Timesheets are an integral part of any business where the clients are billed or the payroll is processed based on the hours worked. But without an approval system in place, things could go wrong, from unaccounted time entries, to incorrect invoices, to wrongly billed clients. And that is precisely why we at Zoho Invoice have introduced timesheet approval.
Why do you need timesheet approval?
Consider this scenario. Emily runs a website design company and she has generated a quote for a client for a new project. The client has promised to pay for 48 hours of work. John is a contractor who recently started working for Emily. When filling out his timesheet, he unknowingly logged a few extra hours and the client was billed for more than the agreed amount. When this came to light, the irate client canceled all further deals with Emily.
If you have faced the same issues as Emily, then we have the perfect solution for you. With Zoho Invoice‘s timesheet approval, you can verify and approve all your employees’ or contractors’ logged hours before they are recorded.
How timesheet approval benefits the manager
With approvals, you can ensure that you gain your client’s trust by submitting only accurate time entries and billing them accurately. Moreover, you can keep an eye on the work done by each employee, thus allowing you to distribute the work evenly. Take a look at how Zoho Invoice’s timesheet approval can help you:
- Quick review
We understand that, as a manager, you are often short of time, juggling between calls and meetings. So we’ve kept the task of reviewing timesheets as easy as possible. With the simple design of the approval feature, you can glance at the pending approvals, review the timesheet details, add comments, and approve or reject them. All within minutes.
- Flexible configuration
Different businesses work differently. In Zoho Invoice, you can choose which projects require your approval and which ones need to be approved by the client as well. You can also filter the timesheet entries that have been approved, and create an invoice for them alone.
How timesheet approval benefits the employee
By submitting timesheet approvals, individuals who work for you can always keep you in the loop about the tasks they’ve done and the effort they’ve put in. Here’s how Zoho Invoice’s approval feature will help them:
- Error-free invoicing
Steer clear of erroneous time entries with timesheet approval workflows. Approvals ensure that only accurate time entries are invoiced and all your employees’ and contractors’ logged hours are accounted for correctly. For instance, suppose one of your contractors worked a few extra hours. They can create an approval for the overtime, so that you’ll be aware of their extra work and can bill the clients accordingly.
- Prompt discussions
The people working for you can communicate with you quickly about anything related to their submitted time entries. Comments can be added for each approval or submitted time entry. So for example, if you have rejected an approval citing disparities, the employee can discuss it with you through comments, without the delays of emails or phone messages.
How can you get started?
To start approving timesheet entries, all you need to do is log in to your Zoho Invoice account and enable the option in your project preferences. To learn more about creating and managing an approval workflow, head over to our help document.
We’re all ears to hear what you think about this feature! Try out timesheet approval and don’t forget to leave us a comment here. If you need any assistance, remember that we’re always here to help you out via email, call or chat.
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