What is time management software?

If you're work in project mode whatever your sector of activity, you know that productivity and efficiency go hand in hand with time and activity management (Time tracking).

Tracking time worked can be useful in many occasions: task planning, customer invoicing, or payroll management.

This history is also useful for assess individual productivity or even for entire teams.

In practice, there are a multitude of ways to manage time and activity. On spreadsheets, for example, or using a time clock. But to make the most of all the benefits of time managementthe use of a time and activity management software remains the best option.

What is time management software?

Time and attendance software is a tool designed to support companies in their  staff management.

This platform offers the possibility of recording, monitoring and analysing a set of HR data, generally working hours, tasks or absences. 

Very often, the time entry software is integrated into the HRIS (Human Resources Information System).

This is used to manage HR data within a company thanks to the centralization of data. By providing a global vision, it facilitates informed and relevant decision-making.

Why use time management software?

Time and activity management is a complex, time-consuming task, but essential to analyze the productivity and performance of one's business. 

A productive interest

The more a company grows and sees its number of employees increase, the more rigorous structuring is necessary.

However, the list of administrative tasks related to human resources is constantly growing: managing the allocation of resources, organizing schedules, managing absences but also editing payslips.

It then becomes very easy to get overwhelmed by the mass of information.

Using time and activity management software can simplify this process. In fact, a time management tool will facilitate many HR tasks. Ultimately, this will lead to improved efficiency, productivity and therefore profitability.

Investing in a time and activity management software therefore quickly becomes a necessity in order to improve your organization's performance.

A strategic interest

Every employer needs to know how much time their teams spend on each task, as well as what type of activity they are working on at any given time. 

Time recording and tracking is a key factor in determining how best to use  available human resources.

For project management, time management software is a tool that offers global visibility of the project's progress.  

For leave management, it allows you to track absences and validate leave requests.  It also makes it possible to automate the monitoring of invoicing, to monitor performance and to anticipate the company's forecasts.

Who uses time management and tracking software in business?

Large companies and government organizations are the main users of time management software, but it can also be used by small and medium-sized businesses looking to improve their human resource management and budget tracking.

Although the software Time and Activity management concerns HR departments as a priority, the entire organization is actually impacted.

Which departments are concerned?

The HR department is the first to be involved, and time management software provides a precise overview of the resource allocation, recruitment needs and skills management.

For example, you can configure your tool to track data on working hours, the specific tasks employees are working on, the times when they are available and can therefore be mobilized on other assignments. 

Time management in Stafiz: a view from the resource planning

However, other departments benefit from optimized time and activity management:

• The finance department then has valuable information on the performance of employees and the need for resources on each project, thus allowing for better budgeting.

• The management Takes advantage of reliable data to base its decisions, accurate monitoring of productivity, costs and payroll management. In addition, the level of transparency provided by the software Time and Activity management allows management to ensure compliance with the company's internal regulations.

The time tracking software can also be configured to generate customized reports that highlight information (e.g. time tracking in the company, management of leave/absence requests, activity planning...)  you need to make the right decisions for your business and the success of your projects. 

Which profiles use time management software?

The use of working time management software also benefits on a smaller scale. 

• Operational teams, who benefit from a standardized, automatic and efficient system for clocking in, absence requests and increased visibility on their schedule.

• Tomanagers with a global vision for strategic business planning, anticipating needs, validating and controlling information.

The challenges and problems of time management

Companies face many challenges when it comes to managing time and activities within their organization.

• Monitoring of working hours

Having an accurate overview of working hours in the age of teleworking and flexible working hours is becoming increasingly complex. 

On the employee side, time entry is often a painful exercise that can lead to forgetfulness or even errors when it is carried out at the last minute.

• Priority management 

A lack of information can lead to poor prioritization of tasks and generate delays and stress. 

The risk then becomes a decrease in commitment generating a decrease in performance.

• Compliance with regulations 

Indeed, it is not always easy to ensure that policies in terms of leave, working hours, overtime limits are respected. 

• Employee engagement 

Poor management of working time and the distribution of tasks can lead to a drop in motivation and commitment within teams. 

The use of time tracking software in project management

Project management is a complex process that involves  coordination of several tasks of several people.

To make this process easier, many project management professionals use project management software.

Time management software is designed to help teams manage their tasks, communicate with each other, and execute. 

Project managers can create task lists, assign them to team members, track their progress, and update project status. 

The Time and Activity management offer features like deadline management, progress reports, dashboards, and automated reminders to help project managers stay on track.

Keep a history

The main advantage of using software Time and Activity management is the ability to keep traceability of all tasks and aspects of the project in one place.

Project managers can easily see what needs to be done, who is working on what and where the project is at. This helps reduce the risk of delays or errors, as project managers can quickly identify potential issues and address them before they become larger issues.

Improve collaboration

Another key benefit of using a Time and Activity management is the ability to work remotely. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many teams are now working remotely and teleworking has become more common in corporate cultures. 

This allows project managers to work with different teams, dispersed across multiple geographies and continue to drive their project despite travel restrictions. 

If you're selling services, it's likely that you'll use freelancers. It is imperative that you ensure that the monitoring of subcontracting times is just as effective as that of your internal employees so as not to distort your production analyses and financial monitoring.  

Facilitate management

In addition to these advantages, the Time and Activity management help project managers manage their time more effectively. 

Features such as deadline management and automated reminders allow project managers to focus on important tasks, and avoid wasting time tracking the progress of individual team members.

This considerably reduces stress and frees up more time for project management activities activities.

They also keep project managers organized. Task lists, progress reports, and dashboards can help project managers get a bird's-eye view of the project's status. The result is a better understanding of a project's progress and facilitates informed and proactive decision-making.

Anticipating future load

If you want to help your sales team with a CRM that is right for your business, you should know that the software Time and Activity management makes this feature easy and intuitive. From managing the incoming lead, to editing quotes, you can anticipate the resource planning of your employees from pre-sales. 

In Stafiz, the monitoring of opportunities (on the Stafiz CRM or in yours via APIs) allows you to anticipate human resources needs and pre-staff employees on the needs management module.

Learn more about the resource planning

Time management software in Agile mode

Agile project management is becoming more and more developed in companies. It allows for greater flexibility in project management as well as better cost optimization.

In this context, Time and Activity management software enables project managers and their staff to optimize the time/productivity ratio.

This notion is fundamental for the IT Services and consulting firms. Understanding where and how human resources are used for the success of customer projects is a key element in the success and reputation of these companies, which are often mobilized on complex industrial and technical projects. 

By understanding a global vision of the customer project with software Time and Activity management , CEOs and/or PMOs can easily achieve their goals, as well as those of their clients. 

The time and activity management software is an excellent collaborative tool, guaranteeing not only good HR management, but also project management control.

In conclusion, Time and Activity management software offers a variety of benefits for project managers looking to successfully manage their projects while keeping track of project information.