More and more organizations have started to turn to time-tracking software such as Controlio to improve employee productivity and team efficiency, carry out remote workforce management, and maintain accurate records for billing and payroll. But choosing the right time-tracking or employee monitoring software can be challenging with so many options on the market.
To ensure the software aligns with your organization’s requirements, there are seven key factors that need to be considered.
1. Core Features and Capabilities
Nowadays each time-tracking software can have a wide range of features, and no two are the same. Aside from the basic ability to track work hours, some software have features for time management, project management, invoicing, payroll, HR, productivity analytics, and much more. On top of that there are other, more specialized, features that some can offer such as GPS tracking, AI-powered cybersecurity and threat detection, or biometric identification.
Each organization should outline its requirements, and then try to find time-tracking software that has the right set of core features and capabilities to meet those needs.
2. Ease of Use
Adoption will go much more smoothly if the time-tracking software is easy to use. The more straightforward and intuitive the user interface, the faster employees will be able to set it up and start using it.
Key elements to look for when evaluating ease of use include a clean dashboard, clear navigation, minimal steps required for common actions, and simple (or even automated) methods. Some time-tracking software such as Controlio or Clockify have free trials that can be used by small teams to test the software and obtain feedback.
3. Useful Data Insights and Analytics
Raw data is useful, but what will really tip the scale is reporting that analyzes and transforms it into actionable insights. Time-tracking software may do this in several ways, such as with customizable reports, real-time dashboards, visualizations, or the option to export data and have it analyzed on some other platform.
Be sure to look for analytics that are both detailed and relevant. Some analytics may be better at monitoring productivity levels, while others may excel at tracking workloads, identifying workflow bottlenecks, or identifying security risks.
4. Scalability
Organizations often only think about whether or not time-tracking software is a good fit for their current needs, while ignoring possible future needs due to growth. Take the time to evaluate whether or not the tool can scale well based on the number of users it can support, amount of tasks or projects it can track, additional features or integrations, and the flexibility of its plans and pricing.
Choosing a software that can scale well will help avoid disruptions caused by having to switch systems in the future. It will also provide a wider range of options that cater to evolving needs as organizations grow.
5. Security and Compliance
Because time-tracking software captures and stores sensitive business and personal data, its security is crucial. At a minimum it should have secure connections, data encryption, and regular backups – though other features such as role-based access controls, biometric identification, and threat identification can also help.
Many jurisdictions now also have data security and privacy protection regulations such as the GDPR in Europe or CCPA in California. Ensuring tracking software can be set up to comply with these regulations easily will avoid unwanted complications.
6. Integrations
If time-tracking software can fit into existing workflows, its implementation will be far less complicated. Think about the project management platforms, HR management software, payroll systems, communication tools, or any other apps that are being used – and check if the time-tracking software supports integrations with it.
Some time-tracking software support a wide range of integrations, while others do not. Assuming it doesn’t support integrations with the tools that are already in use, consider how difficult it will be to modify existing workflows in order to either integrate time-tracking data manually or switch to other tools that are supported.
7. Pricing Structure
The pricing structure of tracking tools warrants extra scrutiny. Some software charge per user, while others have tiered plans or a combination of the two. Furthermore there are software that also bundle additional features as addons and charge separately for those too.
At the end of the day the goal should be to balance the cost with the features necessary – while also factoring in budget.
Conclusion
Choosing the right time-tracking software requires a clear understanding of your organization’s goals and needs. The key factors listed above will help make it easier to evaluate each of the options that are out there, and find the one that is most suitable.
Start by looking at time-tracking software such as Controlio and paying close attention to its features, ease of use, analytics, scalability, security, and pricing. That way you can compare it against other options, and decide which is best.
