We want this article to reach business owners and project managers. Our goal is to introduce you to a range of benefits a timesheet management system can offer if your aim is to scale. The topics covered will range from raising your project capacity to employee onboarding and expense management.
Living in the era of technological advancement, businesses are bombarded with solutions promising to bring them unimaginable success on every corner. They range in purpose, specs, areas they address, features they offer and many more. In other words, with a constant stream of information, all delivering the same message but on different conditions, it is very easy to get confused.
In this article, we won’t make promises on how a sole solution will transform the entirety of your business. Sorry to break it to you, but it is impossible. Instead, we want to be very specific in our topic. Namely, we will be talking about business scalability and how timesheet management software can support it. Keep in mind, this is going to be a long read, alas we are trying to break it into sections.
First of all, we will have a general overview of how a timesheet solution can aid in scalability. We will then dig into the difference it makes in project management specifically. This is the area where this specific tool plays the biggest role. And finally, we will be looking into other elements of your business that can be improved by a digital timesheet solution. Prepare to encounter some surprises there. As per usual, to make it easier for you to navigate and find the sections you’re interested in, please use the table of contents below.
How Can Timesheet Management System Help You Scale?
The timesheet management system helps with quick yet sustainable scaling by taking over a range of manual and time-consuming tasks. It allows the end user to automate a variety of processes. This way, as the software takes over repetitive operations that don’t require human involvement, your teams can work on impact-driving challenges.
To expand a little further, allowing the tool to take over tasks also means you will be able to take over more projects without growing your team. Especially if this is not something you are interested in or available to do at the time. In other words, you will be scaling without applying major changes to your existing processes.
Additionally, you will also be minimising the chance of human error. As you begin delivering better quality at shorter times, your reputation will grow alongside. Never underestimate the word of mouth. Even if your overall online presence remains unchanged, better performance will always reflect in the growing demand for your services. In other words, the end result is the same - your business will be scaling.
It may sound like an unrealistic number of benefits coming from the adoption of just one tool. But we ensure you, there is even more. Although the timesheet management system is a relatively budget-friendly tool, it covers a huge area of your business. Below, we will be discussing several of them in depth. Keep in mind, we are keeping it scalability-oriented. Past this niche, there is so much more it can offer.
Improved Project Management Efforts
As already pointed out in the opening paragraphs, the biggest contribution of the timesheet management system to scalability comes from the project management side. Although automation features are to thank for most of it, there is also the aspect of creating centralised visibility. Ultimately, the tool doesn’t only run on the data you provide to it. It also records information on its own. Finally, it then puts all of it together in a visual, easy-to-digest format that can be analysed moving forward. What’s best, it’s an ongoing process, unlocking unlimited opportunities to continue growing as you go.
Work on More Projects Simultaneously
The key benefit of automation is that it enables you to take on more projects without growing the workforce. It’s a very frequent occurrence that companies that undergo a spur of scalability then suddenly stagnate. The reason is rather simple. The company settings at the starting point were optimised for gradual growth, possibly with an expectation to change it as progress occurs. Quick results, while highly favourable, then catch companies unprepared to shoulder an increase in demand. So, essentially, the business is generating enough interest to continue scaling. However, it is no longer capable to do the amount of work required.
The obvious solution here would be to grow the team, but it’s a short-term fix. Eventually, you will run into the same wall. A much wiser, more efficient and cost-friendly route would be improving work allocation. Now, this is where automation offered by a timesheet management system comes in. A lot of project management-related tasks are repetitive, tedious and time-consuming. This makes them perfect to hand over to software. Even something as little as approving logged work hours can amount to many productivity hours wasted. So why risk it?
Maximise Efficiency With Better Resource Allocation
Moving forward with the topic of getting as much efficiency as possible, let’s talk about resource allocation. Using a digital timesheet system means all timesheets from your workers will be accessible at the same location. It may not seem like a big difference, but hear us out. When you review timesheets one by one, you don’t compare them to one another. Meaning you are only estimating the time and deliverables ratio of each worker separately. When they are visible next to one another, you get to see the full picture. Analysing submitted timesheets against one another and against your overall project progress will help you identify potential problems.
From there on, you can then dig into the more granular analysis. Being able to compare the progress of different workers, as well as their overall contribution, will quickly highlight where the problem is stemming from. This will then allow you to address it before it causes further issues. Similarly to such an approach, you may find yourself identifying opportunities. For example, if one worker is delivering great results at a lesser number of hours than expected, you can easily allocate them to support those who struggle. All in all, having clear visibility of your team’s time expenditure and results helps you shift them around accordingly, maximising the results.
Produce In-depth Reports Within Minutes
Of course, manually comparing and then analysing the timesheets is also a time-consuming task. It would therefore be defeating the purpose, right? While we spoke so much about automating processes that eat your time up, here we are insisting you need to throw another one of them into a mix. As the title of this section suggests, it’s nothing like that. In fact, when you begin using a timesheet management system, the automation of that process comes as part of the package deal. Pretty much every platform will come with a visual dashboard that will present you with the numbers and tables the moment you log in. How detailed and customisable the said dashboard will be is something that will range from one software to another. This is a handy tool to get a quick evaluation of where you stand as it provides an overall overview. But what if you need to dig deeper?
Most of the modern solutions were designed to be capable of generating on-demand reports within mere minutes. Although it’s not the case with them all, you are normally in control to decide what exactly is going into the said report. At Timesheet Portal, we provide 40+ prebuilt report templates you can customise. Alternatively, you can build your own from scratch, using a simple and intuitive drag-and-drop builder. There is also no limit to how many templates you can have. It is very handy if you need to produce several reports at once. For example, one for internal analysis, one for the client and one for the stakeholders. Instead, Another aspect of automation also allows you to program the platform to generate and distribute the said reports at the said time every month/period they are to be delivered. Meaning you don’t have to even log into the platform more than once.
