Time sheet are a method of recording employee times . Many of us have used this method of recording employee attendance times but we have seen the gradual change from paper time recording to electronic time collection via punch clocks. The advantages of this electronic time clocks are obvious both in the accuracy of the recorded times plus the efficiency gains produced from having electronic records . Additionally, these records can be further manipulated and interpreted by time and attendance software taking much of the manual process away from your payroll staff and producing more timely and accurate payroll.
While the electronic time clock has enjoyed increase popularity there has also been a rise in the number of online electronic timesheet programs available on the web . These products are deployed quickly, they are very inexpensive and they often include a remarkable amount of functionality and flexibility. They are ideal for those applications where the employees are in trusted roles where the clocking in times are used more for tracking work performed rather than as a basis for employee payroll.
Web based time sheets are used by many companies providing professional services as they often incorporate a time billing system . Staff record their times against projects throughout the week and at the conclusion of the project the times and associated billing hours are tallied and exported to an external invoicing system such as quickbooks .
The more advance time sheet products include a number of industry customized solutions which offer very specific features. Again, the better products allow for detailed projject management along with an extensive and detailed reporting system. Project budgeting and multi charge rates are included in some applications along with integration into products such as Microsoft Project Manager .
Because the system is web based your staff will be able to access the application via a web browser from any location where they have access to a computer. Working from home or at the clients premises or even on the go via a blackberry, Iphone or i-pad you and your staff are always in touch with this valuable management tool.
Search Google using the phrase time sheet and you will easily find a number of offerings . Take your time and make use of the free trials to assess the suitability for your business. Make a list of the current information you gather using other systems and add in those functions that are currently not catered for as well as those which cause you the greatest pain. Use those as a guide to selecting the best product.
Most of the products have a similar price tag . The pricing model is generally a per user per month and you can expect to pay around $5 to $8 per user depending on the product and the total number of employees. When you consider the functionality of these products the pricing is very favourable and compared with other electronic time clocks this is a very competitive and functional alternative.
Be sure to check out the testimonials and make sure there are a few companies of significance on their list. This is not a foolproof guide to the security and stability of the company but its certainly better than no references at all. Remember , they will have all your data so its worth at least a cursory check.
James Bell
The Time and Attendance Consultant
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