Why Timesheet Management Matters
Whether you're running a consulting firm, a creative agency, or a tech company, time is your most valuable resource. Proper time tracking helps businesses:
- Bill clients accurately
- Understand project costs
- Boost team productivity
- Improve resource planning
Odoo 18 makes timesheet management simple, seamless, and integrated into your daily workflows.
Overview of Odoo 18 Timesheets
Odoo Timesheets lets employees record the time they spend on different tasks, projects, or tickets. Managers can review timesheets, approve them, and use the data for billing, payroll, and reporting.
Highlights:
- Log time manually or with timers
- Mobile app for timesheets on-the-go
- Timesheet submission and validation workflow
- Link time to sales orders for invoicing
Simple enough for small teams, powerful enough for enterprise-level tracking.
Easy Time Tracking for Employees
Odoo offers multiple ways for employees to track their time:
- Weekly grid view: Fill in time spent per task/project each day
- Timer mode: Start and stop a live timer when working on a task
- Mobile app: Log hours from anywhere — perfect for field teams
Tracking time shouldn't slow employees down — and with Odoo, it doesn't.
Managing Billable vs. Non-Billable Hours
Not all hours are created equal. Odoo lets you distinguish between billable (client-chargeable) and non-billable (internal) work easily.
Key Features:
- Set billing rates by employee, project, or task
- Mark timesheet entries as billable/non-billable
- Generate invoices automatically from billable hours
This ensures you don't miss out on revenue — and helps you analyze profitability by client or project.
Linking Timesheets to Projects and Tasks
Odoo Timesheets integrate seamlessly with Odoo Projects. This means:
- Track time spent on each specific task
- Compare actual hours vs. planned hours
- Identify bottlenecks early
- Forecast project completion dates more accurately
Time tracking becomes a living part of project management, not an afterthought.
Timesheet Validation and Approval
For companies that require supervisor approval, Odoo supports timesheet validation workflows:
- Employees submit timesheets weekly or monthly
- Managers review and approve or reject entries
- Only approved timesheets trigger billing or payroll
This ensures data quality, client satisfaction, and clean financials.
Analyzing Work Hours and Productivity
Odoo 18 offers deep analytics on timesheet data:
- Track hours by employee, project, or task
- Monitor billable utilization rates
- Compare planned vs. actual time
- Analyze project profitability
Real-time insights allow you to improve workforce planning and optimize profitability.
Best Practices for Using Timesheets
- Encourage daily time entry — it's more accurate
- Keep tasks well-defined to avoid confusion
- Use timers for activities longer than 30 minutes
- Reward accurate and timely submission
- Review timesheet reports monthly for team insights
Conclusion
With Odoo 18, timesheet and billable hours tracking becomes effortless — and profitable. It's a vital tool for improving team productivity, optimizing project delivery, and maximizing client satisfaction.
Want to set up a complete time tracking and billing system with Odoo? Talk to our experts today!
