Is Sandtime.io really free?

Yes! Sandtime.io offers a free plan for small teams with no feature limitations. You can track time, create reports, and manage projects without paying anything.

How does Sandtime.io compare to Toggl or Clockify?

Sandtime.io offers unique features like multi-currency support, temporal rates (historical rate tracking), and custom subdomains for free. Unlike some competitors, there are no artificial feature limits on the free plan.

Can I use Sandtime.io for my team?

Absolutely! Sandtime.io is built for teams. You can invite team members, assign them to projects, and see everyone's time tracking in one dashboard.

What integrations does Sandtime.io support?

Sandtime.io integrates with Slack for easy time tracking without leaving your communication tool. Desktop apps, mobile apps, and a Chrome extension are also available.

Assignment

An assignment is the relationship between a team member and a project. Assignments determine who can log time to a project and define the rates that apply to their work.

Key Characteristics

Access control: Only assigned members can log time to a project.
Rate binding: Assignments connect members to project-specific billing rates.
Time-bounded: Assignments can have start and end dates.

Assignment Components

Required Elements

Team member
Project

Optional Elements

Start date
End date
Role (administrator, user)
Project-specific hourly rate

Types of Assignments

Active Assignments

Current relationships where members can log time.

Scheduled Assignments

Future-dated assignments that become active automatically.

Ended Assignments

Past assignments preserved for historical reporting.

Impact on Workforce Planning

For businesses using time tracking software like Sandtime.io:

Resource visibility: See who is working on what projects.
Capacity planning: Understand team allocation across projects.
Rate management: Apply different rates per project-member combination.
Access control: Limit time entry to authorized team members.

Best Practices

Review assignments regularly to keep them current.
Use end dates for fixed-term projects or contractors.
Set project-specific rates when they differ from organization defaults.
Archive assignments rather than deleting for audit trails.
Plan assignments ahead for predictable project staffing.

Assignment Lifecycle

Creation: Add member to project with optional dates and rates.
Active: Member logs activities against the project.
Rate changes: Update rates as needed using temporal rates.
End: Assignment ends on specified date or manually.
Archive: Ended assignments remain for historical reports.

Common Challenges

Over-assignment

Members assigned to too many projects. Monitor workload distribution.

Stale Assignments

Members remain assigned after project completion. Schedule regular reviews.

Rate Confusion

Unclear which rate applies. Document rate policies clearly.

Assignments connect team members to projects and determine hourly rates. They affect cost and revenue calculations. Assignment changes can use temporal rates to preserve history.