How to Take Control Over Project Management? (7 Powerful actiTIME Tips)

Photo by Amy Hirschi

Are you looking to take control over project management and squeeze the most out of every minute? If yes, look no further than actiTIME — a multifunctional time tracking solution designed to help any type of business to stay on top of its projects.

With handy features for work scope management, time estimation, progress tracking, and more, actiTIME is your perfect project management companion. So, let’s explore how it fosters superior work results!

7 Ways actiTIME Can Help You with Project Management

1. Centralize work scope planning

Work scope planning is the art of organizing and defining everything that needs to be done in a project. It involves identifying the project’s objectives, deliverables, tasks, and subtasks, and breaking them down into manageable chunks that can be executed within a certain timeframe and budget.

In simpler terms, work scope planning is like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. You need to figure out what the final picture should look like, how many pieces you have, and how they fit together. And with actiTIME, doing so is as easy as pie.

How does it work?

With actiTIME, you can create a detailed scope of work in just two simple steps:

• Create new customers, projects, and tasks: You can create as many of them as you want, making sure to organize everything in a logical and efficient manner. With a thorough visual plan at hand, you can stay on top of things and ensure nothing falls through the cracks later on.
• Set estimates, deadlines, and billing rates for each task: You can also use custom fields to create unique task attributes and tailor them to your specific needs and requirements. And if that’s not enough, you can also attach any important files and notes on tasks via comments. This way, you can rest assured that everyone involved in the project knows all the vital details they need to know.

Click here to learn more about work scope management with actiTIME. 👈

2. Boost estimation accuracy

In the world of project management, estimation is the process of predicting the time, effort, and resources needed to complete a project. It’s the foundation of project planning, so getting it right is crucial.

By accurately estimating your project’s requirements and resources, you will ensure your team has everything it needs before diving deep into the planned work. And actiTIME is ready to help you get accurate evidence-based estimates that will keep our projects on the right track.

How does it work?

actiTIME provides comprehensive historical data on how long it took your employees to complete tasks in the past. You can use this data for analogous estimation — a technique that involves comparing a new project to previous projects that are similar in scope, size, and complexity in order to derive a rough estimate of the resources required.

Analogous estimation comprises 5 basic steps:

• Step 1: Identify a past project that equals in scope and complexity to the project you’re estimating. It should have similar resources, deliverables, and timelines.
• Step 2: Review data from the past project. Use actiTIME reports on the incurred costs and the time it took to complete that project. You may also want to check any other relevant metrics, such as the number of team members involved.
• Step 3: Adjust for differences between the past project and the new one. No two projects are exactly the same, so it’s important to take into account any differences that could impact the estimate. For example, if the new project has a shorter deadline or requires more specialized skills, the estimate should be adjusted accordingly.
• Step 4: Calculate the estimate. Using the data and adjustments from steps 2 and 3, you can now calculate the estimate for the new project.
• Step 5: Review and refine the estimate. Once you have your estimate, it’s important to review it with stakeholders and experts. They can provide valuable feedback and help refine the estimate.

Learn more about accurate project estimation with actiTIME here. 👈

3. Simplify cost and budget management

Cost management involves analyzing the resources needed to complete a project and devising strategies to optimize them. Budget management, on the other hand, is all about keeping track of the costs and making sure the project or business stays within its allocated budget.

Effective cost and budget management ensures your project resources are used efficiently and not a single penny is wasted in vain. And with actiTIME, you can manage your expenses and budgets in a truly simple way.

