The 5 Most Important Things To Look For In A Time Tracking App

For today’s hybrid teams that consist of a combination of on-site, remote, and mobile employees, a powerful time tracking app is the foundation of their success.

Apps like Inch give everyone involved the tools necessary to simplify and streamline the common tasks associated with business workflow. But which software is right for you and your team?

In this article, we discuss what to look for in a time tracking app so that you can choose the right one for your unique needs.

What To Look For In A Time Tracking App

1) Broad Time Tracking Features

The most essential feature of any time tracking app is its ability to track time. And we’re not just talking about the simple act of clocking in and clocking out (although those are the cornerstone of every business).

Broad time tracking features available in modern software, such as Inch, allow you to track both your team’s full workday and each employee’s time on task.

For example, Jessica uses the Inch app to clock in at 8:55 a.m. to start her workday (along with the other 23 members of your team). She then uses the Inch app to record when she starts working on a specific task (9:05 a.m.) and when she stops (10:30 a.m.).

This process continues with the various tasks she works on throughout her time in the office (or wherever she works) until she clocks out at 5:03 p.m. to end her workday.

At the end of the workweek, then, you have a record of total time worked each day and for the whole week, as well a breakdown of the time she spent on the tasks assigned to her.

In the past, many businesses relied on pen and paper to conduct this important activity. That often meant managers had to rely on inaccurate hand-recorded data, enter it into a computer by hand, and sift through the output to look for trends and discrepancies.

Now, our time tracking app makes it easy to track and control when your team works without having to allow for user error, deal with incomplete forms, collate reams of paper, and spend hours entering information into your computer.

And, with Inch, you no longer have to cobble together multiple apps that don’t mesh well just to keep everything digital. Inch is your one-stop, turnkey solution to all aspects of employee management.

Not only can you assign tasks to anyone, anywhere, but you can also:

• Prevent early clock-ins and forgotten clock-outs
• Reduce time theft
• Set up geofencing so that team members are in the right place when they start and end their work
• Turn any phone into a time clock and allow employees to clock in and clock out from anywhere
• Export timesheets for simplified payroll processing
• Much more…

Whatever type of team you manage, the Inch time tracking app can help your business simplify the act of recording when your employees work.

2) Intuitive Interface

The time tracking app you choose may have all the cool bells and whistles, but without an intuitive user interface, even the most ideal features won’t mean a thing.

The best software is compatible with any device or operating system, gives team members the ability to clock in and out instantly right from their phones, and does all of this without a steep learning curve. Your employees shouldn’t have to be extraordinarily tech-savvy to make it work.

In addition to ease of use, what makes for a good user experience?

• Straightforward and comprehensive onboarding
• Intuitive and easy-to-navigate design
• Up to date and in sync across every connected device
• Reminders and notifications for tasks
• Conveniently located FAQ or help contact

Here at Inch, we’ve designed a simple solution that fits the needs of everyone on your team. It doesn’t matter what industry you work in — retail, telecommunication, maintenance, cleaning, or something else entirely — you and your employees will benefit from our intuitive interface.

Getting started is as easy as joining an existing workspace or creating one from scratch. The rest is a smooth user experience from beginning to end.

3) Universal Accessibility

Accessibility is a must-have feature of modern time tracking apps. Why? Because, in many cases, teams are now more distributed than ever before.

Whether you run a team that’s always on the go (e.g., out in the field) or a remote team that used to work face-to-face in the office, they all need access to the tools, documents, and information that make it possible — and easier —for them to do their job.

Regardless of where and when your employees work, it’s now absolutely necessary for any time tracking app to work anywhere, anytime, and on any device.

Inch, for example, is based in the cloud so you and your team can use it anywhere there’s internet access — be it wired or wireless.

Our app is also available on Windows, iOS, and Android devices, giving your team the flexibility necessary to be in sync no matter what device you all use — smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

4) Communication Tools

Communication is vital for organizing any team, be it made up of two employees or 200. Staying in touch with everyone in your business — whether they work in the office, on the road, or in their living room — can be a full-time job in and of itself if performed incorrectly.

So, whether you communicate by talking directly to each employee or by distributing information via SMS and push notifications, the tool you use for the job becomes incredibly important.

The best tool for the job is a time tracking app that also includes communication tools to help make communicating with your team simple and straightforward.

With our Inch app, for example, you can send messages to groups or individuals. It’s easy to find and communicate with employees within groups, locations, or specific positions. You can even share files, photos, videos, and links for faster and more comprehensive communication

5) Labor Cost Control

With the right time tracking app, not only can you create a record of hours worked and time on task, but you can also control the way your team works and the costs associated with this activity.

Bottom line: the right software gives you more than just a time clock; it gives you labor cost control as well.

For example, our Inch app allows you to set limits on labor expenses and then view and control labor costs as you create schedules and assign tasks. How does that help?

The ability to set spending limits prevents overtime from eating into your budget and helps you distribute shifts and tasks equitably amongst your employees — all with the goal of keeping labor expenses under control.

Decreasing labor costs in this way can have a profound effect on your company’s bottom line and, by extension, its ultimate success. Not every time tracking app can do that. Inch can!

Choose The Best Time Tracking App

If you’re searching for the best time tracking app, the Inch software suite is the one for you.

Inch is a voice-operated team scheduling, organization, and communication app that takes the core features of time tracking to the next level.

Our software incorporates job management and time tracking in one powerful solution and is designed to make it easier for managers and employees to get aligned on their to-dos, ensuring that all tasks are completed on time.

In addition, employees can perform a wide variety of tasks from any smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, including:

• Clocking in and out of the workday wherever they may be
• Recording time-on-task at different locations
• Getting clarity on work that needs to get done
• Communicating with managers and each other
• Completing work assigned to them
• Working from a shared task list
• Receiving voice-assisted reminder notifications

All of that and more without having to touch a mobile screen or report back to the office.

For managers of in-house, remote, distributed, or field-service teams, our software makes it easy to assign tasks manually across their teams or populate tasks automatically based on preset conditions.

This unique feature ensures that all work is covered and keeps employees accountable and clear on their specific responsibilities, expected outcomes, and deadlines.

If coordinating field service teams, operations teams, or maintenance teams is an issue for your business, Inch is ideal.

Our software makes it easy to assign work to the employees that are closest to the jobsite or have tasks generate automatically as the need arises and follow work progress and task completion in real time.

Inch helps eliminate frustration for employees, headaches for managers, and inefficiencies for the business.

Whether you need help improving time tracking in your business, communicating with your employees, setting up when each team member will work, or assigning tasks for them to perform, Inch gives you unprecedented control over a complicated process.

Our time tracking app makes it easier than ever to keep your team’s work activities organized, efficient, and productive.

For more free resources to help you manage your business better, organize and schedule your team, and track and calculate labor costs, visit TryInch.com today.