In an era of rapid advancements and multitasking, time management has become a crucial aspect of our work life. But many businesses face challenges with time tracking, especially in fields like construction where teams are spread across job sites. Thankfully, ExakTime has developed a robust, accurate solution to your time tracking needs. Let’s dive in.
The Benefits of Using Time Tracking Apps
Before we explore the ExakTime system, it’s important to note the advantages of using time tracking apps. If you’ve never used a tracking app for your business, you may be hesitant to make the switch. Here are some benefits:
- Improved Productivity: Time tracking apps help users become more aware of how they spend their time. This awareness can lead to better time management and increased productivity as individuals can identify and eliminate time-wasting activities.
- Accurate Billing: For businesses that charge clients based on hourly rates, time tracking apps ensure accurate billing. They provide a clear record of the time spent on specific tasks or projects, reducing disputes and ensuring fair compensation.
- Project Management: Time tracking is essential for project management. It helps project managers allocate resources efficiently, monitor progress, and identify potential bottlenecks or areas where improvements are needed.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Time tracking apps generate data and reports that can be used for decision-making. You can analyze how time is spent on different projects, tasks or activities to make informed choices about resource allocation and project priorities.
- Time Estimation: Time tracking helps individuals and teams estimate how long similar tasks or projects will take in the future. This is valuable for setting realistic deadlines and expectations.
- Increased Accountability: When employees and team members know their work hours are being tracked, it can promote accountability and discourage time theft or excessive breaks.
- Client Transparency: Service providers can use time tracking to provide transparency to clients. Clients can see how their money is being spent and the progress being made on their projects.
- Legal and Compliance Requirements: In some industries, time tracking is necessary to comply with legal regulations or labor laws, such as tracking overtime hours or ensuring accurate record-keeping.
- Budget Control: By tracking time and expenses, businesses can better control their budgets. This can help prevent cost overruns and ensure that projects are completed within budget.
- Personal Time Management: Individuals can use time tracking apps for personal time management, helping them balance work and personal life, set goals and prioritize tasks effectively.
- Stress Reduction: Knowing that your time is being tracked can reduce the stress of constantly wondering if you are using your time efficiently. It can also help prevent burnout by allowing you to schedule breaks and downtime.
Overall, time tracking apps offer valuable insights into how time is spent, leading to increased efficiency, better project management and improved work-life balance, both for individuals and organizations.
Features to Look for in Time Tracking Software
Once you decide time tracking software is right for your team, the next step is to choose the right product. Here are some features to look for:
- Ease of Use: The software should have an intuitive and user-friendly interface. The easier it is to use, the more likely you and your team will consistently track time.
- Platform Compatibility: Ensure that the software is compatible with the devices and platforms you use, such as Windows, macOS, iOS, Android or web-based access.
- Task and Project Tracking: Look for software that allows you to track time for different tasks, projects, clients or activities. This flexibility is crucial for managing various workstreams.
- Timer Functionality: A built-in timer lets you start and stop tracking time with precision, making it easier to capture billable hours accurately.
- Reporting and Analytics: Robust reporting capabilities are essential. Look for software that provides detailed reports on time spent, project progress and productivity insights. Customizable reports can be especially useful.
- Integration: Check if the software integrates with other systems you use, such as project management tools, invoicing tools, calendar apps or accounting software. Integration streamlines workflows and reduces manual data entry.
- Multi-User Support: If you have a team, the software should support multiple users with role-based access controls. This ensures that team members can only access the data relevant to their tasks.
- Expense Tracking: Some time tracking software also includes expense tracking features, allowing you to log and associate expenses with specific projects or clients.
- Mobile Accessibility: Mobile apps or a responsive web interface are crucial if you or your team need to track time while on the go or working remotely.
- Notifications and Reminders: Software that sends notifications or reminders can help ensure that you start and stop tracking time as needed.
- Offline Mode: Consider whether the software offers an offline mode for times when you don’t have internet access but still need to track time.
- Customization: The ability to customize the software to match your workflow and terminology is valuable. This includes creating custom categories, tags or fields.
- Privacy and Security: Ensure that the software prioritizes data privacy and security, especially if you’re tracking sensitive information or working with client data.
- Scalability: Choose software that can grow with your needs. It should handle an increasing number of projects, clients and users without a significant drop in performance.
- Customer Support: Check the availability and quality of customer support, including online resources, help documentation, and responsive customer service.
- Cost: Consider your budget and choose software that offers pricing plans that align with your needs and the number of users you have.
- User Reviews: Read user reviews and testimonials to get a sense of how well the software has worked for others in your industry or with similar needs.
By evaluating time tracking software based on these features and factors, you can select a tool that aligns with your specific goals and workflow.
Unique Needs for Construction and Field Service Time Tracking Software
ExakTime is designed to meet the unique needs of construction and field service teams and offers a holistic solution to traditional time tracking issues in these fields. These specialized features are tailored to address the complexities of construction projects.
One crucial aspect is job site geofencing. Since construction work often occurs at various locations, time tracking software should support geolocation, allowing employees to clock in and out using GPS coordinates to verify their presence on-site. In addition, construction workers are typically on the move and may not have access to traditional computers. Hence, mobile accessibility is vital. Mobile apps like ExakTime are essential to enable field workers to track time and tasks using their smartphones or tablets.
