What can promote more productive use of working time?

Computer programs that measure time spent on work and help to work more efficiently

How do you manage self-discipline when sunny summer rays invite you to drop everything and go outside? Can you start work without special effort or rituals, not being in your usual work environment, and stay "on the right track" until the end of the workday?

The three-month remote work period, extended until autumn in some companies, allowed everyone to get to know themselves better and assess their level of independence. Even if you are good at organizing your work, it doesn't guarantee smooth teamwork. Remote work not only requires more independence but also often leaves you alone with challenges—without a colleague's strong shoulder to rely on in tough moments.

Tildes Jumis conducted a survey in the spring, the results of which show that 22% of respondents find it hardest to deal with concentration problems. About 15% of respondents admit that it is difficult to define the start and end of the workday while working remotely. It's also not easy for a manager to mobilize a dispersed team. Here, technology can help.

Who does what?

In many companies, both in the office and for remote workers, time tracking systems are used to mobilize employees. Their main goal is to reduce wasted time and help employees understand what they have managed to accomplish during the day, week, or month.

For managers, such systems help to "keep a finger on the pulse" of each project. They can see progress in real-time and more accurately predict whether all tasks will be completed on time. There's no need to ask subordinates daily what has been done. Everything is visible in the reports.

Work monitoring systems vary. There are both free and paid options available. Among the most recognized are Wrike, JIRA, and Asana—versatile, feature-rich platforms where entire teams can be brought together, new projects created, tasks delegated to different employees, and progress tracked. Teams have their communication space and the ability to ask colleagues for help or take over someone else's work if their own tasks are completed. Short reports on completed work are required, from which illustrative infographics about each person's contribution can be generated.

Among simpler solutions, it's worth mentioning the free system ClickUp, where tasks can be delegated and marked as completed with just a few clicks, as well as the task planner GanttPRO. The latter is especially useful for remote workers to understand how much time is spent on each task and how much can be allocated to the next ones.

Every minute counts

There are many other solutions available for tracking productive and unproductive time, each with its own advantages. RescueTime measures how many minutes and hours are truly dedicated to work, Engross divides the day into 25-minute productivity periods, encouraging focus on the most important task at hand. WorkiQ studies user behavior during work hours—how much time is spent on duties and how many minutes or hours are wasted on aimless web browsing or side activities. DeskTime reveals employees' unproductive habits in daily, weekly, or monthly reports, and with its built-in Pomodoro timer, it sends reminders for short breaks every 52 minutes. The program also calculates the costs of each project based on the time invested.

To improve discipline, systems like StayFocused can be used, which track the websites visited, programs used, time spent on each task, and what has been accomplished. With such statistics, it's quite easy to identify and neutralize major distractions, as the system allows blocking access to selected websites for a certain period.

Several Latvian IT companies have developed time tracking solutions, so the offerings are quite extensive. At Tilde, we also use our own program for tracking worked hours—Tildes Jumis Time Tracking, and from autumn, we plan to offer it to other companies as well. This solution is suitable for all types of companies, regardless of their size, and stands out with extensive customization options. For example, Tildes Jumis Time Tracking can monitor shift workers precisely during their working hours or track the time employees spend on specific projects.

Keeping a close watch

Authoritarian managers sometimes resort to using programs like Time Doctor, which are not popular among employees. However, to discipline seasoned procrastinators, such a "stick" is sometimes necessary. Time Doctor takes a screenshot of the computer screen every three minutes so the manager can ensure that the employee is genuinely working. All working hours are spent on productive tasks. The program also calculates the worker's productivity based on the time spent on side activities.

A less radical option is the free tool TMetric Time Tracker, which tracks with minute precision how much time is spent on each project. A valuable feature is the ability to set a time limit for a project. When the limit is reached, the program notifies the manager, who can decide whether to allow the employee to continue working on the issue or assign it to a faster colleague.