The 5 Most Important Features for Time Tracking

1. 3 reasons to consider the performance of time recording software
2. 1. Basic functionalities
3. Fazit

At the latest since the Federal Labor Court (BAG) ruling in 2022, time recording, or time management has been one of the indispensable HR processes of a company. Still, even apart from regulation by laws and court rulings, time recording is a necessity that can offer advantages for employees and employers. Employers are advised not to perceive this issue as a necessary evil, but to use the functionalities in win-win scenarios for executives and employees.

For many entrepreneurs and HR departments, the ECJ's decision in 2019 has called attention to the processes surrounding time recording. To help you navigate the jungle of potential software solutions, this article focuses first on why efficient time recording software is necessary at all, and then outlines the most important functions for you.

3 reasons to consider the performance of time recording software

So let's start with the following question: Why is it necessary to pay special attention to the performance of time recording software?

1. Time recording and evaluation are the starting point for many subsequent processes in your company

If you want to tackle the issue of time recording, it is important to create a single point of truth and thus high data quality. A powerful time recording system, like ZEP is the starting point for many subsequent HR processes. Only if the data is correctly recorded and processed, can valid management reports be created or the payroll accountants can work cleanly with it.

2. Demographic change and social trends

Two central developments suggest that efficient processes around time recording will become significantly more important: Demographic change is reducing the number of employed people, and additionally, the Generations Y and Z are entering the labor market with a completely different set of expectations. These two developments should also be considered in processes surrounding time recording to ensure competitiveness in the battle for employees. A time recording software must not be a limiting factor, when it comes to designing flexible working time models. In addition, younger workforce expectations to realize a work-life balance through flexible working hours and not to be confronted with a rigid process landscape.3. More than a time clock: success in time management projects only through a holistic approach Focusing exclusively on the question of how times can be recorded is not conducive. To introduce a holistic time recording software in your time management successfully, you should thoroughly examine your

(HR) process landscape

and anticipate future developments. This way you won't lose sight of the 'big picture' and be able to unlock further benefits for your organization. Key questions you should be asking yourself include:Which HR processes should also be carried out using the same software, eg staff scheduling or skill management?How do I involve employees and executives in the processes and how can approval workflows and information flows be designed?

• Which data flows with other systems are needed to avoid double maintenance?

• The 5 most important functions of time recording software

• Now that you know different perspectives from which claims on the performance of time management software can result, we focus on the most important functionalities that a time management system should offer.

1. Basic functionalities

First, there are basic functions that you are likely to need and every time management software should offer. The software, such as

ZEP

should offer various deployment options to meet the individual needs of your company. It can be hosted in the cloud or installed on its own servers (onPrem), depending on the IT guidelines and preferences of your company. In this context, it is also important that the whole software around time recording can be used via common internet browsers without the need for installation on the clients. This simplifies the implementation and reduces the support effort of your company IT. The software itself should stand out because of good software ergonomics for your users. For administrators, such as time management representatives, the user interface of the software should, for example, offer the possibility to work in several "tabs" at the same time in order to call up different information in parallel and to be able to perform tasks efficiently. For employees and executives, the focus should be on the fact that self-services can be used without extensive training. This increases acceptance and efficiency in using the software. The functionality for the various claim groups should be controlled by an overarching role and rights system.Another basic functionality for time management processes is the automatic vacation entitlement calculation. The software should be able to calculate and track the vacation entitlement automatically for each employee, based on company policies and individual employment contracts. This minimizes errors and simplifies the management of in-year entries and exits. The software should also include an automatic holiday calendar that takes into account holidays for different regions and countries. This simplifies the planning of working hours and vacations and thus ensures that employees are appropriately compensated on holidays. (Jetzt 30 Tage kostenlos testen) It is also important that the ability to calculate back can be ensured system-wide in the event of a need. The versioning of master data should make changes for entire groups of employees possible at a specific date.

2. Time recording and time evaluation

The core of a time management system includes various methods for recording working hours and then evaluating them according to defined rules. In terms of time recording, it is important to ensure easy accessibility. It makes sense to distinguish between groups of employees. While employees who work at (production) sites, for example, can use terminals and desktop-based self-services, those who travel a lot or do not have a fixed workplace need more flexible options, such as an app solution.

The evaluation of recorded times in a powerful time recording software should then

automatically occur based on predefined regulations

. The importance of flexible time evaluation options should not be underestimated, as they play a crucial role in efficiently managing work hours and optimizing HR resources. The possibilities of configuring time regulations without extensive programming support standardization as well as individualization. This is especially important as modern working environments require a variety of working time models, from full-time to countless part-time combinations. A flexible time management system should therefore be able to support these various models with predefined templates while allowing individual adjustments in the personnel master data without making manual interventions necessary in day-to-day business. In addition to flexibility in terms of working time models, another focus should be placed on the configurability of surcharges, counters and balances. Here, time and day rules are crucial for fair compensation and meeting operational requirements. For example, surcharges on holidays should be able to be calculated automatically after a certain time. Counters and configurable dependencies enable calculations with any complexity, such as totaling office or home office days for tax purposes or granting additional vacation days after a certain number of Saturday work days.3. Self-explanatory self-services and automation of routine tasksAs described at the beginning of this article, the introduction of a time management software should also aim to create

benefits for employees and executive

in win-win scenarios. A major benefit can be created through integrated self-services. In general, a self-service allows not only the pure time recording and evaluation but also the integration of further time management functions. Planning of absences, workflows and approval processes, individual reporting and project time recording are examples of extended functions that increase efficiency and productivity. The distribution of working hours to cost centers also allows for more accurate budgeting and resource allocation. All of these functionalities should fundamentally be characterized by the fact that the system does not allow incorrect entries and proactively points out missing entries. Automatic checking for compliance with laws and regulations is another important aspect. Proactive system notifications before labor laws are violated protect against legal consequences and can, for example, ensure compliance with rest periods.In addition to the consideration within self-services, the system should also proactively support time management administrators

. The software philosophy should be designed so that it is not necessary to manually check target deviations in list form in an effort to then take measures. Rather, the system should proactively point out target deviations and thus provide significant time savings in administration. Examples of this are proactive notifications on BEM (Occupational Integration Management) cases or proactive information regarding unplanned remaining vacation at year end for employees.4. High-performance reportingEffective and easy-to-use reporting within time recording software is crucial for various reasons. Executives can gain important insights to help them make strategic decisions. These reports, for example, allow them to identify

trends in commuting times

recognize bottlenecks and redistribute resources accordingly to increase productivity. In addition, such a report helps to comply with compliance regulations and labor laws by, for example, providing a warning before a 10-hour overrun occurs to prevent working time beyond this limit. Important additional aspects are transparency and communication within the company. Employees have the opportunity to review and manage their own working hours, which promotes satisfaction and adherence to working time regulations.In summary, powerful reporting in time management software enables better planning, management and optimization of working hours, leading to higher efficiency and a better working environment. It is therefore an indispensable tool for modern companies.Modular extensions & effective interfaces

Your time management system (e.g.

ZEP

) should be functionally modularly extended and be integrable into your existing HR system landscape via interfaces. A powerful solution should be able to take into account the individual requirements of your company and your industry. It is therefore often worth asking for industry packages or typical module extensions for your company. The possible synergies are particularly strong if you can also use your time management solution as a tool for personnel deployment planning. Here, the benefits are diverse, for example, Consistent data basis, forecasting and past data (Jetzt 30 Tage kostenlos testen) , Reduction of overtime by considering time accounts within planning, audit security by taking qualifications into account.For topics that cannot be realized through modular extensions, the implementation of interfaces to other HR systems is necessary. Therefore, you should question the openness of the interface and the possibilities of realizing data imports and exports before introducing a time management solution. Ideally, there are standardized interfaces to common payroll and HCM systems. Technologically, there should be various ways to implement interfaces (e.g., web services / REST API or classic file interfaces), so that in consultation with your IT, a decision can be made as to which way is the best for your company.Conclusion

In summary, it can be stated that the importance of a powerful time management software is not only relevant for time recording in your company. In addition to the safe compliance with regulations and laws, a well-thought-out solution can provide for more efficient processes and thus for relief for those working with the systems. It is recommended to make good use of best-practice consulting when planning a project to introduce a time management software in order to set up a comprehensive concept.

Tools like Craftboxx, Clockodo and Crewmeister help you precisely record your work and break times – a crucial step toward sustainably optimizing your work-life balance.

Fazit

Zusammenfassend ist festzuhalten, dass die Bedeutung einer leistungsfähigen Zeitwirtschaftssoftware nicht nur für die Zeiterfassung in deinem Unternehmen von hoher Relevanz ist. Neben der sicheren Einhaltung von Vorschriften und Gesetzen kann eine gut durchdachte Lösung für effizientere Prozesse und damit für eine Entlastung derer, die mit den Systemen arbeiten, sorgen. Empfehlenswert ist, eine gute Best-Practice Beratung bei der Planung eines Projekts zur Einführung einer Zeitwirtschaftssoftware wahrzunehmen, um ein umfassendes Konzept aufstellen zu können.