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Billable hours trackers: Popular tools for tracking time

Every day, essential work performed by client-oriented businesses goes unaccounted for due to inefficiencies in tracking billable hours. When your income relies on documentation of time spent, you need reliable time and billing software to ensure you’re adequately compensated for your hard work.

A billable hours tracker is an automated tool that tracks time spent on individual tasks. Comprehensive time-tracking and billing software includes advanced features, such as real-time tracking and mobile integration via billable hours apps, which can improve client transparency and streamline operations at every step.

Methods for tracking billable hours

Businesses use one of two primary methods for : manual logging or automatic tracking. The for an organization is largely determined by its size and industry. Methods may vary from .

Manual logging

This approach involves creating a spreadsheet in which employees individually record their billable and nonbillable hours. This document may be organized by project or by client. Team members may note a task’s precise start and end times or use billable increments, as legal firms often do. 

Manual logging is often time-consuming and error-prone, as it requires constant updates and careful maintenance to ensure accuracy. However, smaller agencies may prefer to track time manually to save on software licensing fees.

Automatic tracking

Automated tracking is performed by time-tracking apps or agency management software. These tools typically feature timers that track time spent on tasks as they occur and categorize it according to the appropriate project. Time-tracking software often integrates into billing software, .

This method can be more expensive, but it yields higher accuracy and streamlines repetitive tasks. Larger companies that emphasize capacity planning and meticulous resource organization may prefer automatically generated timesheets. They can transfer hours from scheduled bookings directly into time logs, simplifying team-wide processes and maintaining overall efficiency. 

Popular tools and software to track billable hours

There are numerous time-tracking software solutions for teams that would prefer not to rely on manual spreadsheets to calculate billable hours. These platforms provide advanced reporting capabilities that make time tracking a far more accurate and efficient process.

1. Financial Manager from Tempo

Formerly known as “Cost Tracker,” Financial Manager is Tempo’s advanced cost-tracking software. Financial Manager integrates seamlessly into an organization’s Jira tech stack, helping employees manage project budgets and track billable hours for single projects and entire portfolios. 

Financial Manager also helps agencies optimize business decisions with extensive reports on project scope and labor costs that track trends and improve forecasts. In addition, it can group projects into strategic portfolios and manage project finances based on aggregated budget and revenue. The program also includes a cost-tracking tool to optimize ROI and meet financial goals.

2. Accelo

Accelo’s time-tracking software is designed to help firms manage client relationships. The tracking tool features custom workflows to automate and streamline processes and a centralized database connecting client records to projects – all with an extremely high customer satisfaction rate. However, Accelo is not ideal for smaller businesses with relatively few functions.

3. ClickTime

ClickTime offers tools for timesheets, expenses, and business intelligence, all designed to simplify capacity planning and profitability analysis. This time-tracking software includes various functions, such as automated reminders and the ability to export timesheets to payroll or QuickBooks. It’s convenient for setting up recurring tasks and time logs, but not well suited to smaller businesses due to its complexity and the manual configuration it requires.

4. Harvest

Harvest is known for its accessible layout, which helps you quickly evaluate team utilization. The time-tracking app’s visually engaging reports and aggregate timesheet data integrate seamlessly with project management platforms like Jira. Harvest is highly intuitive and useful for setting time limits to help visualize project scope creep, although it lacks a variety of methods for comparing budgeted time to actual time.

5. QuickBooks Time

Formerly TSheets, this time-tracking software seamlessly integrates with other Intuit products to simplify payroll and billing. It’s best for teams that need detailed reports attached to their client invoicing. Quickbooks Time includes time logging for both internal and external users, GPS time tracking for on-the-go teams, and the ability to track specific projects, classes, and service items.

6. Timely

This AI-powered time-tracking app offers high visibility over team availability. Timely includes automatic time capture, timesheet creation, and task scheduling with extensive report generation. Its Memory tracker records all individual tasks and displays them on a private timeline within the program. Privacy and flexibility are some of Timely’s major pros. One drawback is the time needed to familiarize its AI programming with different types of work logged.

7. Toggl Track

Toggl Track’s user-friendly dashboards simplify time tracking and data analysis to help teams stay on top of billable hours. The platform utilizes one-click time tracking and entry with a Toggl Button and Toggl Desktop apps for idle reminders. It also includes calendar integrations to turn events into time entries, which it can automatically format. This time tracking software is completely customizable and features a free plan option.

Training employees to track billable hours

Time tracking is challenging for any agency, regardless of size or industry. If documentation procedures are too strict or labor-intensive, employees might intentionally neglect to log crucial work, resulting in inaccuracies. Therefore, the first step to effective time tracking is ensuring individuals feel confident in the process. In addition, project managers should foster transparency and ensure they understand their team’s daily workflow.

Difficulties arise when employees retrospectively reconstruct hours at the end of the day, week, or even month. Going too long without creating or updating timesheets creates unnecessary complications, and these become increasingly difficult to reconcile over time. Consider implementing an integrated daily timer to produce more accurate tracking results.

Schedule regular check-ins with your employees to address their challenges with time-tracking software. Offer consistent guidance and keep an open mind, adjusting your processes to support their needs and ensure accurate time-tracking data.

Enhance your billable hours tracking with Tempo

Tempo’s suite of products offers an advanced selection of tools and templates, including time-tracking, reporting, and integration features that streamline your business’s workflow and enhance efficiency.

In addition to Financial Manager’s previously stated benefits, Tempo’s billable hours tracker improves transparency by providing insight into labor costs, expenses, billable versus nonbillable hours, and capital expenditures versus operating expenditures.

Financial Manager provides unparalleled support for project management when combined with other Tempo solutions, such as Capacity Planner and Tempo Timesheets. Together, these tools can improve your results while ensuring you get the most out of your resources. And as the work gets done, you’ll be able to generate intuitive reports for key stakeholders.

Start by optimizing your company’s time-tracking with or start a trial of Timesheets today.