Open Time Clock, a time clock software for employee payroll and time tracking app for project billing
Dec, 2023
Keeping accurate records of employee time and billing clients correctly for project work is critical for any business, but managing time tracking can be a major challenge. That's where software like Open Time Clock comes in. Open Time Clock is a robust web-based time clock application that provides an easy and flexible way for businesses to track employee time and bill clients.
As an open source program, Open Time Clock is free to download and use. It's designed to automate employee time tracking and integrate seamlessly with payroll, accounting, ERP, CRM, and other systems. Employees can punch in and out right from the software interface, and managers have access to comprehensive reporting and analytics for better oversight.
Some key features of Open Time Clock include:
Easy Employee Time Tracking
One of the core functions of Open Time Clock is giving employees an easy way to track their hours worked. Employees can punch in and out directly in the software interface, which eliminates manual processes like paper timesheets. The time clock is web-based, so employees can punch in and out from any computer or mobile device. GPS coordinates can even be required at punch in/out to validate location.
Employees log into the software using their personal credentials. The system tracks all clock-in and clock-out times, providing an accurate record of hours worked. Employees can view their own time cards to monitor hours and ensure accuracy. Open Time Clock makes it simple for employees to review punches, leave requests, schedules and more in their employee portal.
Managers also have access to employee time cards for review and approval. The time clock system generates alerts for any missed punches, early/late arrivals or unapproved overtime. This helps managers stay on top of employee attendance and hours worked. With its intuitive employee time tracking features, Open Time Clock removes all the pain points and errors associated with manual timekeeping.
Powerful Reporting and Analytics
Open Time Clock comes equipped with robust reporting and analytics capabilities. The built-in reports provide valuable insights into employee hours, labor costs, productivity and more.
Managers can generate reports filtered by date range, employee, department or location. Common reports include hours worked, overtime, projected hours, leave taken, tardiness and absenteeism. All reports can be exported as CSV or Excel files for additional data manipulation.
The software provides both summary and detailed reports. For example, the labor cost report shows total hours worked and associated labor cost over a defined period, while the employee hours detail report lists each clock-in and clock-out for an employee down to the minute.
With the reporting dashboard, managers have an overview of key time tracking metrics at their fingertips. They can quickly identify trends, anomalies and opportunities for improvement. The depth of reporting in Open Time Clock enables data-driven workforce management.
Project Time Tracking and Billing
For professional services businesses and organizations that bill by project, Open Time Clock has robust features for tracking billable work. Employees can assign their hours to specific projects or clients, and the software rolls up total hours per project for accurate billing.
Project assignments can have custom billable rates applied. For example, Project A could have an hourly rate of $100/hour while Project B is $150/hour. As employees log hours to each project, billing can easily be calculated based on the rates defined.
The project reporting provides both high-level and detailed views of project time. Managers can see total billed and unbilled hours per project, costs vs. budgeted hours, and project completion progress. They can also drill down into employee-level project reports to see who worked on what and when.
With this project time tracking, Open Time Clock gives professional services businesses the data needed for precise client billing and project cost analysis. The software integrates with accounting systems like QuickBooks for streamlined client invoicing based on billable hours logged.
Overtime Rules and Calculations
Managing overtime can be one of the most complex aspects of time tracking. Open Time Clock helps simplify overtime calculation based on policies set by managers.
The software has flexible rule settings to define overtime. Overtime policies can be set for the organization, certain employee groups, or individual employees. For example, managers can define overtime as over 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week. Rules can be based on hours worked or hours punched.
No matter how overtime is defined, Open Time Clock will automatically calculate any overtime hours based on the punches logged by each employee. This saves managers from the headache of manual overtime tracking.
The software also includes options for early/late arrival tracking and break deductions. Hours worked outside specified schedules can be flagged as early/late. Mandatory break times can be set to deduct from hours. These settings allow for sophisticated tracking tailored to the organization's policies.
