Project

A project is a defined scope of work used to organize time entries, track budgets, and allocate resources. Projects group related activities so teams can measure effort against goals.

Key Characteristics

  • Container for work: Projects hold related tasks and time entries.
  • Budget-aware: Many projects have hour or cost budgets.
  • Client-linked: Projects often belong to a specific client for billing.

Project Components

Required Elements

  • Project name
  • Status (active, archived, completed)

Optional Elements

  • Client association
  • Budget (hours or currency)
  • Start and end dates
  • Team members
  • Billing rate

Project Types

Client Projects

Billable work for external clients, often with contracted hours.

Internal Projects

Non-billable work like training, meetings, or administrative tasks.

Retainer Projects

Ongoing client work with recurring hour allocations.

Impact on Workforce Planning

For businesses using time tracking software like Sandtime.io:

  • Budget visibility: See remaining hours before overruns occur.
  • Resource allocation: Understand who is working on what.
  • Profitability analysis: Compare time spent against revenue.
  • Historical data: Reference past projects for estimates.

Best Practices

  • Use consistent naming conventions across projects.
  • Archive completed projects rather than deleting them.
  • Set budgets early and monitor them regularly.
  • Assign clear project ownership for accountability.
  • Review project health weekly to catch issues early.

Project Lifecycle

  1. Creation: Define scope, budget, and team.
  2. Active: Team logs activities against the project.
  3. Monitoring: Track progress against budget and timeline.
  4. Completion: Final review and approval of time.
  5. Archive: Close project and preserve data for reference.

Common Challenges

Scope Creep

Work expands beyond original estimates. Track time closely and flag overruns early.

Inconsistent Categorization

Team members log time to wrong projects. Use clear project names and train on conventions.

Abandoned Projects

Projects go inactive without closure. Schedule regular project reviews.

Projects contain activities, appear on timesheets, and may include billable hours. Project time feeds into time tracking reports.

Related Terms

Explore other time tracking and workforce management definitions.

Access Control

The system of permissions controlling who can view, edit, or manage resources. Defines what each role can do.

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Activity

A single time entry representing work performed. Activities are the building blocks of timesheets and reports.

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Administrator

A user with full organization control including settings, billing, members, and all projects.

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