Digital Timekeeping in 2025
Published: 20/08/2021
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In this article, we will explore the benefits of digital timekeeping. We will also discuss why timesheet software is a better solution than traditional Excel spreadsheets.
It’s no secret that staying organised is crucial for any business. If your internal structure is falling apart, it will reflect on how you service your customers. For example, a lack of organisation may lead to issues regarding employees' clock-in times. This can then result in delayed payments, dissatisfaction, and poorer performance. Consequently, the customer will suffer, leading to a loss of trust in your business.
Timekeeping is one of the oldest and most essential methods for managing business operations. Long before the digital era, businesses relied on paper time sheets. As technology advanced, the common practice of tracking expenses and employee time allocation shifted to using Excel sheets. Nowadays, there is a better way to achieve seamless internal management: investing in designated SaaS timekeeping software and mobile apps.
In this article, we will explain what makes the modern approach the best and how to personalise it.
Timekeeping opens many doors for improving your team’s overall efficiency. It fosters an environment where you can support each worker individually, helping them to realise their best abilities. It also provides a general overview of how your business is performing and identifies potential gaps.
Some argue that timekeeping is a way for upper management to micromanage salaried staff. Others speculate that it’s a means to monitor hourly and contract workers. We insist that none of this is true.
The visibility of what the workers do is not about a lack of trust. It enables management to help their staff build more efficient and smoother day-to-day schedules. By monitoring employees’ time spent via timesheets, you gain insights into your workers’ strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify training opportunities as well as the business areas where your employees excel.
Additionally, maintaining time entries enables the efficient allocation of time and budget across different projects. This leads to better utilisation of available resources and serves as a valuable data collection tool. In the long run, it will allow the business to make improved, data-driven decisions.
While timesheets are primarily a tool for tracking activities in the business, they offer much more. Digital timekeeping, in particular, highlights the efficiency of business processes.
Microsoft Excel is the oldest and most widely used digital timekeeping system. However, its relevance is starting to decline as technology advances rapidly. Once a revolutionary tool that simplified time management for small businesses, it is now becoming a barrier to business growth.
To be blunt, Excel is too simple to meet the needs of modern businesses. It has multiple security vulnerabilities that are easy to bypass. The formula-based system is susceptible to human error, which can lead to significant financial losses. Finally, if the spreadsheet becomes too large, opening it can take well over an hour.
In addition to those inefficiencies, effective reporting cannot be done through Excel. To analyse the numbers in your spreadsheet, you must manually export them to other software for clearer data displays.
But don’t worry. There is now a more efficient and secure alternative to outdated spreadsheets. SaaS technology has been developed by individuals who grew frustrated with Excel’s limitations. Take our timekeeping solution, for example.
The SaaS software market is flourishing. There are millions of solutions for every challenge you may encounter. It makes perfect sense - every business has different needs and demands. Therefore, there’s no one-size-fits-all tool. But when there’s demand, there’s supply. And so we have a very diverse catalogue to choose from.
SaaS technology is typically hyper-focused in a specific area. It cannot meet every need you have. For example, time-tracking software won’t include the tools necessary for e-commerce development.
This issue, however, is easily addressed by multiple SaaS providers that offer their users integrations with other tools. While your timekeeping software may lack the specific functions you’re looking for, you can sync it with another software that does.
Integration of different solutions enables seamless data collection and visualisation. It also reduces the risks of human error when data transfer is handled manually. In other words, SaaS integration allows alignment between different business areas by creating a time-efficient, accurate, and centralised data transmission.
When using Excel, if there are more than one editor, you typically end up with multiple versions of a single document. This approach fosters human error and data inconsistency.
As information travels from department to department, it becomes less relevant with each transfer. Many companies have simply given up on trying to keep everyone in the loop and focus only on sharing data within departments they deem suitable. This mindset is detrimental to a business. Without the visibility of one department, other teams may take actions that contradict what has been done previously. They may potentially reverse any progress made or waste time repeating tasks.
