Project Billing

Project Billing features you can work with   Standard Time® offers multiple ways to bill clients for time worked.  In the program, client and project billing fall into four possible methods (see below).  Each project can be billed using one of these four methods.  That means Project A may use a different method than Project B.  In addition to using a different billing method, each project may also have unique billing rates.  So, Project A and Project B may use the same method (below), but charge different client billing rates for each.  Your organization may have a mixture of client billing methods.  We support all the common methods.

1. Employee Billing Rates

Each employee may have different rates for each project.  For instance, Ted may have a different project billing rate on Project A than he does on Project B.  In this scenario, each user has a default rate, but can override that billing rate for any project.  Choose Tools, Employee Billing Rates to override rates for each project.

2. Category Billing Rates

Projects can be set to use category rates instead of employee rates.  This means that project billing is based on the type of work rather than the person who did it.  Any person who works on a project will bill out at the rates defined by the category (type of work performed).  Billing rates for each category can be different for each project.  So, the rate for Category A can be different for Project A and Project B.  And, just as in the case with employees, categories have default billing rates that apply to projects where they have not been overridden.  Choose Tools, Category Billing Rates to set rates for each project.

3. Project Billing Rates

The third choice for project billing is to use project rates, regardless of who does the work or the kind of work performed.  This is the least flexible method of project billing, and is not commonly used.  Here, each project may have its own billing rate, and it doesn't matter who does the work.  Choose Tools, Project to set rates for each project.

4. Fixed-Bid Project Rates

Fixed-bid project are not billed by the hour.  In this case, there is a single amount for the entire project, and the billing rates do not apply.  Choose Tools, Projects to set this rate for each project

Follow-up Videos:

Video: Client Billing Rates

Video: Project Costing and Budgets

Video: Future Project Rates

Employee Time Tracking

What are you using now? What do you currently use for employee time tracking?  Excel spreadsheet?  Note paper?  Nothing?  Many people do not realize there are other options available to them.  They assume they must calculate employee time manually.  There is a simpler way - Standard Time®.  This product simplifies employee time tracking with a variety of tools.  We'll discuss those time tracking tools below.  Download a copy!

Video: How to Choose Employee Time Tracking App

Employee Timesheet: Everything starts with the timesheet.  Our weekly employee timesheet sows all projects and tasks in the simplest possible form.  Even if you prefer a timer for employee time tracking, the timesheet shows the results.

Project Tasks: To track time for employees, you need projects and tasks.  After all, what will employees track time to?  Simply clocking in and out is not interesting enough to provide any useful information.  Project tasks let employees track time to clients, projects, sub-projects, tasks, categories, and other activity choices.  You can see percent complete in a dashboard view, and even prevent users from exceeding 100% of the estimated hours.

Employee Timer: Each employee has a set of tasks assigned to them or their group.  They can simply start and stop the timer.  If they don't want to use the timer, they can enter time directly into the timesheet.  Timers let you start a task, recording the time you spent on it.

Reporting: What's the point of employee time tracking without employee reports, right?  The app lets you group report records by client, project, employee, task, and other categorizations.  This lets you view data the way you need to see it.  You can even use it for client billing and employee payroll.

Project Costing: Each employee time record has automatic client billing and salary calculations.  That means you can collect employee and client costs without any extra work.  Just track time, and the calculations are made for you.

Android and iPhone Apps: In addition to the Windows and Web apps, there are smartphone editions. Download the Android app from Google Play Store and iPhone app from the Apple App Store.

Payroll Timesheet

Employee payroll is based on weekly timesheet hours or a company imposed pay period.  Employees enter their time, and managers approve it before sending it off to payroll.  Choosing the best payroll timesheet is hard to do because time is as ubiquitous as water, and everybody seems to have one.  We're here to offer the best you've every seen.  Read on, and let us know!

Salary and Client Costs Our timesheet calculates employee salary costs for payroll purposes.  Each employee has both a salary and client rate associated with their profile.  In addition, you can set these rates for each project they work on.  In other words, each project can have different rates.  As the person tracks time to projects, the timesheet calculates both client and salary rates, which are available for payroll or client billing reports.  The final amounts are based on hours entered into the timesheet.  You can even set up salary and billing rates for future years.  This lets you calculate operating costs for lengthy projects that extend into future years.

Payroll Timesheet Since the timesheet hours are calculated for each employee, you can run payroll reports that show time worked and salary amounts.  You can also craft custom reports to export the exact values needed for import into your payroll software.  Simply find the import file specification for the payroll module, and create a custom report that matches it.  You place database fields in the exact format needed for import.

Video: Payroll Timesheet, Pay Periods

Plan Projects Doing projects for clients?  In addition to the timesheet, you can plan client projects with to-do tasks that step employees right through the project from start to finish.

How to set it up: To set up the payroll timesheet, follow these simple steps.  Once set up, you'll be tracking payroll hours and amounts automatically.

1. See Tools, Users and Organization to enter employee names and rates
2. See Tools, Projects to choose how project amounts are calculated
3. Create project tasks to track time to
4. Enter hours into the timesheet
5. See Time log view for hours and calculated amounts (payroll and client)

Hours and Overtime
The app also has a window that displays weekly timesheet hours and overtime.  This can be used for payroll purposes as well.

Project Timeline Software

The image below shows a typical project timeline from the tool.  Better known as a Gantt chart, it shows several project time relationships.  We'll discuss those relationships below.  But, how does that benefit you?  It helps you see when your projects and tasks are scheduled to begin.  The graphical display immediately identifies one task from another.  If you'd like a personal demo, feel free to submit a request.  Or, consider downloading.

Project Timeline

Summary Tasks The dark blue bars with triangles in the project timeline represent summary tasks.  That means they have real tasks under them, and they summarize the beginning and ending times.  Summary tasks help you break projects down into smaller pieces.  You can use them as project phases, project breakdowns, or subsystems in a larger project.  The project time line shows all projects as peers, right next to each other (although this image only shows one project).

Actual Tasks Under the summary tasks are the actual tasks.  They represent the real work being accomplished.  Each task may be assigned to users or groups.  You can collapse the summary tasks to hide the real tasks.

Timesheet Tracking project timelines is only possible with the aid of a good timesheet.  Employee hours are recorded for each task, which results in a percent complete.  The program tracks all these items automatically.  They are available in textual and timeline form.

Project Efficiency Obviously the higher goal for project tracking is efficiency - in your business and in your employees.  Tools like this help you learn how to execute projects more efficiently, making your company more profitable.  Employees who are aware of goals, timelines, and deadlines apply themselves to reaching them.

We hope this has helped a little.