allow users to specify the duration and frequency of their breaks. The program then automatically issues a reminder when they are due for a break.

Timesheets

Timesheets comprehensively overview an employee’s weekly work hours and tasks. Depending on your program and preference, this report can also be submitted at the end of the pay period. In addition, some programs feature templates and copy tools that employees can use to duplicate schedule timesheets without many variations.

Client invoicing

Client invoicing is an essential feature for accountants in time tracking and billing software. It helps generate invoices for billable work hours and you can even see the payment status. Some tools also include total balance and invoice ID numbers on the billing dashboard.

Expense reports

This feature helps you track your budget for a project and keep your profit margin broad. You can see how much of your budget remains, calculate internal costs, and keep spending in check. Some tools go as far as providing visual representations, such as charts and graphs, to help you visualize the associated costs of a project versus the profits.

Team overviews

This feature gives you oversight over employee roles, hours worked, and billable hours. It can also help you evaluate your team’s overall capacity to ensure you spend your time effectively and avoid unnecessary overtime.

User profiles

Having your employee profiles is essential for scheduling and payroll processing. The profiles outline how many hours employees are available to work and their pay rate, deductions, projects, and time-off requests. User profiles can also help you track your employees’ absences, job titles, and contact information.

Project management tools

Time tracking and billing tools can also double up as project management platforms. This allows you to monitor project progress, expenditures, and assigned team members.

Payment processing integrations

The ideal time tracking and billing software generates client invoices and lets you track payment progress in real-time. Once your client receives their invoice, they can initiate payment with just one click, redirecting them to your payment gateway. This is often a separate integration from the tracking program, but you can confirm if your chosen software supports it.

User-friendly interface

These features can only be helpful if your team members can use the system to its full potential. Therefore, ensure that the program is easy to navigate and, if possible, can be personalized to suit your needs.

Alerts and Notifications

Some programs allow you to set notifications based on your business objectives and personal preferences. For example, you can select the program to alert you when employees reach their work capacity.

Tips for Choosing the Best Time Tracking and Billing System for Accountants

• Identify an appropriate price point and select the best contenders based on your budget. You will also need to determine which pricing model works best for you. For example, do you prefer a flat fee or a monthly subscription?
• Determine your use case based on the gaps you want to fill in your organization. For example, is there something that needs to be added to your current accounting toolbox? Also, consider what you hope to achieve with the implementation of the software.
• Identify must-have features that the tracking software must include for it to be a valuable investment for your business.
• Get user feedback from clients or employees on what they expect from their time tracking software. Their input can help set the standards for the new time tracking and billing tool you should use.
• Evaluate your current software setup to identify the functions and features you need to fill in the gaps and ensure you get a system compatible with your existing go-to apps.
• Analyze your business’s current and future needs and then pick a program that best fulfills those needs.
• Take a test drive with a free trial, if available, before committing.

Why Time Tracker by eBillity Stands Out from the Rest

Time Tracker by eBillity is a flexible time and billing software that allows teams to track time and expenses for payroll, projects, and client billing. We understand that time is a valuable resource, and although managing it is difficult, it must be done, nonetheless. Using our time tracking and billing software for accountants can ripple effect on your organization, helping you work efficiently and maximizing your ROI. Signup for 14 days free trial today and join hundreds of other accountants and bookkeepers enjoying increased productivity and profitability. You can also join eBillity’s Advisor Program and enjoy 20% commission and other benefits as you help your clients and business partners grow.

The post Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing Time and Billing Software for Accountants appeared first on eBillity.