Tracking Time and Costs
🎯 Why This Matters
Understanding where time and money go is essential for running an efficient operation. Task Management's built-in tracking helps you:
Know true labour costs - Automatic calculation based on hours worked
Track supply usage - Log consumables used on each task
Estimate accurately - Compare estimates to actuals for better planning
Control budgets - See costs in real-time, not just at month end
⏱️ Using the Task Timer
Track time as you work - one click to start, one click to stop, costs calculated automatically.
Starting a Timer
Open a task assigned to you
Make sure the task status is Assigned or In Progress
Click Start Timer
The timer begins counting - you'll see elapsed time displayed
Stopping a Timer
When you're done working, click Stop Timer
The time is automatically saved to the task
Labour cost is calculated based on your hourly rate
💡 Quick Tip
You can only have one active timer per task. If you need to pause, stop the timer - your time is saved, and you can start a new session later.
⚠️ Timer Rules
A few simple rules ensure time is tracked accurately and to the right person.
The timer has a few requirements:
Requirement | Why |
Task must be assigned to you | Ensures time is tracked to the right person |
Status must be Assigned or In Progress | Can't track time on Open or Closed tasks |
Cannot run timer on parent tasks | Time should be tracked on specific work (subtasks) |
If the timer button is disabled, check these requirements.
💰 Understanding Cost Calculations
Know exactly where money goes - labour, supplies, and other expenses tracked automatically.
Task Management tracks three types of costs:
Labour Cost
Calculated automatically when you use the timer:
Labour Cost = Hours Worked x Your Hourly Rate
Your hourly rate is set in your user profile
Each timer session captures the rate at that time
Multiple sessions are summed for total labour cost
Supply Cost
When consumables are used on a task:
Supply Cost = Quantity Used x Unit Cost of Consumable
Link consumables to tasks to track usage
Enter quantity when logging supply use
Cost is calculated from consumable's unit price
Other Costs
Miscellaneous expenses that don't fit labour or supplies:
Equipment rental
Third-party services
Any other task-related expense
Enter these manually in the task's cost fields.
Total Cost
Total Cost = Labour Cost + Supply Cost + Other Costs
📝 Entering Costs Manually
Add supply costs or miscellaneous expenses that aren't captured by the timer.
Not everything is automated - you may need to enter costs directly.
Open the task in the sidebar
Find the Costs section
Enter values for:
Supplies Used Quantity - Amount of consumable
Supply Cost - If not auto-calculated
Other Cost - Miscellaneous expenses
Save - total cost updates automatically
📊 Estimated vs Actual Time
Learn from every task - compare what you predicted to what actually happened.
Setting an Estimate
Open the task
Find Estimated Time to Completion
Enter your estimate in hours
Tracking Actual Time
Actual time is automatically tracked through timer sessions. The Actual Time to Completion field shows total hours logged.
Using the Comparison
Actual less than estimate = Task completed faster than expected
Actual more than estimate = Task took longer - investigate why
Over time, this data helps you estimate more accurately
⚠️ Pro Tip
If tasks consistently take longer than estimated, your team may need more training, or the tasks may be more complex than they appear.
📈 Viewing Cost Data
See costs at any level - individual tasks, rolled-up projects, or organization-wide totals.
On Individual Tasks
Open any task to see its costs in the sidebar - labour, supply, other, and total.
On Parent Tasks
Parent tasks show aggregated costs from all subtasks. This gives you the true cost of a project.
On the Dashboard
The Cost Analytics quadrant shows organization-wide metrics:
Labour Cost MTD (month to date)
Average Cost per Task
Supply Cost MTD
Daily cost breakdown chart
✨ Time and Cost Best Practices
Track time consistently - Use the timer for all work, not just some tasks
Start timer when you start work - Don't estimate after the fact
Stop timer for breaks - Only track active work time
Set estimates on new tasks - Even rough estimates help with planning
Log supply usage immediately - Don't wait until end of day
Review dashboard weekly - Catch cost overruns early
Use subtasks for complex work - Get granular cost data where it matters
❓ Troubleshooting
Timer button is disabled
Check that you're assigned to the task
Make sure status is Assigned or In Progress (not Open or Closed)
Verify it's not a parent task (use subtasks for tracking)
Labour cost shows $0
Your user profile may not have an hourly rate set
Contact your administrator to set your rate
Costs not aggregating to parent
Ensure subtasks are properly linked to the parent
Check that costs are saved on the subtasks
Refresh the parent task to see updated totals
Related Articles
Tracking Time and Costs