Tracking time by project and by resource
Updated on · Capalane
In short. Good time tracking rests on three axes (resource, project, period), a single unit (day or half day), one key indicator, the remaining time to log = capacity − time logged, and a simple rhythm: entry every week, reminder on Monday, close and approval once a month.
Time entries show where your teams' time went. They are used to bill time spent, to track budget consumption, to compare actuals with the plan and to support funding claims. That only works if they are complete, on time and comparable from one person to the next.
What time tracking is for
- Billing: on time and materials, days logged multiplied by the resource's daily rate give the amount to invoice.
- Budget tracking: on a fixed price, days consumed against the budget warn you before the overrun.
- Workload management: actuals compared with capacity show who is overloaded and who has room.
- Evidence: R&D tax credits, grants and contract audits often require proof of the time spent on a project.
All these uses need data that is complete (every week logged) and consistent (same unit, same projects, same activity types for everyone).
Structure the entry: three axes and one unit
A time entry is an amount of time attached to a resource, a project and a period, usually the week. A fourth axis, the activity type, separates delivery from management or support.
Pick one unit. For teams on a days-based contract or billed at a daily rate, the day (with a half day or tenth of a day as the step) is the natural unit: it is the unit of the budget and the invoice. Logging hours and converting them to days introduces rounding that distorts totals.
| Axis | Example | Useful rule |
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Claire, developer, 80% | One record per person, with their rate and daily rate |
| Project | Customer portal redesign | Only active projects the person is assigned to are offered |
| Period | Week 46 | The week, even when the close is monthly |
| Activity type | Delivery, management, support | Four to eight types, no more |
The key indicator: remaining time to log
A person's remaining time to log for a period is their capacity (working days, minus public holidays and leave, multiplied by their activity rate) minus the time already logged. It answers one question: is the week complete?
Example. Week of 11 May 2026 in France: five weekdays, including Thursday 14 May, a public holiday (Ascension). Claire works 80%: capacity = (5 − 1) × 0.8 = 3.2 days. She has logged 2 days on the customer portal and 0.5 day of support: remaining = 3.2 − 2.5 = 0.7 day.
A positive remainder signals an incomplete week; a negative one, over-logging (time beyond capacity) to check with the person. Capacity calculation is covered in the guide on team capacity planning.
A sustainable rhythm: week, reminder, close
- Weekly entry, ideally a few seconds every day: the closer the entry is to the actual work, the more accurate it is.
- Monday reminder sent only to the people whose previous week is not complete. A general reminder to the whole team gets ignored.
- Month-end close: the project lead reviews time spent on their project, the manager checks consistency (leave, part time), then the month is frozen for billing and reporting.
An entry changed after close must leave a trace: who changed what, when, and the previous value. Without an audit log, a billing discrepancy cannot be explained.
Checks that prevent bad surprises
- Complete week: zero remaining time for every person and every closed week.
- No time outside assignments: people log only on projects they are assigned to, within the assignment dates.
- Consistency with leave: no time logged on a day of leave or a public holiday.
- Budget: an alert when days consumed pass a threshold of the budget (for example 80%).
The reports to produce
Three views cover most needs: by project (days and amounts consumed, by activity type, against budget), by person (time split across projects, utilisation) and by period (month or program increment, to compare actuals with the plan). A raw export, one line per entry, supports every other analysis.
With Capalane, time is entered in a grid that types like Excel, the remaining time to log is calculated with public holidays and leave, late entries are chased in one click and every change is logged.
Frequently asked questions
Should time be logged in hours or days?
For teams billed at a daily rate or on a days-based contract, half days or tenths of a day are enough: that is the unit of the invoice and the budget. Hours make sense when time is billed by the hour or a contract requires it. One unit for the whole organisation avoids conversions and rounding.
What should happen to an incomplete week?
Flag it, do not fix it on the person's behalf. The remaining time to log (capacity minus time logged) makes it visible; a targeted reminder at the start of the following week is usually enough. Remaining gaps are handled at month-end close.
Who should approve time entries?
The project lead for time spent on their project, and the person's manager for the overall consistency of the week (leave, part time). One approval per month, at close, is more sustainable than a weekly one.
How many activity types should we use?
Few: four to eight (delivery, management, support, internal meetings, training, pre-sales…). Beyond that, entries become approximate and reports unreadable. Add a type only if someone actually uses the figure.
Track your projects and resources in one place
Capalane calculates capacity with public holidays and leave, collects time in a grid that types like Excel and produces reports by project, by PI and by person.
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