There is one resource that all businesses share in equal measure: time! The key to any successful business is making the most of the limited time available to them.
Thankfully, there are a lot of different tools available to help us to achieve this. Today’s time-tracking tools are incredibly advanced and can help you to understand not only how many hours are spent on a project, but how you work, how time is misused, and how your behaviors both distract and serve you.
With that being said, below, we will give you more insight into the world of time-tracking tools, including a look at some of the best out there today.
Time Analytics
Time Analytics is a simple, yet powerful tool, ideal for small businesses aiming to improve their efficiency, replace manual tasks with automated processes and make better business decisions based on data.
Features like time tracking, timesheets, and cost tracking allow you an overview of how well your employees’ hours are spent, broken down by the project. Additional fields let you mark the hours as billable or non-billable and add any comments or notes regarding a project.
Time Analytics also offers a reporting feature, which allows you to evaluate your efficiency and productivity after a specific time period: weekly, monthly, or quarterly. You can create separate reports for every client, so you get a clear idea of which projects are profitable, and which need optimization in terms of staff and budget allocated to them.
Another handy option Time Analytics features are invoicing. You can easily export your timesheets in Excel and add them to your invoices so your clients can see exactly what they’re paying for: how many hours and what activities went into the outcome you’ve provided.
Thanks to the intuitive and clean interface, it’s easy to get started using Time Analytics and your employees won’t need extensive training to learn how to use it.
Take a look at the pricing here.
Agendrix
There is only one place to begin when it comes to retail schedule software, and this is with Agendrix. This solution enables retail businesses to save time, control costs, and enhance team communication across retail stores.
There are a number of different tools that you can use to ensure you are managing employee time as effectively as possible. For example, you can automate timesheets. This enables you to precisely track work hours, which are then automatically sent to timesheets. Any discrepancies will be highlighted so that you can address them.
You can create schedules and share and edit them with ease. Requests can be managed with this solution. You can also get retail employees to clock in and out, send messages, and manage premiums, for example, weekend and evening work.
One of the things that make Agendrix stand out from the other solutions that are on the market today is the fact that it has been built specifically for retail. Because of this, you know it is going to be optimized for the needs of your business, and you are not going to be met with a number of redundant features that are not suitable for your company.
The software has certainly been well-received by the thousands of customers who already use it, which is always a good sign. Aside from this, you can also make the most of a free trial, so you can try it before you buy and make sure this is the right solution for your needs.
Homebase
Another solution worth considering is Homebase. There are a lot of benefits associated with this tool. Not only does it have an intuitive interface but you can make the most of a great free plan. While the free plan is not going to be right for everyone, it includes hiring tools and time clocks, which is more than what you will get with a lot of the other free tools on the market today.
Aside from this, Homebase goes beyond the basics when it comes to the time clock and scheduling tools it provides. You can expect HR functions, as well as features for hiring and compliance. The app is also stylish and easy to use. Plus, as it offers by-location pricing, unlimited users are permitted when using it.
The time clock works well. It is effective on tablets, mobile, or POS, and all of the data will be compiled into time sheets that ensure that payroll is a breeze. Aside from shift notifications, you can add tasks and notes so that employees are clear about what is expected of them on every shift.
If you have workers that operate in various stores, departments, or positions, you can assign them wage rates and roles when required.
Connecteam
If you are yet to find the perfect scheduling tool for you, don’t worry, as Connecteam could be just the thing you are looking for. This software is incredibly easy to use. It offers great task delegation features, and you can also make the most of training and certifications tracking.
Retailers make the most of this tool so that they can automate activities such as end-of-day cash reporting and opening or closing checklists. Managers are able to view the checklists in real-time to ensure that all tasks are being completed.
The system is also effective in terms of enabling employees to communicate with one another and ensuring everyone stays in the loop.
Aside from this, Connecteam works effectively for training and enforcing standards, as well as onboarding new workers. This is because you can attach voice recordings, photos, and files to tasks and sub-tasks, and you can create custom courses.
Of course, it offers all of the time sheet, time clock, and scheduling features you would expect for a solution like this. However, it is one of the more costly options on the market today. We would recommend it if you have a large number of employees. If you need to train employees regularly or you have a high-turnover workforce, it could be the perfect tool for you.
Humanity
Next on the list, we have Humanity, which has a strong and impressive toolset, which includes the likes of auto-scheduling and customized rules. It also updates in accordance with labor laws, which is not something you see with most of the solutions on the market today.
Cost-saving is a big feature when it comes to Humanity. You can expect tools like the conflict engine, labor costing, auto-fill technology, and demand-based scheduling to optimize the cost-effectiveness of your workforce.
Despite the fact it wants to save you money, it is definitely not one of the cheaper software on the market today. The Classic Plan is probably the most cost-effective solution to go for if you do decide that Humanity is the right tool for you.
ZoomShift
ZoomShift is one of the simplest retail scheduling tools on the market today. So, if you are looking for a no-frills tool that does exactly what it says on the tin, this is likely to be the right solution for you. After all, not everyone wants to be bogged down in endless features!
Oen of the most notable things about ZoomShift is the pricing plan it provides. It is unique when compared with the other tools available, making it a great choice for seasonal stores, such as college bookstores or ski shops.
Basically, whenever your store is closed, you can put your account on hold. This is highly beneficial because you do not pay for those months. It is easy to get started again because all of your data is going to be saved.
In terms of scheduling, you can make the most of helpful templates. You can also manage multiple shifts for your employees. However, auto-scheduling is not incorporated, so do keep this in mind.
On the flip side, there is a labor forecasting feature, and this syncs with Outlook, iCal, and Google Calendar. Timesheets are a breeze as well, as there is an integrated time tracker. You can set geofencing and clock-in/out rules, as well as track late arrivals and missed shifts.
SocialSchedules
Finally, SocialSchedules is another great time tracking and scheduling tool for retailers. The availability functions of this tool are a real highlight, as not every retail store can afford to take on full-time employees. With the availability features, you can set a number of availability sets, meaning students, part-time workers, and other types of workers can be accommodated.
You can also make the most of break enforcement, certification tracking, and compliance tools.
The HR functions and integrations are a welcomed addition. Managers are able to track certifications with ease, whether this is training for the items your company specializes in or health and safety standards for your store.
The certification tool is the real stand-out here. You are able to run reports to discover how your employees are performing, whether this is making sure they take the breaks they need to or finding out whether they are closely following your procedures. You can save this information to show that you are complying with the local labor laws that are in place.
You can also make approvals of time cards in the app, importing them to your payroll software as and when required.
As is a feature for all of the apps and tools that we have mentioned in this guide, Social Schedules is easy to use, so you should not run into any troubles when it comes to integrating the platform into your daily efforts.
Time Doctor
There are many time tracking tools available for retail businesses. One of the most popular is Time Doctor. This tool allows businesses to track employee time, billing, and expenses. It also has a built-in timesheet template that can be used to track employee hours worked. This template can be customized to fit the specific needs of the business.
Final words on the best time-tracking tools for retailers
So there you have it: an insight into some of the best time-tracking tools on the market today. To ensure that your retail business is operating efficiently, it is important to make use of an effective time-tracking tool that fits into your business seamlessly.
Take the time to assess the different options that are available so you can find one that fits in with your daily operations, compliance requirements, and the level of automation you need.
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