How does it work?

actiTIME features a plethora of handy tools that let you manage project expenses in a snap:

• Set cost of work rates for employees: You can link different hourly pay rates to employees’ regular work hours, leave time, and overtime. This allows you to better track and allocate costs per resource or project.
• Track time to collect data on expenses incurred: Time tracking provides valuable insights into how many resources are spent on work. By analyzing this data, you can identify areas where expenses are higher than usual, allowing you to adjust accordingly.
• Configure automated notifications on the risk of cost overruns: Nobody likes surprises — especially when it comes to unexpected expenses. Thankfully, with actiTIME’s automated notifications, you will stay alert of when your project costs are approaching the set budget and take corrective action before it’s too late.
• Run reports and create visual charts to compare your estimates to actual outcomes: By doing so, you can identify any discrepancies between your ongoing project results and initial plans and take actions to adjust your budgets in the future.
• Use the collected data to enhance your future estimates and create more realistic budgets: By leveraging the data collected by actiTIME, you can get a more realistic understanding of the expenses incurred by various employees or tasks. Thus, you become capable of creating more accurate estimates and budgets in the future.

Read this post for more information on how to manage your budget with actiTIME. 👈

4. Allocate resources more efficiently

Project resource allocation is the process of assigning people (or any other resources) to different tasks throughout a project’s life cycle. Its primary goal is to ensure that each project task is completed on time, within budget, and to the client’s satisfaction. And thanks to actiTIME, you can divvy up resources to ensure the successful completion of a project.

How does it work?

actiTIME offers an easy way to allocate your project resources by monitoring employee availability and staying on top of their workloads.

• With just a few clicks of a button, you can assign tasks to the right members of the team without breaking a sweat.
• Thanks to actiTIME’s automated leave tracking functionality, you can also keep track of your staff availability when allocating work.
• Besides, you can monitor employees’ ongoing workloads using the Kanban board and reallocate resources if necessary to prevent employee burnout or underutilization of resources.

Lastly, for even simpler resource allocation processes, project managers can sync actiTIME with actiPLANS — this intuitive resource scheduling solution provides a range of powerful leave tracking tools and visual timelines that make work scheduling a breeze. It gives you a clear view of your employees’ availability so you can easily balance their workloads and avoid overbooking.

Explore how to manage employee absences and attendance with actiTIME here. 👈

5. Monitor progress in a convenient way

The purpose of progress monitoring is to track how well a project is performing relative to the timeline and goals set at the outset of the project. It helps stakeholders to identify problems as they arise and make necessary adjustments to the project plan with minimal effect on the overall outcome.

Let’s see how actiTIME can help you with that.

How does it work?

actiTIME’s weekly timesheets and the Calendar View enable you to observe your team’s every move, down to the granularity of individual tasks. You can see how much time each team member has spent on various tasks, ensuring that everybody’s being productive and working effectively.

On top of that, actiTIME includes:

• Kanban board: This visual tool helps teams manage their workflow and track their progress toward specific goals. It consists of columns and cards, each representing a different stage of the workflow. As tasks move through these stages, the cards are moved accordingly, providing a clear visualization of the current status of the project.
• Automated notifications: They will alert you on approaching deadlines, estimate overruns, and more. This means you can proactively tackle any issues before they become major headaches.
• Real-time reporting widgets: This feature lets you stay on top of your team’s ongoing time usage and get quick insights into project progress and current trends.
• Mobile app with one-click timers: On-the-go project management has never been easier with actiTIME’s mobile app. With just one click, you can start and stop timers, track time on tasks, and stay up-to-date on project progress wherever you are.
• Fully automated browser extension: Time Management Assistant tracks your online work activity in real time, creating a seamless and effortless experience for you. It also lets you export the collected time tracking data directly into your actiTIME timesheets based on the custom data sync rules and includes several productivity reports that help to see how effectively you spend your time on the internet.

Click here to find out more about how actiTIME simplifies project progress monitoring. 👈

6. Analyze performance in depth

Performance analysis helps project managers to have a broad and detailed understanding of a project’s progress, identify potential risks, take appropriate corrective action if needed, and make data-driven decisions that ensure the project’s success. And with actiTIME reports, in-depth performance analysis is truly effortless.

How does it work?

actiTIME packs a punch with a variety of reports to keep you on top of your game. From simple visual charts to truly detailed data records, actiTIME has got you covered.

