How do you get an engineer to track the time they are spending on projects, resolving issues and scheduling time? You might say, "Just ask them to use time tracking software available in the market," but they would just walk out of the door. Some individuals say that such software is just a miserable waste of time, bureaucratic time stinks." Actually, time tracking software can do much more for you than just collect, compile and schedule time. It also provides you with useful information that can be used to analyze where time is spent and to better estimate future projects.
Perhaps the problem is that engineers must enter the numbers instead of having the software do the time tracking for them and just asking them periodically to set the description of their activity and to press record. Software engineers do not really like time management tools to make schedules. Quite often they try to get away without a time tracking tool. "It'll be done when it's done!" the engineers say, expecting that such a brave, funny zinger will reduce their bosses to fits of giggles, and in the ensuing joviality, the schedule will be forgotten.
Since engineers are not often involved in project scheduling, I suspect that they do not see the personal benefit from online time tracking and scheduling. You want to be spending your time on tasks that get the most work completed for every dollar spent. However, you cannot estimate how much money is spent without knowing how long the work is going to take. When you have to decide between the "animated paperclip" feature and the "more financial functions" feature, would you not want to know how much time each will take? At a business level, you would typically know how much you are paying your engineers, so time tracking software allows you to compute the cost of people for the project. Typically, people are the most expensive component of a software project; and in knowing this, such programs are a large benefit. Time tracking software not only helps you compute costs, but it is useful as well. The best estimates come from engineers, and to continue to provide good estimates, the engineers need to continually refine their estimates. Some engineers track their time well, while others need a little encouragement.
Detailed time tracking is a good way to make (or at least try to make) engineers track their time and improve estimates. However I would recommend limiting the number of such items. If you do not want your reports to become nightmares, limit the number of buckets you are tracking. Group items such as internal meetings, product training and conference calls into a single "Internal" category. It will simplify your reports and make it easier for employees to log their time. Engage your team and communicate how the time tracking data is going to be used (and how it is not going to be used). Explain the value of this software to all staff members. If the data helps to reduce the amount of multi-tasking or fire fighting, communicate that. By clarifying the process and explaining how timesheets help speed up the billing cycle and increase cash flow - thus gaining the ability to take on more projects (which can mean more money for everybody) - you make them understand and want to help. It is also important to be flexible in how the work is tracked. If you do not want employees watching the clock and getting creative with 15-minute excuses here and there, do not demand timesheets that are precise to the minute.
Time tracking is a great way for projects to figure out where time is truly being spent. You might be surprised. With this data, you can understand efficiencies and bottlenecks and help your project management efforts dramatically.
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