Manual timesheet and expense tracking can be very inefficient as well as time consuming.
If this process is not easy to follow, the resulting data is often incomplete and
late.
Employees often find their time and expense tracking process monotonous and difficult
to follow. This results in management having to constantly ask employees for timesheets.
When the data is finally ready to be submitted, a manual system means:
- Employees have to dig up the right forms and look up the right project codes.
- Employees may forget how they spent their time and now have to figure out what they
did in the past, which wastes more time and can be very inaccurate.
- Employees may forget to fill out every field or they leave out some of their time.
- Employees can’t record their time easily when outside the office.
- An administrator has to run around and collect forms from everybody.
These are just a few of the possible reasons for any procrastination encountered
when asking for timesheets.
When trusting to a manual system, managers rely on the individual employee’s method
of tracking. These are usually Excel sheets or printed, hand-written time and expense
sheets with reminders on papers and sticky notes. In situations like this, the potential
for error is not only possible, it’s very likely.
Dealing with inaccurate submissions and timelines and making sure the approval path
goes in the proper order should not be taking valuable time away from a manager’s
day. What would happen if the approving manager was out for the day, sick or on
vacation? Does
the project approval have to wait? Are most of the project approvals dependant on
one person? Could another manager step in, if necessary, and pick up where they
left off?
A web-based automated system eliminates having to constantly ask people for their
timesheets. Employees receive automatic reminders ensuring timesheets are completed
and submitted on time. An automated system means:
- Necessary project details such as project names, dates and codes are pre-defined
in a drop down box.
- Employees can access the system at any time, recording their work as it is completed,
ensuring accurate submissions.
- The system instantly checks the timesheet to ensure it is completed as required.
There is no possibility for any omissions.
- Employees are able to log on and enter their time from anywhere with an Internet
connection, be it their office, their home or even a client’s office.
- The timesheet is automatically submitted to the right person in sequence with the
click of a button.
This overall process allows employees to avoid omissions and record their time much
more accurately. Managers are able to log in and view employee timesheets to instantly
know who has submitted data and who has not. Reports can be generated in real time
giving the most up-to-date information for timely approvals.
An automated timesheet and expense system is simple to administer and most importantly,
simple for the casual user to enter time for project tracking, status and billing.
With a process in place that is easy to follow, the data a manager receives is accurate
and timely.