Why dematerialize time reporting in your IT services company?
Excellent question! This may be for ecological, economic or time-saving reasons.
In any case, the dematerialization of the activity report or monthly activity sheet, depending on how you like to call it within your digital services company, will have a positive impact.
Let’s take a look at 5 good reasons to digitize time reporting in IT services firms.
What is dematerialization?
Document digitization is the process of conducting administrative procedures in digital format.
This means that documents previously produced on paper are now produced in digital format and archived in the same format.
The dematerialization process implies a massive elimination of the use of paper in the company’s business processes.
So, instead of printing or scanning the time statement and sending it to the customer, the company will simply edit it in digital format and send it by e-mail or make it available on a platform.
Dematerialization can involve invoicing, pay slips or activity reports, for example.
With time-tracking software, you can digitize the process of entering and approving timesheets.
ESN: Here Are 5 Good Reasons to Switch to Digital Activity Reports (CRA)
Because it’s a time-consuming task
Writing an activity report takes time.
Every month, your consultants have to fill in an Excel spreadsheet with information linked to their projects and missions: time spent on a project, progress report, etc.
For your consultants, this task adds no value to their work. On the contrary, it takes up their time and, above all, it is not rewarding.
Still, it’s a time-consuming task that they must perform every month to ensure your business runs smoothly.
By digitizing the process, you reduce the time each consultant spends entering their activity report. By simplifying the procedure, employees now only need to fill out a table each month that is pre-filled by the software.
Because you optimize your human resources
Running around, requesting, printing, scanning, sending, etc. These are all terms used to describe the paperwork involved in managing activity reports. In fact, consultants often tend to forget to report their working hours.
As a result, HR and managers have to follow up with the employees in question every month. This can even become a source of tension within teams.
Digitizing the CRA saves time and automates HR management through reminders for late filers, access to detailed declaration information, the ability to manage the workflow, a cross-functional overview, and more.
This provides an overview of actual and projected activity, allowing for an analysis of a project’s or assignment’s profitability and, ultimately, for a more effective allocation of resources.
Because you optimize your costs
Dematerialization reduces paper and ink consumption, and frees up space for archiving.
Above all, CRAs make it possible to measure consultant performance and the effectiveness of internal processes. This can lead to continuous improvements and better resource allocation.
In fact, you can perform a more detailed analysis of the data entered: for example, you can estimate the cost of a project or assignment using reports that will help you make strategic decisions. This way, every month, you can generate high-quality reports to analyze the number of hours spent on a project, verify that the billing amount matches the time spent, and calculate the assignment’s profitability. This helps you create realistic sales proposals or adjust them as needed.
Because you can bill faster and more efficiently
The activity report serves as the basis for billing the client. It allows us to bill the client for the hours spent on the project or assignment.
Invoicing is smoother, faster and fairer.
In consulting and digital services firms, the activity report (CRA) plays a crucial role in client billing. It provides clients with a breakdown of the hours and days billed. It ensures transparency and accuracy, which helps build trust and strengthen client relationships.
Obviously, the more accurate the CRA is, the better you can assure clients that the work performed meets your contractual obligations. By recording activities in detail, you can more easily anticipate and resolve disputes with clients regarding the work performed and the hours billed.
In summary, the activity report is essential for billing because it ensures transparency, traceability, and accountability for services rendered, while also contributing to effective project management and good client relationships.
Because you centralize information
Activity reports will no longer exist in multiple versions scattered across email inboxes or folders. Centralizing them within a single tool will give you quick and easy access to the one and only correct version for both you and the client. In digital format, progress reports allow you to track project progress. Your clients can see the project’s current status and assess whether the work is proceeding as planned. This helps maintain your clients’ trust and satisfaction.
Within your company, it’s also an easier way to find information and, therefore, to share it with your colleagues.
Switch to digital activity reports with VSActivity, the ERP software designed for digital services companies
Drawing on its practical knowledge and industry expertise, Veryswing has developed VSActivity, management software specifically tailored to the challenges faced by digital services companies.
The digitization of activity reports is one of the core features of our ERP system and one of the most frequently used by our customers.
VSA is a comprehensive tool that also includes HR, finance, and sales features.
You can schedule a demo with one of our experts by booking an appointment right here.
Here’s a brief infographic on the transition to digital activity reports to help you understand:
