In an earlier article, the "Problem with Time-tracking for Time-tracking, Not Payroll," I told you about the problems of time tracking for time tracking, not payroll. If you want to keep time for job costing and invoicing, but aren't primarily interested in tracking it for payroll purposes, you have real problems finding time-keeping apps that work with QuickBooks Desktop.
The vast majority of time tracking apps start collecting each time entry into a timesheet for an employee that is typically set up to match the payroll period they ask you about when you first begin configuring your new time tracking account or set up an employee.
Then, they only let you send the employee's time over to QuickBooks Desktop once you have approved that time at the end of the pay period. This happens even though you have been recording things like job tasks (service items, etc.) billable status along with time entry notes.
If you need to use this time information to generate an invoice, you don't want to wait till the pay period is over. For example, you might have an employee work on a project on the first day of the pay period, finish the project, and the pay period doesn't end for nearly two more weeks.
Why would you wait two weeks to invoice your client for that employee's time?
That was my dilemma. Far too many time-tracking apps treat QuickBooks Desktop as only suitable for payroll purposes when it comes to time tracking when, in fact, it is the only member of the QuickBooks family with actual job-costing functionality that can tie every cost and work hour to a job for income generation.
So, what solution did I identify that would work? And what makes it different from most of the others?
The answer: ClockShark.
ClockShark time-tracking software allows employees to clock in and out, track the tasks they're doing for the job assigned to them, and post that data in seconds to what I like to refer to as "ClockShark Central" almost immediately.
Regarding my review, the option of using either a Kiosk configuration with simplified clock-in by multiple employees or a mobile app with GPS tracking on each employee's mobile device fits most employer requirements perfectly.
While most employees will likely have a mobile device, the availability of a few Kiosk locations will greatly simplify choosing jobs, switching tasks, taking breaks and clocking in or out via a four-digit pin.
Employees with work assignments outside the usual workplace can use the mobile app for their daily log-in, selection of jobs, and work tasks as they travel to and from those locations.
Supervisors can quickly view who's at work and where including the geo-location of those working on outside assignments.
In addition, they can view the assigned work and tasks being performed and monitor break activities. They can even schedule specific work in advance. Only those jobs and tasks appear on the employee's mobile device or Kiosk entry screens.
Yes, ClockShark has reminder features to provide email and push notifications to employees about clocking in and clocking out, taking breaks, break-time over, etc. Notifications and alerts can be customized for specific requirements.
But all these are expected features of one of today's time-tracking apps. None of these make ClockShark different in terms of time tracking for the sake of time tracking.
What makes ClockShark different is how time can be sent from ClockShark to QuickBooks Desktop. Unlike most of the other time tracking apps I reviewed, you are not required to wait until the end of a pay period to send time entries to QuickBooks Desktop.
As soon as employees start clocking into ClockShark and using the Customers, Jobs and Tasks in ClockShark linked to the Customers, Jobs and Service Items in QuickBooks, you can begin the process of sending time to QuickBooks Desktop.
Administrators or Authorized Supervisors can review, edit and approve employees' time as needed. They can then export any approved time activities to QuickBooks by clicking the "Export to QuickBooks" button (highlighted in the red box below) on the View Time Sheets Screen.
Source: ClockShark media content
The Export to QuickBooks button sets the approved time-entry for export to QuickBooks. It will post to QuickBooks the next time the QuickBooks Web Connector updates data between ClockShark and QuickBooks.
Source: QuickBooks Web Connector illustrating ClockShark integrated application
The QuickBooks Web Connector might be set to Auto-Run once every 60 minutes, or you might set it to every five minutes. If you wish to run Web Connector between its standard Auto-Run period (as set), you can click "Update Selected" (as shown in the red box above) to send time into QuickBooks.
Once the Web Connector runs, the exported time will appear in the employee's daily/single activity time sheet for each day (as shown below). It also will appear in the employees' weekly timesheet(s).
The customer: Job, service item and notes exported with the employee's time can be viewed in either the single activity or weekly timesheets.
Source: QuickBooks Enterprise (Desktop) Single Time Activity Entry Window via ClockShark import
Just as important, this Billable time is now included in the Choose Billable Time (list) for Invoicing the Customer for the Job. In this case, we can be confident we are getting the right time to charge to the correct invoice for the specific work performed because we used notes captured in the time-tracking system that flowed into QuickBooks and showed up in our Billable Time window (below).
QuickBooks Enterprise Invoice Billable Time (Entries imported via ClockShark)
Because ClockShark allows employee time to be sent to QuickBooks Desktop just as soon as it is reviewed and approved, without any consideration of pay periods, it's possible for actual time to be invoiced as soon as possible.
When businesses, especially service businesses, are built around invoicing customers based on work performed, and you already rely on an accurate time-tracking tool to record that work, you cannot afford to wait till the end of a pay period to invoice your customers. You need the ability to send time entries to QuickBooks Desktop ASAP.
The vast majority of time-tracking apps have forgotten this basic concept; they are so focused on providing time for payroll they don't realize the time dilemma they have created for service businesses who need to invoice the time their time-tracking apps are holding hostage.
At least in this case, ClockShark was the solution.
Disclosures
Some content has been adapted from ClockShark media source content. Graphics used herein were adapted from ClockShark source materials. Adapted or derived source materials published by Insightful Accountant within this feature are for educational and product promotional purposes only.
ClockShark of Chico, California is part of the simProGroup, having been acquired in November of 2021. The simPro Group based in Eight Mile Plains, Queensland, Australia, is a global provider of business management software.
As used herein, QuickBooks®, QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online refer to one or more registered trademark products of Intuit Inc., a publicly-traded corporation (Nasdaq: INTU) headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Various other trade names used herein, if any, may refer specifically to registered trademark products held by their respective owners. They are used solely for informational and educational purposes.
This is an editorial feature, not sponsored content. None of the vendors within this article have paid Insightful Accountant or the author any remuneration to be included in this feature. The article is provided solely for informational and educational purposes.
The publication of this article does not represent any endorsement by either the author or Insightful Accountant.
Note: Registered Trademark ® symbols have been eliminated from the articles within this publication for brevity due to the frequency or abundance with which they would otherwise appear or be repeated. We attempt to credit such trademarked products within our respective article footnotes and disclosures.
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