--- title: "Timesheet: what it is and how to make it reliable | attendo" description: "What a project timesheet is, how it differs from a time clock, an example, what makes time logging reliable and the mistake of filling it in from memory." url: "https://attendo.me/en/glossary/timesheet" lang: "en" --- # Timesheet: the data that tells you whether a project makes money Also known as: Time entries · project time tracking A timesheet is the record of the time each person spends on each project, task or customer, used to know what each job costs and what is billable. ## A timesheet is not a time clock - **The time clock** says when each person worked: clock-in, clock-out and breaks. - **The timesheet** says what they worked on: so many hours on this project, so many for that customer. A company can have perfect attendance records and still not know what a project cost. ## An example A project was sold at 120 hours. Halfway through, it has 95 hours logged and half the work done. If hours come in at month end, you find out with 190 hours spent. If they are logged daily, you see it in week two, when you can still talk about scope with the customer. ## What makes it reliable - Time is logged **against the specific job**, not a general “projects” bucket. - It is done **the same day**, from wherever the work happens. - It also counts the **non-billable** hours: meetings, travel and rework. ## The usual mistake Filling it in from memory on Friday or at month end. Hours get rounded, the small stuff disappears and the project looks more profitable than it is. The [profitability](https://attendo.me/en/glossary/customer-profitability) that comes out of that is an estimate, not a fact. ## In attendo With [time tracking](https://attendo.me/en/modules/time-tracking), each person logs their time against the document they work on, including with the app’s timer. Those hours add to the [project](https://attendo.me/en/modules/projects) cost. The invoice is issued by your connected ERP: attendo is not an ERP or accounting software. - [attendo Projects](https://attendo.me/en/projects) ## Where it is used in attendo ### Modules - [Time tracking](https://attendo.me/en/modules/time-tracking): Time per document and working time records, where work happens - [Projects and construction](https://attendo.me/en/modules/projects): Jobs and plant shutdowns with line items, progress and live cost - [Mobile app and Field Radar](https://attendo.me/en/modules/mobile-app): The service report on your phone, offline, and a map of who can go - [Contracts and SLA](https://attendo.me/en/modules/contracts-and-sla): Scope, SLA and hour bank, measured on every ticket ### Industries that use these modules - [IT services and MSPs](https://attendo.me/en/industries/it-services) - [Contractors, construction and engineering](https://attendo.me/en/industries/contractors) - [Consulting and professional services](https://attendo.me/en/industries/professional-services) - [Facility maintenance and services](https://attendo.me/en/industries/facility-maintenance) - [And any other business](https://attendo.me/en/industries) ## Related terms Projects ### Resource utilization Team workload · utilization rate Resource utilization is the share of each person’s available hours that is already committed to planned work, measured by day, week or month. Sales and customers ### Customer profitability Account profitability Customer profitability is the difference between what you bill an account and what it costs you to serve it. Support and service ### Hour bank Prepaid hours · block of hours An hour bank is a block of service hours bought in advance that is drawn down as work is done. ### On the blog #### How to track time on projects without your team hating it Asking a team to log their hours usually sounds like surveillance. And when it happens on Friday, from memory, the data is useless. It can be done in a way that costs little and pays off, including for the people logging. 4 min read [See all 53 glossary terms](https://attendo.me/en/glossary) ## Shall we look at it with your data? We will show you how what you just read works in attendo, with your own assets, tickets and customers. If it is not a fit, we will tell you. - With your operation, not a generic demo - A real person from our team replies - No cold calls afterwards Would you rather talk first? - Phone [+34 910 053 530](tel:+34910053530) - Email [sales@attendo.me](mailto:sales@attendo.me) - Monday to Thursday 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Friday 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM (Spain time)