Surely everyone has their own electronic organizer that allows you to optimize the daily routine, but even he will not be able to show what time is spent on, what could have been given more attention, etc. This is where it comes in handy special program time tracking, which will allow you to objectively look at your day and analyze it from all sides. With the use of timekeeping software, you will understand the true meaning of the saying: "Business is time, and fun is an hour." current tasks and other actions, and, taking into account the mistakes made, you will become more effective in using it in the future.

Time attendance software on a computer

Due to the widespread demand and the increase in the number of people who really value every minute of their lives, more and more programs are being developed that calculate the timing of the working day. The requirements for them are also becoming stricter. Such software is now often required to perform the following functions:

1. Spent time monitoring. Shows the number of hours and minutes spent working in documents and applications, as well as during Internet activity.
2. Detailing information. Provides the ability to create various categories, add special tags, make entries and comment.
3. Reporting statistics. Displays information about the time spent on each application and site, including in a visual format - building pivot tables and graphs broken down by days, weeks and months of work.
4. Data export. Is to support third party formats and the ability to print reports.

Below will be considered the most famous and popular among the programs for timekeeping (English - timetracking).

timeEdition

First in the list, but not first in value. Simple program that works on many platforms. Counts time spent on projects and tasks, and also on clients.

The software interface is intuitive and user-friendly, subdivided into three subsections: dial, record button and active area for interaction. Open additional options can be done through the menu items.

To create any element, only your desire is required: you can easily add projects or users, splitting them into numerous categories. Your activity starts recording after clicking on the Start recording button. If you forgot to click on this button, the program will definitely warn you about it.

timeEdition implements extensive statistics export capabilities to Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook and other applications, including organizers, in CSV, iCal, XLS and XML formats.

You can edit the records in the window opened by choosing the Extras >> Records menu options. Here you can customize color labels, visualization options, time intervals, and write comments. Use the Overview tab to view these entries.

Summarizing

timeEdition contains few functions, but such a chronometer is very useful for calculating hours worked on an hourly basis and for tracking the duration of work with projects.

There are also minor flaws in the program. TimeEdition does not provide the ability to create subprojects and display statistics in the form. Instead, you have to work with an awkward list of entries.

Pros: simple intuitive control, export of statistical data.

Cons: lack of visualization and ways of displaying statistics.

Homepage timeEdition

Pomodairo

Most of the time management geeks adore the Pomodoro technique, which is very simple and easy to understand. Its main essence is to do the work in small chunks at intervals of 25 minutes. Have worked - that's all, you can rest for 5 minutes. And if such active intervals are repeated 4 times, you deserve a big change and you can take a break of up to half an hour. The technique is very effective for those who like aimlessly surfing the Internet; it radically changes the approach to time management.

Are you interested in this way of working? Then pay special attention to Pomodairo. This time tracking software on a computer allows you to organize the work on the above technique and gives an assessment of efficiency through statistics.

You can write a list of all urgent and current tasks in the Task List section. The time intervals themselves are configured by choosing the Config >> Timing menu options:

1. Pomodoro length: the duration of the working interval;

2. Short break length: the duration of a short rest break;

3. Link break length: the length of the long rest break.

Now all that remains is to start the countdown timer and you can start your favorite work.

Still, we are all humans, not mechanized robots, only soulless machines can strictly follow the established schedule. In this case, the Pomodairo program provides the ability to use arbitrary pauses and marks about an unplanned period. However, do not rush to quite rub your palms, all these manipulations will still be indicated in the statistics table, which provides information for different periods of time. The program helps to improve discipline and self-organization, statistics on the duration of rest and the number of tasks performed confirm this.

The program weighs only a few megabytes, it is quite simple and convenient, without unnecessary bells and whistles. The only one additional function, which we still managed to find - connection to with the ability to export statuses from Pomodairo.

Summarizing

The program is effective, designed exclusively for working with the Pomodoro methodology. It would not have been priced if it provided the ability to synchronize, for example, with mobile phone, but, alas, you should only make do with your workplace.

Pros: use of an effective methodology, minimalism of the interface, cross-platform.

Cons: lack of ability to sync with other devices.

Pomodairo home page: http://code.google.com/p/pomodairo/

LazyCure

LazyCure is a free cross-platform time tracking software. It cannot automatically track the user's actions at the computer, but it is good for manual use. Very useful for keeping track of the duration of work for all of the activities listed in the program. The resulting statistics will help you analyze the output data and correct organizational errors.

It is convenient to add tasks and subtasks in the program with division into categories "Work" and "Rest", you can do this at any time. You can use the Show >> Tasks editor to view the goals.

To analyze the time spent on any task, take a look at the "Activity time" section.

It is advisable to close all tasks by pressing the "Finish" button for correct tracking of the rest interval. Do not forget about using hotkeys: the combination Ctrl + F12 will allow you to go to the main window, and Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F12 will start the next activity.

The time log will help to track the order of the tasks (Settings >> Time log).

For all the information you need, refer to the statistics (Show >> Statistics). Here you will receive information about the total time spent and separately for each type of task, you will see a list of all completed tasks.

