Activity Log Intermediate 4 min read

Activity Time Tracking

Track how long technicians spend working on service bays

Activity Time Tracking

The activity log includes built-in time tracking for bay operations. When technicians check in and out of bays, the system automatically records the duration.

How Time Tracking Works

Check-In Process

When a technician checks into a bay:

  1. A new activity entry is created
  2. The start time is recorded
  3. The entry remains "open" until check-out
  4. Any associated job is linked

Activity entry showing open check-in with start time

Check-Out Process

When the technician checks out:

  1. The end time is recorded
  2. Duration is calculated automatically
  3. The entry is "closed"
  4. Total time appears on the activity

Activity entry showing completed check-in with duration

Viewing Duration

Completed check-in activities show duration in the activity list:

  • Minutes only: "45m"
  • Hours and minutes: "2h 30m"
  • Open entries: Show "In Progress"

Activity list with various duration formats

Open Check-Ins

Activities without an end time appear as "in progress":

  • These represent technicians currently working
  • They update when the technician checks out
  • Useful for seeing who's currently on a bay

To find open check-ins:

  1. Filter by Category: Bay Operations
  2. Look for entries without duration
  3. These are current active sessions

Open check-in entry highlighted

Time Tracking Benefits

Labor Tracking

See how much time is spent on each job or bay. Useful for:

  • Estimating future jobs
  • Identifying bottlenecks
  • Staff utilization reports

Accountability

Know who worked on what and for how long. Creates transparency in your workshop.

Billing Accuracy

If you bill by the hour, activity logs provide documented time records.

Understanding Time Entries

Each time-tracked activity includes:

Field Description
Started At When the technician checked in
Ended At When they checked out
Duration Calculated time difference
User The technician who worked
Subject The bay being worked
Job The service job (if any)

Activity detail showing all time tracking fields

Reports and Analysis

Use the activity log to analyze time data:

By Technician

Filter by user to see individual work time totals.

By Bay

Filter by subject to see total utilization of specific bays.

By Time Period

Use date filters to analyze weekly or monthly totals.

Activity log filtered to show time analysis

Best Practices

Consistent Check-In/Out

  • Train technicians to always check in when starting
  • Remind them to check out when done or taking breaks
  • Consistent habits = accurate data

Review Weekly

  • Check for abnormally long durations (forgot to check out)
  • Look for patterns in productivity
  • Identify training opportunities

Address Open Entries

  • Review open check-ins at end of day
  • Follow up with technicians who forgot to check out
  • Close stale entries manually if needed

Troubleshooting

Missing Duration

  • Technician didn't check out
  • Entry is still open
  • Check the "Ended At" field

Incorrect Duration

  • Check-out may have been delayed
  • Technician may have checked out late
  • Review the actual timestamps

Multiple Open Entries

  • Same technician showing as checked in multiple times
  • This shouldn't happen - review the workflow
  • May indicate a process issue

Tips

  • Daily review - Glance at the activity log daily to catch issues early
  • Train your team - Ensure everyone understands check-in/out importance
  • Use the data - Time tracking is only valuable if you analyze it