You hate your time tracker already? Then we’re coming to you!

Here are several objections to using a time tracker. Some are my own, others came from users and clients:

• It is hard
• Hardly keeping track of how much time I spent on tasks
• It does not create worth
• Irritating control from a management
• How should I track time when customers or business partners call me and say “it will only take 5 minutes"?
• I become deadlocked by entering my time in charts and boxes
• I do not see the goal of tracking
• How should I track time if I am interrupted constantly?
• It takes a lot of time
• How should I track time when I shift between several projects?

What benefits does time tracker give?

Reality is seldom black and white, and usually there are "yes" and "no" about everything. Let it be said: time tracking should not be only to track time. The goal should be plain to everyone. If it is not the case in the company where you work, it is appropriate to question this. Over time I have changed my mind. Especially, when I started tracking my time in a system that gave me valuable information.

That is why my “yes” list now consists of this many points:

• Time tracking helps you to really focus on the task at hand;
• It gives a real overview of what I waste my time on;
• Time tracking helps to keep an eye on patterns and work routines such as multitasking and procrastination;
• It shows that tasks in fact take some time;
• Time tracking helps you to stay within a budget, if it is fixed for a task;
• It gives a possibility to make more accurate offers in the future;
• It gives a possibility to more accurately plan time for future projects;
• Time tracking makes it possible to bill a higher rate to customers by showing the report of time actually spent on their projects.

Still in doubt?

We asked the CrocoTime's team to make a list of the benefits seen from an employee’s point of view. And we must tell that I was overwhelmed in a good way.

The benefits of the time tracker – from employees who use it every day

• You can track your holiday and sick leave;
• You can see the digest of the most important projects;
• Your time tracker may specify a change in the course of action, because you perform the tasks that you were not meant to. It allows for improvement in the whole company;
• The time tracker gives an opportunity to show to a project manager or a CEO when you have to do other work than agreed upon, and if you need to be free from other tasks, or if your job needs to be redefined;
• Heightened realization and more focus on main work tasks;
• Better ability to predict project's costs before starting it;
• Reduce the number of projects where time was wasted;
• If you have a flexible working schedule, it is easy to keep track of it with the time tracker;

• If the time tracker is used to watch the progress of the project, it is an advantage when afterwards you evaluate and improve processes and look together at efficiency on the projects;
• The time tracker gives an overview of what you waste your time on. When a client asks about last week's progress, when the teammate asks for help with his project, when your project manager stops by to get an update. All the unexpected events that happen every day and may result in wasted time, are possible to track;
• It only takes 3 minutes a day to track your work after  you get used to it.

After leaving prejudices behind and taking time to use it you’ll definitely see the time tracker for a helpful and beneficial software that it is.