LazyCure compares favorably with other programs in the implementation of statistics correction. Anything can happen, anyone can forget to time the working day or press the "Finish" button in time.

There is almost no export option in the program, only integration with Twitter is provided here - via Settings >> Twitter.

Due to the lack of an intuitive graphical interface, it is difficult to find a way to delete unnecessary to-do items from the list. The toolkit does not know how to track Internet surfing and user activity for a single application. Although the statistics contain many useful information, visualization of the collected information would be very helpful.

Summarizing

LazyCure allows not only to monitor activity, but also in case of receiving erroneous data. Best for small projects.

Pros: the presence of a local version in Russian, the admissibility of editing records.

Cons: inconvenient interface, little functionality, no export and print capabilities.

Homepage LazyCure

MotivateClock

MotivateClock is a free time clock that analyzes online and app activity. Able to automatically switch between work / rest modes if the user starts working with programs or leaves the computer idle.

In total, the program provides two modes of operation: design and basic (non-design), which can be distinguished by the color of the labels. In basic mode, the time is counted each time you switch between applications. In the design variant, the user specifies all the working applications required to complete the project, the rest of the MotivateClock software counts as rest.

You can open statistics from the main program window. This will contain all information about the sites visited and the applications used.

Statistics are easily exported. The generated document contains material about the total activity of the project and the date of its creation. The program provides for free switching between working days using the links above. It is a pity, however, that there is no visualization in MotivateClock, and statistics cannot be adjusted. But the interface is very pleasing: it is intuitive and allows you to quickly find all important options (settings, a button for switching projects, pause).

Summarizing

MotivateClock is a very user-friendly program, free, convenient, functional. It would be perfect if it had online syncing and customizable statistics.

Pros: functionality, choice of operating mode, compact interface.

Cons: unregulated statistics.

MotivateClock home page: http://motivateclock.ru/

Yaware

What leader doesn't dream of responsible, hardworking and executive employees? However, as soon as he leaves the office, the employees immediately start doing nonsense: playing solitaire on computers, drinking tea, and so on, whoever is good at what. The poor boss can only grab his head. The Yaware application just helps the manager to understand who is really doing the business and who is banging the thumbs up by monitoring the computer of all employees. From the statistics, you can find out what each employee was doing all day (which applications and sites were open, the time of rest).

Yaware is another time tracking software. Ideal for large companies and offices. The main feature of Yaware is the division of applications and sites into work and non-work (used during rest). The program can be used for yourself personally by registering via Facebook or Google. There is also a Russian version of the program.

The program also contains many analysis tools: the dynamics of the company as a whole, each department and an individual employee, and a comparison of information for all employees.

The service is able to record the time spent in the context of neutral / unproductive / productive.

Another interesting feature of the toolkit is the monitoring of employee visits to job search sites.

The program can automatically fill in the timesheet itself. She is also able to send to email address employees information about the effectiveness of the time spent and the overall productivity of work. There is also the possibility of monitoring employee overtime and disciplinary violations.

The recently released Yaware.Mobile Android mobile application allows you to monitor workers, especially those whose work is on the move, and also prevents the use of a company smartphone for personal purposes. Monitors the movement of an employee, calls and SMS, their use mobile applications and sites.

It is possible that if you are an office worker in a large company, then such a program is already installed on your computer. By the way, why are you reading this article in the middle of a working day? =)

Summarizing

Yaware is a program with many built-in tools and a wide range of functions.

Pros: very high functionality, choice of work mode, tracking the productivity of employees, the presence of a localized version and a mobile version of the program, the ability hidden shooting webcam, free trial for two weeks, parental control.

Disadvantages: possible dissatisfaction of employees and violation of their privacy, rich functionality of the toolkit, which requires a lot of time to get acquainted, the presence of many restrictions in free version programs.

Yaware home page: http://yaware.ru/

I'll start with the background. In the company, the manager wanted to know what his subordinates were doing during working hours. The system administrator was instructed to monitor the computers of employees, but this had to be done clumsily and not always ethically.

Finally, the admin's patience ran out and he suggested installing a time tracking system. Yes, not a simple one, but one so that she herself could analyze how long the employees "kick" and how much they are "busy". Yes, yes, I agree with you, it was an unkind sysadmin. He ruined the lives of employees, now the bosses will find out how much time they spend in their favorite ZhZheshechki and social networks. But that's a different story.

Initial system requirements:

- so as not to slow down on a large number of PCs (for example, 200 machines with the prospect of adding about 100 more);
- to be as automated as possible;
- so that the data is stored on an internal server (does not like the cloud management in any form);
- to work comfortably and not to teach managers how to use it for a long time;
- well, "salt-pepper to taste", that is, other useful functions are not prohibited.

"Go!" (with)

So, we decided to install the system. We scratched the bottom of the Google search engine and found five candidates. CrocoTime and Yaware jump out first in the search, then with varying success they try to bypass each other Office-Metrics and Discipline, but the fifth system - Stakhanovets, undertook to test because of longing for the Union.

