Perfect Time Management - Powerful Tips And Resources

Contents

I. Project Management for CompaniesProven methodologies for projects management

How to choose the right methodologyAgile and ScrumLean management introduction

Case StudyCreate your own style, but don’t forget to verify it!

II. Time trackingBenefits of time tracking

I. Benefits of tracking project's timeII. What are the Profits of Time Tracking?III. Benefits of Time Tracking for Small BusinessIV. 5 Time Tracking Utility Scenarios

Contents

Time tracking implementation

I. A. Fatal mistakes that can kill your time tracking implementation

II. How to introduce time tracking to your team

III. How to make sure time tracking implementation is going to the right way

IV. How to structure your projects and tasks

Case Study

II.III.A. Case study of tracking time automatically

Contents

III. Project Budgeting

How budgeting hours can help you be more profitable

Case Study

Case study of how budgeting helped one company

IV. Work wherever you want – remote work for companies

Remarkably Awesome Tips on How to Become a Highly Productive Night Owl

Sleep Better and More Efficiently - Polyphasic Sleep

How to choose the right methodology

A project management methodology is a set ofideas/solutions that if used correctly, should help usin finishing our projects faster and with less effort.We can find a considerable amount of suchmethodologies on the internet or in the books.

The new ones are constantly being developed to catchup with the ever-growing world of business. The keypoint is to find the one that applies to the project weare working on.

How to choose the right metodology

Our first step then should be to thoroughly study amethodology, before deciding whether it suits ourneeds. Many specialists say that the effectiveness ofproject management methodology depends on typesand sizes of a project.

Also, we must not forget that it is pretty muchimpossible to find the perfect solution – there maybe some lacks, but it is up to us to adapt ourworkflow and get things done. However, the projectmanagement methodology is there to help, so weshould use it to its fullest potential.

Agile Software Development

Agile is a term that covers a number of flexibleways of work management that require strongcooperation with the customer. Using themshould guarantee that the final solution meetsnot only the needs of the team implementing theproject but also, and more importantly, the needsof the customer.


Decisions about the details of the project aremade as late as possible: delivering acomplete product should begin fromestablishing an overall vision of what we wantto deliver.

The concept of Agile appeared in 2001 at ameeting of 17 people who wrote themanifesto of common rules for agilemethodologies:

Source: blog.capterra.com


1. Extreme Programming – techniques for software development, no concept of project design

2. Lean - the elimination of waste – waste is everything that does not add any value to our project.

3. Scrum - provides an excellent approach that bases on the team, prioritizes work, it has no concept of project design

4. DSDM Atern (Dynamic Systems Development Method) – the only one that fully describes Agile project management

5. Agile Project Management – it the beginning of the project the plan is created based on the outline of requirements, the solution is firstly seen from the “bird’s eye”, implemented in an iterative and incremental way, a detailed plan of each step is created by the team, not by the Project Manager


The primary advantage of using AgilePM is thelightness and flexibility it provides whilemaintaining the rules to succeed at the sametime. This methodology also works great withexisting processes in the organization, so thereis no problem to combine it with, for example,PRINCE2. What is more, in the case of smallorganizations and projects Agile alone will dojust fine, so there is no need to support it withother tools.

Lean Management

The concept was created and developed inJapan, in Toyota Motor Company, right afterWorld War II. The technical and organizationalsolutions were suggested by Taiichi Ohno.

He wanted to try a new approach to theproduction methods – introducing a flexibleand high-quality solutions to eliminate wasteand ensure continuous improvement in thecompany.

Lean Management

Seiri (selection) – getting rid of unnecessary objects from yourworking station (or nowadays, from your PC or Mac,)

Seiton (systematics/taxonomy) – preparing your tools,documentation, and materials in such way that they are inyour reach and you can use them quickly whenever youwant

Seiso (cleaning) – doing this once in a while is a method tohave more control over your working station

Seiketsu (standardization) – making sure that everyone ismaintaining the rules of the previously established steps

Shitsuke (self-discipline) – habit of keeping to the rules

Lean Management

5S is a simple concept often treat with disregard by workers.

