7 signs your business has outgrown spreadsheets (and needs time tracking software)

7 signs your business has outgrown spreadsheets (and needs time tracking software) in summary:

Transitioning to time tracking software can resolve common issues such as payroll errors, lack of project visibility, and inefficient HR processes.

• Outdated time tracking methods: Using paper or Excel for time tracking leads to errors, lost data, and inefficiencies, while electronic timesheets improve accuracy and reduce administrative burden.
• Payroll difficulties: Manual time tracking causes frequent payroll mistakes, damaging employee trust and morale, whereas accurate tracking ensures reliable pay.
• Lack of managerial visibility: Without proper tools, managers cannot monitor workloads or project progress effectively, risking burnout and client dissatisfaction. Time tracking software provides real-time insights for better resource allocation.
• Inaccurate project estimates: Poor time data leads to over-budget projects and unreliable quotes; good time management software builds valuable historical data for forecasting and quoting.
• HR time wasted chasing timesheets: HR teams spend excessive time reminding employees to submit timesheets, detracting from strategic tasks; automated reminders and self-service reduce this burden.
• Scaling challenges: As businesses grow, manual systems become unmanageable; scalable time tracking solutions integrated with HRIS handle complexity like remote teams and multiple contracts
• Compliance and audit concerns: Manual records complicate regulatory compliance, whereas digital time tracking provides audit trails, backups, and centralised data for peace of mind.

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If your company is still tracking time the same way it did in 2005 with Excel, paper timesheets, crossed fingers, and mild chaos, this blog is your intervention.

There comes a moment in every growing business when what used to work just… doesn’t. People forget to submit timesheets. Projects go over budget. Managers can’t see who’s actually working on what. Meanwhile, HR and payroll teams are buried under mountains of emailed spreadsheets with filenames like “FinalFinalTimesheet_v3_RealFINAL.xlsx”.

If that all sounds familiar, it’s time to get honest with yourself: you probably need time tracking software.

Here are seven classic signs your business is crying out for a switch to proper time tracking tools – plus some stats that prove you’re far from alone.

1. You’re still using paper or Excel-based timesheets

OK, let’s just get this out of the way: if you’re still using spreadsheets or (brace yourself) actual paper timesheets for tracking hours, you’re in the admin equivalent of the Stone Age. But, bizarrely, according to a YouGov survey, 40% of UK businesses admit to still using spreadsheets for tasks that could be automated – with time tracking being a prime suspect

Manual time tracking is a minefield: human error, duplicate entries, illegible handwriting (guilty), missing files, bizarre formatting, and the occasional colleague who “accidentally” forgets to log an entire week. Speaking from experience, I once lost out on a full week’s pay because I misplaced a paper timesheet and missed the deadline to submit it to my (then) agency. Safe to say: not my happiest moment… And the worst part? It could have easily been avoided!

Time tracking software and electronic timesheets – especially those with employee self-service functionality – don’t just eliminate all that nonsense. They also make the whole process faster, fairer, more accurate and far less soul-crushing for everyone involved. Oh, and you’ll save on paper, too – great for reducing your company’s expenditures and helping the planet.

2. Payroll is a recurring nightmare

When time tracking is unreliable, payroll becomes a monthly horror story. HR teams are left chasing down missing hours, deciphering handwritten notes, or dealing with “creative” timesheet edits. This is all the kind of stuff which busy payroll and HR teams would rather not be doing!

Our own research into the state and quality of payroll operations discovered that 68% of British and Irish employees experienced regular payroll errors – with human error being the prime suspect! That’s not just bad for morale; it’s a total trust-killer.

Accurate time tracking means accurate pay. And accurate pay means fewer grumpy emails to deal with, and fewer sad basic Meal Deal desk lunches.

3. Your managers have no visibility of who’s doing what (and how long it’s taking)

If team leads are constantly wondering who’s working on what, or how long things really take, you’ve got a visibility issue.

Without proper timesheet software, it’s nearly impossible to get a real-time grip on workloads, project progress, or who’s quietly hurtling toward burnout. And the impact isn’t just internal – customers feel it, too. If hours aren’t tracked correctly, costs get messy, expectations get missed, and clients end up footing surprise bills nobody warned them about. Not exactly a five-star experience for anyone.

Time tracking tools let team managers (and HR) see what’s happening across teams in one place, so you can allocate resources smartly, avoid burnout, and make decisions based on actual data, not just vibes and finger in the air assumptions. Speaking of which…

4. Your project estimates are always wrong

As a former project manager at a busy design agency, I really understood the value of accurate timekeeping. Back then, timesheets weren’t just boring admin – they were the not-so-secret weapon behind accurate quotes and reliable forecasting. No guesswork. No “that feels about right”. Just solid, trackable data.

But the paper timesheets we used? Absolute chaos. They’d go missing, get smudged, or live permanently in someone’s backpack until it was far too late. And when you’re relying on that data to plan your next project or justify a quote to a client, that’s a big problem.

So, if your projects are constantly running over time and budget, it’s probably not the universe plotting against you. More likely? You’re flying blind without the historical data to guide your decisions.

Good time management software builds a rich log of how long things actually take. That’s gold dust for future planning, forecasting, and not getting shouted at during post-mortems. Plus, better data means more accurate quotes for clients, less over-servicing, and more predictable margins. Not too shabby!

5. HR is spending too much time chasing timesheets

Ah, the weekly HR ritual: chasing employees to submit their timesheets like a digital sheepdog. “Hi, just a gentle reminder…” becomes a full-time job. And guess what? HR teams have much more important things they can (and should) be doing!

HR and payroll professionals are not there to simply chase paperwork and admin… they’ve bigger fish to fry: like driving engagement, improving wellbeing, and plotting world domination (or at least a better Net Promoter Scores). They shouldn’t be wasting hours on timesheet admin.

Electronic timesheets with built-in reminders, self-service tools, and approvals? Absolute gamechanger.

6. You’re growing fast

Now, growth is great. But with more people, more teams, and more complexity, your old systems can start to wobble. What worked with 20 employees becomes a nightmare at 200.

Scalable time tracking software – ideally that comes as part of a wider HRIS – grows with you. It handles remote teams, flexible working, different contracts, and multiple locations… all without HR needing a sixth cup of coffee before 10am.

7. You’re worried about compliance and audits

Let’s talk red tape. If you ever need to demonstrate compliance with working time regulations, minimum wage laws, or client contracts, your time tracking needs to be watertight.

Manual records? Not so much.

Good timesheet software gives you an audit trail, automatic backups, and built-in compliance features. With Cezanne’s integrated Time Tracking module, you can digitise your timesheets onto your core HRIS; meaning all your data is centralised, and everyone benefits from complete visibility over the submission and review cycle. That’s one less thing to lose sleep over.

Time to make time tracking… less painful

Nobody wakes up excited to log their hours. But, the right software makes it quick, simple, and (dare we say it) even a little satisfying. It saves HR teams time. It keeps payroll accurate. It gives managers visibility. And the best part? It helps everyone in the business make better decisions – faster.

So, if any of the signs above hit a bit too close to home, maybe it’s time to finally retire the spreadsheet. Your HR team will thank you. Your finance team will build you a statue. And your people might even stop “forgetting” their timesheets.