Working with Zoho Books Projects and Timesheets

As an organization it is essential to streamline tasks and understand the Working hours a particular project is taking. It helps in tracking the efficiency and difficulties faced by the team and one can make an informed decision in tackling the obstacles and make the projects a breeze.

Zoho provides a Solution to the problem, you can now track timeand set the tone of the project through “projects” and “Timesheets”.

1. Working with timesheets

Prior to commencing project creation, it is important to activate the Timesheet module. The procedure is outlined below.

- Navigate to the Settings option located in the upper right corner of the page.

- Choose the "General" option inside the "Preferences" menu.

- Enable the Timesheet option by selecting it from the list of modules.

- Click the "Save" button

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Enter New Time

Manual Time Log

For individual tasks: Time spent on a project's discrete tasks can be manually entered. That is to say:

- Click the Timesheet tab under Time Clock.

- Select Log Time from the menu that appears tothe right of the Log Time button.

- Put in today's date.

- To begin, choose the project's name from the menu.

- Select an existing task or enter a new one using the Task Name field.

- Time Spent and other pertinent information must be entered.

- Choose the Save option.

Weekly Time log:

If you manage numerous projects and keep track of how much timeyou spend on each by hand, you will find this function extremely helpful. If one desires to monitor the passage of time:

- Access the Timesheet section.

- Pick Weekly Log under the Time tab.

- Time spent on various projects during the weekshould be entered here.

- To begin tracking time, choose a Project andsome Tasks.

- You can add more lines by clicking the plussign.

- If you want to add this item to your invoiceand charge the customer for it, use the Billable checkbox.

- Choose the Save option.

Timer

A timer allows you to keep track of your work hours in real time and classify them by project. How? Read on!

- Click the Timesheet tab under Time Clock.

- Select Get Going on the page's upper-rightcorner.

- Put any relevant notes here.

- To connect it to a project, use the Associate Project button.

- Go ahead and press the button to begin timing.

If you didn't select the project information before stopping the timer, you can do so in the subsequent window.

How to Edit the Time Entry?

You'll need to amend a time entry you've already made in Zoho Books if you want to make any changes to its specifics. this is as follows:

- Click the Timesheet tab under Timer.

- To access this, go to the entry's right side and select the gear icon.

- Just select the Edit option.

- Click the Save button after making the changes.

You can clone an existing time entry to make a new one with the same or comparable information.

- Click the Timesheet tab under Timer.

- To modify this entry's settings, use the cog wheel in the top right.

- Copy by clicking Clone.

- Clone to duplicate.

- Once you've double checked your time entry, click the "Save" button.

Users can communicate and work together by commenting on one other's time entries. However, the vendor cannot access these notes, therefore they are only for internal use. How? Read on!

- Click the Timesheet tab under Time Tracking.

- To modify this entry's settings, use the cog wheel in the top right.

- Select Comments and History, then.

- A comment is required.

- Select the Add Comment button.

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How to delete a Time Entry?

If you don't need a certain time stamp anymore, you can remove it. How? Read on!

- Click the Timesheet tab under Time Tracking.

- To modify this entry's settings, use thecogwheel in the top right.

- Click The Delete button.

- Confirm by clicking OK.                

2. Working with Zoho Projects

To start using the projects the timesheet has to be created. We have already understood how to do it, now let’s jump to creating projects.

How to create project?

- Navigate to the Timesheet > Projects menu.

- Simply select the plus sign to add a new project.

- Project Name is where you should put the name of your project, and a Description is where you can go into further detail.

- Choose the appropriate client from the Customer Name menu.

- To do a search for a specific client by name, phone number, email address, etc., click the Search icon that appears next to the client Name.

- By selecting the Enable Customer Approval for the time entires of this project checkbox, you may let your clients verify the time you've spent on their projects before you bill them.

- From the drop down menu, choose the billing option that best fits your project.

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There are multiple billing options:

·       Fixed Cost for Project

·       Based on Project Hours

·       Based on Task Hours

·       Based on Staff Hours

Fixed cost

Projects with an Fixed cost are completed at a predetermined price. The sum entered here will be used as the project's billing total.

- Please input the overall expenditure of the project.

- To include a budget for this project, choose the checkbox under "Add budget."