However, it has many assets:

• We are more productive when our workplace is cleanand tidy,

• We are less likely to make a mistake when everything isneatly organized,

• It is easier to meet production deadlines,

• The workplace is safer and the atmosphere is better,

Create your own style, but don’t forget to verify it!

If you want to be a project manager, you shoulddefinitely:

• have at least 10 years experience in the field,• be proficient in all areas of his projects, which means

you should perform his tasks better than others,• receive intensive specific training about your own

motivation, team motivation, project management andmany more from the industry,

• be a leader in all projects and available for all themembers of your team,

• should be available for your team when needed and allthe time.


There is always more to do than people whoare able to do it. In consequence you’re stilltrying to plan the tasks, you realize themdiligently, you have to work way more thanbefore and tasks are moved to the future,because you’re not able to do it on time.

At the beginning your calendar looks like this:

The more tasks you add, the more work you have –it’s a natural consequence of missing deadlines.

Your calendar, after reduction, has to get more tasks, because some of them weren’t implemented.

Additionally, imagine you’re going on holiday and no one can replace you…


Paweł, our CMO and the owner of consultingcompany, created his own projectmanagement concept based on few simpleprinciples:

– hire people who are better than you,

– motivation is not a skill – it’s a character trait,

– don’t force yourself or anyone to work,

– employee controls should be non-intrusive.


So, how to manage your team more effectively?– first complete those tasks which are enjoyable to you and

your team,

– don’t miss any deadline, just write all the tasks down andreturn to them later,

– bill your employees for every completed tasks or hourly,

– your employees don’t need to be under control all thetime – thanks to TimeCamp, which is a time trackingsoftware, you can calculate their work costs as well asassess the progress made.

Benefits of tracking project's time

They are free of cost

The greatest advantage of installing them ismost of the project time trackers are actuallytime tracking freeware. This means that theyare free of charge and in most cases you canaccess the premium features as well withoutpaying any charges at all.


They are user friendly

The time management apps are perfect forprojects and anyone can handle them easily-even children and hence they are absolutelyuser friendly. You can use every feature of thetime tracker just with basic knowledge ofcomputer.


Time tracking freeware available easily

This kind of software is developed in hundredsand they are available easily. They arecompact and small and hence do not take upmuch space so it is not very hazardous todownload.


Help you develop your timing skills

These kinds of software help with developingyour timing skills easily and fast. They will helpyou keep track of your time management andnotify you with the progress that you aremaking.


They are compatible with every device

You can use one software with every devicethat you own. They are designed in such amanner that can be used with every devicethat you have. The software are easy todownload with any kind of device that you areusing.

What are the Profits of Time Tracking?

Didn’t you ever feel unrecognized for all thework you have performed? Or perhaps theraise that you honestly deserve is not coming?Well, with TimeCamp you have a line ofargument to prove that you should be given it!All you have to do is to tell your manager totake a look at your computer activity and thegathered statistics to see how hard you havebeen working.


Demonstrate that a particular project, whichwas completed after a deadline, needs moretime and resources, and its delay is not youror your team’s fault. (Of course, this won’twork if it wasn’t completed due to yourlaziness!) From the data provided on theproject, you will draw conclusions and as aresult, improve your ability to estimate thetime needed to finish it and steps that shouldbe undertaken to be as efficient as possible.


Finally, and this is probably a little bitcontroversial and not everyone may agree, butthe fact is, that we do work better, knowingthat someone can check what we are doingand how we are doing it. When we focus ourmind on the task in front of us, the time willpass quicker and at the end of the day we willfeel the burst of energy thanks to therealization that today we have done the joband that we have done it well.

Benefits of Time Tracking for Small Business

The small business owner can track timeworked by all their remote workers from justone web based software. This can help themmonitor and keep more control of the hoursspent on each project and plan future projectsof a similar nature. The number of hoursallocated to the jobs can be amended up ordown for future tasks.


This team time tracking software can also makeremote management of your business time.Once projects are completed, workers wouldhave to enter their project status.

You can check the status of different projects –especially those with a shorter deadline, andunderstand whether or not they are progressingwell. You can also get an idea whether a specificemployee is taking his job too lightly.


The software can also automatically importyour bank statements and also divide themproperly into specific categories. It can checkthe flow of your business money and provideyou with real-time updates about how yourbusiness capital is being spent. You can alsoshare all the details with the accounting teamand work together to minimize wastage ofmoney.

