Hours Tracking

Blocks track hours through the tasks scheduled into them. Understanding the difference between scheduled and logged hours helps you monitor work progress accurately.

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Scheduled vs logged hours

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Scheduled hours

Hours from tasks assigned to the block:

• Task estimates - Sum of estimated hours from scheduled subtasks
• Automatic calculation - Derived from tasks, not manually entered
• Shows capacity needed - How much work is planned for this block
• Updates as tasks added - Changes when tasks are scheduled to the block

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Logged hours

Hours actually worked:

• Time entries - Logged by team members as they work
• Linked to tasks - Attached to subtasks or help desk tickets
• Accumulates over time - Builds up as work progresses
• Compared to scheduled - Shows actual vs planned

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How hours are displayed

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On Blocks page

The blocks table shows two hour columns: Each client row header also shows the total scheduled hours across all their blocks for the month.

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On Client schedule

Client schedule shows:

• Blocks with their scheduled hours
• Tasks with estimated hours
• Time entries logged
• Budget vs actual comparisons

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On Team schedule

Individual schedule shows:

• Blocks assigned to them
• Tasks scheduled to those blocks
• Daily capacity usage
• Available remaining capacity

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In reports

Various reports show:

• Time logged by client
• Time logged by block type
• Time logged by team member
• Scheduled vs logged variance

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Understanding the numbers

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Scheduled hours calculation

Scheduled hours for a block equals:

• Sum of all task estimates assigned to that block
• Includes subtasks linked to the block
• Updates automatically when tasks are added/removed

Example:

• Block: Development (June)
• Task A: 8 hours estimated
• Task B: 12 hours estimated
• Task C: 5 hours estimated
• Scheduled: 25 hours

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Logged hours calculation

Logged hours for a block equals:

• Sum of all time entries on tasks in that block
• Includes time logged to subtasks
• Includes time logged to help desk tickets linked to block

Example:

• Task A: 7 hours logged
• Task B: 14 hours logged
• Task C: 4 hours logged
• Logged: 25 hours

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Client total hours

Each client row on the Blocks page shows their total scheduled hours - the sum of scheduled hours across all their blocks for that month. This helps you quickly see:

• Total planned capacity for each client
• How work is distributed across clients
• Which clients have the most scheduled work

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Budget tracking

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For retainer clients

Retainer clients have monthly hours purchased:

• Compare total scheduled hours to retainer amount
• Ensure you’re not over-planning
• Track logged hours against budget

Example:

• Retainer: 40 hours/month
• Scheduled: 35 hours (across all blocks)
• Logged: 38 hours
• Status: Under budget by 2 hours

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Monitoring budget health

Healthy pattern:

• Scheduled hours within retainer
• Logged hours close to scheduled
• Work completed on time

Warning signs:

• Scheduled exceeds retainer
• Logged much higher than scheduled
• Frequent overages

Actions to take:

• Review task estimates
• Check if scope is accurate
• Discuss with client if more hours needed
• Adjust future planning

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Capacity planning

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Daily capacity

Each team member has daily capacity:

• Developers: 6.5 hours (390 minutes)
• Others: 7.5 hours (450 minutes)
• Reduced by leave and holidays
• Reduced by other commitments

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How blocks affect capacity

When a block is scheduled with dates:

• Tasks within the block consume capacity on those dates
• Shows as “used” capacity in schedule
• Helps prevent over-allocation

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Time entry best practices

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Logging time for block work

Do:

• Log time daily as you work
• Attach to specific subtasks
• Use accurate durations
• Include helpful notes

Don’t:

• Wait until end of week
• Round excessively
• Log time to wrong client
• Guess durations from memory

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Billability

Time entries can be:

• Billable - Counts toward client hours
• Non-billable - Internal time, doesn’t count
• Banked - Efficiency gains, credited back

Work on block tasks should typically be billable.

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Activity types

Choose appropriate activity type:

• Task - For subtask work
• Support - For help desk tickets
• Meeting - For client meetings
• Admin - For admin tasks

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Common scenarios

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Scenario 1: Block completed under estimate

Situation:

• Scheduled: 20 hours (from task estimates)
• Logged: 16 hours
• 4 hours under estimate

Analysis:

• Efficient execution
• Good estimates
• Client gets more value

Action:

• Note for future estimates
• Consider banking hours (if policy allows)

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Scenario 2: Block going over estimate

Situation:

• Scheduled: 20 hours
• Logged (so far): 18 hours
• Work not complete

Analysis:

• Will exceed estimates
• Scope or estimate issue
• May need more capacity

Actions:

1. Review remaining work
2. Estimate additional time needed
3. Communicate with PM/CSM
4. Discuss with client if needed
5. Update task estimates

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Scenario 3: No tasks scheduled yet

Situation:

• Block exists but no tasks assigned
• Scheduled hours shows 0

Solution:

• Create subtasks for the work
• Assign subtasks to the block
• Scheduled hours will populate

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Reporting and analysis

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Variance analysis

Identify patterns:

• Which block types consistently over/under
• Which clients use hours differently
• Which team members estimate accurately
• Seasonal trends

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Improving estimates

Use historical data:

• Average logged hours per block type
• Typical variance ranges
• Client-specific patterns
• Complexity factors

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Troubleshooting

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Best practices summary

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Next steps