Home Contact Us Site Map
Why you should read this

Manual timesheets certainly have their place, and indeed, most companies often start out using them.

Read this to understand how manual timesheets are not always practical, and why more and more organisations are moving towards timesheet automation.


Manual timesheets:
Paper & Excel

When companies initially start capturing time-based data, often a manual timesheet system
is put in place.

When administration staff tire of faxing, collating and filing paper, sometimes companies attempt automating the timesheet process themselves using Microsoft Excel.

Excel however often becomes untenable when complex conditions arise, and managers demand consolidated report outputs.

These systems often become a stepping stone for a fully automated, smart timesheet system.

Let's look at the advantages and disadvantages of manual timesheet systems.

Paper

Most organisations start with a paper-based timesheet. Although a safe initial choice, it is practical to move away from this especially as an organisation grows:

  • Save administration time by removing the need for filing
  • Save money by removing the need for faxing documents across the country
  • Do the right thing, and save a tree

Aside from the tangible costs of using paper, there is also the very high risk that the person interpreting the timesheet is doing so incorrectly resulting in under or overpayments, or perhaps even favouring some employees above others. Allowing subjectivity to be applied to your largest liability (wages) is dangerous!

Excel

Using Excel to manage employee time is a common choice for organisations, and let’s face it, it could be seen as a very valid choice:

  • Employees and managers already have access to it, and they know how to use it
  • Many people have sufficient knowledge of Excel to write formulae to calculate payments and generate payroll import files from it

However, add a few complex validation and calculation requirements, and Excel is no longer the tool of choice. Not only that, it can also be difficult to achieve consolidated reports that are required for managers.

All in all, a possible option for small organisations with very simple requirements, however it is usually just a transitional option while organisations move from paper-based timesheets to a smarter, more automated option.

 

Introduction Custom-built