New feature – Timesheet Approvals

Timesheets help teams understand where they’re really spending their time. But spending time chasing incomplete timesheets, or fixing inaccurate ones, is something we can all do without.

When we launched our own take on Timesheets, we resolved to make them as effortless and accurate as possible. Now we’ve added Timesheet Approvals to give managers more control over their time tracking processes and more confidence in the accuracy of what’s logged.

Improve timesheet completion rates and accuracy

Previously, our Timesheets could be completed and reviewed, but there was no easy way to track which ones were incomplete or inaccurate.

With this release, we’ve introduced an approval process that removes any uncertainty. Now, every timesheet has a status, so those completing timesheets and those reviewing them always know where action is needed.

We’ve equipped managers with the tools they need to track down missing timesheets, reject inaccurate ones, and apply quality control to every hour that’s logged.

Why does that matter? Because without accurate timesheet data, you can’t be sure how your team is really spending its time. Imperfections in the number of billable hours logged, or time tracked to each project, can lead you to jump to the wrong conclusions. And that has a direct impact on productivity and profitability.

Let’s take a look at how it works. 👇

Submitting timesheets for review

Setting up Timesheet Approvals is simple. Enable it in Settings, then assign who will review timesheets and who is required to submit them, (everyone will be required to by default).

This is important, as it determines who appears on the list of timesheets “Awaiting Submission” – the people who should submit a timesheet but haven’t.

With the basics in place, the approval process can begin. 🎉

For those filling in their timesheet, it works the same as ever – you can log auto-suggested time entries individually or in bulk, or add time entries manually. But now each timesheet has a status and must be actively submitted for review. The status will show as “Not submitted” until you click the “Submit” button and confirm.

Once submitted, the status will change to “Pending Review” and the timesheet will be locked to prevent further editing. In the Summary, you’ll see the current status, along with an approval activity log of who submitted the timesheet and when.

This up-to-date information helps those completing timesheets understand where in the process they are and if action is needed. That helps reduce the risk of timesheets being overlooked and left incomplete.

Managing your timesheet to-do list

Anyone who’s assigned to review and approve timesheets will see much bigger changes. In the Timesheets section, Admins and timesheet reviewers will find three new tabs to help them monitor and manage their team’s time tracking:

• Pending Review: These are timesheets that have been submitted, but not yet reviewed and approved or rejected. Treat this as your to-do list to work through.
• Awaiting Submission: This is the “naughty list” of people who are required to submit timesheets, but haven’t. These are the people you may need to chase.
• Approved: This is where you want every timesheet to end up. These timesheets have been approved and are now off your to-do list. No action required!

Having the approval process broken down by stages makes it easy to identify where action is needed. That means you can work through your timesheet admin at lightning speed, while staying on top of those who are falling behind on their own time tracking.

Timesheets that are “Pending Review” also appear as notifications in the Dashboard, so you can tackle all your to-dos in one place.

Approving and rejecting timesheets

Approving and rejecting is where the magic happens. These are the actions that empower timesheet reviewers to control the quality of their data and enable accurate forecasting and financials.

To help you make approval decisions with confidence, we put all the information you need at your fingertips. Open up any timesheet that’s “Pending Review” and you’ll see a comprehensive summary of every aspect of that person’s timesheet, with a summary of billable hours and forecast vs actuals.

If everything looks good, your job is easy – click “Approve” to move the timesheet off your to-do list. The timesheet’s status will change to Approved, it will move to the Approved section in Timesheets, and be locked to editing.

Alternatively, you can reject the timesheet. Perhaps it has too few billable hours, is missing notes to explain each entry, or time has been assigned to the wrong projects and clients.

When you click “Reject”, you’ll be prompted to give a reason. This reason will appear in the approval activity log and in an email notification to the person who submitted the timesheet. This helps ensure that there’s clear communication and people get direct feedback on what’s missing and what to include for next time.

Rejected timesheets change status to “Rejected” and move backwards in the approval process. They must be re-submitted before they return to “Pending Review” again. When you withdraw approval from a previously approved timesheet, it moves backwards in the same way.

Clear information and communication are the cornerstone of any approval process. Our Timesheet Approvals offer both, making time tracking quicker, easier, and more accurate than ever.

Exporting approved timesheet data

Now that you’ve locked in the accuracy of your timesheet data, you’re ready to analyze and extract insights to boost your productivity.

Whenever you choose to export your timesheet data in CSVs, you’ll find a new option that allows you to only export approved time. This helps filter out inaccurate data and ensures any insights you pull are based only on hours that are reviewed and approved.

Take back control over timesheets

Timesheets and Timesheet Approvals are available on our Blackbelt and Master plans, or you can try them free for 30 days, by starting a free trial. Visit our Help Center for a more in-depth walkthrough of how to set them up and use them.

We plan to continue evolving and expanding our Timesheets and are already considering adding new reporting options and an activity log for time entries. Check out our product portal below to have your say on how those work and what comes next!