{"id":31528,"date":"2023-02-21T09:09:24","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T07:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.timecamp.com\/blog\/?p=31528"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:54:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T12:54:56","slug":"why-should-you-stop-using-a-time-tracking-spreadsheet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.timecamp.com\/blog\/why-should-you-stop-using-a-time-tracking-spreadsheet\/","title":{"rendered":"Why should you stop using a time tracking spreadsheet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you still use a time tracking spreadsheet in your company? If you wish your company to be a modern business, please stop. Sure, they\u2019re easily accessible, free and since we got used to them, they require minimal training, but filling them is a waste of time in times of automation.<\/p>\n

Of course, easier said than done, especially when most of the company\u2019s processes involve them.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no need to explain what spreadsheets are since many of us use them on a daily basis. However, it\u2019s worth mentioning that the early implementation of the first spreadsheet-based computer program was in the 60s. <\/strong>Long history, but from today\u2019s perspective, the technology itself may be a little fusty<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For what purposes do we usually use spreadsheets?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Spreadsheets are commonly used for both personal and business-related purposes. Thanks to the mobile versions, they\u2019re free to use, don\u2019t require any special training to use the basics, and are easily accessible.<\/p>\n

First, what comes to mind is expense tracking<\/strong><\/a>. Spreadsheets are perfect for household budgeting, helping keep an eye on how much money goes in and out.<\/p>\n

Spreadsheets work perfectly for accounting<\/strong>. Spreadsheet tools like Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets use formulas, the equations that make dynamic calculations based on spreadsheet data. You can use basic, preset formulas or create your own if they don\u2019t match your needs.<\/p>\n

Using, e.g., Excel Spreadsheets is also one of the easiest methods of data organization<\/strong>. You can select filtered cells in Excel. They help break the information into relevant pieces and keep everything in order. What\u2019s more, online sheets are collaborative so that multiple users can contribute to them. Plus, using strong and reliable Excel alternatives can offer additional features that enhance productivity and streamline teamwork even further.<\/p>\n

Spreadsheets also help to present data visually<\/strong>. Data gathered in rows and columns is not easily understandable for everyone; that\u2019s why you can use graphs and charts to display it. Such visual aids work perfectly for presentations.<\/p>\n

Lastly, spreadsheet time tracking (e.g. Google Sheets time tracking) <\/strong>is still popular and has its supporters in many companies. It\u2019s one of the easiest ways of tracking time and billable hours \u2013 paperless and easily accessible. However, in times of automation and in comparison with comprehensive time monitoring software available on the SaaS market, they seem to be pretty outdated.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why today I\u2019d like to convince you why you should stop using Sheets or Excel time tracking spreadsheets and start tracking time automatically ;).\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"<aTimeCamp<\/a> 15 Best Time Recording Apps” width=”759″ height=”582″ \/><\/p>\n

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Pros and cons of time tracking spreadsheets<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Let’s talk about time tracking in Google or Excel spreadsheet pros and cons!<\/p>\n

While manually entering your time in the spreadsheet can seem enough, it could be much less reliable than a time tracking app. Especially when you want to track time spent on projects or manage client billing based on it.<\/p>\n

Advantages of using daily time tracking spreadsheet<\/h3>\n

Inexpensiveness<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Personal usage of spreadsheets doesn\u2019t require any additional costs \u2013 online tools like Google Sheets are free to use. They\u2019re collaborative<\/strong>, allow you to save the sheets as the most popular file formats, and are available for mobile, so you can access your documents wherever you are.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s understandable \u2013 why pay if the free solutions are readily accessible<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Effortless usage<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Working in the office, you probably use spreadsheets, more or less often. And anyone who has ever experienced using a spreadsheet program can probably admit they don\u2019t require additional training \u2013 at least to access the basic functionalities. They\u2019re intuitive and ready to use on the go<\/strong>, and if you don\u2019t need any complicated formulas, they\u2019re pretty easy to use.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the market is full of websites that offer free timesheet templates<\/strong><\/a> (like Excel time tracking templates). You can download and fill them, e.g., monthly timesheet with regular hours. Toolkits like Microsoft Office packages are often packed with such preset time tracking template.<\/p>\n

High availability<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Many companies decide to track time with, e.g., Excel time tracking spreadsheets just because the program has been already installed on their computers<\/strong>. The same goes for Numbers if they\u2019re Mac users and Sheets if they prefer Google Workspace apps.<\/p>\n

