5 Time Tracking Apps to Use with QuickBooks

Time tracking: What and why?

Using a time tracking application day-to-day is important for many reasons:

1. Time tracking apps show when (and where) employees are working.

PTO, sick days, client meetings—all these time tracking entries take an employee out of the office, yet they’d obviously be billed (or not billed) differently.

And in the remote work era, being absent at the office doesn’t mean you’re not working. Easy-to-use time tracking apps (like the list we’ve supplied below) allow employees to track their time on-the-go, and managers to keep track of teams’ statuses.

2. Time tracking apps measure employee productivity.

At first glance, “measuring employee productivity” makes time trackers seem like a micromanagement dream.

But that’s not what we’re advocating here. In fact, measuring a project’s progress using a time tracker application lets employers check in without “checking in.”

It also makes it simpler for managers to identify project complexities. It visualizes where employees may be struggling; this (we hope) gives employers the justification for more training budget, or even a workflow reset.

Time trackers help start the “how could this process be improved?” conversation.

3. Time tracking apps help estimate project costs and provide accurate and transparent pricing for clients.

Clients want to see exactly how much time their service provider is spending on their project.

And service providers, like accountants, government contractors, electricians, etc., also benefit by getting accurate job costing estimates for how long a similar project will take the next time.

Clients are happier because time allocation is transparent throughout the project’s term. (Zero unexpected costs.) Job costing estimates improve in accuracy over time.

Zero question of compensation; the evidence for where time was spent is visible throughout the project’s term.

Time tracking apps help control finances

It’s easy to control finances with a time tracking app. It’s not as easy to select from the multitude of feature-rich applications on the market today.

We’ve put together a brief list of consumers’ favorite time tracking apps below. Full disclosure: All of these are hosted by us—though that wasn’t our original intention for this post. We just happen to host some of the industry’s best applications!

1. QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets)

QuickBooks Time (formerly known as TSheets) is an industry favorite for a reason.

Intuit snagged TSheets in 2017, made their match-made-in-accounting heaven official in January 2018, then rebranded the once-standalone app “QuickBooks Time.”

Since then, Intuit has improved its integration and has created a simpler workflow for managing invoicing, payroll and time tracking under the Intuit umbrella.

Learn more about QuickBooks Time in our App Directory.

2. BigTime

BigTime is an online billing and time tracking tool created specifically for professional services firms (including accounting, IT, legal, engineering, etc.)

It also boasts a comprehensive project management solution. So, users (and more likely: management) get to view and assign tasks at a granular level, while still gaining the all-important time tracking, billing and reporting features they expect.

Learn more about BigTime in our App Directory.

3. Hour TimeSheet

Hour TimeSheet wants to be known for one thing: DCAA compliance. And in a probably-too-simplistic nutshell, the DCAA (Defense Contract Audit Agency) works to ensure contracted entities are using government funds appropriately.

If/when a contractor is audited by the agency, that contractor’s employer must be able to furnish evidence that they spent X amount of time on Y project.

Hour TimeSheet provides that DCAA compliant evidence with their simple, customizable time keeping solution.

Learn more about Hour TimeSheet in our App Directory.

4. Time Tracker by eBillity

Time Tracker by eBillity is an online time tracking solution created to save business owners time on invoicing and payroll. It syncs seamlessly with QuickBooks, making payroll and class tracking in-product easier.

It also makes job costing analysis intuitive. With Time Tracker by eBillity, users can automate a weekly report that shows time spent per project (obviously, as this is a time tracking post) plus a view of which employees and customers are most efficient (aka = bringing in the most money.)

Learn more about Time Tracker by eBillity in our App Directory.

5. Knowify

Knowify supplies job costing, progress invoicing, change orders, built-in eSignature capture—basically, everything that a construction firm would need to track time spent on a project, then the tools necessary for billing that client.

Users can also create detailed cost estimates per job phase using Knowify’s advanced budgeting tools, then effortlessly translate those budgets into a bid.

All jobs, clients, vendors and items, plus the invoices, time, payments and expenses automatically sync—saving time, improving accuracy and most importantly: cutting out double entries.

Learn more about Knowify in our App Directory.

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