Accurately tracking time and managing jobs is critical in the construction and field service industries. With crews spread across multiple sites, complex payroll needs and regulatory requirements, construction companies need a time-tracking solution designed specifically for their unique needs.
ExakTime and Connecteam are two popular technology platforms that aim to modernize time and employee attendance tracking. But when it comes to the specialized requirements of construction and field service, ExakTime rises above Connecteam as the superior choice.
Introduction to Time Tracking Software
Time-tracking software is a crucial tool in the modern workplace, offering digital solutions to streamline employee management within organizations. These employee scheduling software systems bring several core features that enhance efficiency and accuracy in tracking employee work hours.
One fundamental feature is clocking in and out. Employees can easily record their working hours digitally through web-based or mobile time clock applications with friendly interfaces. Each clock-in and clock-out event is meticulously time stamped with the precise time and date, ensuring a reliable record of their work hours.
GPS tracking is another valuable component of these scheduling systems. In addition to capturing timestamps, the employee time clock software records GPS data, providing validation of the geographic location where these clock events occur. This feature offers organizations insights into where their employees are clocking in from, enhancing accountability.
Automated reports are also a significant aspect of time-tracking software. Administrative and managerial users gain access to a comprehensive suite of automated reports covering various aspects of daily operations, employee hours, job site coding, overtime calculations, payroll software export files and more. These automated reports help organizations make informed decisions about job scheduling and task management based on accurate and up-to-date data.
Notifications play a critical role in keeping everyone in the loop. Configurable notifications are sent regarding clock events, overtime rules, possible missed clocks and other alert triggers, ensuring that managers and administrators are always informed and can take necessary actions promptly.
Payroll integrations are seamlessly integrated into employee scheduling software, making the transfer of clocked hours into payroll software systems a breeze. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors associated with manual data entry.
For construction companies, time-tracking apps are a game-changer. It eliminates the need for outdated paper timesheets, which are often susceptible to issues like lost sheets, buddy punching, inaccuracies due to handwritten hours and other integrity problems.
The advantages of adopting digital time-tracking apps in the construction industry are numerous. They significantly reduce payroll errors and time theft, thanks to validated clock-ins and built-in verification features, including GPS tracking and photo captures. Compliance with labor laws and regulations becomes much simpler as these systems provide comprehensive and accurate employee time and attendance data. Payroll services accuracy is improved through seamless integrations, eliminating the need for manual double entry.
Organizations can gain better visibility into job and project costs by automating the coding of hours. Additionally, location monitoring capabilities like GPS location tracking and geo-fencing provide oversight of remote field crews. Finally, these systems alleviate the administrative workload typically spent chasing, collecting and reconciling inaccurate paper timesheets.
It’s worth noting that while basic time clocks provide essential digital logs of hours and job locations, advanced plans provided by ExakTime go above and beyond, offering tailored features and capabilities designed to meet the specific management needs of the construction industry.
The Importance of Time Tracking Software in Construction
Construction presents unique challenges when it comes to capturing, managing and validating field employee time. With a dispersed, mobile workforce operating across multiple rapidly shifting job sites, paper-based time-tracking processes quickly fall apart.
Foremen struggle to collect accurate, complete paper timesheets from team members spread across projects and multiple locations. Administrative staff spend countless hours transcribing handwritten sheets, manually calculating hours worked, applying proper job codes and ensuring certified payroll compliance and proper payment of prevailing wage rates. Payroll services delays due to required manual verification and mistakes are inevitable
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Robust, automated time-tracking mobile apps solve these problems through digitization, mobility and construction-specific functionalities. Management gains real-time visibility and oversight into remote field teams through location data like GPS location tracking, geo-fencing and time stamped photo ID capture. Integrations with payroll software systems reduce repetitive manual data entry and improve accuracy.
Advanced features like shift scheduling, equipment tracking, custom field alerts and more take time tracking beyond basic digital time clocks to provide a specialized construction management platform that solves the unique challenges of this industry.
ExakTime Review
ExakTime stands out as an industry-leading time and attendance tracking platform, meticulously crafted to cater to the distinctive requirements of the construction industry. Their basic plan offers a comprehensive set of core features that facilitate efficient workforce management.
One of its key features is the intuitive time clock app. This user-friendly mobile app simplifies the process of clocking in and out for employees. These clock events are more than just timestamps; they also capture GPS tracking data, validating the exact location where the clock-ins and clock-outs occur. Optional ID photo capture helps prevent issues like buddy punching, enhancing security and accuracy.
