Since ECJ ruling from 2019 Time recording is becoming increasingly important, especially in project management. This involves not only the simple recording of working time, but above all the detailed recording of times for specific activities within projects. While project-based time recording offers clear benefits, there are also concerns among employees. But what are the arguments for and against in detail? Here you can find practical tips for successfully introducing project-based time recording in your company.
What is project time recording?
ℹ️ Project time recording is the structured recording of the time required to complete a task or project.
Recording project time enables project managers to compare actual expenditure with previous planning. This allows them to verify the accuracy of their expense estimates and optimize planning for future projects. In addition, the Time recording As proof of the amount of work done to customers and helps companies to manage their time resources efficiently.
Why is project time recording so important? All benefits at a glance
Many employees see time recording systems as controlling and fear that they are only used to monitor attendance and productivity. When introducing an efficient time recording solution for projects, it is important to clarify these misunderstandings. Explain to your employees the actual purpose of recording hours and how they can benefit from it:
1. Optimized resource planning: Identify free capacities
Project-related time recording helps to estimate times and expenses in projects more precisely by ensuring that working hours are used specifically for the right activities. This is particularly important for departments such as IT, software development and administration, as they provide internal services. Time recording makes it possible to strategically check whether time is being used effectively for core projects or whether it is being taken up by supporting and operational tasks.
2nd Factor Time: Analyze Project Progress with Successful Project Controlling
Project-related time recording enables precise tracking of the actual working time required for each task. By comparing with the original expenditure plan, project managers can check whether their estimates were realistic and identify delays at an early stage. After completing several projects, the collected data enables analyses to determine which projects, tasks or processes took longer or shorter than planned, the value of high-effort projects, which yielded a lot of income with little effort, and whether sufficient resources were available.
3. Project scope: Optimize cost estimation for future projects
The analysis of past projects provides valuable insights into the effort required for specific tasks, which are incorporated into the estimation of future projects. Through precise Project time recording Development and production times can be precisely predicted, which leads to greater planning security. This enables project managers to better assess the impact of new orders on their teams' capacities and ongoing projects.
4. Invoicing: transparent proof of services provided
Project time recording is crucial for demonstrating performance to the customer. It ensures precise traceability of billable services and forms the basis for Invoicing. It offers an economic advantage, particularly for service providers and fee-based companies, as it enables the customer to make accurate and correct billing by documenting the actual hours worked.
5. Process optimization: Identify & optimize time wasters
Recording project times makes hidden expenses visible and improves the estimation of time resources — keyword: Process optimization. By using a time recording system, you precisely document all activities in a project, including “invisible” time thieves such as voting telephones, feedback loops, and administrative expenses. Based on the collected data, these can be identified and reduced through targeted measures.
6. Overtime: Documentation of Overtime for Employees
Time recording tools enable employees to track their working hours even during external appointments such as service technicians, tradesmen, Advisors and Freelancers to document completely. This ensures that the actual working hours worked are recorded regardless of where they are used. Project employees can therefore use their overtime Record precisely and claim accordingly.
7. Increase motivation and satisfaction: Milestones achieved are the key
Project time recording software increases team members' motivation, as their contribution to Project success Becomes visible to supervisors and teams. It ensures that employee performance is recognized and recognized, which benefits motivation. In addition, continuous recording of project times leads to more accurate cost estimates for recurring or similar tasks. This enables employees to better plan their time resources and avoid overwork.
Successfully recording project times with ZEP: The best tool for your company!
We have identified specific challenges in time recording and project controlling for project-oriented companies and, with ZEP, developed a software solution that goes beyond simple “time clocks” by also making it possible to allocate working hours to the corresponding projects.
ZEP also offers additional modules for Preparation of offers, Project Controlling and Invoicing, which directly access the collected data and prevent errors during manual transfers. Employees can easily manage their project times and Mobile recording — on a computer, tablet or smartphone, whether on site with the customer, while traveling, at home or in the office.
Integration into existing IT infrastructure
Make use of various Software solutions for HR, Billing and Project Management? Then I'm sure you're happy when the tool for project time recording is seamlessly integrated into your existing IT infrastructure, right? This creates efficient work processes and — as with ZEP — can also help to eliminate the need for all previously used software. Modern tools fit into your day-to-day business without creating additional administrative effort. With ZEP, for example, you can cover your entire project management — from Range Up to Invoicing.
The entered offer data is automatically transferred to the corresponding project, and your employees stamp their project times on this project so that there are no delays or errors in the final invoicing to your customer. In addition, the integration enables better data analysis and evaluation, as all relevant information can be brought together in a central system. The need for a specialized software solution for project time recording becomes clear at the latest when work processes can be optimized and thus efficiency can be increased. Because time is money, right?