Here are a few examples of what it has:

• The Time-Track in Detail Report provides valuable insights into the performance of your team and how it uses time. It lets you keep track of various time-related metrics like hours spent on a project, time taken to complete specific tasks, the amount of overtime work, etc.
• The Profit / Loss Report allows you to keep track of your project’s financial health by providing insights into its income and expenditure. It shows how much revenue your project is generating, how much you’re spending on resources, and most importantly, your profit margin.
• The Estimated vs. Actual Time Report helps you measure the accuracy of your initial project estimates by comparing them to the actual amount of time it takes to complete specific tasks. By analyzing these reports, you can identify areas where your team is underestimating or overestimating its work, and adjust your planning and resource allocation accordingly.

Click here to explore various actiTIME reports and learn how they can benefit your project. 👈

7. Enjoy error-free client billing

When you bill your clients accurately, you ensure that you get paid for all of the work you’ve done — no more, no less. This is not only fair, but it also keeps you in business.

Besides, accurate billing data allows you to identify areas where your team may be spending too much time or resources. It shows which tasks or projects are taking longer than expected, or which are causing you to go over budget. This information can help you make better decisions about resource allocation and can help you identify areas where you may need to adjust your project plan.

How does it work?

With actiTIME, you can easily set billing rates for different types of work, making it easy to accurately bill clients and ensure that your team is being compensated fairly for their hard work.

In addition to that, actiTIME lets you:

• Track both billable and non-billable time, whether manually or automatically, so you can keep an eye on where your team’s time is going and adjust priorities as needed.
• Generate billing summary reports for any period of time to see a summary of your project revenues and quickly identify any areas that may need attention.
• Generate professional-looking invoices in just a few clicks, save them as templates, or even export them to PDF for easy sharing.

Explore the nitty-gritty of error-free client billing with actiTIME here. 👈

Other Benefits of Using actiTIME for Project Management

1. Efficiency-boosting automation

actiTIME automates many repetitive tasks, freeing up your time to focus on more important things like strategic planning and team development.

With its help, you will forget about the headaches of manual time tracking, PTO calculation, and invoicing, and enjoy a more efficient workflow, as well as a more accurate and consistent record of your team’s working hours, without any errors and discrepancies.

2. Multiple integrations

Integrating actiTIME with other apps through Zapier can streamline your workflow to unimaginable heights. For instance, you can:

• Synchronize tasks between Jira and actiTIME. This means that whenever a new task / issue is created, it will automatically appear in both tools, saving you valuable time and effort. No more manually copying and pasting information across applications!
• Notify your colleagues about new projects / tasks via Gmail. This not only helps keep them in the loop but also ensures that everyone is on the same page when it comes to project deadlines and updates.
• Automatically track time spent on Zoom meetings. Just schedule a meeting and the scheduled time will be added to your timesheet right away.

Explore other handy examples of actiTIME-Zapier integration here. 👈

3. Flexible settings

When it comes to time tracking software, flexibility is key. And that’s exactly what you get with actiTIME’s flexible settings:

• Enjoy the power to switch off or on features with a mere click of a button. Say goodbye to unnecessary distractions and hello to a streamlined workflow.
• Tailor your reports to fit your unique needs and preferences, ensuring that you always have the data you need at your fingertips.
• Choose which task and project attributes to display on your timesheet. This means that you can focus on the metrics that matter most to you and your team.
• Sort and filter data as you please. actiTIME lets you slice and dice your data in whatever way makes the most sense for you, ensuring that you’re always working with the insights you need to succeed.

4. Affordable price

A wealth of essential project management features and affordable prices make actiTIME one of the most cost-effective solutions for project managers on the market.

On top of that, small teams can rejoice in the free version offered, giving them the chance to take advantage of the software without having to break the bank.

And for large enterprises? No more fluctuating costs — actiTIME offers a fixed cost that won’t suddenly skyrocket and leave you scratching your head in confusion.

Last but not least, actiTIME wants to make sure you love its features before committing to a purchase. That’s why it offers a free 30-day trial for everyone, meaning you can test out the waters and see if it’s the right fit for your team before making a single payment.

So why wait? Give actiTIME a go and experience superior project results firsthand.