Additionally, ExakTime’s mobile time clock app can function in offline mode. Workers can continue clocking in and out of jobs without an internet connection. Pending time clocks are synced to the cloud when an internet connection is restored. Offline mode access ensures uninterrupted time tracking from any job site.
ExakTime boasts powerful reporting capabilities. Real-time employee attendance reports provide actionable insights into various aspects, such as hours worked, labor costs, overtime calculations, certified payroll compliance, payroll previews and more. These reports are accessible through web dashboards, ensuring that stakeholders have access to critical information at their fingertips.
The platform offers seamless payroll integrations, enabling automated synchronization with many major payroll software platforms, including ADP, Sage, Acumatica, Foundation and others. This integration not only saves time but also reduces the likelihood of payroll errors resulting from manual employee attendance data entry.
Job costing is another essential component of ExakTime’s employee time tracking software. It provides robust coding options to allocate hours worked to cost codes, prevailing wage categories, specific equipment, job phases and more. This in-depth cost allocation ensures that both small businesses and larger organizations have detailed insights into their expenses.
ExakTime also excels in field oversight of employee attendance, offering location monitoring through GPS tracking of clock events and geo-fencing. This feature confirms that crews are clocking in only from their designated job sites and enables the tracking of worker movements.
Employee scheduling is made efficient with ExakTime, allowing managers to schedule shifts, job assignments, and time off requests for field crews. This capability enhances oversight of staffing needs and ensures that resources are optimally allocated.
Configurable alerts keep managers informed about various exceptions, such as overtime hours, missed clock-in events, inconsistencies and inactive employees. These notifications allow for quick response times and decision-making.
ExakTime also provides access controls, allowing for administrative configuration of customized roles and access permissions for supervisors, foremen, payroll administrators and employees. This alignment of access with responsibilities ensures a well-structured and secure workforce management system.
Connecteam Review
Connecteam offers a simplified digital time tracking application with a broader emphasis on team communication tools. Their key features include straightforward digital clock-in and clock-out functionality through both web and mobile applications. However, it is important to note that this application lacks some of the advanced verification features found in other systems.
Connecteam enables communication via team chat, group notifications and document sharing to streamline team interaction. Users can create customized digital forms for managing tasks, conducting equipment inspections, making announcements and more. While there is a limited GPS tracking feature for location stamping, it does not offer more advanced options like geo-fencing.
Key Differences Between ExakTime and Connecteam
Industry Focus
While Connecteam serves some construction firms, ExakTime is designed exclusively for the construction, skilled trades and field service industries. ExakTime’s features are robustly built around industry-specific needs. For example, the time clock app captures clock events while letting managers ensure employees are at the appropriate job sites. Site-to-site visibility is critical in construction. All aspects of ExakTime seamlessly integrate with construction management, unlike Connecteam’s generic approach.
Features
ExakTime provides jobsite management oversight capabilities like customizable SMS alerts, equipment tracking, employee scheduling, certified payroll handling and more. In contrast, Connecteam simply offers streamlined digital clocks without the deeper specialized features that construction project managers require to coordinate complex field operations across multiple locations. ExakTime gives construction leaders comprehensive tools while Connecteam enables time-tracking in isolation.
Customer Support
ExakTime has an award-winning US-based customer service team completely dedicated to construction industry needs. Their experts guide users through initial configuration and training and provide ongoing optimization and consultation tailored to construction. Connecteam does not promote specialized construction vertical support or expertise. ExakTime’s customer service is construction-centric.
Criteria for Evaluating Construction Time Tracking Software
When you’re in the process of researching time-tracking software for the construction industry, there are several critical factors to consider. These key criteria play a significant role in determining which solution best aligns with your specific needs.
- Construction-Specific Features: One of the primary aspects to evaluate is whether the system offers construction-specific features. This entails checking if it can handle prevailing wage rate tracking, multiple job locations, certified payroll and customizable coding for job and cost centers. The ability to schedule based on shifts and trades and receive field alerts and other industry-focused capabilities is crucial. ExakTime is a prime example of a system tailored to the construction industry, providing these essential features.
- Access Controls: Effective access control is essential for any time-tracking system. You need to determine if the solution enables administrators to configure granular permission controls. This allows for the assignment of customized access appropriate for different roles within your organization, such as supervisors, foremen, payroll staff and field employees. ExakTime offers robust role-based controls, ensuring that the right individuals have access to the appropriate features. In contrast, Connecteam provides just a basic employee time clock app without the same level of access control.