Computer usage scenario

The time recording software will monitor theusage of computer by the employees and if it isfound that it is over used by someone, thatemployee can be questioned. As a result, he willreduce using the computer for personal use andwill use the computer more for his work.

This will ensure improved efficiency and betteroutput. The utility of time tracking thus becomesa very powerful tool to check use of computer byemployees.

Employee activity scenario

The time tracking software is an excellent toolfor business administrators to monitor as wellas analyze the performance of each employee.This will enable them to find out theproductivity of each employee so as toidentify the most productive one. This processalso helps to find out the idle or unproductiveemployees.

Project tracking scenario

Apart from employee evaluation, the timetracking software is also an excellent tool forproject tracking. With the utility of timetracking, the user can work out the timerequired to execute the project and total costof the project. The software is also used toanalyze the process of the project.

Leave time scenario

The time recording software will promptlyregister the time worked by the employee aswell the time when he was off. Apart fromproviding details of time worked, the softwareregisters sick leave, casual leave, long leave,etc.

Workload scenario

Those who make use of the time trackingutility are able to monitor the work load ofeach employee. The software automaticallycalculates the overtime worked by employees.This will enable the administrators to find outthe cost of overtime work and also to controlpaid holidays.

How to introduce time tracking to your team?

• Explain why it’s important to track time - set goals, share yourplan and motivate your team to take the action.

• Show a clear and easy to understand structure of projects andtasks

• Tell who is responsible for the success of the project - explainthat without this leadership there will be a mess in projectsand tasks.

• Help your team get started and show a case study - there’s nobetter option to teach a person something than showing areal example.

• Review your timeline and establish a checking routine - youremployees need some motivation to make it the habit. Youcan announce that timesheets will be checked regularly, it willhelp them to remember to do it on a daily basis.

How to make sure time tracking implementation is going to the right way?

Are timesheets filled correctly?

• Check how much time do your employees spend on doingtheir job.

• Ask your team how would they track time for specificactivities.

Do we regularly use data from timesheets?

• Do you generate reports at least once a month (best once aweek)?

• Do people generate reports (just for curiosity)?

• Do you feel that time tracking became your habit?

How to make sure time tracking implementation is going to the right way?

Does time tracking help you execute your business goalsin Project Management?

• Do we use time tracking data for planning andestimating?

• What kind of activities are being registered in projects?

• Are you aware of project profitability?

• Do you share data with your clients?

• Do you check budgeted time versus actually trackedtime?

• Does time allocation across projects fits priorities?

Fatal mistakes that can kill your time tracking implementation

• We didn’t explain why it is important to track time

• We didn’t all agree on the clear structure of projects and tasks

• Everyone could add new tasks and projects

• We didn’t clearly tell that this is an obligation

• Managers didn’t see clear benefits

• There was no single person responsible for this implementation tosucceed

• We didn’t check how people are filling out their timesheets – everysingle day

• We didn’t share best practices of how to track time

• People have never seen how valuable the timesheet reports are

• We didn’t have a clear image of what a perfect timesheet looks like

How to find ideal projects and tasks structure?

From our observations we assume that theperfect structure should be:

– clear,

– intelligible,

– be an effect of real business goal,

– supplying legible and useful data,

– real – it should answer your needs and match yourgoals.

I. Time Allocation

It is the simpliest and most general structure divided into coreorganizational items. It might be projects, internal tasks, clients oremployees.

We applied it in our marketing team as it enables us to set prioritiesand estimate if we spend appropriately much time on them. In ourcase these are projects and tasks. It also allows us to check on ourteam engagement.

Based on data collected thanks to such structure we are able toassume who is the most committed or overworked. And better planthe work of the whole team.

• Goals: allocation, engagement, priorities

II. Clients and Projects

There are three key goals fulfilled with Clients and Projectsstructure. One of them is to monitor the time burndown in projectsor on particular clients. This helps to estimate the profitability ofboth and as a result, set priorities.

We applied it in our development team. Their tasks are divided intobig projects, like Graphical Timesheets, Integrations, Reports orUsability. This allows us to check which assignments were moredemanding and what is a probable date of the release.

