Time Management with Scoro: Guide to Effective Time Tracking

Quite many Productivity books and methods recommend tracking time. From individuals looking to boost their discipline, focus and billing, to project teams figuring out where are the gains and biggest time thieves. In order to be effective, one has to know the time distribution.

On what exactly our time is spent and how to predict required time for tasks and projects? The answer, of course, is data – accumulated data of tracked time. Based on data – on real knowledge on how much time did we spend on similar tasks and projects, can be a great advantage in predicting and quoting future projects. From individual telling deadline to his boss, to project teams telling their clients their delivery dates.. the problem remains the same – humans are optimistic and greatly underestimate required time and never count in all things that can possibly go wrong. Over and over again.

Don’t take our word for it! There’s a great book “How Big Things Get Done” by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardiner, who have accumulated data about time and budget, planned vs actual for hundreds of projects from Empire State Building to oversea tunnels, to distill most fatal errors that lead to missed deadlines and quadruple budgets.
Among the important is planning on pure assumptions and wrong anchors, instead of data from similar projects.

Right, let’s dive in why and how track time effectively using time management programs, like Scoro built-in time tracker widget. Scoro offers powerful time tracking tools that help businesses of all sizes optimize their operations even in starter packs.

This guide explores the benefits of time tracking, the comparison between manual and automatic systems, and provides insights into when and how time track to its fullest potential.

First things first – Why Track Time?

Time tracking is more than just recording hours; it’s a strategic approach that offers numerous benefits:

First – Productivity: By monitoring how time is spent, teams can identify inefficiencies and improve time allocation. It is a simple truth – as soon as you will have this data, all time thieves and costly processes will just pop out right in your face. All you need is a courage to optimize.
Proper Project Planning: Time tracking provides valuable data that helps with next project scheduling, forecasting, and resource allocation, ensuring projects will stay on track and within budget.
Increased Accountability: Employees become more accountable for their time, which enhances work discipline and focus.
Client Transparency: Detailed time tracking allows for transparent reporting to clients, building trust and improving client satisfaction. Trust is vital ingredient for longevity of B2B business relations and next projects with these clients.

Manual vs. Automatic Time Tracking

Choosing between manual and automatic time tracking depends on your business needs:

Manual Time Tracking involves logging hours worked using traditional methods like spreadsheets or paper. While it gives individuals control over the recording process, it can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
Automatic Time Tracking, offered by systems like Scoro, uses software to record time spent on tasks automatically. This method ensures accuracy, saves time, reduces overhead, and minimizes human error.

Benefits of Scoro’s Time Tracking Features

Scoro’s time tracking functionalities are designed to streamline the process and offer detailed insights into how employees spend their working hours. Key benefits include:

Integrated Time Tracking: Scoro integrates time tracking directly into your project management and CRM tools, providing a seamless workflow.
Real-Time Data: Gain instant insights into team productivity and project status, allowing for timely adjustments.
Customizable Reports: Generate detailed reports to analyze performance, plan future projects more effectively, and ensure compliance with budget constraints.
Automated Billing: Automatically convert tracked time into billable hours to ensure accurate invoicing, reducing the administrative burden.

When to Implement Time Tracking

Time tracking is most beneficial when:

Managing Projects: To ensure projects remain on schedule and within budget.
Billing Clients: To provide transparent billing based on accurate work hours.
Optimizing Workflows: To identify bottlenecks and improve process efficiency.
Remote Work: To manage and synchronize remote teams effectively.

When Not to Implement Time Tracking

While time tracking has numerous benefits, there are situations where it might not be necessary:

Low-Value Activities: It may not be cost-effective to track time spent on trivial or administrative tasks that don’t significantly impact productivity or profitability.
Non-billable Tasks: If the task does not contribute directly to client work or revenue, detailed tracking might not be needed.
Creative Work: Excessive monitoring can hinder creativity, as it puts pressure on employees to focus on speed over innovation.

Implementing time tracking for your team can really make a difference. Important note – over time. Do not make conclusions too early, gather data with enough volume and activity types distribution to allow to make conclusions and decisions. There are time tracking apps that sit in your desktop and track all open documents, all open webpages. Well, it can help control the environment and watch over employees, but you are after something else – when we are productive and make money versus what we think we are doing. Know it! Tracking open documents though can be a great tool for legal businesses charging hourly for working on case related documents.

With Scoro can transform how your business manages time, enhancing both productivity and profitability. Whether you opt for manual or automatic time tracking and management, understanding the right contexts and methods for tracking time will empower your team to achieve more in less time. Scoro’s time tracking tools are designed to fit seamlessly into common workflows, making it easier than ever to keep your projects on track and under budget. Budget is a different story – time is money and in order to know where you are with the budget, besides bills you need to know the monetary value of time spent.

With Scoro, take control of your time management and unlock the full potential of every hour spent at work. Get started today and experience the profound impact of effective time tracking on your business’s success.

Here’s what we offer – a free of charge Teams meeting where we show planning, scheduling and tracking in Scoro. This might be the right solution for your team!