Log hours by project and task, compare them with the budget and see where time really goes.
Projects run over budget quietly, one extra hour at a time. A shared log of hours by task shows it early, while there is still time to adjust.
Separate billable and non-billable time so both invoicing and internal costs are clear.
14 items. Use it on screen, or print it and fill it in by hand.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Design | Budget 40 h, used 32 h, about 70% done |
| Build | Budget 120 h, used 40 h, about 30% done |
| Testing | Budget 30 h, used 0 h |
A web agency budgets 40 hours for design. By week 2, 32 hours are used and the work is about 70% done, which points to an overrun of roughly 6 hours. The lead talks to the client about scope before the design phase ends.
Tracking hours against a budget by task shows where estimates go wrong while there is still time to act. It also gives a firm basis for change orders and for quoting similar work next time.
| Project | Riverside Library website, client City of Dubuque |
|---|---|
| Agency | Lantern Digital, Dubuque IA |
| Task | Content migration, budget 60 hours |
| Hours used | 45 |
| Percent complete | 60% |
| Projected total | 75 hours, 15 over budget |
| Action | Client agreed to cut 40 archive pages; logged Jun 3 |
At 45 hours and 60% complete, the task projects to 75 hours, which is 15 over budget. The agency raised it with the client and cut scope instead of absorbing the overrun.
Billable time is charged to a client; non-billable is internal.
Detailed enough to manage, not so detailed that logging is a chore.
Yes, memory fades fast.
Yes, from billable hours times rates.
Divide the hours logged so far on a task by its budgeted hours and multiply by 100. Compare that number to the percent of the task that is actually complete. If budget used is well ahead of percent complete, the task is likely to overrun.
Divide hours used by percent complete to project the total hours the task will take, then subtract the budget. For example, 30 hours at 60% complete projects 50 hours, or 10 over a 40-hour budget. Review it weekly so you can talk to the client before the budget is gone.
More for the same job
Use the project time tracking template for the record you need today. To see who clocked in, and when, book a demo of EZTime.