How IT Operations Leaders Evaluate Time Tracking Software

Why IT Operations Drives the Evaluation

When firms outgrow spreadsheets and legacy time trackers, the decision to upgrade often falls to IT operations. Finance leaders care about profitability, but IT leaders are the ones who know where processes break down. They need a system that integrates with HR, supports approval flows, and generates accurate invoices without manual effort. The operations team's job is, quite obviously, is to make the operations run smoother.

A great time tracking software wit robust resource management capabilities is the choice for many forward-looking IT operations leaders. No longer is it only just about optimizing the finance process, which by the way, is also something a capable time tracking platform is able to handle.

Reporting Structures and Approval Flows

One of the first questions IT operations leaders raise is how reporting hierarchies are supported. A platform should allow managers to filter data by team, site, or reporting line. This provides visibility across the organization without exposing unnecessary details. In consulting, this is especially important. While you want to give people as much access to the systems as only possible, there's often sensitive client data, or people's salary data used in delivery margin calculations, that can be shared with the whole company.

Approval flows are another critical element. Instead of finance managers chasing hours at the end of the month, time entries can be routed to project owners or team leads for approval. This ensures accuracy at the source and reduces bottlenecks in payroll and invoicing.

Moving Beyond Full-Time Allocations

Many firms are shifting away from assigning consultants full time to a single client. Instead, individuals are staffed across multiple projects, often with varying percentages. Managing this in Excel is nearly impossible.

Resource management software makes it easier to allocate people across projects, spot overcommitments, and forecast capacity. This shift is one of the strongest drivers for moving away from spreadsheets to a structured platform.

Automating Invoicing and Managing Project Expenses

Legacy systems often require payroll data, spreadsheets, and external vendors to produce invoices. This creates delays and increases the risk of errors.

A modern resource management platform links projects, time entries, and billing rates directly to invoices. When hours are logged and approved, invoicing can run automatically based on project cycles. This reduces revenue leakage, improves cash flow, and frees up teams from manual data consolidation.

Expenses are another piece of the invoicing puzzle. A complete platform should allow project expenses to be logged directly in the system and tied to client projects. It should also support importing expenses from external platforms such as Spendesk or Pleo, so that all billable expenses can be included in the final invoice.

HRIS Integration

Once invoicing and expenses are automated, the next question is how the platform connects with HR systems. Tools like HiBob or BambooHR remain the source of truth for employee data and vacation rules. Resource management software should not replace them but integrate seamlessly.

An integration ensures that approved leave, holidays, and availability flow into the project planning view. This prevents double entry and makes sure project allocations reflect reality.

Why APIs Are a Must

No system operates in isolation. IT operations leaders consistently ask whether a resource management tool provides open APIs. Without them, data quickly gets trapped in silos.

A modern platform should offer fully open REST APIs that allow organizations to connect it with HR, CRM, finance, or custom-built tools. This level of openness ensures that data can flow across the business, supporting automation and reducing manual effort. For fast-growing firms, API flexibility is often the difference between scaling efficiently and hitting integration roadblocks.

Permission Settings and Data Visibility

Permissions are another area where IT operations teams look closely. A resource management platform should allow precise control over:

• People visibility
• Client & Project visibility
• Time entry visibility
• Cost and revenue visibility
• Editing rights for allocations, project data
• Skill data management, where admins maintain structure but individuals update their own profiles

When companies rely on spreadsheets or homegrown systems, restricting access to sensitive data often leads to a maze of disconnected files and no single source of truth. With a centralized platform, access rights can be defined so teams enter forecasts directly, while management receives accurate aggregated reporting on revenue, margins, and utilization.

What IT Operations Leaders Should Look For

From these evaluations, a clear checklist emerges. A resource management platform should provide:

• Reporting hierarchies that mirror the organization’s structure
• Approval flows for time tracking at the project level
• Flexible allocations for consultants working across multiple projects
• Automated invoicing tied directly to project data
• Project expense management and integrations with expense platforms like Spendesk
• Integrations with HRIS and CRM systems
• Fully open REST APIs for connecting with other business systems
• Granular permissions and role-based access
• Forecasting for utilization and profitability

Conclusion

Resource management is no longer a back-office concern. For IT operations, it is the system that keeps data consistent between projects, people, and financials. Choosing the right platform means fewer manual processes, fewer errors, and a structure that can scale as the business model evolves.

Platforms like Operating can help exactly what was described above. Book an introductory chat with our founder & CEO, Lauri!