Discover the benefits, features, and best practices for seamless time and attendance tracking in today’s top construction ERP’s like Sage Intacct, Sage 100, and Sage 300.

In this article, we'll discuss:

• What is construction time tracking?
• Why do general contractors need time tracking?
• What type of time can I track?
• How can I use time entry with Sage ERPs?
• Can I set an approval process for time and expenses?
• Can I specify who can submit time for a project?
• Can I include timesheet and expense attachments with the project invoice?
• Can I track time within my Sage ERP or do I need an add-on?
• How do I evaluate and compare different time tracking software tools?
• What benefits does a time tracking integration have?
• Why should I choose hh2’s Remote Payroll as my vendor of choice for employee time tracking with Sage ERP?
• What’s next?

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Time tracking is an essential process for any business, particularly in the construction industry where projects are often complex and involve multiple contractors, subcontractors, and employees. Accurate and efficient time tracking is crucial for general contractors to monitor project progress, allocate costs, and ensure timely completion. With Sage ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning) being widely used in the construction sector, it becomes imperative to explore the best practices for tracking time entry within this robust software. In this article, we will delve into the various aspects of construction time tracking, the benefits it offers, and how you can leverage Sage ERPs like Sage Intacct, Sage100 Contractor, or Sage 300 CRE to streamline this process.

What is Construction Time Tracking?

Construction time tracking refers to the systematic recording and monitoring of hours worked by individuals on a construction project. It involves capturing detailed information about labor hours, equipment usage, and other resources employed in the project. Accurately coding the time and other cost-related activities is imperative for increased financial visibility into the project. By accurately tracking time, contractors can gain valuable insights into project costs, productivity, and resource allocation, enabling them to make informed decisions and improve overall project efficiency.

Why Do General Contractors Need Time Tracking?

Time tracking plays a pivotal role in the construction industry due to several reasons. Firstly, it enables general contractors to code the time to projects and phases to help monitor the progress of different tasks and ensure that the project stays on schedule. By identifying bottlenecks and areas of inefficiency, contractors can take timely action to address them, thereby minimizing delay sand cost overruns. Additionally, time tracking helps in accurately determining labor costs and allocating expenses to specific projects and or clients. This ensures accurate billing and transparency in financial transactions, thereby enhancing client satisfaction and maintaining healthy contractor-client relationships.

What Type of Time Can I Track?

When it comes to construction time tracking, there are various types of time that can be tracked. These include:

Direct Labor Hours

This refers to the actual hours worked by individuals directly involved in the construction process, such as workers, technicians, or craftsmen. Tracking direct labor hours provides insights into individual productivity, project progress, and resource utilization.

Indirect Labor Hours

Indirect labor hours encompass the time spent by employees on tasks indirectly related to the construction project, such as administrative work, supervision, or project management. Tracking indirect labor hours helps in evaluating the overall efficiency of project management and identifying areas for improvement.

Equipment Usage

Construction projects often involve the use of heavy machinery and equipment. Tracking equipment usage allows contractors to assess equipment utilization rates, identify potential maintenance or operational issues, and allocate costs accurately.

Overtime Hours

In certain situations, construction projects may require employees to work beyond their regular hours. Tracking overtime hours ensures that contractors are aware of the additional labor costs involved and can effectively manage and control over time expenses.

Other Non-labor Units

In certain scenarios, tracking more than just labor hours becomes essential. Keeping tabs on non-labor hours, such as per diem or mileage, becomes necessary to efficiently handle additional tasks that lie at the edges of traditional time tracking, enabling comprehensive management of work-related activities.

How Can I Use Time Entry with Sage ERPs?

Sage ERPs offer robust features and functionalities that facilitate seamless time entry and management within the software. You can leverage Sage ERPs to:

Create Detailed Timesheets

Sage ERPs are powerful resources, especially when paired with world class integrations. With an add-on tool like hh2’s Remote Payroll, your Sage ERP is enabled to create comprehensive timesheets that capture all relevant information, such as employee details, project codes, tasks performed, and hours worked. This allows for accurate tracking and reporting of time-related data.

Integrate with Payroll

With Sage ERPs, you can integrate time entry data with payroll systems, ensuring accurate calculation of wages, deductions, and taxes based on recorded hours. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, reduces errors, and saves time.

Generate Customized Reports

Sage ERPs provide powerful reporting capabilities, allowing you to generate customized reports on time utilization, project costs, labor productivity, and more. These reports offer valuable insights for decision-making and project evaluation.

Can I Set an Approval Process for Time and Expenses?

Yes. When paired with a comprehensive time tracking solution Sage ERPs offer the flexibility to establish an approval process based on job-roles for time entries and expenses. This ensures that all time-related data undergoes a review and approval workflow before being considered for invoicing, payroll processing, or project cost allocation. By implementing an approval process, you can maintain data accuracy, improve accountability, and prevent unauthorized or erroneous entries.

Can I Specify Who Can Submit Time for a Project?

Absolutely. Sage ERPs allow you to define each employee’s job role within the system. When combined with a time-tracking solution to seamlessly sync this data over, the job role becomes vital in establishing time entry processes for the company. You can easily decide if individual employees enter their own time or if a field supervisor enters the time for the crew.

