While there are a myriad of ways to boost productivity at the office, one of the simplest (yet often overlooked) ways to do so is the implementation of an effective scheduling process. So, how exactly are scheduling and productivity related? 

The following discusses 3 key ways that effective scheduling software, combined with effective scheduling practices, leads to increased productivity.

1. Better Time Management

Perhaps the most obvious benefit that an effective scheduling process yields is better time management, for employees and managers alike. For instance, an advanced scheduling platform can provide key time management advantages in the following areas:

Reduction of Multi-tasking

With more traditional scheduling, managers are forced to constantly update employee schedules week to week (or in some cases, day to day). Many managers have to handle this task while juggling several other duties at the same time. What’s the result? One study found that, on average, productivity drops by 40% when an employee (or manager) multi-tasks.

In contrast, a platform that enables automated scheduling can drastically reduce a manager’s workload, leaving him/her more time to deal with pressing operational issues. In effect, the software allows the manager to be more productive on the job.

High Transparency for Employees

It’s easy for miscommunication to arise between managers and employees, for a number of reasons. This is certainly true when it comes to the scheduling process, especially if most workers are on rotating or variable shifts. It’s all too easy for an employee to misunderstand when he or she is supposed to come in to work, or miss a shift because of a last-minute schedule change. These unfortunate breakdowns in communication can contribute to a ton of lost productivity, along with an average absenteeism-related loss of $3,600 per year for each hourly worker.

A transparent and easily accessible scheduling system can help solve many of these communication problems. Software that automatically sends notifications of schedule changes to employees (via email and/or a dedicated app) ensures that they stay on the same page with management. Intuitive and easily-navigated calendars enable employees to get a clear understanding of when they are scheduled to work within the next few days, the next week, or the next month. 

With a visible and transparent scheduling system in place, absenteeism rates will drop, and productivity will inevitably increase.

Improved Planning Capability

On a professional and a personal level, the ability to plan is a critical skill for success. When employees have the ability to look ahead at their scheduled work week, they are in a better position to prioritize key on-the-job tasks, and thus perform more productively. Similarly, managers that have a firm grasp of when and where each employee will be working can successfully develop and execute project timelines according to business needs. Moreover, both employees and managers will enjoy a better work-life balance with a clear schedule in hand.

2. Enhanced Resource Management

Effective scheduling is not just about time management; it also enables managers to allocate resources in a more efficient manner. One of the most common examples of this principle in action involves payroll costs: specifically, payroll costs related to overtime.

It is true that the overtime option can offer several advantages to a business, such as the ability to avoid a heavy investment in new employees, and the capacity to meet busy periods and staff shortages. Nevertheless, there are also key drawbacks associated with regular overtime. These include:

• Increased labor costs (employee pay at 1.5 times the normal rate)
• More man-hours with less productivity, as employees tire and lose concentration
• Decreased morale
• A higher turnover rate

As the above points illustrate, businesses need to find a sustainable balance between using too much overtime vs too little. Effective scheduling software can contribute to this cause by helping managers keep track of which employees have already passed the overtime threshold, which ones have not, and how best to evenly distribute the workload for maximum efficiency and minimum cost. Smart overtime management can even promote worker safety, and increase employee morale overall, all of which contributes to a higher level of productivity.

3. Improved Reporting

Finally, an advanced scheduling platform should make payroll reporting and other key HR functions easier and simpler. For instance, schedule reporting can help in the following ways:

• It allows managers to better understand current business needs, such as when peak times occur, and when staffing shortages are usually encountered. 
• It enables managers to gain insight into employee behavioral patterns. For example, which employees are chronically late or absent? Which ones consistently come in early? What effect do longer shifts have on employee productivity?
• It makes data compilation and visualization much more intuitive and actionable.

Exceptional scheduling software should be compatible with robust data analytics, so that managers and other key stakeholders can view scheduling metrics as a key component of the “big data” picture.

The Importance of Effective Scheduling Software

As discussed above, effective scheduling software offers several key advantages to forward-looking companies. For instance:

• It promotes exceptional time management for supervisors and employees alike.
• It helps to eliminate preventable misunderstandings.
• It allows for a better work/life balance.
• It enables managers to cut down on labor costs, especially with regard to overtime.
• It promotes occupational safety by reducing the amount of overtime the average employee will work.
• It boasts exceptional reporting capabilities to help company leaders make better decisions.

Scheduling and Productivity Go Hand and Hand 

Time Tracker’s new scheduling feature offers all of the benefits mentioned above along with many more. If you feel like this innovative scheduling solution could help your company, then try it out for yourself with our 14-day free trial and find out how scheduling can improve your company’s productivity. 

Read more: New Time Tracker’s Employee Scheduling

The post How Are Scheduling and Productivity Related? appeared first on eBillity.

