Part I: Types Of Time Tracking Methods
1.1 The paper method
For this time tracking method, all you need is a pen, paper, and your phone (or a stopwatch).
You use the phone or stopwatch to measure the time it takes you to finish an activity and then simply write down your time results on the paper.
Time tracking Track time how you want. Get the insights you need. Online timesheets Accurate, detailed timesheets that you can easily export.; Geofencing Automated work tracking based on custom locations.; Payroll software Automate and send payments in a snap with Hubstaff.; Employee monitoring App and URL tracking, optional screenshots and more.; Productivity measurement Built-in efficiency. Time Tracking Track time spent on tasks, generate spent time reports Mobile Apps Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android Email Tasks Create tasks by sending email to Hitask account Notifications. ToDo List: Invest in a ToDo List with Hitask Industries that greatly benefit from using Hitask.
Pros
- This method is easy to use anywhere.
Cons
- If you want to send someone a report of the time you've spent on a project, you'll have to scan the report or take a clear picture of it, and this can be time consuming.
- You can lose or damage the paper, in which case you are left without the report completely.
1.2 The honor system
The honor system of time tracking relies on an employee's rule of thumb estimate. You report the time you think you've spent on a project to your project manager, and they create a rough estimate of the amount you should be paid based on the hours you've worked and your hourly rates.
Pros
- This time tracking method is the easiest.
Cons
- Inaccuracy. You may underestimate or overestimate the time you've spent working, so your compensation may be less or more than what you actually earned.
- If you wish to provide a client or a project manager with detailed reports on the assignments you completed and the time that went into them, you can't because you don't have one.
1.3 The spreadsheet method
In the spreadsheet method, you use a spreadsheet template to manually add the time when you started working on a project and the time when you finished the project.
Spreadsheet templates in Excel are a popular choice, and the best practice is to add the following columns: Activity, Client, Start Time, End Time and Total Hours Worked.
Pros
- You can easily send reports to clients or the project manager
- It's more accurate than the honor system method.
Cons
- Time consuming, as you have to manually type in the data for your every move during work hours.
1.4 Time tracking software method
With time tracking software, you use an app to record your time automatically.
The main appeal of time tracking software is its accuracy as you'll know how much time you've spent on an activity down to a second.
However, some employees may find time tracking software to be an invasion on their privacy. That really depends on the type of time tracking software you use. Some tool take screenshots of employee's desktop and some don't. Autocad 2016 download free.
Still, it's important to highlight main benefits of tracking time:
- The project manager will know how team members have spent their working hours
- The team members will always have proof they have actively worked on their assignments, and they'll be paid accordingly
There are several types of methods and types of time tracking software:
- Automatic time tracking software
- Manual time tracking software
- Part of a larger project management solution
1.4.1 Automatic time tracking software
This method is the quickest, as it is the only one that doesn't need your participation at all: automatic time tracking software automatically records the time you spend on any computer activity.
But, the main issue with this effortless method is that, although it is accurate in the amount of time you spend on a computer activity, it doesn't show whether that activity was work-related or not.
For example, the app indicates you've spent 20 minutes on Facebook. But, it doesn't indicate why you've spent 20 minutes on Facebook. Were you promoting your company's services, or were you idly browsing your feed?
Although your automatic time tracking software report will show all your computer activities and the time you've spent on them, it cannot be used as a proof to the client that you've been working on your assignment, because it shows what you were doing, but not why you were doing it.
1.4.2 Manual time tracking software
With manual time tracking software, all you have to do is start the timer, indicate the type of assignment or the name of the activity, work on it, and stop the timer once you're finished.
Unlike automatic software, manual time tracking software allows you to indicate why you've spend those 20 minutes on Facebook, or other computer activities.
This makes manual time tracking software especially useful when it's time to send a detailed, accurate report to your client, which indicates that even though you've spent 20 minutes on Facebook, you've done actual work. Sugar bytes cyclop 1 2 0.
1.4.3 Time tracking as a part of larger project management solution
This method of time tracking involves a more sophisticated approach to typical time tracking software as you also have full access to tasks, files, collaboration, and other things typical to project management software.
These additional features can help create better estimates, capture all billable hours, create detailed reports, track attendances, set budget limits, allocate resources or time to projects quickly, and almost anything you need to make the project management process smooth and easy. You can track time, collaborate, and manage projects from the same place.
The problem with this integrated type of software is that:
- You may not like the project management or the time tracking aspect
- It's more difficult to use
- While good at each thing (jack of all trades), the software isn't as good as a dedicated, standalone project management or time tracking tool
Plan, Track & Summarize
Connect Jira, GitLab and GitHub
Take care of yourself
Own your data
Simply free your mind
Put a task into your project for today or schedule it to another day to keep your head free.
What others say
Free Time Tracking Software
This is fantastic!
Super Productivity at a glance
- Access everywhere
- Clean and simple task organizing interface
- Simple time tracking and eas creation of time and work sheets
- Full Jira Integration via Chrome Extension
- GitHub issue integration
- Full Control over your data
Onenote Todo List With Time Tracking
Part I: Types Of Time Tracking Methods
1.1 The paper method
For this time tracking method, all you need is a pen, paper, and your phone (or a stopwatch).
