Comparing actiTIME Extended Plans — Which One Fits Your Business?

Getting Started with actiTIME Extended: A Quick OverviewactiTIME Extended is a time-tracking and work-management platform built on top of actiTIME that adds flexible reporting, automation, and integration capabilities to help teams manage time, billing, and productivity more efficiently. This guide gives a practical, step-by-step overview for new users and administrators, covering setup, key features, workflow tips, and common pitfalls.

What actiTIME Extended is best for

actiTIME Extended is particularly useful for:

• Time tracking and timesheet management across teams and projects.
• Accurate client billing and invoicing, with support for billable rates and exportable reports.
• Improved visibility into project progress through dashboards and flexible reports.
• Automating routine tasks and integrations with other tools (depending on available connectors).

Getting access and initial setup

1. Create an account and choose a plan

   • Sign up for an actiTIME Extended trial or select a subscription plan.
   • Invite team members and set their roles (user, manager, admin).

2. Configure organization settings

   • Set company-week start day, working hours, and holidays.
   • Configure time zones for distributed teams.

3. Add projects, tasks, and customers

   • Create customers (clients) and then create projects under each customer.
   • Break projects into tasks and subtasks; assign default assignees and estimated hours.

4. Set up billing and rates

   • Define hourly rates for employees and clients, if using billable time.
   • Configure billing types (fixed price, hourly, internal/non-billable).

5. Invite users and set permissions

   • Assign roles: Users log time; Managers approve timesheets and run reports; Admins control settings.
   • Restrict access to specific projects or customers as needed.

Core features and how to use them

Timesheet entry

• Users can enter time via a daily timesheet, weekly timesheet, or a timer.
• Use tags or custom fields to add context (e.g., activity type, feature, sprint).
• Approvals: managers can review and approve submitted timesheets before payroll or invoicing.

Reporting and dashboards

• Pre-built reports: time by project, time by user, billable vs non-billable, and profitability.
• Custom reports: filter by date range, project, customer, tag, or user; group and sort results for analysis.
• Dashboards: create widgets to monitor KPIs like hours logged, budget burn rate, and outstanding approvals.

Project management basics

• Track estimates vs actuals to spot scope creep.
• Set project budgets and receive alerts when usage approaches limits.
• Use milestones and task deadlines to keep work on schedule.

Invoicing and billing

• Generate invoices from approved billable timesheets and export them in common formats (PDF, CSV).
• Support for multiple rate types (standard, overtime, task-specific).
• Integrate with accounting tools (if available) to sync invoices and payments.

Automation & integrations

• Automate reminders for timesheet submission and approval.
• Integrate with project management, accounting, and single sign-on (SSO) systems to reduce manual work.
• Use webhooks or APIs to connect actiTIME Extended with custom tools and workflows.

Best practices for adoption

• Start with a pilot team: roll out to one department first to refine workflows.
• Keep time entry simple: encourage short, consistent descriptions and use tags.
• Train managers on approvals and report creation — accurate approvals reduce billing errors.
• Audit and reconcile billable hours weekly to avoid surprises at invoicing time.
• Use templates for recurring projects to speed setup.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Inconsistent time entry — enforce conventions for descriptions and tags.
• Incorrect rate configuration — verify rate types and overrides before invoicing.
• Overly complex project structures — start simple and only add subtasks when necessary.
• Lack of approvals — set reminders and deadlines for timesheet approvals.

Example setup checklist (quick)

• [ ] Register account and invite users
• [ ] Configure company settings (workweek, holidays, timezone)
• [ ] Create customers, projects, tasks
• [ ] Define billing rates and types
• [ ] Set permissions and approval workflows
• [ ] Run a pilot and collect feedback
• [ ] Roll out organization-wide with training

Troubleshooting tips

• Missing time entries: check user filters (dates, projects) and unsubmitted timers.
• Incorrect reports: verify report filters and grouping; confirm users’ project assignments.
• Billing mismatches: review rate overrides and approved timesheets used for invoicing.
• Integration errors: re-check API keys, webhooks, and access permissions in both systems.

Final notes

Getting started with actiTIME Extended is mainly about establishing simple conventions and ensuring correct configuration of projects, users, and billing. Use a pilot rollout to refine processes and rely on the platform’s reporting to continuously improve resource allocation and billing accuracy.