Time Tracking Guide

MONTON’s time tracking system provides comprehensive tools for logging work hours, managing timesheets, and generating detailed time reports. The system supports project-based time tracking, approval workflows, and detailed analytics.

Time Tracking Overview

Purpose and Benefits

Why track time:

Project costing: Accurate project cost calculation
Billing accuracy: Precise client billing
Productivity analysis: Understanding work patterns
Resource planning: Better resource allocation
Performance measurement: Individual and team metrics

Time Tracking Components

Timesheets: Personal time logging interface
Project allocation: Time assignment to specific projects
Task-level tracking: Detailed task time logging
Approval workflows: Manager review and approval
Reporting: Comprehensive time analytics

Accessing Time Tracking

Primary access points:

Time > Timesheet: Personal timesheet management
Time > Approvals: Manager approval interface (MANAGER/ADMIN)
Dashboard widgets: Quick time entry and overview
Project pages: Project-specific time logging

User Permissions

Role-based access:

ADMIN: Full access to all time data and settings
MANAGER: Team time review and approval capabilities
CONTRIBUTOR: Personal timesheet management
GUEST: Limited or no time tracking access

Personal Timesheet

Timesheet Interface

Layout components:

Calendar view: Weekly or daily time entry grid
Project selector: Choose projects for time entry
Task selector: Select specific tasks (if applicable)
Time entry fields: Hours and minutes input
Description field: Work description and notes
Status indicators: Entry status (draft, submitted, approved)

Time Entry Methods

Manual Entry

Step-by-step process:

Navigate to Time > Timesheet
Select the date for time entry
Choose project from dropdown
Select task (if task-level tracking is enabled)
Enter hours worked (format: HH:MM or decimal)
Add description of work performed
Save entry

Entry formats:

Decimal hours: 1.5 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Time format: 1:30 (1 hour 30 minutes)
Quick entry: Common time increments (0.25, 0.5, 1.0)

Quick Entry

Fast time logging:

Today’s work: Quick entry for current day
Recent projects: Access to recently used projects
Template entries: Saved common time entries
Bulk entry: Multiple entries at once

Timer-Based Entry

Real-time tracking:

Start timer: Begin tracking current work
Project selection: Choose project while timer runs
Pause/resume: Interrupt and continue timing
Stop and save: Complete entry with automatic time calculation

Time Entry Validation

Validation rules:

Maximum daily hours: Prevent excessive daily entries
Minimum time increments: Enforce minimum time blocks
Project access: Verify user can log time to project
Date restrictions: Prevent future date entries
Overlapping entries: Check for time conflicts

Project-Based Time Tracking

Project Time Allocation

Project setup:

Enable time tracking: Project-level time tracking setting
Team assignments: Define who can log time
Rate structures: Hourly rates for different roles
Budget limits: Time budget constraints

Task-Level Tracking

Detailed time logging:

Task selection: Choose specific tasks for time entry
Task progress: Automatic progress calculation based on time
Estimated vs. actual: Compare planned and actual time
Task completion: Mark tasks complete based on time logged

Project Time Reports

Project-specific analytics:

Total time: Cumulative project time
Team breakdown: Time by team member
Task analysis: Time distribution across tasks
Timeline view: Time entries over project duration

Approval Workflows

Timesheet Submission

Submission process:

Complete time entries for the period
Review entries for accuracy
Submit timesheet for approval
Await manager review and approval

Submission requirements:

Complete entries: All required fields filled
Valid time amounts: Reasonable time entries
Project authorization: Access to logged projects
Description quality: Adequate work descriptions

Manager Approval Process

For MANAGER and ADMIN users:

Review Interface

Team timesheets: List of submitted timesheets
Entry details: Detailed view of time entries
Approval actions: Approve, reject, or request changes
Bulk actions: Approve multiple timesheets at once

Approval Actions

Available actions:

