Some time ago we have shared with you the ways of evaluating the productivity levels of your team. We mentioned you should use software solutions to make the whole process better. And today we’re coming to you with an answer to this question: do you need productivity tracker? What actually is a productivity tracker?
What is a productivity tracker?
Productivity trackers help teams and individuals work more efficiently. This kind of software collects the data about your workflow, the number of tasks and time spent working. It converts this info into reports which offer you a clear insight into your workflow.
Productivity trackers come in a variety of forms and have many different functions. They can be graphical or they can reward you points for completing certain tasks. Despite differences, most of the productivity trackers share one feature. Practically, each of them has a time tracking option to measure how much time your assignments take.
Time spent on different tasks is the basic data that productivity trackers consider. It goes from there, splitting into different options and features that vary from one application to another.
Why should you evaluate your productivity in the first place?
For many people being productive comes down to getting the job done. Did you deliver the project? Well done, you probably think you’re the most efficient person out there. 😉 Expect that that’s not always the case. You can always do better if you know where to improve. So let us give you several reasons check your productivity on a regular basis.
Reason #1: It increases your self-awareness.
While you might already know what works for you and what doesn’t, having a general idea isn’t always going to be enough. Correct productivity evaluation is based on objective data rather than impressions and estimation. It helps you understand what are your weak points and what are your strengths. Armed with this knowledge, you can easily start planning your and your team’s work around them. You can assign tasks to people who are going to handle them in the most efficient way.
Reason #2: It helps you understand what’s your team bad at
Among tens of projects and tasks, you may lose track of your mistakes and weak points. Meanwhile, evaluating your productivity is all about spotting these weaknesses. Eliminating them before they grow into some bad habits should be one of your team’s priorities.
Reason #3: To know how much time it takes
Have you ever ended up underpricing your projects because you poorly estimated how much time they will take? Well, if you knew more about your own work, it wouldn’t have happened! To prevent such mistakes from repeating, start evaluating your productivity. Know how much time you spend on different tasks and which give you more troubles than others. It will give you a clear idea of what it costs you to complete the job. It’s mandatory to not only price your work correctly, but also to set the right deadline for you and your team.
Few time trackers come with PM software, and this is something we at Taskeo decided to change. Our reporting and time tracking features allow you to check the time spent on the tasks you’ve got on your to-do list. We like to keep all the important things in one place. 🙂
Reason #4: To help the team members catch up
Different people on your team will have different experiences and skill sets. While you probably aim to have them complete each other, some skills are likely to be mutual. Analyzing your productivity helps you find out who is falling behind and who excels at their job. This way, the former can learn from the latter, copying their working habits and improve at their job.
Do you feel convinced yet?
Why should you use automated productivity tracker?
If you’re already determined to start evaluating your productivity, we’ll tell you more about the software. Taking out your timer and making your colleagues measure the time isn’t going to work. Here’s why you should consider productivity trackers that available as SaaS solutions.
Reason #1: Productivity tracker eliminates the human mistake
It’s that simple – the less you touch it, the less it is likely to fail. All manual methods which you can come up with, such as spreadsheets, carry a certain risk of mistake. Productivity trackers lower that risk significantly because they pretty much do the job for you. You don’t bother with transforming data or doing the math.
Reason #2: Productivity tracker does everything for you
To evaluate productivity properly, you’ll need reports. Productivity trackers prepare them for you. All your team has to do, is to put the data in the system and that usually isn’t complicated. Most often it comes down to listing the tasks, starting the timer and checking off the completed assignments. Productivity trackers generate the reports for you in a visual and readable way. All you have to do is to remember to turn them on.
Reason #3: Productivity Trackers let you focus on what’s important
Gathering the data for the productivity reports manually can be quite the hassle. Confusing spreadsheets, clocking time, writing down the tasks so on? All this is non-existent when you use productivity tracker. As the software does the job for you, you have one less thing to worry about. You are free to focus on the most important things: staying in touch with clients and delivering your projects.
Reason #4: Productivity trackers rarely come solo
Most of the times, they are built into some other software. Such is the case with Taskeo, where our tracker is part of the project management system. Thanks to this, you discover another tool that will help you increase your productivity. Under different circumstances, you might not have thought about using PM software. But here it’s served to you as part of something you are already using! So why not to give it a try?
Reasons #5: Creators of your productivity tracker can be your mentors
Here at Taskeo, we don’t just deliver a task management platform with a reporting feature. You are here because you want to know why do you need a productivity tracker. We’re answering this question. We give you knowledge. Even more – we’re creating a community of people who are as crazy about productivity and smart work as we are. A community which you, too, can join and learn from. We want you to get better – thanks to our software and expertise we deliver together with other users.
Do you now feel like you need a productivity tracker? If so, there’s no time like today. Start evaluating your work and see what can you do better. Guaranteed you will thank yourself for that one year from now!