SaaS technology addresses this issue by enabling multiple users to work on a project simultaneously and in real time. Most SaaS solutions are cloud-based, meaning they can be accessed through an internet browser from any device. Changes made by one user become immediately visible to others, creating full transparency across departments.
While eliminating human error is a significant selling point for SaaS, it isn’t the primary one. The ability to save time by automating tedious tasks and completing them within minutes—that benefit takes the crown.
For example, a digestible report based on spreadsheet information requires manual data export and arrangement. This process is time-consuming and prone to errors. However, if you use timesheet software, you gain a customisable dashboard that provides visual reports as soon as you request them.
Timekeeping SaaS particularly stands out for its automation features. At Timesheet Portal, we offer a widely used payroll service automation tool that sends invoice reminders to both the approver and the contractor. This is just one of many features we provide to eliminate manual labour that does not drive progress yet requires constant maintenance.
This is just a snippet of what our platform offers. If you’d like to explore what else we provide, we encourage you to sign up for a free 30-day trial.
With each product being similar yet fundamentally different, it can be difficult to find the right one. Most solutions also come with 3-month or annual contracts. Since prices often climb into the thousands, investing in a tool that isn’t right for your business carries the risk of financial losses. Not to mention the time wasted on committing to an inefficient approach.
In the following section, we want to offer some advice on making a well-informed decision when selecting a SaaS platform for timekeeping.
Purchasing a SaaS solution is a long-term commitment, so you should think ahead. Even if it’s a solution to a nagging issue that needed to be sorted out yesterday, be patient—it pays off in the end.
For guidance, revisit your long-term goals and identify what you need to achieve them. Next, consider the features you prioritise in software. We suggest writing them both down. Once completed, compare them: is there an alignment?
If the software solves your immediate problem but nothing beyond that, it’s not a good investment. The right tool is meant to be a trustworthy ally in your business growth journey, supporting your efforts in more than one area. In other words, you are looking for versatile software that serves multiple purposes and remains useful even after the main issue is resolved.
Integrations should also be a key factor when shopping for a SaaS. Every business is inevitably working with some form of software already, whether it's accounting, CRM, or something else. More often than not, companies seek to add to their existing tools rather than replace them entirely.
It’s crucial to explore integration options for the SaaS platforms you’re interested in. If you have a long list of potential candidates, this can be a great way to filter out the unfit ones. There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to integrations because, ultimately, it’s your business and its needs at the core.
Sometimes, the software may lack a specific integration you need, but its overall value proposition aligns perfectly with your goals. In that case, you shouldn’t dismiss it immediately. Consider contacting the vendor; there might be a possibility of creating a custom API.
Obtain the supplier’s SLA as soon as possible. If the policy indicates that you’re not entitled to receive it before signing the contract, it’s a red flag. This often suggests the supplier may be hiding something. SLAs are intended to outline server downtimes, customer support availability, and other significant factors that influence decision-making.
The level of support and communication with the vendor depends on your needs and expectations. Some companies prefer to be guided throughout their onboarding process and beyond, while others opt for a hands-off approach. Both preferences are perfectly acceptable. It’s wise to outline your preferences before committing to a SaaS platform.
We cannot emphasise enough how important timekeeping is. With data stored on timesheets being a cornerstone of many business decisions, the possibility of eliminating potential human error cannot be ignored.
The methods for ensuring better timekeeping have evolved alongside technology. We now have cutting-edge solutions to replace outdated, flawed practices. Seize this opportunity, and you will be amazed by the results.
The ever-growing SaaS market arose from people who identified problems with existing solutions, such as the inefficiency of Excel for timekeeping. Their frustrations with software-based roadblocks and potential risks paved the way for today's world- a modern landscape filled with improved and highly personalised methods that enable businesses to enhance their timekeeping efforts.
At Timesheet Portal, we recognise how impactful good timekeeping is. From creating healthier internal environments to perfecting your product and messaging to build a relationship with the consumer, the information collected and utilised through timesheets is at the heart of everything. It should, therefore, not be taken lightly.
Do you have any other questions or inquiries? Feel free to reach out or schedule a demo.