Can I Include Timesheet and Expense Attachments with the Project Invoice?

Yes, Sage ERPs facilitate the inclusion of timesheet and expense attachments with project invoices. This allows you to provide comprehensive documentation to clients, supporting the billed hours and expenses. By attaching relevant timesheets and expense receipts, you enhance transparency, build trust with clients, and expedite payment processing.

Can I Track Time Within My Sage ERP or Do I Need an Add-On?

Sage ERPs provide built-in capabilities for time tracking, but the options are limited. While you can track time within the ERP software itself, ensuring data consistency and reducing the complexity associated with managing multiple systems, it is a costly endeavor with increased complexity to access the ERP in the field. It also introduces risk with more hands in the ERP Purchasing a time-tracking add-on can increase the complexity, but with the right features it could potentially extend the capabilities beyond what Sage offers.

How Do I Evaluate and Compare Different Time Tracking Software Tools?

When evaluating and comparing time tracking software tools, there are several factors to consider. These include:

Cloud-Based: You will want a time tracking solution that is always on and always available from any location. These benefits are crucial to your employees in the field who need access from remote locations and may be working around-the-clock.

Features and Functionality: Assess the specific features offered by each software tool, such as timesheet creation, approval workflows, integration capabilities, and reporting functionalities. Determine which features align with your business requirements and can effectively address your time tracking needs.

User-Friendliness: Consider the ease of use and intuitiveness of the software interface. A user-friendly software tool ensures quick adoption and minimal training requirements for your employees.

Integration with Sage ERP: If you are already using a Sage ERP, it is crucial to evaluate the integration capabilities of the time tracking software with your existing ERP system. Seamless integration eliminates data silos and allows for efficient data transfer between systems.

Customer Support: Look for software vendors that offer responsive customer support services. Timely assistance and technical support can significantly impact your experience with the software and ensure smooth operations.

What Benefits Does a Time Tracking Integration Have?

Integrating time tracking with your Sage ERP offers several benefits, including:

Streamlined Processes: Integrating time tracking eliminates the need for manual data entry, reduces administrative efforts, and minimizes the chances of errors. It streamlines processes and enables real-time access to accurate time data.

Increased Financial Accuracy: Job costing is a crucial aspect of construction accounting. Seamlessly integrating time tracking with your Sage ERP gives you access to all the coding methods Sage supports. In addition, you can manage access levels for each payroll group, drastically reducing errors in coding.

Improved Efficiency: By automating time tracking processes, you can achieve higher levels efficiency. Real-time data capture and integration eliminate the delays and discrepancies associated with manual data transfer.

Enhanced Project Cost Control: Accurate time tracking enables you to monitor project costs effectively. You can identify cost overruns, optimize resource allocation, and make data-driven decisions to ensure projects stay within budget.

Better Decision-Making: Integrated time tracking provides comprehensive and up-to-date data, empowering you to make informed decisions. You can analyze labor productivity, project progress, and resource utilization to identify areas for improvement and enhance overall project management.

Why Should I Choose hh2's Remote Payroll as My Vendor of Choice forEmployee Time Tracking with Sage ERP?

hh2's Remote Payroll offers an exceptional solution for employee time tracking within Sage ERPs. With Remote Payroll, you can enjoy the following benefits:

Seamless Integration: Remote Payroll seamlessly integrates with Sage ERPs, ensuring a smooth flow of time entry data between systems. This eliminates the need for manual data transfer and reduces errors.

Comprehensive Time Tracking: Remote Payroll provides robust features for tracking both direct and indirect labor hours, equipment usage, overtime, and tracking non-labor activities. It enables you to capture detailed information for accurate project costing and resource management.

Extensive Job-Costing Features: Remote Payroll simplifies the coding process by granting users seamless access to the coding methods they already use in Sage. This empowers field employees to effortlessly find the necessary codes for increased accuracy. Additionally, you have the flexibility to grant comprehensive coding access or carefully regulate it, minimizing the occurrence of errors associated with coding.

User-Friendly Interface: Remote Payroll offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies the time entry process. Employees can easily record their hours, select project codes, and submit timesheets, saving time and improving efficiency.

Advanced Reporting: Remote Payroll provides powerful reporting capabilities, allowing you to generate customized reports on labor costs, project expenses, and productivity. These reports provide valuable insights for project evaluation and decision-making.

Reliable Support: hh2 offers exceptional customer support services, ensuring prompt assistance and technical guidance whenever needed. Their dedicated support team is committed to resolving any issues and ensuring a seamless experience.

What’s next?

Efficient time tracking is indispensable for general contractors in the construction industry. By leveraging the capabilities of Sage ERPs and integrating a reliable time tracking solution like hh2's Remote Payroll, contractors can streamline their time entry processes, gain valuable insights, and improve project management. With accurate time tracking, contractors can effectively allocate costs, monitor project progress, and make informed decisions, ultimately leading to enhanced efficiency and profitability in the construction industry. If you are interested to learn more about hh2’s Remote Payroll time tracking software, visit this page to book a demo and see it in action.

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