The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift towards remote and hybrid work models. Recent surveys show that the majority of the workforce expects these flexible arrangements to continue. But handling a remote team can be very difficult. Not knowing how to track actual productivity can lead to significant losses. As businesses, it is important to find an efficient way to adapt to this new normal, and mobile timesheet apps can be the answer to managing distributed teams. This article explores the imperative need for mobile timesheet apps in today’s business landscape.
The Shift Towards Remote Work and the Need for Mobile Timesheet Apps
A Gallup survey in June 2022 found that 8 in 10 people are working in a hybrid or remote setup, while only 2 in 10 are entirely on-site. This trend is expected to continue in the future. A recent AT&T study found the hybrid work model is expected to grow from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024.
According to FlexJobs’ Employee Engagement Report, 48% of employers are maintaining some form of remote work for their workforce. When asked what their company’s post-pandemic workplace plans will be, 26% of respondents said their employer will follow a hybrid model, and 22% said they’ll be allowed to work remotely.
As these statistics show, remote and hybrid work arrangements are here to stay. Businesses need to adapt their operations to this new normal. This is where mobile timesheet apps come in. Not only it helps to manage the remote working teams, but also streamlines the process significantly and helps you to take informed data-driven decisions.
As we discuss the stats and the impact of mobile timesheet apps on remote management, the following statistics show how businesses have incorporated the app into their workflow (Data from Statista).
Key Features of Mobile Timesheet Apps and Their Business Benefits
Mobile timesheet apps offer a range of features tailored to distributed teams:
- Compliance with labor laws: By tracking employee breaks, and overtime, and keeping detailed records, mobile apps help businesses stay compliant.
- Remote management: Features like GPS tracking and geotagged clock-in/out allows managing remote teams.
- Transparency: Everyone can view team schedules and timesheet data in real-time, enhancing transparency.
Benefits:
- Stay updated on team productivity and spot issues before timesheet approval.
- No reliance on manual data collection from remote employees.
- Better oversight and team collaboration.
Let us take a closer on the mobile timesheet apps’ exciting features for dynamic teams who work remotely such as
- Time tracking and geotagging
- Shift scheduling
- Data integration
- Real-time analytics
Time tracking and geotagging: This helps you easily clock in and out from any device, while also recording the locations of those clock-ins and outs. This ultimately helps you ensure accurate payroll, thanks to the work-hour data from the geotagging.
Shift scheduling: This is another feature that helps you to assign shifts based on roles, location, and even workload. Also, it is viewable by anyone inside the organization which makes it super useful for the employee to plan their day accordingly. The optimized schedule helps you to save management time considerably and helps the employees to stay updated on their schedule and workload.
Data integration: This is an important part of the mobile timesheet app where you can seamlessly integrate a range of data such as payroll, accounting, and ERP systems with ease. With automated data integration, you can eliminate human error and accelerate the whole process.
Real-time analytics: You can access all the data at any point in time. Meaning you can easily find any potential issue and resolve it then and there. Since the data is fed in real-time, you can readily customize the reports and dashboards with updated data. Ultimately it helps the organization to become more data-driven and make more informed decisions.
Following is the chart that explains the benefits of implementing the mobile timesheet app with the data gathered from HomeBase.
Case Study: Construction Company Builds for the Future with Mobile Timesheets
Reliant Construction struggled with paper-based timesheets. With crews spread across multiple sites, collecting, approving, and processing timesheets was a nightmare.
After switching to Timesheets Mobile App, here’s what changed:
- 93% faster timesheet submission: Employees submit timesheets directly from their phones.
- Real-time visibility: Managers view reports and approve timesheets from anywhere.
- Seamless payroll: Timesheet data integrates directly into payroll software.
By going digital, Reliant optimized operations. The mobile app saved them time and money while providing greater transparency.
Overcoming Concerns About Mobile Timesheet Adoption
Despite the benefits, some common concerns arise about adopting mobile timesheet apps:
- Cost: The ROI outweighs the costs. Studies show mobile timesheets provide 4X ROI within 6 months.
- Tech skills: The best apps require minimal training. New users are typically onboarding within an hour.
- Security: Mobile apps utilize enterprise-grade security like biometrics and encryption.
- Compliance: Mobile apps ensure labor law compliance with automated pay rules and compliance reports.
With training and the right app, these concerns can be easily addressed.
The Future of Mobile Timesheets and Business Operations
Experts predict the continued evolution of mobile timesheet apps:
- More predictive analytics using AI and machine learning.
- Expanded integrations with other systems like payroll, accounting, and ERP.
- Leveraging augmented reality and wearables for next-gen tracking.
Also, there are chances where the mobile timesheets and business operation can be widely available across all electronic devices such as IoT devices and even wearables. Since the data are sensitive and forecasted to be available in wearable devices, security will be iron-clad. Meaning, the future of mobile timesheets will be more focused on security and SSL technology (Secure Socket Layer).
Experts also say that the data analysis with the mobile timesheet can be so advanced, where accessing large amounts of data across the devices is made seamless. They also expect the collaboration can be much more sophisticated. Seamless data sharing among the employees is one of the collaboration expectations. Integration of mobile timesheets with project management can be one of the core aspects of the future update, where it can help to assess productivity with the highest accuracy.
Lastly, it is to be expected that all future features and updates to the mobile timesheet can be fully automated. Meaning there can be less human error and gain results at the highest accuracy possible.
Businesses should stay updated on these trends and adopt mobile apps that allow room to scale. The right app becomes a foundational workflow system as remote work grows.
Final Thoughts
Mobile timesheet apps provide the visibility, control, and collaboration needed to manage remote teams. As remote work grows, businesses should focus on mobile app adoption to optimize operations. With the right training and implementation, mobile timesheets can transform business workflows.
FAQs
1. What are the main benefits of a mobile timesheet app?
The main benefits are real-time visibility, enhanced compliance, easier remote management, and integration with other systems.
2. How do mobile apps improve productivity?
Mobile apps save time and minimize errors by removing manual processes and providing easy tools for employees, thereby improving productivity.
3. What features should I look for in a mobile timesheet app?
Key features include easy clock-in/out, GPS tracking, reporting, scheduling, labor law compliance, data integrations, and predictive analytics.