Why eBillity is One of the Best Time Tracking Apps

By using advanced time tracking software like Time Tracker by eBillity, you can empower your team to do the best work possible and make the most of their time. Time Tracker was designed to be customizable, flexible, and scalable for your business as it grows and develops. See how Time Tracker compares to the competition and discover why it’s one of the best time tracking apps for your business.

Customization

One of the most important factors in a time tracking app is the ability to customize options based on your business needs. Time Tracker has custom tracking options that our competitors lack – making our solution a great fit for companies across various sectors. 

With Time Tracker, in addition to weekly timesheets, you have the option to choose between either Timers or Time Cards as your default time tracking method. Do you work with a variety of clients in the professional services or legal sector with heavy invoicing needs? Then the Timer option is the best fit for you. 

The Timer includes lots of key features and benefits:

• Down to the second time tracking with the ability to start, stop and pause one or multiple timers
• The option to switch between projects, activities, and clients 
• The ability to mark time as billable or non-billable
• Mark the (time entry) billing type as hourly or a flat rate
• Mark the (time entry) billing rate as standard or overtime
• Option to add the time entry to an invoice

Time Cards are also an option for your time tracking needs. If you’re in HR or an administrative role that handles payroll, Time Cards are a great solution for your needs. With a Time Card, employees can easily clock in and out, take paid or unpaid breaks, switch between projects and monitor hours spent on each, and see data that informs if they’re tracking at a standard or overtime rate.

With Time Cards, managers can also:

• Create alerts to notify employees about their break times
• Set employee time thresholds to automatically calculate overtime and double-time rates
• Set up alerts for admin and employees so they receive notification before overtime and double time occurs
• Set time rounding up or down (where an employee who clocks in at 8:55 am will be rounded to 9:00 am)

Having the customizable option of both Timers and Time Cards is one of the top reasons why Time Tracker by eBillity is one of the best time tracking apps. Best of all, everything can be done through the app so you can manage tasks on the go, and your team members can easily keep their time information up-to-date from anywhere.

Deeper Insights

Any app that’s considered the best time tracking app needs to be able to easily collect, track, and measure data. Data is an important piece of any business, whether you’re tracking data from customers and potential clients or measuring the internal functions of business and employees.

Here at eBillity, we understand that data works differently for any business – from professional service companies who handle client billing to a payroll clerk who manages employee time. That’s why we created a flexible, customizable dashboard so you can access the features and information that matter most. Simply build your dashboard, customize your widgets, and create shortcuts for easy reporting and you can start digging into the deep insights you need to know for optimal time tracking.

Add-On Tools

We’re constantly working to make all of eBillity’s products better suited for the needs of our customers, and one way we do so is through add-on features. Our +Billing add-on feature includes everything you need for payroll, billing, and productivity. Easily ensure profitability on projects, track expenses, and generate client-branded invoices in no time.

We also have a special add-on made for lawyers and those working at law firms. Our +Legal add-on helps firms accurately track time against matters for client billing. Designed specifically for law firms with built-in ABA codes, a conflict checker, realization reports and more, law firms use Time Tracker to:

• Invoice clients and receive prompt online payments
• Manage trust accounts
• Export invoices in LEDES or LSS formats
• Process ACH and credit card payments instantly with Stripe
• Build trust with their clients through branded client portal

A Solution You Can Count On

With Time Tracker by eBillity, your team is empowered to keep timekeeping for payroll, and billing simple. You can customize the app to meet the unique needs of your business. You can easily select your time tracking method, customize your dashboard for deeper insights and better prioritization, and incorporate add-on features like expense tracking and client invoicing. 

We’re committed to constantly improving our products and creating new features that empower our users to be more productive and efficient. That’s why Time Tracker by eBillity is one of the best time tracking apps on the market. Start a free trial today!

Read More: New Time Tracker’s Employee Scheduling

The post Here’s Why Time Tracker by eBillity is One of the Best Time Tracking Apps appeared first on eBillity.

Here’s how to customize your dashboard:

Click on the settings icon to open the Dashboard Settings. 

Step 1: Select the Data You Need to Know About

To add and remove widgets from the “Widgets on my Dashboard”, click on the “+” to add or “x” to remove. Once you have completed this step, “save” and close. 

Step 2: Prioritize Widgets in Your Dashboard

The widgets can easily be prioritized and sorted by importance. Drag and drop the widget to the location you prefer, it is as easy as that!

In addition to the customizable dashboard, Time Tracker also offers live and editable reports which can be exported into nine different formats. And, if you are short of time (like most of us) try the automated feature and have the reports emailed to the managers who need to see them on the day you set.

Start a free trial today and test out our reporting

The post Customize Your Dashboard For Simple Reporting appeared first on eBillity.