Tap into Existing Processes
The benefits of a good timesheet management system spread further than just project management. In fact, it can be used to better other processes across the business. The right solution will not scrap them or transform them beyond recognition. Instead, it will boost their efficiency, ultimately making the said processes more scalability-friendly. Without further ado, let’s look into key areas you can improve.
Smoother Onboarding
Onboarding new workers, either salaried, hourly or temporary, is one of the most important processes for any business. It requires speed, precision and excellent communication not to just bring them to speed but to also stay compliant and scale with ease. Now you might be wondering where do timesheets come in this. Let’s start with something as basic as having to educate your workers on how your time-tracking software works. If it’s a complicated, long-winged process with multiple steps to take, you will naturally need more time spent on training. And even then, it will be a while until they get familiar enough with the solution to be confident in avoiding errors. A manual or asking another employee to support their effort could shorten the time. But, ultimately, the best solution would be getting software that is just simple to operate.
Now to dig a little deeper. When you use a truly advanced timesheet management system, it can be either incorporated into your onboarding process or host it fully. For example, you can gatekeep the use of timesheets from staff who have not submitted all the required documentation. This means they won’t be able to log time, therefore not able to work. At Timesheet Portal, we have built-in an entire onboarding module to smoothen the process. You can adjust it to your needs by choosing what sort of documentation you require. New starters will then be responsible to upload it all right onto the platform, skipping the steps of back-and-forth emailing as well as manual upload on your behalf. Once approved, it will all be easily accessible and centralised. Our integration with an e-signing system also allows you to sign, process and store contracts on the platform.
Better Control Over Expenses
Expenses do fall under the umbrella of project management, but not always. In either situation, however, a time management system can positively contribute to the process. The key problem arising from business expenses is that often employees find the act of submission too complicated, too long or too confusing. Some skip it altogether, while others end up making errors. The approving party can sometimes be uncertain about the process too, therefore letting the said error slide. It may not be large quantities, therefore easily overlooked. However, over time, they accumulate and end up costing millions on a year-to-year basis. Naturally, better control of expenses will help your company scale more quicker.
Since timesheet solutions are ultimately categorised as pay and bill software rather than project management, they naturally address the process of expense claims. Most will make it easy to log expenses within the platform, and then instantly attach them to relevant projects or workers. At Timesheet Portal, we have gone the extra mile. Our expense module is capable of calculating mileage, and different types of expenses (eg parking and public transport) and doing it in different currencies. Not to mention, it allows expense submission on the go, as well as bulk submission of receipts and many other great features. The module is also inclusive of the approval process optimisation, which is what our next section is about.
Easier Approval System
An easy, intuitive and quick approval process is a must for every company. Doesn’t matter if it’s for timesheets, expenses, holidays or anything else. As we continue saying throughout this article, the improved speed of your processes is absolutely crucial if you want to continue scaling. Simply because as volumes grow, you can’t afford to waste on fully carrying them out manually. When there is so much to do, it is absolutely pointless to engage in emailing back and forth, as well as fishing through email threads in attempts to find approval-related information you no longer have on hand. Throwing automation into a mix solves this issue. Especially if it comes from a timesheet management system.
Many solutions on the market offer a whole lot more than mere timesheets. Depending on the vendor, it can be managing many processes, all way up to holiday accruals and time booking. You can always tell a good tool apart when they allow you to shorten the approval process to a mere click. In Timesheet Portal case - straight from your email inbox, without having to log into the platform. This, however, may sound very tricky if your company utilises the multi-level approval approach. But here’s the catch - it only sounds so. In reality, you can easily program the software to pass the approval from one person to another as the process progresses. For example, the second approver would only be required to take action if the first tone approved/rejected the submission. The options are broad and ultimately depend on your needs.
Scale with Timesheet Portal
If all of the above sounds like it’s too good to be true, we are happy to tell you it is, indeed, true. Mostly because all these aspects were taken into consideration as we built and continue upgrading Timesheet Portal. Our platform is designated to help you grow and it scales together with you. It doesn’t matter where your starting point is - we will be able to meet you right there. And even if you need to downgrade, we will be there to assist.
Being a small business ourselves, we understand the challenges as we have faced them ourselves. This helps us be empathetic and quick to understand what sort of solution you will need. We also take over the implementation and training as you join us, so you can start using the software from the get-go. This doesn’t mean, however, that only small businesses will benefit from Timesheet Portal. We also work with a couple of enterprise-level companies, and these partnerships have been ongoing for years. In other words, Timesheet Portal is here for everyone. We want to see you succeed and we are happy to help you with the journey.
Key Takeaway
Most businesses are not optimised for scalability. Often this only becomes apparent when they begin succeeding and then are forced to hit a plateau. While the common quick-fix solution is expanding the workforce, it ultimately locks companies in the vicious circle of a repeating situation. The permanent solution is keeping the number of workers closer to the original but utilising their time smarter.
The best solution for that is timesheet management systems. They give deep and easily accessible insights into what tasks your workers spend the most time on, highlighting the areas that need improving. In addition to that, they actually offer a tool in face of automation to help you devise such solutions. Simply put, you can identify processes that give your team setbacks and automate them, allowing your teams to work on more important tasks.
When you choose a timesheet management system that suits your business great, you will soon learn there is more than project management it can support you in. There are many processes inside the business that help with scalability, and the right tool will be addressing the majority of them. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that optimisation for growth isn’t a one-off thing to do. It is an ongoing process of its own.
Are you ready to kickstart this process? Do it with Timesheet Portal.
