How Larger Companies Should Test a New Time Tracking Platform

Introduction

For larger professional services businesses, adopting a new time tracking platform is not a small decision. Dozens or even hundreds of consultants rely on the system to bill clients, project managers need accurate allocations, and finance teams depend on the data for reporting and invoicing.

Rolling out the wrong tool can create major disruption. That’s why a structured proof of concept (PoC) is often essential.

Define Clear Objectives

Start by agreeing on what you need to prove during the PoC. Common goals include:

• Easy adoption by consultants.
• Accurate project setup and allocation by managers.
• Reliable reporting for leadership.
• Compatibility with existing finance, HRIS, CRM, and project management systems.

Most importantly, the new system should be an improvement to the current system(s) you're using. Make sure you don't migrate to a new platform just for the sake of it. A new time tracking platform should automate as many processes you have internally as possible. Most important processes to automate include:

• The handover from sales to delivery teams: staffing projects and forecasting capacity
• Analysis of planned and actual hours and generation of project burnups
• Revenue, capacity forecasting, and analysis of planned vs. actual hours
• Project-to-invoice process: the system should be automatically able to generate invoices based on project data

Choose a Realistic PoC Scope

Keep the test manageable:

• 3–5 representative projects across different business lines.
• A defined group of project managers and consultants.
• Duration of about one month.

Prepare for the PoC

Before inviting users in, make sure the basics are ready:

• Set up permissions and access rights.
• Enable single sign-on if required.
• Add the organizational structure to the system (sites, teams, roles, seniority levels etc.)
• Add the people involved in the proof-of-concept on the platform
• Import recent time tracking data so reports have context.

Engage Project Managers

Project managers should set up their projects, clients, team members, and allocations. They’re closest to the data and need to own the setup for the PoC to reflect reality.

Bring in Consultants/End Users

Keep it simple for consultants. Their role should focus mostly on tracking time. Make onboarding straightforward and provide a feedback channel for questions or issues.

Run the PoC

During the test period:

• Do weekly resource planning and forecasting
• Make sure your people track time daily
• Check reporting on burn down, utilization, and project profitability.
• Monitor adoption and ease of use.
• Have the PoC teams do double data input to the new system and the old system at the same time (you want to keep the participant group as small as possible because of this)
• Optional: If the company intends to use invoicing, have finance or project leads create invoices after the first invoicing cycle. This confirms that invoices are generated correctly and in the right format.

Define Success Criteria

To avoid subjective decisions, agree on how success will be measured:

• Adoption rate: How many participants tracked hours consistently.
• Accuracy: Gaps between planned vs. actual hours.
• Reporting value: Whether leadership gets insights they can use.
• Finance impact: Time saved in preparing invoices or reports.
• Coverage of the key workflows: Make sure the key workflows (resource planning, time tracking, invoicing) are covered.

Documenting these KPIs upfront makes it easier to evaluate the results objectively.

Change Management Matters

A PoC is not just about testing the software. It's also about preparing the organization. Large rollouts often fail because of resistance. To improve adoption:

• Communicate the purpose of the PoC clearly.
• Set expectations that user feedback will shape the rollout.
• Ensure a leadership sponsor supports the initiative and communicates its importance.

Change management becomes especially important after the PoC when you start rolling out the software for the full organization.

Run a Parallel Integration Track

While the PoC is running, technical teams should validate integrations with:

• Project management software.
• Finance and accounting.
• HRIS.
• CRM.

If native integrations aren’t available, confirm that APIs support what you need and start reserving the right people or partner to help you with the integrations.

Involve the Vendor Actively

For larger organizations, vendor support is critical. Don’t run the PoC in isolation:

• Request onboarding and training sessions for project managers.
• Ask for guidance in setting up integrations.
• Use service-level agreements (SLAs) and response times as part of your evaluation.

A good vendor will see the PoC as a partnership, not just a demo.

Evaluate Results

At the end of the PoC, combine user feedback with integration findings. Look for gaps, friction points, or blockers that need solving before full rollout.

Post-PoC Setup and Timeline

If the PoC is successful, plan next steps:

• Configure advanced settings.
• Complete integrations with core systems.
• Define your rollout approach.

The overall timeline for the rollout as a whole depends on the size of the organization and complexity of integrations:

• 1–2 months if there are no major integrations.
• 3–4 months if the organization is flexible and integrations are simple.
• 5–6 months (sometimes closer to a year) if you’re a large business with multiple integrations and heavier organizational inertia.

Balance Company Goals with Individual Feedback

Even if you’re a large company, keep the approach pragmatic. Let the people who will actually use the software test it during the PoC. Balance organizational goals like reporting and integrations with the everyday feedback of consultants and project managers. Both perspectives matter in making the right decision.

Conclusion

For larger firms, a proof of concept ensures that a time tracking platform not only works for end users but also fits into the wider technology ecosystem. By defining clear KPIs, managing change, involving the vendor, and balancing organizational goals with individual feedback, you can make a confident decision and avoid costly rollout mistakes.