November 6, 2017by davidmiller4312

How to Make Optimum Use of Time Tracking in a Project Management Tool?

Most project managers are pressed about meeting the deadlines for which time management is essential. Until you learn to manage your time efficiently, you are most likely to indulge in frictions with stakeholders as well as the clients. Although PM software is a staple in most businesses these days, not everyone is tapping full potential to manage their time better. Time tracking, for instance, is one such feature that isn’t used effectively; which shouldn’t be the case. Using time tracking can take the pressure off your shoulders, given that you no longer need to chase people for updates about their tasks and subtasks.

Time tracking tool and its optimum usage

As the name indicates, a time tracking tool is an effective way for tracking a project’s overall time. It provides a complete analysis of the amount of time needed for a particular project. Time tracking tools are a basic necessity of all types and size of businesses. They help the businesses in strengthening their performance against their competitors. Therefore, must be chosen and used in an optimized manner for ensuring effective results.

However, it can be really confusing at a time to be sure how to optimize the working of time tracking tool. But by knowing certain tactics and tips, you can make the most of the tool. Here are a number of ways in which the tracking tool can be utilized in the most optimized manner.

Understand the project’s goals

Using the time tracking tool without knowing the project’s goals is a recipe for failure. Before using the time tracking tool, you must invest time in brainstorming goals of the projects. Not the goals that look nice on papers, but “specific and actionable” goals that can be delivered on time without sacrificing the quality of deliverables.

Know the Types of time tracking tool

For making the best use of a time tracker tool, you need to select a time tracker tool post knowing the various types available in the market. The best way to be sure that your chosen time tracker will deliver an optimized performance, do some market search before buying one. Understand how the available time tracking software varies and which could be the most beneficial for your business.

Identify your requirements

This is one of the basic ways of getting the optimized use of the time tracking tool. To make the most of the tracking tool, you must be very specific about your project’s requirements. Know the main areas for which the time tracking is extremely essential and what will be the effects of not using the tool. Keep the desired requirements clear among the employees so that it becomes easy for them to keep moving without any distractions.

Employee’s awareness

If you don’t value time, then time will not value you. This old saying fits well in the project management case as well. If you fail to manage the time required for the various activities for the project, then the end result will not be as expected. Make your employees understand why it is important to keep a track of time. Let them know the various benefits of tracking the time and always be open for their ideas, suggestions, and opinions.

Don’t complicate things

Accepting any new change in the work environment can sometimes be tough and challenging both for employer and employees. Therefore, to ease things at the work front and to make the employees to easily grasp the requirements, keep them simple and uncomplicated. This will help in getting the best from the time tracking.

Design a strategy

Before you start using the time tracking software make sure that you develop a strategy for it. Come up with a good plan that covers all the confusion related to the use of the software and then try to overcome all those confusions for getting an optimized usage from the time tracker. Do keep in mind that the developed strategy should end all the chaos among the team members regarding the software. Cover all the areas which you want to keep a track.

Automation

There can be no escape from the fact that you need to monitor the project’s time aspect many times before the completion. Thus, there can be chances that you get occupied with some other thing. To avoid such situations and to maximize the use of the time tracker, consider the option of keeping the software on the automation mode. As a result, any new update in the software will get installed by itself giving you great performance.

Review your goals

As setting some goals are important before the start of the project, timely reviewing those goals is equally important. Make it as your habit to review your specific project’s goals. You can also give this responsibility to some of your employees by making them as in charges of the entire process. This will help you to know how you can use the time tracking software more effectively and in an optimized manner.