A time tracking app is essential for businesses, especially with the pandemic forcing most employees to work from home. Moreover, such apps offer many advantages like improved productivity and better revenues (through accurate billing of work hours).
Today, no business can depend on traditional methods like spreadsheets or other paperwork, all of which are time-consuming. The need for an app for tracking employee time has been there for some time now.
However, the pandemic has made it essential for all businesses to use such apps to maintain accurate hours worked by employees. These apps help you know how your employees spend their time while working remotely.
Here are some essential steps to follow:
Get it Customized to Suit your Payroll System.
You need to ensure that the digital time tracking app is a perfect fit for your business. Customizing an app according to your requirements, takes care of all optimization needs. Look for an app that is packed with the features you need.
Check if a payroll option is included; else, ask for that to be included or look for an app with this feature. Such a feature allows the app to work out how much needs to be paid to each employee, based on the hours worked, and reduces the workload on your HR and accounting staff.
Is the Report Generated by the App Acceptable to the Authorities?
The app that you choose should have the ability to let you revisit old data and retrieve payroll information whenever required. This allows you to pinpoint mistakes committed earlier and helps keep your financial records clean. Keeping such squeaky clean records makes it easy to deal with any tax filing or payroll issues you may encounter.
Check with the authorities about which specific rules your type of business needs to comply with, and ensure that the app you choose has features to accommodate such needs. Such apps help you automate your work process, allowing you to focus on your core competencies.
Compatibility of the app with your Hardware.
The app that you are considering for your day-to-day business operations needs to be compatible with your desktops and your handheld devices like laptops and smartphones. Some apps work only on specific devices, thus curtailing your freedom to operate.
Several apps feature a beeping tool that records sign-in times and sign-out times accurately. Such apps are more in use in the construction business, where workers can easily read the alerts. It is important to choose a time tracking with screenshots app that suits your line of business, failing which the device will turn out to be more of a hindrance than any use.
Accessibility of Data Records.
Data records stored in the device need to be readily accessible. An app that is packed with automated options reduces the time and human resources required. The app should be designed to track all data by default and grant access to authorized users whenever needed. If it has a notification feature, that would be an additional benefit. This facilitates chatting with employees on an internal platform to clarify doubts
Compatibility of the App.
Unless the time tracking app fits seamlessly into your business workflows, it is not of any use to you. Ensure that the time tracking app you select works well along with the other apps you are already using in your day-to-day business activities and how it helps communicate with your employees and clients.
The app should help you organize your work better and should allow you to schedule ahead by helping plan the work and track time accordingly. An app that can collect, analyze and delegate work is more suited for an unstructured startup yet to settle down.
An App that lets you Monitor KPIs.
Key Performance Indicators or KPIs are the lifelines of a business. Hence, having an app that lets you monitor the desired indicators will be of immense benefit as it helps monitor the numbers you plan to achieve. Data from the app should help you make necessary changes/adjustments in the workflow process, helping achieve the set goals.
Ease of Use.
Any app or device that is difficult to understand and use is not very useful to a business. Please choose a simple time tracking app, despite the features it is packed with. An app with a steep learning curve will eat into the precious working time and cause losses.
A non-invasive tool won’t require too much management and will be better suited for your needs. The app you want should also be capable of keeping pace with changing design trends and adapt accordingly.
Summing it Up.
While a time tracking app is meant to help you track employee hours and the billable hours spent on a project, it is not of much use if it lacks compatibility with your existing setup. It is advisable to get a customized app that will suit your needs better.