- You can create tasks for the projects later

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Based on project Hours

This feature will compute the total duration dedicated to a project, and the customer will be billed accordingly.

- The User and Task fields are identical to theaforementioned type.

- Please input the hourly rate that will be applied for the work contributed to this project in the "Rate per hour" area.  

- Upon project completion, you have the option to bill your customers according to the total number of hours recorded for the project.

Based on Task Hours

The project's billing structure will be determined by the hourly rates assigned to each work, and the customer will be invoiced appropriately.

- The user field is identical to the parts mentioned above.

- Please provide the tasks and the hourly rate required to complete each task.

- Enabling the Billable checkbox will include this expense in the invoice, resulting in the client being charged for it.

Based on staff hours

The staff's hourly rate will be used to determine the total cost of the project, which will then be charged to the client.

- The user field is the same as in the previous parts.    

- Put in your Username, Email, and Hourly Rate. If you need to add more users, select + Add User from the drop-down menu.  

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Budget

The term "Revenue Budget" refers to the amount of money you anticipate receiving from the client, where as "Cost Budget" refers to the entire amount you anticipate spending on the project.

Putting in a budget will allow you to compare actual spending or revenue with the projected amount. The Project Overview page also features anProfitability Summary where you may assess the project's success and development.

Type

Zoho Books allows users to generate reports based on the difference between the planned and actual costs and hours worked. How? Read on!

- Navigate to the Timesheet > Projects menu.

- Simply select the plus sign to add a newproject.

- Fill out every blank.

- Choose the option to include a budget in this project's plan.

The Budget sort drop-down menu allows you to select the sort of budget you wish to monitor.

Overall Budget Price

·       Total Budget Cost

·       Total Project Hours (HH:MM)

·       Hours Per Task

·       Hours Per Staff

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Total Budget Cost

The budget for this endeavour can be entered here. The Project Summary will show both the predicted and actual costs.

Total Project Hours

The maximum amount of hours that can be recorded on this project is up to you. The Project Summary report also displays a comparison between planned and actual working hours. You'll be able to see if the predicted hours line up with the actual ones, allowing you to make more informed decisions moving forward.

Hours Per Task

You have the freedom to decide how many hours should be dedicated to a specific project.

Hours per staff

You have the ability to include users and assign the budgeted hours for each individual.

Budget vs Actual Report

This report breaks forth the variance between projected and actual expenditures for each account associated with the project. A report can be viewed by:

- In the left sidebar, pick Time Tracking, and then click Projects.

- To see the report for a specific project,click on it.

- Instead of going to the Overview panel, select the Account Level Budget tab.

- To see the budget vs actuals for a specific account, hover over the budget line item.

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The report will load automatically for you. The report can be viewed and modified in several ways depending on the settings you choose.

Tasks

It's possible for there to be only one task associated with a project, or there could be many. In order to record time spent on a project, there must first be a corresponding task. In order to incorporate a new duty:

- Select Projects > Time Tracking.

- Choose the work you've been working on.

- To add a new task, go to the More menu and pick it.

- Task Adder

- Type in the Job's Title and Summary.

- Mark the box labelled "Billable" if you intend to charge the client for the work.

- Just hit the "Save" button.

- Type Name and Description of the Task.

- Mark the Billable box if you intend to charge the client for the work.

- Choose the Save option.

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How to log time?

After a job has been added to a project, time spent on that task can be tracked.

- From the Projects page, pick the one you created.

- To begin recording your time on a project, select the Log Time tab from the menu bar.

To record time manually:

- Navigate to the Timesheet > Projects menu.

- Pick a Current Project.

- In the main menu, select Log Time.

- timer log

- Type in the date, then choose the associated Project and Task.

- Type in Your Time spent Here!

Or

- To provide a beginning and ending time, select the Enter duration alternative.

- If you do not want the work to be billed, uncheck the Billable box and choose the User.

- Click save

Log time using timer

- To get started, either select Start from the menu at the top of the page or press Ctrl/Command + t.

- Project Timers Start Here

- To begin timing, enter the note and press Start.

- The timer can be paused, stopped, or deleted from the sidebar on the left.

- After the timer has been stopped, a window will appear where you can enter the project's specifics.

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