Despite what many may believe, even accountants need a little help keeping track of every project’s details. You have multiple accounts with multiple projects to keep track of, and all the pressure that comes with getting those numbers on time. 

We get it. How would you like some help keeping up with all those details? Time tracking software may be exactly what you need. So, let’s talk about it.

Time tracking is important for accountants

The importance of time management for accountants is unquestionable. As the financial cornerstone and decision-makers for so many companies, it's essential that your resources are used as efficiently as possible. 

Being able to track and manage your time more effectively is key to maximizing their potential. Whether it's an accountant working independently or one who works in a larger accounting firm, tracking how much time is being allocated towards different tasks each day can be very beneficial to improving efficiency and productivity.

With the right accounting timesheets, you can gain a comprehensive overview of how your labor resources are spent each day. Not only will this provide you with invaluable insight into how each project is progressing, but it will also inform you of any inefficiencies or problems that need addressing. 

By accurately tracking where each hour goes, accountants can start to narrow down what areas could benefit from some streamlining — reducing unnecessary billable hours while still satisfying the needs of their clients. Time and billing software are indispensable tools for increasing profitability and organization within any accounting business.

Time tracking tools make it easier to budget resources effectively. This allows for more accurate forecasting of future trends, as well as highlighting areas where costs can be reduced or increased. 

Using time tracking software can help firms easily identify any discrepancies between actual and budgeted figures, allowing action to be taken immediately rather than after larger inaccuracies have built up over time. And wouldn’t it be nice to avoid those unpleasant surprises that sneak up on you and smack you in your bottom line?

In addition to streamlining processes for businesses in the accounting industry, time tracking software can be used to track billable hours worked by employees. This benefit serves as an effective way to ensure accurate billing on projects as well as increasing overall transparency in the firm, resulting in a higher rate of client satisfaction due to their confidence in knowing that their invoices are accurate and fair. 

Furthermore, since all these processes can be automated with good time-tracking software, firms can save money on labor costs associated with manual data entry. Therefore, it’s clear why the use of such solutions is increasingly becoming common among accounting firms looking to remain competitive and minimize overhead expenditure.

Ways tracking tools benefit accountants

Time tracking tools have a wide array of benefits for your accounting firm because they are able to help increase workflow efficiency and reduce administrative time. By keeping detailed data on how you and your team are spending their hours, it eliminates the need for constant oversight, allowing accountants to get on with the skilled work that only they can do. The right time tracking tool will be able to provide both detailed and accurate billing to clients, meaning that there is high trust between the accountant and their customers.

Time tracking tools also help save valuable time and resources while minimizing costs. Instead of having to manually enter timesheets or manually track employee activity, an accurate software solution makes everything much more streamlined. 

You’re even able to set goals and track progress towards them throughout the year—a useful feature for project management purposes. In addition, being able to show clients where exactly you are spending their money increases transparency between the two parties and increases overall customer satisfaction overall.

Better cost projection

Cost estimation is one of the most important elements of running a successful business. With precise calculations, you can make well-informed decisions about every aspect of your operations, from budget allocation to billing rates. Accurate cost estimates help you keep track of how much time and resources you’re dedicating to each task or project so that you can optimize your resources and eliminate costly mistakes.

Time tracking is essential in gaining a better understanding of how much time and resources a particular job will take up. This helps ensure accurate quotations when requested by clients and allows businesses to be aware of what they’re spending money on in terms of job completion times. 

When it comes to estimating the effort involved in a job, keep in mind that money isn’t the only factor — time is just as valuable as any other form of currency, and should also be taken into consideration when assigning value to tasks at hand. Through detailed analysis using accurate time tracking software, businesses can fully understand their own costs so that strategies for enhancing efficiency can be formulated accordingly.

Keep up with your employee's hours

Many businesses struggle to stay on top of their employee's work hours, leading to a great amount of time being spent trying to manage and document how many hours every individual worker is putting in. This selection process can be incredibly tedious, difficult, and incredibly costly to the business if inaccuracies were made in their tracking process.

Fortunately, modern technology has enabled businesses to take advantage of simple time tracking measures that allow them to effectively monitor everyone's working hours over set periods of time. This intuitive system allows for accuracy and accountability in recording each team member's workload without needing too much hands-on intervention from the employer or manager. 

Improved billing accuracy

Accurately billing a client can be the difference between a successful, lucrative business venture and an unhappy customer leading to lost opportunities. Effectively tracking and documenting your time spent on each project is essential for achieving this accuracy because it allows you to properly itemize your bills and show clients exactly where each charge is coming from.

The right software makes the process of tracking and billing much easier, taking out any uncertainty associated with the task. It identifies exactly how many hours have been spent on the project and precisely what has been accomplished during those hours. Most importantly, it gives clarity to the client's understanding of every charge on their bill, which can maintain customer satisfaction as well as encourage them to keep working with you on future projects.

Improve your profitability

Time tracking and billing software are essential for increasing profitability in an accounting firm. Without the ability to accurately track all client projects, tasks, and hours worked, it can be difficult to calculate important metrics like time utilization and hourly rate, potentially leading to greater inefficiencies and losses. 

A time tracking and billing solution gives you the power to monitor these details. It enables you to gain insight into which clients and projects are not as profitable as they should be, allowing you to make immediate adjustments that have a positive impact on your bottom line.

With a reliable time tracking program, you can also set proper project deadlines so that you don’t find yourself over-billing or under-delivering performance for any particular job. Having real-time access to this data lets you better manage workflow and assign tasks according to estimated completion times, helping increase overall efficiency in order to increase profits. 

People and productivity management

Without time tracking software, it can be difficult to accurately track how people are spending their time and where potential inefficiencies can arise. This is particularly true for accountants, who are expected to manage multiple clients with often differing needs.

A specialized time tracking software designed specifically for accountants can provide key insights into the performance of different projects and clients they serve. For example, it can reveal which projects have been high-performing or low-performing over a given period of time, as well as whether the right people are assigned to each project. 

It provides insight into whether each person is spending too much or too little time on particular clients. Ultimately, these data points help decision-makers make informed decisions that can improve the overall effectiveness of their workforce.

Solve organizational problems

One of the most effective ways to resolve organizational issues is through careful consideration and utilization of data. This can be applied in all areas of a company, from small tasks to big projects. 

Accurate data on the amount of time that employees spend on operational tasks can be used to ensure that they’re following regulations regarding overtime hours, while also aiding in the assessment of their productivity levels. Ascribing an accurate ROI figure allows for more strategic work allocation so that business development and education efforts will be rewarded with greater returns.

Using data-driven decision-making when tackling organizational issues ensures that resources are deployed wisely, saving time and money in the long run. It’s important to carefully track overtime hours and utilize standardized benchmarking systems to compare employee productivity performance across different departments or divisions. 

By gathering relevant information such as workflow KPIs and trending IQR across teams, it will be easier to refine and adjust adjustments necessary for improved efficiency and satisfaction among staff members. Doing so will help align organizational objectives with desired outcomes, resulting in a more successful organization overall.

So what?

Just because your accounting team can crunch numbers like a genius, it doesn’t mean you have all of your other ducks in a row. You need to focus on what you do best. So why not help everyone on your team by investing in a time tracking solution?

We would love to have a conversation with you about what Harvest can do for your accounting firm. Our team will get you set up on a free trial. You’ll be able to see for yourself how Harvest fits seamlessly into your existing daily working apps. 

You stay on top of the numbers, and Harvest will track all things time.