Construction projects are inherently project-based, with numerous tasks, sub-projects and phases. That’s why ExakTime supports project-level time tracking, enabling users to allocate hours to specific projects and tasks. Our system integrates seamlessly with payroll software for a smooth transition, saving time and reducing errors. Finally, custom reporting is essential in the construction industry. That’s why ExakTime offers 40+ reports you can generate based on raw data to gain insights into project performance and profitability.
ExakTime Time Tracking Tools
With the benefits and features of time trackers in mind, let’s explore what ExakTime has to offer. Here are our essential time tracker tools:
GPS Time Tracking App
Our time clock app with GPS is like having a virtual foreperson overseeing clock-ins and clock-outs at each job site. But instead, the app’s GPS features show you what’s happening across your team without you being physically present. Plus, real time employee location tracking is synced to the cloud and accessible from any mobile device. Our clock app works on all GPS-enabled smartphones and tablets and runs on the nation’s most popular cell phone carriers, including AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
Our GPS app also allows you to set up a Geofence for each work site and then view 100% accurate maps and reports to determine where employees are and whether they were on or off-site when they clocked in. This visibility is one of the key benefits of the ExakTime system that allows managers to oversee their teams and make informed decisions about different job sites.
Rugged Time Clocks
Our battery-powered rugged time clocks can be mounted anywhere at your job site for accurate tracking of hours, travel time and job costing. Thanks to their durable design, these clocks can withstand even the harshest weather and job site conditions. Plus, they offer easy clock-in and clock-out with colored key fobs for different job codes and locations.
Payroll Sync
With ExakTime, you can automate timekeeping and payroll processing, control costs, improve compliance and optimize field operations. We offer a bridge between our web-based management system and your payroll package, and we even provide integrations with QuickBooks, Sage BusinessVision and more. We aim to offer the ultimate time and payroll system compatibility for seamless payroll processing.
Photo ID Capture
ExakTime mobile comes with FaceFront Biometrics, a built-in biometric time attendance feature. This feature resolves the issue of employees tracking time when they aren’t working or clocking in with each other’s timecards. Our mobile app snaps a photo of employees every time they clock in or out, and the image is stored in our cloud software for easy review.
Powerful Reporting
With ExakTime’s software, you can pull over 40 instant reports that let business owners zero in on key metrics and use data to make essential business decisions. Reports can be created from data collected by the time clock app or rugged time clocks based on hours worked, regular or overtime hours, location and more. With these powerful construction reports, you gain real-time visibility and insights to move your business forward.
The ExakTime Difference
If you’re looking for function-rich mobile time tracking for your field service business, ExakTime has you covered. Our journey began with a simple idea: to create a time tracking solution that empowers companies to operate more efficiently, transparently and profitably.
As a team, we believe that every minute counts. We understand the unique challenges construction businesses face when tracking employee time, managing projects and staying compliant with labor regulations. That’s why we’ve dedicated ourselves to developing cutting-edge time-tracking technology that simplifies these processes.
Our mission is clear: to provide field service and construction businesses of all sizes with a robust and user-friendly time tracking solution that saves time, reduces costs and enhances productivity. We take pride in the fact that ExakTime has become a trusted partner for thousands of organizations. Get started with our system today.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a time tracker app cost?
At ExakTime, our plans begin at $9 per employee per month, billed annually, with a $50 monthly base fee. If you want to learn more about our pricing for other packages, get a quote today.
Does my company need a time tracker app?
Here are some considerations to help you determine if a time tracking app would be beneficial for your company:
- Industry: Some industries, such as professional services (law firms, consulting), freelancing, construction and agencies, have a more immediate need for time tracking due to the nature of their work and billing practices. Accurate time tracking is crucial if your industry involves billing clients based on hourly rates.
- Business Size: The size of your company can also influence the need for a time tracking app. Smaller businesses or solopreneurs may find manual time tracking methods (e.g., spreadsheets) sufficient initially. However, as your company grows and the complexity of projects increases, an automated time tracking solution can streamline operations.
- Project-Based Work: If your company works on projects with varying timelines, budgets and team members, a time tracking app can help you monitor project progress, allocate resources efficiently and ensure that projects are completed within budget.
- Remote Work or Flexible Hours: If your company employs remote workers or offers flexible work hours, tracking work hours accurately becomes more challenging. A time tracking app can help monitor remote employees and ensure they meet their work commitments.
What are the benefits of a time tracking app?
Time tracking apps offer many benefits for individuals, businesses and teams. Here are some of the key advantages:
- Improved Productivity: Time tracking encourages individuals to become more aware of how they spend their time. This awareness often leads to better time management and increased productivity as users identify and eliminate time-wasting activities.
- Accurate Billing: For freelancers, consultants or service-based businesses, time tracking apps ensure accurate billing. They clearly record the time spent on specific tasks or projects, reducing disputes and ensuring fair compensation.
- Effective Project Management: Time tracking is essential for project management. It helps project managers allocate resources efficiently, monitor project progress and identify potential bottlenecks or areas where improvements are needed.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Time tracking apps generate data and reports that can be used for decision-making. Analyzing how time is spent on different projects, tasks or activities helps individuals and businesses make informed choices about resource allocation and project priorities.
