The time tracker in an online spreadsheet the best option for a business who hasn’t done this before. There are advantages and disadvantages to this option.
Monitoring working hours is an essential part of many business operations. It assists in billing, allows to keep track of productivity, and provides information that is vital.
The main challenge in monitoring the duration of work lies in finding the right tool. Just to name a few:
Paper, pen and other solutions that are low-tech are the basic basics, usually accompanied by hand-held stopwatches when the vintage is full. This is a solution that works best for highly motivated individuals and small groups.
Online spreadsheets – the obvious choice due to the fact that a majority of firms use spreadsheets for their day-to-day work
Time tracking software is the program created to only track and report on working hours. The solution is cloud-based or onto the mobile device or provided as a hybrid of both.
From the perspective of a small and medium-sized business owner From the perspective of a small or medium-sized business owner, the second option seems to be the most sensible option. In fact, it does have some advantages, but it also has a few shortcomings that are not to be ignored.
The advantages of using spreadsheets in order to keep track of time
Spreadsheets, and then, later on, web-based spreadsheets have become an insidious revolution in the world of business providing countless automated tasks for a vast number of white-collar employees. A spreadsheet that is powerful enough could be utilized to oversee the entire company as well as smaller ones can be employed to monitor processes, monitor the amount of money, track resources, or even analyze and display information.
Therefore, it shouldn’t come as an issue that the use of an Excel time tracking template to monitor the time spent working comes with several advantages.
Business intelligence
The spreadsheets, such as Excel or Google Sheets, deliver a lot of business intelligence and analytical functions. It’s not all that surprising as that’s the main reason these programs designed to do.
If they are competent or determined enough, it is possible to automate a number of tasks related to recording time, including the invoicing, overtime, and many other tasks that are usually related to payroll.
Promotion of productivity
The spreadsheet used to track the duration of time is often the first choice of companies that require or plans to implement any kind of productivity or attendance tracking system. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that prior to recording employee hours using Excel it was not possible to implement system in place, and the entire process was carried out with trust. In the end, it’s all about trust.
This system will be the initial step in determining and encouraging the efficiency of all employees. This is why the mere display of the system may provide a surprising boost to the overall efficiency.
Increased accountability
On the other hand of the coin when you create a timesheet using Excel and implementing it into the organization, it becomes easy to determine who, and the length of time they have worked on a specific project. Apart from making the invoicing easier, this solution delivers more detailed information on the effectiveness and who-and-when-did-what. This is the first step to identify the source of any productivity issues or misallocation of assets.
Comprehensive view
It is likely that the majority businesses’ processes are performed or recorded in different kinds of spreadsheets. This means that one can enhance the data on employee time tracking by adding any other data he thinks is appropriate.
Furthermore, tracking time this way means the highest data portability as well as the ability to act on it – there’s no issue making data exports in whatever format since it already has been transferred to the spreadsheet.
User-friendly
Not to mention, almost every white collar worker is familiar with Excel Google Sheets, Excel, or any other type of spreadsheet. So it is not a yet-another-tool-to-learn, but rather a next spreadsheet to use. A spreadsheet isn’t something to be worried about for the majority of users.
The benefits are fascinating and are significant in a way. However, they also come with a number of difficult disadvantages that one must be aware of.
Pros and cons that come with using spreadsheets keep track of the time
The benefits mentioned above are fascinating and could provide a significant boost to an organization of any type. The spreadsheet, though an extremely effective tool, is not specifically designed to track time. Although it is a fantastic tool for reporting on the amount of time spent however, it has a number of negatives to be counted in.
Time-consuming
The most significant disadvantage of time tracking in spreadsheets is the it takes more time and energy than is apparent at first. It is important to keep track of beginning the clock, recording minutes, adding the information into the spreadsheet and then delivering the annotations. In reality, collecting data this way can be so laborious that people are more likely to stay away from doing it, and then update their timesheet in the following time, but from memory. This is wrong and isn’t in line with the purpose.
It gets bloated.
Another problem with spreadsheets is the desire to be the ultimate source of business intelligence. It’s a great idea, however with the expanding company, the complexity and scale of spreadsheets are becoming massive. Additionally, the number of mistakes that are hidden within the spreadsheet is increasing often resulting in a slow running beast that takes more time. Every update is accompanied by a small but irritating delay.
Error – easily made
The spreadsheet is able to automate numerous fields, but not the tracking itself. This is the most critical element of the system must be performed manually, and as a result it is prone to human errors. The time tracking system can only be capable of being precise.
A Excel timesheet provides little to any tools that automatize the entire process, and in actual fact, it offers no advantages over the outdated pen-andpaper method. The person is required to use the stopwatch to transfer the information manually.
The errors in errors in the Excel tracking of project times impedes the effectiveness of other business processes, like payroll or invoicing – it.
It’s not quite as adjustable as it seems.
Excel is an excellent instrument, but it’s not a master of all trades, and tracking employee time is definitely not what it was created to serve. However, there is a way to alter Excel’s Excel workplace time tracking tool to make it better suited for the purpose of tracking time however, it will require an enormous amount of expertise and expertise in the use of the spreadsheet.
At the end of the day, making more advanced tweaks on the spreadsheet to make it into a time-tracking system, it takes an enormous effort to create a tool that isn’t yet suited for the job.
Additionally, Excel or Google Sheets are just an Excel spreadsheet, so any compliance with local laws on labor or data protection laws needs to be handled within the company.
Inaccurate reporting
Even though excel excel excels (no no pun meant) in providing information and reporting, it’s only dependent on the data collected. Without the right set of tools for gathering the data, the efficiency of the reporting subsystem suffers.
The application designed to track time provides multiple automated and troubleshooting options, including automated reminders for starting or stopping the timer, automatic transfer of data, or notifying the manager of any disturbances in the work pattern. Users of a time-tracking app can operate their clocks from the mobile or web application to make sure that the data is collected efficiently.
Not to mention, more advanced options can be employed to scan QR codes or combined with beacons in order to automate the clocking process even more. This is how the most difficult task is the gathering of data is addressed.
Summary
The spreadsheet is an incredibly versatile and flexible tool that can be used for a multitude of applications. In fact, it is able to be used to keep track of the time of attendance and other activities. However, it’s not as efficient as timesheet tools online designed for this specific goal.
It is a great option for freelancers with a hectic schedule and a person who is driven to keep track of their time and confident about the goals to reach. When utilized by more than an entire group of professionals, the system will result in more extra work than benefits. If you use the solution time tracking software the quantity of issues solved by design is an excellent incentive for any company.
