Do you think your team needs to increase their level of productivity? Can you identify which among your employees are the most efficient workers on a certain task? Are you paying your employees/freelancers according to the time they spend working on a project? Are you billing your clients accurately?
If you think you need to address these areas (and more), your business might benefit from using a time tracking tool.
A time tracking tool is a computer software that basically records the time your team spends on tasks. Before this the computer software version came out, businesses used to rely on the paper method which can be lost along the way and doesn’t provide a lot of information – except of course for the time.
If you want to know more about how a time tracking tool can streamline your business workflow, below are some of the best reasons to use the tool.
1. Your employees are able to minimize distractions while they work.
It’s no secret that there are tons of distractions at work that can negatively affect your workers’ productivity. These distractions can be social media, music, and frequent gossiping with team members. When your employees give in to these distractions, they may not be aware of the time they’re wasting on an important project. This results in delayed submission of work or them extending their stay at the office beyond working hours.
Having a time tracking tool in place helps them be more time conscious and aware of the distractions that might decrease the amount and quality of work they accomplish.
2. You are able to reward employees accordingly.
Another good reason to use a time tracking tool is to recognize employees that make a conscious effort to help your business grow. Hardworking employees are your best assets and it is only right to appreciate them for the work they do.
A time tracking tool will allow you to compare the number of hours spent by your workers and the quality of their work depending on their speed. Some workers are able to deliver quality outcomes in less time while there are those who seem to lag behind in terms of both speed and quality.
3. You can ensure accuracy when it comes to client billing.
It can be difficult to properly bill your clients if you aren’t able to keep track of time. Accurate billing will not only keep your clients happy and willing to continue working with you, you’ll also rest assured that your business won’t be losing any money. No matter the size of your team or even if you’re a solopreneur, a time tracking software will prevent you from committing errors and losing your clients’ trust – or your business.
To make things easier on your part, it would be best that you choose a time tracking tool that allows you to immediately send a client an invoice with all the information he needs – from time spent to rates and additional notes.
4. You’ll be able to identify areas that need to be improved.
Similar to increasing your employees’ productivity at work, using a time tracking tool will also help you discover problem areas that consume a lot of time. Perhaps a worker or freelancer of yours has difficulty on a particular task and needs to be retrained. And again, you can identify time wasters that should be eliminated.
5. Your team meets project deadlines.
Missing a deadline can ruin your business deal. A slow work process can cause delays and this discourages clients from working with your company in the future. To prevent missing deadlines and losing sales, you need to communicate your expectations to your team.
When using a time tracking tool, you have to let them know the least number of tasks you want them to complete within a given time frame so they can work smarter to meet the goal. Set milestones in order for you to measure your team’s progress.
Let Your Team Understand the Benefits of a Time Tracking Tool
Some of your team members may feel uncomfortable with having to use a time tracking tool. Employees may consider these tools spying. You need to communicate to your workers how the tool can keep everyone on track and productive so your business can always get the best results. To encourage your team, you can also state that the tool can help improve your company’s employee incentive program.
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