Digital Project Time Recording — Efficient and Accurate
Digitalization has the manual Project time recording revolutionizes. Modern software solutions make everyday work easier, save time and minimize errors compared to manual methods. Digital systems enable projects to be planned and executed more precisely because they reduce human errors and provide accurate data. Employees can conveniently spend their time online or via mobile apps Capture what increases productivity by spending less time on administrative tasks.
Digital time recording also provides real-time analyses of working hours and project progress, so project managers can identify bottlenecks and delays early on and take action. Many softwares can be used with Interfaces Integrate with existing IT infrastructures to ensure data synchronization and avoid duplicate entries. This reduces administrative costs and improves data integrity.
Mobile project time recording — modern & flexible
Mobile project time recording is essential for modern working styles. Your employees are flexible, whether in Home office, with customers or on a business trip, and can record their project times anywhere. Mobile apps enable effortless, real-time recording of times via smartphones or tablets without being tied to specific devices or locations.
Project Managers and Executives also benefit, as they always have up-to-date data on project times and can better plan resources and tasks. In addition, can travel expenses And customer appointments are easily recorded, which enables precise billing and transparent communication. Mobile time recording also increases employee satisfaction, as they can integrate their work more flexibly into their daily routine.
Dissatisfied employees due to project time recording? Helpful expert tips!
In order to prevent potential resistance to project time recording among employees, it is important to take their legitimate concerns seriously and actively address them. Involve your employees in the implementation process of such software right from the start. With the following tips, you can promote acceptance of the need and benefits of project-based time recording:
The 3 biggest mistakes when recording & billing project times
Companies in project-oriented industries such as management consulting, IT service Or the engineering When it comes to time recording, we face the particular challenge that it is not only about who worked when, but also for whom. At the end of the day, the project work hours worked must be assigned to the corresponding projects so that they can also be invoiced to the appropriate client at the end of the project or month.
If you look at the current practice of time recording and billing in project-oriented companies, you will encounter the following three mistakes all too often.
Mistake 1: Manual Entry
In many medium-sized companies, particularly in the service sector, project time recording is still done manually using Excel lists or internal tools. Employees often see this task as a chore that is often postponed. This becomes particularly problematic during illness or vacation, when no one can record the times. Close customer contact also makes it difficult to document project times promptly. Using Excel for Project Controlling And the preparation of offers and invoices further reinforces the non-scalable and manual nature of this process.
Mistake 2: Incorrect recording
The improvised use of the Microsoft Office suite for time recording and project controlling inevitably results in the second mistake: inaccuracies arise. Tasks that no one likes to do, that are often put on the back burner and are left behind due to vacation or illness, lead to a high risk of errors. “When did I work on which project?” Is a question that is not so easy to answer if a few days or even weeks have passed since the work has been done. A continuously growing Project volume And an ever increasing variety of project work makes the answer even more complicated. As a result, it is becoming more and more common that working hours are not recorded, are assigned to the wrong project or are only noticed when the project has already been completed but the person involved in the project has been ill or on vacation.
Mistake 3: Incorrect billing
Errors in the documentation of project work times worked necessarily mean that there are also errors in project billing. Because what has not been documented cannot be billed. Many people responsible for project billing are already complaining about the high effort required to record project times completely and precisely at the time of billing.
This is because errors can occur not only when recording project times, but also when transferring them to invoicing. If this is done with Microsoft Word, errors are almost inevitable, but even manual transfer to a professional billing solution increases the risk of errors.
Common hurdles when recording project time at a glance!
Time recording per se has no disadvantages for employees, but there are often negative associations that can manifest as challenges when recording working time within the company:
- Many employees do not understand the meaning behind recording working hours.
- Complicated operation of many time recording systems is a deterrent.
- The perception that Working time recording Involves a great deal of effort, is widely used.
- Fear of not being able to achieve the expected benefits can cause resistance.
- Working hours are often not consistently entered.
- Missing feedback Productivity can reduce the motivation to participate.
- Only a few employees record their work and project times conscientiously; others don't care at all about what manipulations Enables and may impair the accuracy of time recording.
Conclusion
The introduction of project-based time recording doesn't have to cause anxiety — on the contrary, it can prove to be an extremely valuable tool for making projects more efficient and transparent.
It offers clear advantages: more precise resource planning, better control over project processes, optimized cost estimation and a comprehensible Invoicing. It is important to communicate the positive aspects of these systems to employees, to take their concerns seriously and to actively involve them in the implementation process.
For example, time recording is not seen as a control tool, but as a support for a more productive and satisfying work environment. With the right approach and the right tools such as ZEP, time recording can be a win for the entire company.
