Ok, so youre a busy person and do what every good organized person does by writing a daily to-do list. You have them all prioritized and even block out the hours. Wow, you are good!
However, you find your well-crafted list trashed within the first few hours of the day. All too familiar? It would be fantastic to know where your time is actually being spent so you can track and quickly find trends leading to this major breakdown.
Time clock software helps track where your time is spent. That is what it does. Ok, so here is how I use them effectively to maximize my efficiency.
1) I found software that suits my needs. If Im stationed at one place, such as behind a desk, a local software application is just fine. If Im moving around and on the go, then an online web-based application is best. Those applications are really handy and can be accessed anywhere I can log into the internet.
2) According to how the software is setup, I create main groups for the highest level where I wear "separate hats". For example, if I manage an equipment store, a yard care business, and 50 employees. Id make three groups: Corporate, Store, and Yard Business
3) Now that my three main groups are ready, I start creating subgroups under each main: Corporate, Meetings; Corporate, Strategy; Store, Manager; Yard Business, Manager; etc.
4) Im a person on the run so my time clock software is accessed by the internet using my smartphone. First thing in the office I make just a few clicks and log into the time clock to start my hours under the group Corporate, Strategy. I read my email, check my receptionists notes from last night and "plan" the day. (yeah, right!)
5) Thirty minutes later my first meeting is scheduled to start which is supposed to last one hour. I simply click over to subgroup "Meetings" which stops the clock on "Strategy".
6) People arrive late making the meeting last 1.5 hours. After the meeting, I meet with the foreman of the yard business so I click into the subgroup Yard Business, Manager and talk with him for some time.
As the day unfolds I click into different subgroups and if the group isnt there, it can be quickly added. The great thing about this process is that eventually Id have most all of my daily activities in a subgroup.
At the end of the week or month I run a detail report and discover something very interesting which is most of my time is spent in "Meetings" which start late, run over, and are extremely inefficient. With that information my team gathers and we restructure our meeting procedures to maximize effectiveness.
Want to know how to be more effective and efficient? Its about time! For more information about time clock software or to see a live demo, visit
http://www.timeclockfusion.com
Justin Thompson has over 15 years experience as a business analyst with various IT administration positions. He uses a web-based time clock to track his hours maximizing his efficiency.
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