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Time Tracking
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Timesheet App for Project Managers

Project managers often face budget overruns due to inaccurate time tracking. Harvest solves this with seamless integrations and detailed reporting.

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How much revenue is your team leaving on the table?

Most agencies run at 55-60% utilization. Even a small improvement means significant revenue. See what closing the gap looks like for your team.

Number of people who track billable time
$
Blended rate across roles (junior, senior, lead)
55%
Percentage of total hours that are billable. Industry average is 55-60%.
75%
A realistic target for service businesses is 70-80%.
Monthly revenue gap $0
Revenue at current utilization $0/mo
Revenue at target utilization $0/mo
Extra billable hours needed per person/day 0h
Annual revenue opportunity $0

Start tracking team utilization

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

The Strategic Imperative: Why Time Tracking is Essential for Project Managers

For project managers, accurate time tracking is critical to achieving project success and avoiding budget overruns. A PwC study involving over 10,000 projects found that only 2.5% of companies successfully completed their projects within budget and on time. This stark statistic highlights the importance of precise time tracking in managing project costs and timelines.

Implementing effective time tracking can also significantly enhance organizational profitability. For example, adopting time tracking helped a hospitality service provider increase their billable hours and revenue by 10%. By fostering transparency and accountability, time tracking allows project managers to make data-driven decisions that optimize resources and improve productivity.

Decoding the Ideal Timesheet App: Features for Project Managers

When selecting a timesheet app, project managers should look for specific features that enhance project management efficiency. Essential functionalities include detailed time entry through both real-time timers and manual entries, enabling tracking at both project and task levels. This is crucial for distinguishing between billable and non-billable hours.

Integration capabilities are also paramount, with tools like Harvest offering seamless connections to popular project management platforms such as Asana and Trello. This integration ensures smooth workflow transitions and data consistency across tools. Moreover, advanced reporting and analytics features are vital for forecasting, comparing budgeted versus actual hours, and analyzing resource utilization.

Mastering Implementation: Best Practices for Timesheet Adoption

Effective timesheet adoption hinges on clear communication and comprehensive training. Project managers should articulate the purpose of time tracking to their teams, emphasizing its role in creating transparency and ensuring fair workloads. Starting with a pilot project can help identify potential issues before a full rollout.

Establishing consistent guidelines for time entry, such as aligning task codes with project milestones, simplifies tracking. Encouraging daily time logging over weekly submissions improves accuracy and reduces forgotten details. Regularly reviewing time tracking data with the team fosters continuous improvement and shared responsibility.

Navigating the Landscape: Compliance and Industry-Specific Needs

Project managers must navigate various legal and industry-specific considerations when implementing a timesheet app. In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates accurate time and pay record maintenance, with records required to be preserved for up to 3 years. Additionally, data privacy laws such as GDPR and CCPA govern the collection and storage of employee time data.

Choosing a timesheet solution that aligns with industry needs is equally important. For instance, professional services firms, which often bill clients hourly, require detailed time tracking for accurate invoicing and profitability analysis. Meanwhile, industries with mobile workforces need apps with robust mobile functionality, including GPS tracking and offline capabilities.

Harvest for Project Managers

See how Harvest's timesheet app integrates with Asana and provides detailed reporting for project managers.

Harvest's project manager timesheet app interface showing integration and reporting features.

Timesheet App for Project Managers FAQs

  • Project managers should consider timesheet apps like Harvest that offer robust integrations with tools like Asana and Trello, detailed reporting, and user-friendly interfaces. These features streamline project tracking and enhance productivity.

  • Many timesheet apps, including Harvest, offer seamless integration with project management tools such as Asana and Trello. This allows time tracked on tasks to flow back into the project management system, ensuring consistent data across platforms.

  • Project managers should look for apps that include real-time timers, manual time entry, task-level tracking, and the ability to differentiate between billable and non-billable hours. Reporting, mobile access, and integration with other tools are also crucial.

  • Time tracking is essential for transparency, accurate budgeting, and resource allocation. It improves productivity and accountability, ultimately leading to better project outcomes and profitability.

  • Timesheet apps like Harvest generate reports that track task completion, resource allocation, and budget consumption. These insights help project managers identify bottlenecks and make informed decisions to optimize project performance.

  • Yes, Harvest offers expense tracking with receipt capture, allowing project managers to manage project budgets and financial forecasting effectively.

  • Harvest provides mobile apps for iOS and Android, allowing project managers to track time and manage projects on the go, ensuring flexibility and convenience.