10 Ways Clockwork Helps You Get More Out of Jira Worklogs
Wondering where all the time goes? Discover how you can use Jira worklogs to get insights into how your team spends their time.
Are you getting the most out of time tracking in Jira? A good time tracking solution:
While you can natively log time on Jira issues, the ways of pulling that data out are limited. Clockwork Automated Time Tracking & Timesheets offers flexible time tracking with customizable worklogs, timesheets and reports.
If your teams haven’t used a time tracking system in the past, then you may encounter resistance to the idea. No one wants to feel that their productivity is being scrutinized or that their honesty is being questioned. You can reduce friction by clearly describing how better time tracking will benefit the team, and by selecting an app that’s flexible and easy to use.
Time tracking systems don’t just serve HR and accountants. Good time tracking provides metrics that can be used to improve project planning and reduce admin. Let your team know about the motivations for implementing a system. Explain that it will provide data for improved estimations, better calculations of the costs of delivering new features, and easier invoicing of clients. Once the team understands the purpose of time tracking, they’ll be more willing to accept it.
Different people have different preferences for how to track time. Some people like to start and stop a timer. Others can’t remember to start/stop a timer if their life – or at least their paycheck – depends on it. Whether it’s manually creating worklogs, calendar integration, or timers, using a system that accommodates different ways of tracking time will improve accuracy and send a message of trust and respect to your teams.
If you’re working in Jira, you’ll also want to create ways to capture time that isn’t associated with specific issues – time when your meetings, or cleaning out your email. The easiest way to do this is to create issues specifically for that purpose. To keep your Jira instance from getting cluttered, you can create issues the whole team can use.
Tracking time should be easy. You don’t want completing a timesheet to be something that is complex and in itself time-consuming. Choose a time tracking fits your teams' needs without overwhelming users and administrators with functionality they’ll never use. Simplify time tracking by employing a solution that:
Once you’ve decided on a time tracking system, successful implementation means being sure team members understand how to use the system, and getting feedback along the way. In large organizations, it might make sense to start by onboarding a single team or department. Then expand out once you’ve learned what the hurdles are. Whether you’re doing a staged implementation, or bringing on everyone all at once, you can improve the results by:
Once the team has had some time using the system, ask for feedback. You may be able to respond to the users’ suggestions by adjusting the configuration. And you should feel free to recommend new features for development.
Time tracking tools provide data you can use to increase productivity and ensure that where your time goes matches your priorities. Use timesheet filters and breakdowns to generate reports that can be used to improve how you do business. Historical information from timesheets can inform questions such as:
Implementing a time tracking app in Jira brings benefits that will be felt throughout your organization. You can ensure a successful implementation by clearly communicating with your teams, using a tool that makes time tracking effortless, and making the most of the insights time tracking provides.
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