6 Reasons Why You Should Ditch Excel for a Work Hour Tracker

If you’re still tracking time the old-school way, it’s time for you now to ditch Excel and start using a work hour tracker. There was a time when Excel was the go-to option for time tracking. However, with the advancements in technology, the scenario has changed. In this article, we will discuss the 6 prime reasons why you should start using work hour trackers. 

What Is the Key to Using a Work Hour Tracker?

From Freelancers to full-time workers, the need for tracking work hours is essential in order to analyze project progress. Invoicing, compliance with state regulations, and payroll processing are all dependent on precise time tracking. With automated time tracking, the process is simplified, and mistakes are avoided. 

Businesses focus on time management strategies. However, with the implementation of a work hour tracker, managers find it easy to manage projects leading to the effective completion of projects before deadlines. 

Cons of Using Manual Trackers like Excel Sheets

Excel sheets may have been the best solution for time tracking in the past, but they are prone to a number of cons. This includes:

Higher Chances of Errors 

Since Excel sheets contain manual entries, there are higher chances of mistakes. Even a small mistake may cause major discrepancies in the overall record. 

Time-Consuming 

Manual entries will take up a lot of time. You spend a lot of your productive time updating the Excel sheets. 

Zero-Automation

Not only is the data entry part manual, but even the calculations also have to be done by the user. This not only may cause errors but is a very tedious task. 

No Reporting Features 

Excel sheets provide only basic reporting options. Automated work trackers provide multiple and powerful features for quick and effective work reporting. 

Doesn’t Fulfill Compliance Requirements

Excel sheets do not meet the stringent labor regulations in a number of states. Detailed descriptions of work hours are necessary that cannot be obtained from Excel sheets. 

Reasons to have an automated work hour tracker

Automated time tracking helps to boost productivity and manage your projects effectively. Listed here are 6 top reasons why you need a work hour tracker for tracking progress. 

#1 Accuracy 

Accuracy is the primary requirement when it comes to project management time tracking. Suppose you are working on a project with a billable invoice of 10 hours. But the task actually takes 15 hours to complete. How will you justify the extra 5 hours that you spent productively?

“Time isn’t the main thing, it is the only thing”

– Miles Davis

Automated trackers will ensure that you get paid for those extra 5 hours as well because they serve as validations for the productive work you put in. 

These time trackers also eliminate the need for manual entries. While using an automated work tracker you can easily track billable hours precisely and quickly which prevents undercharging as well as eliminates any discrepancies with clients.

#2 Boosting Productivity

Imagine you have a team working on a project. How many times do your team members check social media in between their work? 

These are things you cannot point out every time. This may cause resentment among your team and bring on the negative influence of ‘micromanagement’. 

When you have an automated tracker all these unwanted activities of scrolling through social media or checking emails cannot be done. Every employee has a feeling of someone constantly overseeing them. Therefore they spend more time on tasks and literally do not involve in any time-wasting activity. 
This is a win-win situation for both. The manager does not have to micromanage while the employees will spend their productive time working on the task. This will boost the team’s productivity and also help in the timely completion of tasks.

#3 Manage Your Projects Eefficiently

Every project has a number of different tasks. All these tasks have a steady flow process. A delay in one task will impact the next task in line. This way the entire project may face a delay. This is why time tracking in project management is essential. 

When using an automated work hour tracker you can analyze the time your team spends on various tasks. This will help you in chalking out a better plan for improving your performance in the next project. Analyzing performance using time trackers helps you to improve your team’s performance in upcoming projects. 

#4 Increases Accountability 

In case you have a small team working on a specific task. Every team member will be working on tasks with a high sense of accountability. This is because of the transparency the tool brings in. Individual progress made by every team member makes them responsible for their performance. 

Having an automated tracker helps you become accountable for your time. This will ensure that you do not miss any deadlines. Analyzing the time you spend on various tasks will provide you with the ability to understand the tasks in which you need to improve. Having a tracker will make your team accountable and responsible to complete tasks on time.  

#5 Quick Collaboration

Handling a team can get complicated at times. You need to have complete knowledge about the progress each team member is making. This way you can ensure that the project will be completed on time. 

While using trackers, the progress made by each member is automatically recorded. You can delegate tasks, and share progress efficiently. This will help you in managing deadlines and ensure productive work hours for each team member. 

Automatic trackers help in effective collaboration by providing a centralized platform for managing work hours as well as monitoring project progress. Collaboration also helps in building effective transparency, accountability, and timely completion of projects. 

#6 Manage Your Stress Levels

Deadlines and ineffective planning always end up giving panic attacks. Say, you are handling multiple projects with short deadlines. You need to manage priorities as well as ensure timely completion of all projects. 

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent, and not enough time on what is important.“

– Steven Covey

This is where the effectiveness of automated trackers kicks in. While using a work hour tracker you can very well manage deadlines, and keep track of all your tasks. You can even set reminders and notifications when nearing deadlines. 

Time tracking in project management also helps in effective work-life balance. When you have a clear understanding of the tasks at hand, the workflow of tasks, and the priorities, you can easily manage your stress and ensure the timely completion of your project. 

Time to Ditch Excel!

Ditching Excel would reduce your hassles of manual entry. Automated work hour tracker not only saves time but also improves accuracy, productivity, efficiency, team collaboration, reduced stress, and better invoicing and billing.

With the right tool, you can take your time and project management skills to the next level and achieve your goals with greater ease and efficiency.

Author’s Bio:

Vartika Kashyap is the chief marketing officer at ProofHub, a powerful Asana alternative. She is a strong headed woman who always puts her innovative inputs into project management, collaboration, balancing work and life with technology and more. She is active on various platforms, including Linkedin, the e-learning industry, and more, to share her expertise. Off hours, she enjoys motherhood and reading about mental well-being.