- Payroll Integrations: Streamlining payroll services is a key consideration. Does the system automate data transfer into your payroll platform, reducing the need for duplicate manual data entry? ExakTime takes the lead in this regard, with integration capabilities that cover many payroll software systems. Connecteam, in contrast, relies on exporting CSV files, which can be a more labor-intensive process.
- Field Oversight: For construction projects that require remote workforce management across multiple locations, field oversight features are essential. This includes GPS location tracking, geofence mapping and photo-verified check-ins to ensure visibility into productivity and attendance. ExakTime offers comprehensive field oversight tools, while Connecteam has limited GPS capabilities in comparison.
- Support and Training: Specialized industry-focused customer service support is vital for a smooth setup, configuration, employee adoption, customized reporting and system optimization. ExakTime’s support understands the unique demands of the construction industry, providing tailored assistance.
- Scalability: As your business grows, you need to ensure that the chosen employee scheduling software solution can cost-effectively scale to accommodate your expanding employee base and the addition of new features. ExakTime’s cloud platform is designed to scale seamlessly, catering to both small businesses and large, complex enterprises.
- Data Security: Data security is imperative, especially when handling sensitive information like construction payroll data. You must assess whether the vendor provides assurances and safeguards related to data security, access controls and compliance standards. ExakTime follows robust security protocols, validated through third-party audits, offering peace of mind in this critical aspect.
Why Construction Firms Choose ExakTime
In the realm of specialized time tracking solutions tailored for the construction industry, ExakTime stands out as the superior choice. There are several compelling reasons why construction firms opt for ExakTime over other options like Connecteam.
First and foremost, ExakTime has construction in its DNA. It was purpose-built from the ground up with a deep understanding of the specific needs and challenges of the construction industry. In contrast, competitors like Connecteam, at best, adapt generic software to suit the construction sector. ExakTime’s vertical expertise makes it the natural choice for businesses in this field.
Another significant advantage is the proven return on investment (ROI) that ExakTime offers. Companies consistently report substantial savings in terms of time, increased payroll accuracy, reduced administrative expenses and enhanced clarity on job costs. The rapid payback on these benefits makes ExakTime’s software almost cost-free over time.
ExakTime also plays a crucial role in mitigating risks for construction firms. Its verified tracking capabilities protect businesses against potential fines, litigation and public relations issues stemming from non-compliant pay practices. With ExakTime, there’s no need for guesswork when it comes to hours worked or job sites visited.
Moreover, ExakTime’s scalability is a key feature. Its cloud platform can seamlessly expand from serving as few as five employees to supporting enterprise-level construction operations with thousands of dispersed workers. This versatility benefits both startups and large, complex firms.
Last but not least, the implementation process is crucial, and ExakTime excels here as well. The US-based customer success team ensures that the software is configured and tailored for maximum benefit. Having construction-savvy support during implementation is invaluable for a smooth and effective transition.
Learn More About ExakTime’s Time Tracking Solutions
From location tracking to certified payroll handling, robust access controls and real-time data visibility, ExakTime gives construction firms the tools needed to effectively track, manage and optimize a dispersed, mobile workforce. The platform scales from 5 to 50,000+ employees. To learn more and request a demo, visit ExakTime.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What industries are ExakTime’s solutions designed for?
ExakTime is purpose-built for the construction, skilled trades and field services industries. Every feature is natively designed around the unique needs of tracking and managing dispersed construction crews and projects.
Does ExakTime offer GPS and geofencing?
Yes. ExakTime has robust location-tracking capabilities. Every clock in/out event is GPS time stamped down to the job site or even position within a site. Administrators can also build virtual geofences around job sites and receive alerts when workers clock in from outside expected locations. Location tracking is essential for construction – ExakTime delivers advanced GPS tools.
What payroll platforms does ExakTime integrate with?
ExakTime offers certified real-time payroll integrations with platforms including ADP,, QuickBooks, Acumatica, Sage, Foundation and many more. This real-time automation eliminates the need for duplicate manual data entry which can lead to costly errors.
Is phone support available?
Yes. ExakTime customers gain access to US-based, construction-experienced customer success representatives who provide unlimited phone, email and chat support at no additional cost. We also provide customized onboarding, training materials, bi-monthly live training webinars and proactive check-ins to ensure your ongoing success and maximum benefit from ExakTime.