Time Tracking 2017 and Forward – What You Need to Know

We are now living in a digital age, where we have access to information on the go, and are able to store vast amounts of data up in the cloud. While there are still those wary of the digital revolution, the vast majority of businesses embrace it, simply because new technology can potentially save them vast amounts of time and money. Streamlining and efficiency are both key to the success of business, and that means moving with the times in order to stay ahead of the competition.

One of the areas that has changed with the improvement in modern technology is timesheet reporting. Back in the day, employees would have to fill out their hours by hand, submit them to payroll, who would then input those hours into the system for approval from a supervisor. With so many steps in the process, mistakes were common, which meant going through the whole process again. It was a laborious way to do things that could quickly grind productivity to a halt. Time tracking 2017 and forward is a whole lot different, and a whole lot more efficient, and it’s all thanks to the digital age.

Time Tracking 2017 and Beyond – The Important Features

If your business is still tracking time the old-fashioned way, you are probably well aware that it’s time for a change. There are a number of different software options on the market, but not all of them are created equally. There are some very specific features that need to be included in the timesheet reporting software that you use if you actually want it to be a more efficient method than what you are using now. Let’s take a quick look at some must-have features:

Microsoft Outlook Integration – Employees tend to keep track of their time in the Outlook Calendar, so you will want a piece of software that allows them to integrate their entries directly into the system. This means that there is no need to enter the information twice, thus cutting back on potential input errors.
Supervisor Approval – People don’t go out of their way to try and cheat the system, but there are times when errors will be made. Having software that allows for supervisor approval of all submitted hours is another great failsafe.
Works with Existing Systems – Businesses routinely have a number of different systems – ERP, CRM, etc. – in place, and need a software that will integrate smoothly with all of those.
Expenses, Vacation Time, and Sick Leave – It’s important to know the hours that each employee works, but in order to plan and organize properly, you need to be aware of when they are out sick or on vacation. Your software should track these days, and should also allow employees traveling for work to input expenses.
Good Reports – It should also be able to allow you to quickly create informative reports based on all the recorded data.

These are just a few of the features a good piece of timesheet reporting software should have, when looking for time tracking in 2017 and moving forward.