Accrual Tracking for Leave and Vacation
As an employee time tracking system, Open Time Clock enables centralized tracking of leave and vacation accruals. The software can be configured to provide employees with a set leave allowance that accrues over time.
For example, an employee may accrue 4 hours of sick leave each month. As employees log leave requests, the software deducts time from their available balance accordingly. Managers can easily view remaining leave balances for each employee in a centralized dashboard.
Open Time Clock supports accrual policies based on hours worked, seniority, employment status, and other parameters. Different leave types like sick time, vacation, personal days, etc. can accrue separately based on custom rules.
The software also includes options for setting maximum accrual caps, accrual expiration policies, and other advanced rules. With its flexible accrual engine, Open Time Clock provides robust leave management capabilities alongside time tracking.
Access Control and Security
Managing access and permissions is critical for any HR system. Open Time Clock has robust security features and access controls. Admins can create user roles like manager, employee, and admin with customized permissions. Certain data and settings can be hidden from regular employees for privacy.
Access can be set based on organizational hierarchy. For example, a manager may have view-only access to time sheets for their direct reports. The system supports multi-location access restrictions too. A manager at Location A can't access data for Location B without permissions.
Open Time Clock uses SSL encryption for all data transmission for maximum security. Access logs track all user activity like punch edits, report viewing, and settings changes. These logs help ensure accountability. Open Time Clock is designed to give admins the access controls they need to keep sensitive data secure.
Integration with Payroll, Accounting, and HRIS
A key benefit of Open Time Clock is its integration capabilities with other business systems. This allows the time tracking data to flow seamlessly to payroll, billing, ERP, and HR platforms.
For payroll, Open Time Clock can integrate directly with solutions like QuickBooks, ADP, and Gusto. Hours worked, overtime, and leave data can be pushed directly to these systems with no duplicate data entry required.
The API also allows integration with custom applications or external databases. Managers can extract raw time clock data in CSV format for import into virtually any payroll or HR platform.
On the accounting side, project hours can flow automatically from Open Time Clock into QuickBooks or FreshBooks for client billing. This streamlines the invoicing process based on billable work logged.
With its flexible API and data integrations, Open Time Clock can serve as the central time tracking hub for any business workflow.
Mobile Apps for Punching In/Out
Today's modern workforce is mobile, so Open Time Clock offers mobile apps for iOS and Android. These apps allow employees to punch in/out from anywhere using their mobile devices.
The apps provide the same functionality as the web-based time clock. Employees can view schedules, submit leave requests, and review hours right from their phones. Managers also have mobile access to reports, notifications, and more.
With mobile punching enabled, employees don't need to be stuck at a desk to clock their time. Whether they are in the office, at a client site, or working remotely, time tracking is convenient. The apps ensure no punches are missed when employees are away from their computers.
Open Time Clock's mobile capabilities deliver added flexibility to meet the needs of the mobile workforce. The apps keep employees connected no matter where their work takes them.
Multi-Location Support
For larger enterprises, Open Time Clock provides multi-location support under one account. This allows organizations to manage hundreds of locations across multiple regions or countries from a single dashboard.
Each location can have its own employees, departments, and managers. Locations can also have customized overtime rules, leave policies, and time zone settings. While allowing this per-location flexibility, the software still provides consolidated reporting for high-level insight.
HR admins can quickly add new locations as the business expands. They can manage locations individually or in groups for efficient hierarchy. Whether needing to manage a single office or a global enterprise, Open Time Clock scales to any footprint.
Suitability for Any Industry
While feature-packed, Open Time Clock maintains an intuitive user interface. This makes the software suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries. From retail stores to restaurants to professional service firms, Open Time Clock can adapt to any work environment.
The software is web-based and accessible from anywhere on any device. It requires no complex hardware installations or setup. The plug-and-play simplicity makes it easy for employees and managers to start using Open Time Clock right away.
With its free open source format, Open Time Clock is affordable for any organization, unlike some enterprise-level timekeeping solutions. Free upgrades.
