For businesses that use time tracking software to bill clients for hours worked, getting team members’ buy-in to the system is critical. Unless they use the system conscientiously, there’s no guarantee that billing hours are accurate. Even if hours aren’t billed, inaccurate tracking by team members can lead to missed deadlines, poor project management, and other costly errors.
Buy-in from team members depends on effective communication about time tracking benefits when the system is introduced. Waiting until after the software is deployed to give your team members tutorials may be too late. You will want to ensure team members are committed to using it correctly.
Here’s a roundup of five benefits that team members may not realize they can receive from time tracking software.
Encourages Self-Management
When autonomous time tracking is used for projects and tasks, team members have more freedom to manage their own working time. Time tracking also provides an incentive to stay focused on assigned tasks instead of letting other work eat up the day. It helps cut down on unproductive multi-tasking and confusion about priorities.
It can also reduce the number of status updates requested by management since each team member’s activity information is available in time tracking reports.
Provides Self-Assessment
For self-aware team members, a time tracking system can provide valuable insights into work habits and patterns. Time data analysis can be used to determine how much time is spent on important project work vs. time spent on repetitive tasks that could be streamlined.
It can also be used to determine a team member’s most productive working hours and the impact of interruptions on the amount of work completed. For team members who procrastinate, time tracking can highlight what they’re doing in place of whatever is being put off.
Promotes Transparency
With more team members working remotely, staying visible is more important than ever. Team leaders can’t pop in for an informal chat the same way they might in a physical office. Time tracking allows team members to provide continuous proof about what they’ve been working on. Time reports can be used in team meetings or during a performance review to demonstrate how productive or efficient they’ve been.
Team members who feel overworked can point to the evidence in their tracked time. For team leaders, knowing where each team member is spending their time can be an invaluable aid when assigning tasks and balancing team resources.
Increases Productivity
Project management should entail more than crossing off completed tasks on a list. Time tracking provides an additional dimension, showing how long it took to complete a task and whether there were any tradeoffs, like other scheduled tasks not being completed on time. Knowing that time must be logged for a specific task encourages completion in the shortest time possible for team members.
For team leaders, time analysis can show if a team member consistently spends too much time on a particular type of task, indicating a possible training opportunity. It can also show when a project needs more team members assigned or a different mix of team members with different skills.
Improves Morale
Team members who aren’t receiving recognition for their work may become demotivated. When time is tracked and reported to management, all team members have a better chance of being recognized for their achievements. Time tracking is also valuable when one team thinks they have an unfair workload and don’t think another team is putting in the same effort.
Overall, the increased transparency that time tracking provides helps foster greater trust and respect in the work environment. Team leaders who rely on time tracking data to determine status are less likely to resort to micromanagement, frequent meetings, and other irritating management ploys to find out what their teams are up to. Instead, they have more time for supporting team members and helping to develop their talents and skills.
Contact coAmplifi today to learn how our project management platform can help improve your team’s morale, performance, accountability, and more!
