Effective Time Tracking: A Digital Nar Guide
Effective Time Tracking: A Digital Nar Guide
Welcome to our guidance column, where we share insights because, believe it or not, we’ve learned a thing or two along the way. Dive into our reflections, or revisit our earlier wisdom.
From Eva Schipper, a designer in Seattle, via Twitter:
Dear Digital Nar,
How do you manage time tracking for client projects, and what strategies do you use to encourage accurate compliance from your teams?
Genco Cebecioglu , CCO / Strategic Partner at Digital Nar , responds with enthusiasm:
Hello Eva—thank you for reaching out with your query.
At first glance, time tracking might seem purely administrative, merely a method to determine billing for projects. However, its value extends far beyond that. Time tracking is instrumental in uncovering insights about our operational habits, allowing us to refine our time estimates for future projects. This leads to more efficient use of our time, safeguards our team’s hours, and ultimately, elevates the quality of our output, contributing to a happier workplace.
Here’s our approach:
Setting the Scene:
For every new project, we predict the distribution of hours and roles needed over time, matching them with the required effort levels.
We involve the team responsible for executing the project right from the estimation phase, enabling everyone to contribute to the planning process and understand the project timeline thoroughly.
We then convert these estimates into a detailed plan, outlining milestones and deliverables, and allow for flexibility to manage any unforeseen changes.
Implementation:
Once a project kicks off, we continuously compare our initial estimates with the actual ongoing work, focusing primarily on delivering the best solutions.
Currently, we’re utilizing Harvest for daily time tracking due to its comprehensive overviews, scalability, and integration capabilities with Forecast, our resource management tool. However, we’re open to exploring other tools that might offer better task integration and real-time project updates.
Keeping it Honest:
It’s common for team members to inquire if they should log all their hours under the project or distribute them elsewhere, especially if budget constraints are tight. We emphasize the importance of logging actual hours spent, regardless of the financial implications.
Best practices include:
• Starting your week by reviewing the time allocated to your tasks.
• Adjusting your hours in consultation with a producer if the allocation seems off.
• Logging the actual time spent at the end of each day.
Open communication is vital. By logging true hours, we avoid underestimating or overestimating time in future projects, thus breaking the cycle of stress and mismanagement.
Clarity Without Overkill:
There’s a fine line between being clear and micromanaging. For instance, logging minute details like “15 minutes spent eating a burrito” can feel overbearing. It’s about finding the right balance—being precise without being invasive.
Motivation Over Mandate:
We view our time tracking tool as a helpful resource rather than a burdensome chore. Encouraging regular logging is akin to advocating for regular room cleaning—it’s best done a little at a time rather than all at once.
Motivating teams involves:
• Removing the stigma of “right” or “wrong” entries.
• Encouraging visibility into both estimates and actuals.
• Making time logging a part of the project planning process, not just an administrative task.
By understanding the benefits and participating in the process, everyone sees the value of accurate time logging.
In Conclusion:
Incorporate the entire team in both estimating and monitoring.
Promote regular communication—there’s no “wrong” time log as long as it’s transparent.
Set clear, project-specific guidelines for time logging, but avoid sweating the small stuff.
We hope this provides clarity and helps streamline your time tracking practices.
—Genco
