Time tracking solution ideas?

[jeribirkes]

I am looking for ideas on how to track time by individual projects for one client.

While I can ask the client to add an activity that I can easily select to track my time, there doesn't appear to be a way for me, at the end of a work week, to quickly have the total amount of time I spent on each activity (project). From what I can tell in the forum, the only option on the freelancer side is to manually calculate these total amounts; this seems very time consuming.

I can also ask the client, every Monday, to send me some sort of report that we (freelancers) do not have access to, that will show how much time has been spent per activity. My client will not like this at all. It's a shame that freelancers can't see a report, but maybe they can, and the help desk discussions just haven't updated.

The reason this is important is that in addition to tracking hours on oDesk, I have to enter my time spent per activity (project) into the client's time tracking system.

Absent any feedback, I have my own manual timesheet and could track in that way.

Thanks for any advice!

[manu29276]

Mediation should be responsible to core of this issue, as it makes loss to productivity.

[marciamalory]

There is 3rd party software that can do this. I use Grindstone, but I'm sure there are many others.

[jeribirkes]

Thanks! I am not looking for a third party software ... I am looking for a way to do this WITHIN oDesk. But, I look forward to looking at your recommendation ...

[stephenbrightman]

A clunky workaround, maybe, but why not change the memos when you change activity? Isn't that what they're for, to denote what  you're doing ast as particular time?

[jeribirkes]

Yep, Stephen, that's a good idea. But if I am working on multiple projects for a client on one day, I still would have to manually calculate that time, in and out, amongst 2-3 projects, and the screen shot are not listed by the minute. Right? Maybe there's something cool that you know that I don't ... please share!

I started doing that ... calculating the time by screenshot and then entering into a manual timesheet. Now I just use both 😞

[kandytech]

For fixed price jobs I track my time - just to see if my estimates were right, and I have not undercharged (which is usually the case!).

I use Ubuntu OS and there is a very lightweight time tracker called Hamster: https://projecthamster.wordpress.com/screenshots/

I know this may not be a solution for you, but it may help others.

However, there are Windows alternatives listed here that might be of some use, may be others have used these?

http://alternativeto.net/software/project-hamster/?platform=windows

[jbampton]

Time tracking with toggl

https://www.toggl.com/

[pemanchola]

Check the My Timesheet Details report.

Click on the Reports tab, and then select More Reports on the far right.

Then choose your client from the dropdown menu, and a date range.

Description will contain any activities or memos that you used while recording the time. It gives you the total amount time spent on each activity/memo per day.

[sabamalik4237]

HI,

Please help me in adjusting the totall time on time track to 3,66 houers, that will be totally 11 USD.

Thanks 

Saba