Project Time Tracking - Is it the truth?

Most organisations engaged in IT projects need to run Time Tracking in some form. But does it report the truth?

Mandating staff and contractors to perform time tracking in an organisation may fall on the PMO to ensure all contracted hours are reported and thus enable the calculation of project resource costs. With a directive from executive, they may feel empowered to request compliance across team members, and perhaps, also up the management structure. But do they get the accurate information, or an indifferent effort to keep PMO off their backs.

As discussed in previous articles, teams engaged in the development process may not be in touch with the pressures experienced by the project managers, but focused on their day to day challenges. So when the time comes to complete that periodic timesheet, its not welcome. The next thought might be : What should I have been working on? Better report mostly that on my timesheet.

As a result some projects might be disproportionately loaded with costs, while those daily distractions and support issues get forgotten. PMO might choose to occasionally name and shame any poor compliance to encourage better discipline, but strangely, it seems not to get any better.

A more sympathetic and targetted strategy is required.

For time tracking to be accurate, it needs to be managed as the important data that it is, and its capture carefully engineered.

Relevant : Time tracking should be captured as close to the place where the work is done, at the lowest level possible. If a developer is working on a JIRA sub-task of a story, the time should be entered there as opposed to the overall project, several layers up the chain.

Timely : Entered at the moment a breakpoint is experienced. This may mean a status transition,

ie. IN-PROGRESS to DONE.

If work is defined in small packets, this should usually mean less than 3-4 hours.

Visible : The user must know that the time tracking information will be put to good use, and exposed in multiple ways. Does the Time tracking match estimation? Is the project staying in budget? Is the team working to the correct priorities? Are work packets being broken down sufficiently? Does approved time tracking drive the contractors payment?

Trusted : Time tracking may reveal some unpleasant truths. But truth must be respected because any massaging of the numbers will give out a message that will damage PMOs integrity and create doubt about its management reporting. Almost every company encourages staff to be mutually supportive by offering assistance to others, so the time tacking should not be in conflict with this, but still try to understand to what extent staff may be distracted from the agreed priorities.

Some toolsets such as Atlassians JIRA can capture Time Tracking to facilitate the above. But to make full use of that data with associated approvals, may often require a further toolset that can be integrated to receive time tracking data, and process it from a wider PPM perspective. This will then give full picture of costs at every level of the process and consolidated through the organisational hierarchy, that can be trusted by the executive.

Julian Banasiewicz - Owner Gabluca Ltd

e: julian.banasiewicz@hotmail.co.uk

w: www.gabluca.com

m: 07801 039684