You use the phone or stopwatch to measure the time it takes you to finish an activity and then simply write down your time results on the paper.
Time tracking Track time how you want. Get the insights you need. Online timesheets Accurate, detailed timesheets that you can easily export.; Geofencing Automated work tracking based on custom locations.; Payroll software Automate and send payments in a snap with Hubstaff.; Employee monitoring App and URL tracking, optional screenshots and more.; Productivity measurement Built-in efficiency. Time Tracking Track time spent on tasks, generate spent time reports Mobile Apps Apps for iPhone, iPad and Android Email Tasks Create tasks by sending email to Hitask account Notifications. ToDo List: Invest in a ToDo List with Hitask Industries that greatly benefit from using Hitask.
Pros
- This method is easy to use anywhere.
Cons
- If you want to send someone a report of the time you've spent on a project, you'll have to scan the report or take a clear picture of it, and this can be time consuming.
- You can lose or damage the paper, in which case you are left without the report completely.
1.2 The honor system
The honor system of time tracking relies on an employee's rule of thumb estimate. You report the time you think you've spent on a project to your project manager, and they create a rough estimate of the amount you should be paid based on the hours you've worked and your hourly rates.
Pros
- This time tracking method is the easiest.
Cons
- Inaccuracy. You may underestimate or overestimate the time you've spent working, so your compensation may be less or more than what you actually earned.
- If you wish to provide a client or a project manager with detailed reports on the assignments you completed and the time that went into them, you can't because you don't have one.
1.3 The spreadsheet method
In the spreadsheet method, you use a spreadsheet template to manually add the time when you started working on a project and the time when you finished the project.
Spreadsheet templates in Excel are a popular choice, and the best practice is to add the following columns: Activity, Client, Start Time, End Time and Total Hours Worked.
Pros
- You can easily send reports to clients or the project manager
- It's more accurate than the honor system method.
Cons
- Time consuming, as you have to manually type in the data for your every move during work hours.
1.4 Time tracking software method
With time tracking software, you use an app to record your time automatically.
The main appeal of time tracking software is its accuracy as you'll know how much time you've spent on an activity down to a second.
However, some employees may find time tracking software to be an invasion on their privacy. That really depends on the type of time tracking software you use. Some tool take screenshots of employee's desktop and some don't. Autocad 2016 download free.
Still, it's important to highlight main benefits of tracking time:
- The project manager will know how team members have spent their working hours
- The team members will always have proof they have actively worked on their assignments, and they'll be paid accordingly
There are several types of methods and types of time tracking software:
- Automatic time tracking software
- Manual time tracking software
- Part of a larger project management solution
1.4.1 Automatic time tracking software
This method is the quickest, as it is the only one that doesn't need your participation at all: automatic time tracking software automatically records the time you spend on any computer activity.
But, the main issue with this effortless method is that, although it is accurate in the amount of time you spend on a computer activity, it doesn't show whether that activity was work-related or not.
For example, the app indicates you've spent 20 minutes on Facebook. But, it doesn't indicate why you've spent 20 minutes on Facebook. Were you promoting your company's services, or were you idly browsing your feed?
Although your automatic time tracking software report will show all your computer activities and the time you've spent on them, it cannot be used as a proof to the client that you've been working on your assignment, because it shows what you were doing, but not why you were doing it.
1.4.2 Manual time tracking software
With manual time tracking software, all you have to do is start the timer, indicate the type of assignment or the name of the activity, work on it, and stop the timer once you're finished.
Unlike automatic software, manual time tracking software allows you to indicate why you've spend those 20 minutes on Facebook, or other computer activities.
This makes manual time tracking software especially useful when it's time to send a detailed, accurate report to your client, which indicates that even though you've spent 20 minutes on Facebook, you've done actual work. Sugar bytes cyclop 1 2 0.
1.4.3 Time tracking as a part of larger project management solution
This method of time tracking involves a more sophisticated approach to typical time tracking software as you also have full access to tasks, files, collaboration, and other things typical to project management software.
These additional features can help create better estimates, capture all billable hours, create detailed reports, track attendances, set budget limits, allocate resources or time to projects quickly, and almost anything you need to make the project management process smooth and easy. You can track time, collaborate, and manage projects from the same place.
The problem with this integrated type of software is that:
- You may not like the project management or the time tracking aspect
- It's more difficult to use
- While good at each thing (jack of all trades), the software isn't as good as a dedicated, standalone project management or time tracking tool
Plan, Track & Summarize
Connect Jira, GitLab and GitHub
Take care of yourself
Own your data
Simply free your mind
Put a task into your project for today or schedule it to another day to keep your head free.
What others say
Free Time Tracking Software
This is fantastic!
Super Productivity at a glance
- Access everywhere
- Clean and simple task organizing interface
- Simple time tracking and eas creation of time and work sheets
- Full Jira Integration via Chrome Extension
- GitHub issue integration
- Full Control over your data
Onenote Todo List With Time Tracking
Online Time Tracking
- Clean and simple task organizing interface
- Simple time tracking and eas creation of time and work sheets
- Full Jira Integration
- GitHub issue integration
- Integrated within your desktop
- Full Control over your data