In different companies the structure may be divided into clients.Another levels are projects and tasks.

• Goals: estimation, planning, time burndown

III. Billing per Hour

It is the most obvious structure in companies that bill their clientshourly. It helps to charge accurately. What is more, it indicatesprojects profitability.

The most common division is the one containing clients who arethen divided into projects and/or smaller tasks. This creates anorder and makes the reports more legible and transparent. It alsomakes invoicing process more simple.

Such simple structures don’t appear very often. Companies want toget much more data from their time tracking. It is the reason whythe most common are mixed structures.

• Goal: accurate billing

IV. Clients and Projects + Time Allocation

Running a company or team requires many differentinformation about its performance. Managers need to beaware of how much time is being allocated across projects,clients and employees. At the same time they want to knowhow many hours are absorbed by internal tasks.

Such structures may look very chaotic and disordered. Onthe other hand, they show the complexity of companies’problems and their needs.

• Goals: allocation, estimation, planning, engagement, priorities

V. Clients and Projects + Billing per Hour

In reality, not many companies use Billing per Hour asthe only reason for recording time. The mix withProjects and Clients structure is very popular amongcreative agencies. They track time for their customersand assignments and bill for hour.

In such structure we notified internal nomenclature innaming projects and tasks. It is also pretty commonthat clients are the first level, which then goes deeperinto projects and tasks.

• Goals: accurately billing, profitability


Invoicing is probably the biggest nightmare ofany employer or freelancer. No matter if youare a leader of a big company or just manageyour own small business – the activity ofgenerating invoices always involves stress andpressure.

You have to be very focused on it and makesure that it is done before a deadline.


Fortunately, the modern technology comes inhandy here. Though it is still quite fresh on themarket, the online invoicing software is becomingpopular at lightning speed. Corporations thatneed to send out a huge number of invoices andfinancial statements frequently very quicklyimplemented this software.It offers great value for money and streamlinesmany of our processes. Tracking companyexpenses and sending invoices to the clientbecomes the piece of cake.

The benefits of using invoicing software

• Personalized invoices – choose from a variety oftemplates and add our company’s details andlogo into the system to have our own, customizedinvoices to present to our customers.

• Saving time and money – save hundreds of hoursthanks to the automation of business processes.There will be no need to manually enter the databecause the program synchronizes andimports/exports data from other software andapps.

The benefits of using invoicing software

• Improved work organization – be able to sendinvoices from anywhere on the planet (anywhere,where an internet connection exists), but alsoyou will have all information about your clients athand.

• Security – The sophisticated technology used inonline invoicing software guarantees that all yourdata is encrypted, secured and backed up nowand then. It works pretty much in the same wayas online banking software.

The time before TimeCamp

„We always have to count how many hours we spent on a particular project in our company.”

Additionally, in some of the projects we are billing hourly, so acustomer pays for an hour of our work. The cost of an hour wasdiversified by the character of a project. Some of the projects arebilled by flat rates, but most of the additional tasks are billed byhourly rate.We kept the work record manually, so the client had to accept andsign – it was another difficulty. Sometimes employees left the workrecord to fill it to the end of a month because they wereoverworked. That’s why we needed an automatic time trackingsoftware with a reporting feature.

~Part of interview with Magdalena Jaszczyńska from Jakosta Engineering Office

Do you think that thanks to TimeCamp you improved the project management in your company?

„The most important for us is we’re now able to react for all the overspends.”

Thanks to that we’re making redeployments whenneeded, so then we can negotiate with customers.

We’re able to react when it’s necessary (when a projectis running) instead of reacting after it’s finished andunprofitable. It’s also much easier for us to measureand budget new tasks thanks to analyzing hourstracked by TimeCamp.

~Part of interview with Magdalena Jaszczyńska from Jakosta Engineering Office

Turn your bedroom into a sleep-friendly environment

If you are planning to sleep late so as to work on yourtougher tasks, you need to change your sleeping pattern.Usually, it is suggested that you sleep for seven to eighthours every night. If your aim is to work till late and sleep at3 am in the morning, you’ll have to wake at 10 a.m.

