It's quite normal for most small or start-up organizations to use a spreadsheet for timesheets. By spreadsheet, we usually mean Excel. Integrating a true timesheet software into an organization that doesn't yet have a certain stability is, in a way, putting the cart before the horse. However, you shouldn't wait until you lose control before considering it. The timesheet quickly becomes central to an organization's operations. Many new clients come to us when they reach the limits of their Excel timesheet. This threshold is generally reached with between 5 and 10 employees. Sometimes, it's after the departure of their Excel "guru". We often ask them for an example of their Excel timesheet to analyze where the organization stands in its timesheet needs. Sometimes it's not pretty, but it's still a good starting point. We can keep what works and reproduce it in our software, and initiate discussions on that basis.
Advantages of an Excel spreadsheet timesheet
Speed of deployment is certainly the main advantage. As long as the needs are simple and you are skilled with Excel, deployment can be done in a few hours or even minutes.
Cost can also be advantageous. Assuming you already have spreadsheet software, the solution might even seem free, but there's a catch. With the loss of time and the cost these losses represent, the hidden cost can add up quickly. The risk of missing billable hours could also negate any potential savings.
The spreadsheet can also give you more autonomy to deal with evolving needs. For example, to modify the programming of a business rule that might change. Again, you need the knowledge. Good software should also be able to evolve according to your needs, but you might not be able to make the changes yourself. Some will see this as an advantage for the software. It depends on how you value "DIY".
Advantages of timesheet software
Timesheet software stands out with its advanced features and especially its collaborative aspect, as it draws its power from a true centralized database.
Here is a list of things that good timesheet software can do better than Excel, or that would be more difficult or even impossible to accomplish on Excel:
- Approval and processing workflows
- Access rights management
- Tracking and compliance tool (automated reminders, dashboard, etc.)
- Error validations
- Centralized administration
- Dropdown list management and propagation of these changes
- Data sharing
- Fast report generation
- Report automation
- Access with mobile devices and outside your network
- Security/confidentiality and stability
- A dynamic timesheet structure with the correct number of rows rather than a preset number
All these features of timesheet software ultimately save time and, consequently, money. The cost of the software can therefore pay for itself quite quickly, especially as the number of users increases.
In short, for a self-employed person, the spreadsheet is certainly the most interesting option in most cases. With the addition of one or two employees, it is still very viable. After that, it becomes less and less practical as advanced and collaborative features become essential.
If your Excel timesheet is starting to reach its limits and you feel it is causing lost time or costly errors, do not hesitate to contact us so we can together explore how a real timesheet solution could help.
