Do you know how much time you or your team spend on each task that you are required to go through for each project? Do you need time tracking solutions for your assignments in order to properly bill your client?
Or do you simply want to check how much time you or your collaborators spend on a task and try to reduce the time frame?
Keeping track of your projects probably gives you a headache, especially if you work as a team.
Let’s go through a couple of solutions that can help you track the time frame of your projects. I wanted to write an article about time tracking tools but I did not realize that such things existed.
When I saw how many options are out there, I thought I should do a little bit of research…
1. Time Tracking Solutions – Excel Sheets
Come on, we are in 2015!! Excel sheets?!
Just kidding, of course you can use a file type like Excel to report your time tracking. You will even be able to create stats and find a way to make improvements.
If you miss inspiration while creating your document, you can also check their templates and use them.
You can also create a proper invoice for your client by adding every completed tasks and the amount of time you spent on them.
2. Time Tracking Solutions – Google spreadsheet
You will find a great bunch of them online!
I sorted the documents by “Most Users” and checked the first ones on the list.
When you find something you like, just click on “Use this template”.
As I am very curious that’s what I did!
It looked like I was working on an Excel sheet but online.
You can modify the template as you wish, save it on your computer or cloud and of course share it with other users.
But this sheet was more about daily time you are spending at work, but not the time spent on a particular task. I guess you will have to modify the template anyway to make it as you desire.
Look at the sheet below, I like the fact that they thought about putting colors to emphasize priority tasks.
For me, the perfect time tracking sheet for tasks could be a mix of the images above and below:
The good thing about a Google spreadsheet is that you can open it from any device, anywhere.
But of course you should have a Google account if you want to use it with all these features.
And you need to buy a watch and report the time spent on a task. 😉
3) Time tracking applications/ plugin in your browser
You can also try to find an application or an extension directly in your browser.
Oddly I found plenty of them on Google Chrome but not on Firefox.
On Chrome:
On Firefox:
I could not find applications related to what I was looking for 🙁 (but it might be because I am blond)
4) Time Tracking Solutions – Tracking time
This application found on Google Chrome web store got my attention while I was looking for something to help me.
It had so many positive reviews and it will soon work with any browsers/operating systems.
I downloaded it and am now using it to track time as I am writing this article. Now I am stressed as the minutes are counting down! 😉
Once you’ve done your task, you and your team can see how much time you spent on your tasks.
And great news, it is free to use!
But I guess at the end you will still need a place to report them, such as a Google or Excel sheet.
5. Time Tracking Solutions – Freshbooks
This application might be the ultimate solution, but it is not for free.
You have a tracking time tool that can be used in plenty of devices, you can make instant invoices and even collect money with your account.
There is a 30 day trial and then the price starts from $10 per month.
6. Time Tracking Solutions – Harvest
I would say that this application is similar to Freshbook in a couple of ways.
You can use this time tracking tool with different devices and generate invoices. You cannot get paid through this app but you can connect your account to your PayPal account and many different other tools such as Google drive or Trello.
Why did they make this weird introduction video? I don’t want to use their application, but now I want to eat pizza and drink red wine!!
They also have a 30 day free trial but then you will have to pay if you are more than 1 user:
Even if this tool seems very popular, some people complain that it does not work offline.
7. Time Tracking Solutions – Toggl
Another useful application for tracking how much time you or your team members spend on a task. You can then share this information with each other.
It looks like it does not generate invoices but you can set billable rates.
The basic services are free and you can use it with up to 5 users!
8. Time Tracking Solutions – Insightly
They call themselves the “CRM that work for you”. But what the heck is a CRM?! CRM stand for Customer Relationship Management and is a system that manages business interactions with your current and future customers.
This application works closely with Google Docs and Gmail. However, there is no time tracking tool, but you can create deadlines for your tasks and assign goals to each team members.
They start with a free plan but if you want to use more functionality you will have to grab your purse!
9. Time Tracking Solutions – Punchtime
This application works closely with Trello.
The users can track time on their tasks, even if they are not near their computer (they can use the Android or Iphone app). You can then enter logs and track your project’s progress.
You can use Punchtime for free, with no limits on the number of projects, members and logs.
There is a pro version for 5$ per month for more analysis and control tools.
10. Time Tracking Solutions – Time Doctor
If you answer yes to the questions below, then you can install this application in your computer!
I was curious so I downloaded the app into my brand new computer, but I could not open it. What a shame. Considering all the other time tracking tools out there, I would remove this app from my computer immediately and use another one.
Conclusion
My first download was the Tracking Time app and I am actually still using it. I have been working for more or less 4 hours on this article and the app was with me the whole time. When I was not using my computer for lunch the app asked me if I would like to add the 45 minutes I was not using my PC to the time tracking system. I like that!
So right now if I have to pick one application it would be the Tracking Time app. And as I am old school I am reporting my time on an Excel file until I figure out another way to do it.
I hope that this article will help you find a way to track your time and improve the way you handle your tasks or your bills.
Thank your for all your replies on Facebook. We received a lot of examples of various time tracking applications (Rescue time, Getklok, Timeneye or Hubstaff to name a few). I decided to talk about the ones that came on regularly in the conversation. If you know an app that I did not talk about, feel free to leave your tips in the comments below!
Anyway. In order to end this article in a less serious way, I would like to share with you one of the comment I found that really made me laugh. This might be THE solution after all!
