Time Tracking for Consultants: Stopwatch vs. Calendar

Published {$created} by Viggo

Consultants thrive on efficiency. Every minute counts, and accurate time tracking isn’t just about billing; it's about project management, profitability analysis, and demonstrating value to clients. But choosing the right time tracking method can be surprisingly impactful. Let’s compare two common approaches: stopwatch time tracking and calendar-based time tracking, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each. We're going to use Nureti as a practical example of how these techniques play out in a real-world solution.

The Stopwatch Method: Immediate and Detailed

The stopwatch method, as explored in https://nureti.com/blog/simpel-tidsregistrering-stopwatch/, focuses on starting and stopping the timer as you transition between tasks. This offers granular detail. If you spent 17 minutes researching a particular clause in a contract, the stopwatch will capture it. Nureti's quick registration feature https://nureti.com/features/ significantly streamlines this – a single click can start or stop the timer, minimizing disruption to your workflow.

Pros:

• High Accuracy: Captures very specific time spent on tasks.
• Real-Time Awareness: Forces you to be mindful of how you're spending your time.
• Detailed Reporting: Excellent for tasks requiring meticulous billing or project costing.

Cons:

• Disruptive: Requires consistent manual intervention, potentially breaking concentration.
• Forgetfulness: Easy to forget to start or stop the timer, leading to inaccuracies.
• Time Consuming: Can be slightly more time-consuming than other methods due to frequent interactions.

Calendar-Based Time Tracking: Planning and Overview

Calendar-based time tracking, discussed in https://nureti.com/blog/from-calendar-to-timesheet-time-tracking/, involves blocking out time in your calendar for specific tasks and then translating those blocks into time entries. Nureti's calendar integration allows you to directly convert scheduled time into tracked time, offering a broader, planned view of your day.

Pros:

• Proactive Planning: Encourages better time blocking and schedule adherence.
• Reduced Interruptions: Less frequent interaction compared to the stopwatch method.
• Visual Overview: Provides a clear picture of how your time is allocated throughout the day.

Cons:

• Less Granular: May not accurately reflect actual time spent if tasks take longer or shorter than anticipated.
• Reliance on Planning: Effectiveness depends on accurate upfront scheduling – if your planning is off, so are your time entries.
• Potential for Backfilling: Requires more effort to correct entries if schedules deviate significantly.

Finding the Best Approach – or a Hybrid?

The "best" method isn's universal. Many consultants find a hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds. Use the calendar for major project blocks, and use the stopwatch for smaller, less predictable tasks. Nureti’s user management features https://nureti.com/features/ allow for flexible role assignments; a super user could even enforce certain registration methods for different teams, for example. For those needing to comply with the EU Working Time Directive https://nureti.com/eu-working-time-directive/, accurate time tracking (regardless of method) is essential.