Creating a weekly timesheet that shows the number of employee hours worked is pretty easy, and if you don\u2019t mind wasting time entering data manually, your choice.<\/p>\n

But why the daily time tracking spreadsheet is not so perfect?<\/h3>\n

Inaccuracy and high risk of mistake<\/h4>\n

When you have to fill out your daily, weekly, or monthly timesheet template it is easy to make a mistake. Simply not including your lunch break in the Google or Excel file can totally change your monthly work hours.<\/p>\n

Questionable reliability<\/h4>\n

Let’s be honest – not everyone remembers to track time on the fly. Time reporting after a few days based on memory can change the total hours of the project, billable time, and various data important for your business.<\/p>\n

additional administrative work<\/h4>\n

Spreadsheet template time tracking can be annoying for the HR department or the people responsible for administrative operations. They have to calculate total hours and manually enter them into the payroll tool to define paid time for each employee.<\/p>\n

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Why is time tracking software better\u00a0than spreadsheets?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tracking time using specialized software has a better level of accuracy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Using spreadsheets has a high risk of human error. It\u2019s primarily because of manual data entry, which is a tedious and time-consuming process<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Suppose a company decides to let their employees manually input their working hours (e.g., total hours for a particular pay period) in an Excel time tracking sheet. In that case, the upper management team must believe the employees do it according to the actual state.<\/p>\n

Some might say that involves a high trust level. But it\u2019s nothing new; that\u2019s how many businesses worked over the years.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the mistakes caused by inaccurate, manual input of time tracking data can cost the company a small fortune, from a big perspective. That\u2019s why businesses that treat their money seriously should consider giving up using, e.g., Microsoft Excel time tracking spreadsheet (or even worse, Microsoft Word ones) and track time with an automatic solution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49 Read also our article about Best Time Recording Apps<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

Time tracking apps can help you increase billability<\/h3>\n

When you use spreadsheet time tracking to bill your clients based on logged hours, you should seriously consider using a time tracking app. Why? Because it can help you with increasing billability through better and more accurate time monitoring.<\/p>\n

Why waste time if you can track time automatically?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Modern times require smarter, less time-consuming solutions. Companies waste too much time on spreadsheet tracking employee time. Imagine a team of ten; each employee spends an hour per week updating the spreadsheet template with their time tracking data (weekly totals, lunch breaks, sick time and vacation time<\/a> if occurred, and so on). Let\u2019s say their hourly rate is $40.<\/p>\n

It turns out that 10 hours of filling a <\/strong>weekly timesheet template<\/strong><\/a> cost the company $400.<\/strong><\/p>\n

On a monthly basis, it\u2019s a tremendous amount of money and time spent on a process that could be easily automated.<\/p>\n

Real-time tracking software like TimeCamp logs working hours automatically<\/strong>. Whether you use a desktop app, web timer, or browser extension<\/strong>, it creates a time entry for each activity you perform and adds it to a daily timesheet (or if you prefer a graphical data presentation, you can switch to a weekly timesheet view).<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49<\/strong>See how to keep track of time and work hours<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tracking employees\u2019 absence with a time tracking spreadsheet is tedious<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tracking employees\u2019 regular and overtime hours, daily breaks, sick leaves, and vacations using Excel timesheets or other spreadsheets sound pretty outdated. I\u2019m sure project managers will agree with me \u2013 it\u2019s a hell of a time to check all the timesheets and, if you find a mistake, address or\/and correct them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Tracking time with hours logging software streamlines <\/strong>attendance management<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>It not only tells users how many hours they worked for a particular period but also allows them to choose the day types (perfect for monitoring employees\u2019 absence). In combination with hourly rates, it\u2019s easy to calculate the total pay for each employee.<\/p>\n

Time tracking tools are packed with other features that streamline daily team management<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll probably say, \u201cyes, of course, but I can do all of that using a tracking spreadsheet.\u201d<\/p>\n

But why create separate Excel spreadsheets<\/strong><\/a> and waste time keeping them in order when you can store all your data in one easily accessible tool?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re still not convinced or consider other methods because you prefer free solutions, let me mention that most modern time tracking software offers free plans with a decent feature package.<\/p>\n

For example, besides automatic hours logging, TimeCamp is packed with:<\/strong><\/p>\n