Firm Management
2017 Review of Chrometa Time Tracking
Chrometa is a time-tracking product that is well suited for small professional firms including accounting firms. Different from most of the other products reviewed, Chrometa uses passive timekeeping that is designed to automatically track all activity ...
Nov. 21, 2017
From the 2017 reviews of Time Management systems.
Chrometa is a time-tracking product that is well suited for small professional firms including accounting firms. Different from most of the other products reviewed, Chrometa uses passive timekeeping that is designed to automatically track all activity, without any input needed.
Chrometa works by recording all activity that occurs on either a desktop computer or a mobile device. Chrometa offers apps for both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets,
To begin using Chrometa, users simply download and install the product on any device or devices where time tracking will take place. Once installed, the application automatically records all activity that occurs once a user logs onto their computer or device. As a passive timekeeping application, Chrometa does not use traditional timesheets or timers, as the product automatically tracks any activity without the user needing to add any additional information in order to record time. Once time has been recorded, users can go to the time summary feature to review all recorded time, which includes standard computer usage, emails, and even web browsing. Chrometa records every minute that a user spends on their device, making it difficult to miss any activity.
Chrometa Time Tracking
A team version called Chrometa for Teams allows firms to track any team projects, with multiple users able to assign billable time to a specific project or client as needed.
The Time Summary screen offers users a look at all unbilled time, categorized by program or application used, so users will see time recorded for programs such as Microsoft Word or Excel, Google Chrome, Android, and Gmail, with these categories specific to the programs used.
To apply time to a specific project, users simply click on the specific task or tasks, click on the Move to Project option, and search existing projects or create a new project. Users can also choose to move certain tasks to a Personal folder, which indicates that it is not to be billed. The best way to automate this, particularly if a number of tasks are recorded each day is to create a rule, assigning keywords to the rule. Doing this will help to automate the process and eliminate the need to go through pages of recorded activity in order to assign time. The more rules created, the less time it will take to create a timesheet. Any items that are not assigned to a specific project or client can be assigned to a personal category. Once all entries have been assigned, a timesheet is available to review. Later, this same timesheet can be exported to a third-party application to complete the timesheet creation process and invoice the client. Any invoices created can be saved as a PDF, printed for mailing, or emailed directly to clients.
Chrometa offers a decent amount of activity reports that provide management with a good view of staff and project time, client time billed, and client project completion levels. Users can also export data to create more comprehensive reports in the third-party application that they are currently using.
Chrometa is designed to work with a variety of third-party applications such as QuickBooks Online, Xero, PCLaw, LexisNexis, Clio, Freshbooks, and Timeslips, among others. Users can easily export timesheets directly into the application they are using, creating invoices seamlessly. In addition to application integration, the product also offers both iOS and Android apps as well as sync capability with Microsoft Outlook, Gmail, and Mac Mail.
Chrometa offers email, telephone, and live chat support which is available six days a week (Sunday through Friday). A short 10-minute demo is available on the Chrometa website for those interested in learning more about the product.
Chrometa is an excellent option for sole practitioners or small firms alike. Designed to remove the burden of manually tracking time, or even remembering to track time, Chrometa takes care of the issue by recording everything; whether on a desktop computer or smart phone, with users able to discard what doesn’t need to be billed, while tracking the data that does. Chrometa requires little system setup and can be up and running in minutes. Chrometa currently offers three plans; Startup, which includes one time tracker and runs $12.00 per month. The Basic plan includes two time trackers and is $19.00 per month. Finally, the Plus version offers four time trackers and runs $29.00 per month. All plans offer integration capability, email tracking, and product support. For those interested in the product, Chrometa also offers a free 30-day trial which users can download directly from the website.