Time-tracking software is a category of

computer software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...

that allows its employees to record time spent on tasks or projects. The software is used in many industries, including those who employ freelancers and hourly workers. It is also used by professionals who bill their customers by the hour. These include

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...

freelancer ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...

s and

accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certifi ...

s. The time-tracking software tool can be used stand-alone or integrated with other applications like

project management Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. Th ...

software,

customer support Customer support is a range of services to assist customers in making cost effective and correct use of a product. It includes assistance in planning, installation, training, troubleshooting, maintenance, upgrading, and disposal of a product. Reg ...

and

accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "languag ...

. Time tracking software is the electronic version of the traditional paper

timesheet A timesheet (or time sheet) is a method for recording the amount of a worker's time spent on each job. Traditionally a sheet of paper with the data arranged in tabular format, a timesheet is now often a digital document or spreadsheet. The time ...

. Aside from timesheet software, time-tracking software also includes time-recording software, which uses

user activity monitoring In the field of information security, user activity monitoring (UAM) is the monitoring and recording of user actions. UAM captures user actions, including the use of applications, windows opened, system commands executed, checkboxes clicked, text e ...

(UAM) to record the activities performed on a

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

and the time spent on each

project A project is any undertaking, carried out individually or collaboratively and possibly involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular goal. An alternative view sees a project managerially as a sequence of even ...

and task.

Types of time-tracking software

; Timesheet : Allows users to manually enter time spent on tasks. ; Time-tracking/recording : Automatically records activities performed on a computer. Time-tracking software can be: * Standalone: Used only to record timesheets and generate reports. * Integrated as part of: ** Accounting systems, e.g. timesheet data fed directly to company accounts. ** Billing systems, e.g. to generate invoices, especially for contractors, lawyers, etc. ** Project management systems, e.g. timesheet data used by

project management software Project management software (PMS) has the capacity to help plan, organize, and manage resource tools and develop resource estimates. Depending on the sophistication of the software, it can manage estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control an ...

to visualize the effort being spent on projects or tasks. ** Payroll systems, e.g. to pay employees based on time worked. ** Resource scheduling, e.g. bi-directional integration allows schedulers to schedule staff to tasks, which, once complete, can be confirmed and converted to timesheets.

Timesheet software

Timesheet software is software used to maintain

s. It was popularized when computers were first introduced to the office environment with the goal of automating heavy paperwork for big organizations. Timesheet software allows entering time spent performing different projects & tasks. When used within companies, employees enter the time they've spent on tasks into electronic timesheets. These timesheets can then be approved or rejected by supervisors or project managers. Since 2006, timesheet software has been moving to mobile platforms (smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, etc.) enabling better tracking of employees whose work involves multiple locations.

Time-tracking/recording software

Time-tracking/recording software automates the time-tracking process by recording the activities performed on a computer and the time spent on each of them. This software is intended to be an improvement over timesheet software. Its goal is to offer a general picture of computer usage. Automatic time-tracking/recording software records and shows the usage of applications, documents, games, websites, etc. When used within companies, this software allows monitoring the productivity of employees by recording the tasks they perform on their computers. It can be used to help filling out timesheets. When used by

s, this software helps to create reports for clients (e.g. timesheets and invoices) or to prove work that was done.

Time-tracking methods

There are several ways companies track employee time using time tracking software. ; Durational : Employees enter the duration of the task but not the times when it was performed. ; Chronological : Employees enter start and end times for the task. ; Automatic: The system automatically calculates time spent on tasks or whole projects, using a connected device or a personal computer, and user input using start and stop buttons. Users can retrieve logged tasks and view the duration, or the start and stop times. ; Exception-based : The system automatically records standard working hours except for approved time off or

LOA ( ), also called loa or loi, are spirits in the African diasporic religion of Haitian Vodou. They have also been incorporated into some revivalist forms of Louisiana Voodoo. Many of the lwa derive their identities in part from deities venerat ...

. ; Clock-in clock-out : Employees manually record arrival and departure times. ; Monitoring : The system records active and idle time of employees. It might also record screen captures. ; Location-based : The system determines the working status of employees based on their location. * Resource-scheduling: by scheduling resources in advance, employees schedules can be easily converted to timesheets.

Benefits of time-tracking software

Tracking time can increase

productivity Productivity is the efficiency of production of goods or services expressed by some measure. Measurements of productivity are often expressed as a ratio of an aggregate output to a single input or an aggregate input used in a production proces ...

, as businesses can track time spent on tasks and get a better understanding of what practices causes the employees to waste time. Time tracking software enhances accountability, by documenting the time it takes to finish given tasks. The data is collected in database and could be used for data analysis by the

human resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include m ...

departments. Features offered by time-tracking software include: * Automatic generation of invoices to the professional's clients or customers based on the time spent. * Tracking of cost overruns for fixed cost projects. *

workforce management Workforce management (WFM) is an institutional process that maximizes performance levels and competency for an organization. The process includes all the activities needed to maintain a productive workforce, such as field service management, human ...

packages which track attendance, employee absences, human resources issues, payroll, talent management, and labor analytics. * Helps to track productive & non-productive hours. * Create

accountability Accountability, in terms of ethics and governance, is equated with answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the publ ...

& transparency between employers and employees. * It helps evaluate the team’s

workflow A workflow consists of an orchestrated and repeatable pattern of activity, enabled by the systematic organization of resources into processes that transform materials, provide services, or process information. It can be depicted as a sequence of ...

References