Time is initially an observation
A time entry describes when and how long someone worked on an activity. It is not yet an invoice. Billability and rates depend on agreed terms and professional review. Recorded duration, billability and price should therefore remain distinct.
For client work, include at least project, task, service date, activity and duration. Assign an internal contact for questions. A precise description beats a long one: “Tested mobile navigation with keyboard controls” explains more than “Website”. This guide covers project costing, not legal working-time recording requirements.
An example without hidden rounding
| Activity | Recorded | Billable | Calculation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navigation review | 60 minutes | Yes | 60 / 60 × €120 = €120 |
| Correction of agreed views | 30 minutes | Yes | 30 / 60 × €120 = €60 |
| Internal team handover | 20 minutes | No, in this example | No invoice amount |
110 minutes of effort, 90 minutes of billable services
Total work in this example is 110 minutes. Billable services are 90 minutes, or 1.5 hours, giving €180 net. The 20 internal minutes remain visible for project analysis but are not transferred to the invoice draft. This is an agreed treatment in this example, not a general rule for internal meetings.
Convert decimal hours correctly: 30 minutes is 0.5 hours, not 0.30. Rounding each entry may give a different result from rounding the total. Agree on the rounding rule before billing begins.
Four rules for everyday work
Describe promptly
Record the activity while its outcome is clear. Flag missing information for clarification instead of disguising it with estimated precision.
Check overlaps
Two timers running at once may count the same period twice. Review overlapping entries before adding them to the service record.
Keep corrections traceable
Correct wrong project assignments and re-review changes to already approved entries. Later changes must not silently enter a previously reviewed basis.
Name the approval precisely
Record whether someone reviewed only the description or also duration and billability.
Which analysis actually helps
Compare planned and recorded effort and investigate larger differences. More time may reflect extra requirements, unclear inputs or an unrealistic plan. Judging individuals without this context would be premature.
Before creating a service record, ask which entries belong to the agreed period, are adequately described and reviewed. Only that selection forms the documented service basis. A total alone does not explain what was delivered.
Frequently asked questions
Must all time be billed?
No. Recording describes effort. Decide what is billable based on the agreement. Non-billable work may still matter for planning.
Can I analyse fixed-fee projects too?
Yes. Time analysis can support internal costing. The invoice amount still follows the agreed fixed fee rather than automatically deriving from recorded hours.
Try the path from time entry to invoice.
Try the steps in the OOKI demo: tasks, client view, time entries and invoice draft with fictional data. No login required.
Try the demo (DE)