Approve: Accept timesheet as submitted
Reject: Return timesheet with feedback
Request changes: Ask for specific modifications
Partial approval: Approve some entries, reject others

Approval Criteria

Review considerations:

Time reasonableness: Appropriate time amounts
Project validity: Correct project assignments
Description quality: Adequate work descriptions
Budget compliance: Within project budgets

Approval Notifications

Notification system:

Submission alerts: Notify managers of new submissions
Approval confirmations: Confirm approval to employees
Rejection notices: Explain rejection reasons
Reminder notifications: Follow-up on pending approvals

Time Reporting and Analytics

Personal Time Reports

Individual analytics:

Daily summaries: Time breakdown by day
Weekly reports: Weekly time allocation
Monthly analysis: Monthly productivity trends
Project distribution: Time across different projects

Team Time Reports

Manager and admin analytics:

Team utilization: Overall team productivity
Project time analysis: Time spent on each project
Individual performance: Team member comparisons
Overtime tracking: Excessive hours monitoring

Advanced Reporting

Comprehensive analytics:

Billable vs. non-billable: Revenue-generating time analysis
Efficiency metrics: Productivity measurements
Trend analysis: Time tracking patterns over time
Budget variance: Planned vs. actual time comparison

Time Tracking Best Practices

Accurate Time Entry

Guidelines for precision:

Log time daily: Enter time regularly, not in batches
Be specific: Provide detailed work descriptions
Round appropriately: Use consistent rounding practices
Track breaks: Account for non-work time appropriately
Review before submission: Double-check entries for accuracy

Productive Time Management

Efficiency tips:

Use timers: Track time in real-time when possible
Categorize work: Distinguish between different work types
Set reminders: Use notifications to remember time entry
Batch similar tasks: Group similar work for better tracking
Regular reviews: Analyze time patterns for improvement

Project Time Management

Project-focused practices:

Understand project scope: Know what work counts toward projects
Track task progress: Use time to measure task completion
Monitor budgets: Stay aware of project time budgets
Communicate issues: Report time-related project concerns
Document thoroughly: Provide clear work descriptions

Advanced Features

Advanced Time Tracking Features

Enhanced functionality:

Time entry templates: Save common time entry patterns
Bulk operations: Mass time entry modifications
Time entry history: Review and edit past entries
Time tracking reports: Detailed time analysis

Mobile Time Tracking

Mobile capabilities:

Mobile-responsive interface: Time tracking on mobile devices
Offline entry: Log time without internet connection
GPS tracking: Location-based time verification
Push notifications: Mobile time entry reminders

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Cannot log time to project

Verify you’re assigned to the project
Check if time tracking is enabled for the project
Confirm project is active and not archived
Contact project manager for access

Time entry validation errors

Check time format (use HH:MM or decimal)
Verify date is not in the future
Ensure you have access to selected project
Review maximum daily hour limits

Timesheet submission problems

Complete all required fields
Ensure all entries have descriptions
Check for overlapping time entries
Verify project assignments are valid

Approval workflow issues

Confirm timesheet was properly submitted
Check with manager about approval status
Verify approval workflow is configured
Review rejection feedback if applicable

Getting Help

Time tracking documentation: Review detailed time tracking guides
Manager assistance: Ask your manager about time tracking policies
Admin support: Contact organization administrators
Technical support: Report system issues

Connection with Other Features

Project Management Connection

Task time tracking: Log time directly to project tasks
Project budgets: Time tracking affects project budget calculations
Progress updates: Time logged updates project progress
Resource allocation: Time data informs resource planning

Financial Connection

Cost calculation: Time multiplied by rates for project costs
Billing preparation: Time data used for client billing
Budget analysis: Time costs compared to project budgets

Next Steps

After mastering time tracking:

Project Management: Managing projects with time tracking
Team Management: Managing team time and productivity
Reporting Overview: Comprehensive reporting features
User Settings: Personal time tracking preferences