But how do you turn your bedroom into a sleep haven?Simple, keep the lights out. You make this easier byswitching off the lights and covering your windows withdark opaque curtains. Also, you need to do away withnoise. Switch off your music system and ensure that yourdoor and walls are sound proof to keep away outsidenoises.

When to take your cup of coffee

Coffee is the best remedy for those looking forward tostaying awake. Just like taking it in the morning hours tomake the rest of your day brighter, drinking a cup of coffeeat night will keep you awake and focused on your workthroughout the night.

But when should you take it? How much should you take?This is where it gets tricky. When working at night, youmight be tempted to take several cups of coffee to keep upwith the cold. Don’t do this. Coffee can keep you awake forapproximately 6-8 hours so if you happen to take it at night,let’s say at 3 am, you’ll not be able to sleep until after 8hours, which is 11am.

Avoid the habit of oversleeping

Just like waking up late in the morning, oversleeping canruin your night hours. By sleeping too much, your body willget used to sleeping longer hours, meaning that you’ll feelsleepy even when it is not appropriate. Besides, it is awaste of time and money. So, stick to a particular numberof hours.

In our case, for a person who is planning to work late, it isvital to sleep at least seven to eight hours. If you have othersleep complications such as sleep apnea, you’ll have tosleep earlier. You should also avoid other bad sleepinghabits such as taking sleeping pills regularly, forcing sleepand more.

Choose a job that encourages the path you’ve taken

You can’t be a night owl when you are required toreport to your workplace before 8 am the nextday. In fact, you need to be an early bird to dothat. In today’s world where technology rules,some organizations encourage night shifts.There are also those organizations that will set foryou a target to achieve after some period. If yourjob supports both day and night shifts, choosenight shift. If it is about hitting targets, find out ifyou can complete your tasks at home so that youwork on it at night.

Oh man, I’m late again!

Can we sleep less and still expect our minds and bodies to maintain the vitality necessary to live life to its fullest?

When you read about the great minds that have lived through theages – Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Tesla, Edison, and now Elon Musk, youwill find out that they all share a common habit, an absurdly shortamount of sleep.

Da Vinci slept for 15 minutes every 4 hours, a total of 90 minutesper 24h and managed to do so for years. Tesla slept for 2 hours atnight and took a single, 20-minute nap during the day. However,this might have been a part of their genius, so if you are notworking on something that can revolutionize the world as it is now,we recommend that you sleep more.

What is polyphasic sleep?

It’s a method that may save you an hour, two, ormaybe even some more each day. That’s about 25 daysper annum. Who wouldn’t like to receive an additionalmonth of time to spend? This is doable and it is notvery hard to achieve it.

It is all about dividing you sleep into certain phases,and make use of the previously mentioned coresappropriately. Those cores are in other words cyclesthat our sleep is formed of. In our sleep, we go throughthese cycles to regenerate.

I can do this!

First two or three weeks may be challenging. Wemust go to sleep and wake up in accordance withthe schedule prepared previously. For example,sleep from midnight to 6 A.M. and take a nap at1:30 P.M.

The regularity is the key. A healthy diet is alsovery important, starting a day with sweets willnot help. Also, try not to eat for at least 3 hoursbefore going to bed, and do not drinkimmediately after eating.

Resources

• Project Management

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/10/lean-management/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/10/project-management-methodology/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/11/agile-software-development/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/05/project-management-concept/

Resources

• Time Tracking– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2015/09

/top-5-advantages-of-using-project-time-tracker/– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/08

/time-tracking-profits/– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2015/11

/benefits-time-tracking-small-business/– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2015/12

/5-time-tracking-utility-scenarios/– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2014/05

/10-fatal-mistakes-killed-time-tracking-implementation/

Resources

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2014/05/5-elements-great-kick-meeting/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2014/07/make-sure-implementation-going-right-way/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2014/06/5-types-find-ideal-project-structure/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/08/whats-new-introducing-keywords/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/08/automatic-time-tracking/

Resources

• Budgeting and Invoicing– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/201

6/09/benefits-invoicing-software/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/07/timecamp-budget-control/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/08/8-remarkably-awesome-tips-on-how-to-become-a-highly-productive-night-owl/

– https://www.timecamp.com/blog/index.php/2016/10/sleep-better/