Time Tracking Settings: Clock Settings Overview + Project & Cost Code Requirements
🕒 Time Tracking Settings: Clock Settings Overview + Project & Cost Code Requirements
✅ What This Covers
This article explains the Clock Settings area in Ontraccr’s Time Tracking setup. You’ll learn how to:
- Require users to select a project and/or cost code when tracking time
- Understand how this ties into job costing and reporting
- Customize the clock-in experience for your team
🧭 Where to Find These Settings
- Open the Web App as an Admin
- Navigate to Settings (bottom left menu)
- Under Time Tracking, select Clock Settings
🔧 Setting #1: Require Project Selection
What it does:
Forces users to select a project when tracking time using any of Ontraccr’s four time entry methods.
How it works:
- Found in Clock Settings
- Checkbox toggle:
- ✅ Red check = required
- ⬜ White = optional
- If enabled, no time can be entered without selecting a project
Why it matters:
Ensures every hour tracked is assigned to a real project — essential for accuracy in:
- Job costing
- Project-level reports
- Budget vs actuals comparisons
🔧 Setting #2: Require Cost Code Selection
What it does:
Requires users to assign a cost code when logging time.
How it works:
- Found just under the project requirement toggle
- If enabled, users must select a project-specific or global cost code during time entry
Use case:
- Encourages job costing discipline
- Helps companies track hours spent on specific tasks or phases within a project
Example:
An electrical contractor might set up “Rough-in Installation” as a cost code.
If this setting is enabled, workers must pick that cost code (or another) to log time.
Why it’s valuable:
With cost codes tied to budgeted line items from estimates, you can:
- Compare actual labor costs vs. estimate
- Improve forecasting
- Spot overruns before they escalate
💡 Pro Tips & Edge Cases
- ✅ You can enable one without the other (e.g., require project, but not cost code)
- 🧑💼 Enabling both is ideal for companies actively job costing
- 🔄 You can enable these settings at any time — helpful if you're rolling out job costing in phases