Time-tracking software has evolved rapidly in just the last few years. What was initially simple stopwatch tools has transformed into sophisticated platforms with advanced employee productivity and work hours analytics. With demand continuing to surge, especially as remote and hybrid work models solidify, time-tracking software such as Controlio and others are likely to continue to experience rapid innovation and will look very different in the years to come.
The following trends and predictions seem set to play a big role in the time-tracking market of the future, and are certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Passive and Context-Aware Tracking
Slowly but surely, manual timesheets and start/stop timers are giving way to automated systems that require little or no user input. Many modern tools already feature automated time-tracking and activity monitoring to track how time is being spent, and such passive, context-aware systems are only becoming more effective and gaining popularity.
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are set to improve the context-awareness of time-tracking software. By analyzing employee activities and drawing data from other sources such as calendar schedules or project management platforms, AI can accurately infer the best way to categorize time entries.
Overall, passive and context-aware tracking can reduce employee friction while at the same time improving data accuracy. The drawback of this trend is that it increases concerns of surveillance and data privacy.
Privacy-First Designs and Consent Frameworks
As concerns regarding employee privacy grow and regulations start being put into place, many time-tracking platforms are adopting designs that are more privacy-centric. Some are starting to introduce features that process and store data on-device (to prevent it from being transferred elsewhere), while others are implementing consent frameworks that require explicit consent to different types of tracking. Many tools are also including ‘right to be forgotten’ features that will erase all tracking logs upon request.
While time-tracking tools have always attempted to ensure they are compliant with data-protection and privacy regulations – the difference is that privacy settings and features are now being treated as a competitive advantage. In the coming years, the most successful platforms will likely be the ones that are able to best address employee concerns and enable tracking without causing undue stress.
Biometric Identification
Another trend rapidly gaining popularity among time-tracking platforms is biometric identification. Unique biometric data such as fingerprints, iris scans, or facial recognition have become more commonplace, and time-tracking tools are taking advantage of them to verify the identity of employees.
The use of biometric identification can eliminate most cases of time ‘theft’ via buddy punching (where one employee clocks in for another), and other means. That can lead to a more accurate payroll, and significant cost-savings as well.
Aside from that, biometrics can act as an additional layer of security – both for identification as well as access controls. It also provides more detailed and tamper-proof records that can be helpful for compliance purposes as well as to prepare for audits.
Artificial Intelligence Automation and Predictions
On top of basic categorization, AI is capable of more advanced automation as well as predictive suggestions. For example, it can analyze large sets of time-tracking data analytics and forecast project completion dates and profitability, identify bottleneck risks beforehand, or recommend training programs that would benefit individual employees based on their past performance levels.
In the future, AI could very well automate a lot of administrative tasks. It could fill out calendars, set up project management boards, draft client invoices, or even negotiate deadlines with clients based on real-time projections. The automation and predictions that AI provides is expected to save employees significant work hours and allow them to spend it on more important tasks.
Wearables and Device Sensors
As wearables grow in popularity, their impact on time-tracking is starting to show. Currently some platforms are already trying out the use of smart watches or smart tags to enable automatic clock-ins and clock-outs as soon as employees enter their work premises or sit down at their desks. This offers seamless and more accurate time-tracking.
Wearables can also provide deeper insights into productivity by incorporating additional data from their sensors. For example, biometric sensors that track heart rate can be used to detect focused periods of ‘deep work’ as opposed to time when employees are distracted. This data can be used to improve scheduling and align shifts with the natural rhythm of employee productivity. It can also be used to manage fatigue, detect stress levels, and avoid burnout.
Focus on Well-Being
In part due to the higher than normal burnout rate among remote employees, many time-trackers have started to focus more on employee well-being. Some have systems that send reminders to employees when they’re working excessively long hours and not taking enough breaks, while others are going even further and attempting to calculate personalized ‘sustainable pace’ scores.
Some think that this could be the start of a cultural shift that values sustainable pace alongside other productivity metrics. While it is still too early to tell whether that is the case, it is certainly true that focusing on well-being can produce better outcomes by reducing the risk of burnout.
Real-Time Payroll
Time-tracking software is starting to be utilized more and more frequently by gig-workers, especially as a tool to track and validate work hours, as well as handle invoicing. Similarly, companies that hire gig-workers are taking advantage of it as well to handle payroll – and some are even testing real-time or daily payroll features.
For gig-workers, real-time payroll is attractive as it will let them know exactly how much they’ve made as they complete their work. At the same time it will enable companies to keep track of how much they owe gig-workers at any given point in time so they don’t overrun their budget.
Conclusion
All these trends are poised to transform time-tracking software and enable its shift from an administrative tool into an essential instrument that provides detailed insights and recommendations. Be sure to keep an eye on how these trends grow in the coming years, and in the meantime check out what the current generation of time-tracking software such as Controlio can do.