On the site, to “try Yaware for free”, you need to fill out a form and register. I did not find anything about the Standalone version, I wrote to technical support. They answered promptly, asked to register on the site, the manager gave a download link. Standalone version of Yaware, comrades, weighs almost 4 gig. Stock up on popcorn and patience.

In the package I found instructions and an image operating system with installed program... To avoid data leakage, I shut down the Internet during testing. Installed virtual VMware machine, launched the program, loaded the OS image along with Yaware. When trying to run the image, an error occurred. Failed to install VMWare on VirtualBox guest.

I try to install it on a computer, it turned out in a couple of minutes. Performed Yaware's recommended settings virtual machine, launched, could not get the IP address to enter the interface. I wrote in support, sent all sorts of screenshots, but within 3 hours I did not achieve anything.

I decided to work through NAT, the address appeared, entered the web interface. To generate an activation key, you need to follow the link. I am obedient, I went. Next, you need to log into your account on the site. I could not enter, after a couple of dozen attempts I had to write to technical support again. I asked to send the key directly, after a little dispute, they changed my password. War is war, as they say, but lunch ... I went to eat, while I did not turn off the car.

Came back, open a tab, write the address in the web interface, and I get ... nothing. By tradition, I am writing to technical support, asking to send a screen. We thought for an hour, asked to send the logs. After reading the instructions, I realized that this can be done only through the web interface, which did not start. I thought badly about technical support, wrote them kind words. After half an hour, they offered to demolish everything and start over. In this case, register on the site again, receive a new distribution kit, the keys are also new.

It was getting dark. I decided to think about it tomorrow.

CrocoTime

After suffering with Yaware, he put off the second attempt for last. I moved on to installing another leader in search engines - CrocoTime. I had to fill out a three-kilometer form on the website: they require the name of the organization, position, phone number, number of PCs. I lied about everything except the name and the number of PCs (I thought that apparently a trial license was issued for the specified number).

I downloaded a regular exe file, launched standard installation... In the browser, the system opens on the instruction page. I chose a way to get the statistics collection agent manually, because I decided to try the system on three computers first. After installing the agents, in 5-6 minutes, statistics came from two minutes. One apparently fell asleep. I called technical support, they explained that the problem was in the network access to the machine. I went on.

It is strange that the site does not have a manual for setting up the system, but technical support sent a pdf at the request. Everything turned out quite easily, slowed down at the stage of configuring updates. There is no way to configure a proxy server. I called technical support, they said that it was necessary to put exceptions on the proxy server for the computer on which the program server was installed. It took me a long time to set up the regulations, everything is logical, but the time costs are significant.

I liked that there is a division of schedules for working hours and lunchtime, statistics are displayed as productive time and unproductive. Monitors late arrivals, absenteeism, early departures. Provides an API for integrating the system with third parties software products, can be installed via group policies, import employees from Active Directory... The feature of the system is notification of violations to the manager's mail, so as not to enter the program every time. The boss liked it.

Free for 7 users. What for? Will the manager not follow the 7 employees? If only for remote workers.

Discipline

The site again requires personal data (I generally noticed that this is the "style" of developers of such systems - do not give anything without contacts). If you are lazy to fill out the form, you can scroll down the page, there is another menu, the demo starts immediately, without a questionnaire.

I didn't find any information about the server version, I was again worried about technical support (the first company whose number is not free, so I decided to communicate via Skype). The manager offered to install the program remotely via Teamviewer, I refused for the sake of the purity of the experiment. Agreed that they would send the distribution kit.

Of the minuses: a bunch of additional software for the system, including IIS. Then it took Postgres, the ASP.NET MVC4 package, Last update Windows,. Net Framework 4. I downloaded the whole distribution kit, then it turned out that half of the package was not needed.

After unsuccessful poking into additional. programs, nevertheless decided to install the program through remote access... They fiddled with the installation for about an hour, I drank tequila coffee and watched this movie. There were problems with activating the program, an error was issued. At the other end of the line, they decided to recompile the distribution, but the problem persisted.

In the end, we settled on that I will test on 10 machines, which are supported by default. If you like it, technical support will install a license for large quantity PC itself.

So, let's test it on 10 PCs. I didn’t like that users had to be added manually. The interface is inconvenient to use, statistics data collide with each other. I liked that you can change the type of employee account - you can assign administrator rights to any employee. There is a distribution of reports (in certain time a report on the activity of the employee or department is sent to the selected employee by e-mail; parameters are configured) and setting access rights for managers and employees.

Office metric

Again I did not find a Standalone solution, I wrote to technical support. We sent you a link to download the program and a key for 5 licenses. A regular executable, when installing the package, Firebird is additionally installed. Slightly hung up, about 40 seconds. Immediately prompts you to enter the key, you need another mail.

When generating the tracking module, the following message came out: “The data collection module file was not found in the Applications folder”. I wrote to technical support. Recommended to rename the files in the folder. After that I got a tracking module, though from the second time. The first time, the folder was empty.

I installed tracking modules on computers, statistics come in every 30 minutes (compared to the same CrocoTime - it's unrealistically long). The interface is user-friendly and straightforward. There is a sorting of employees by department, you can see the user's activity both graphically and in a table. Only the "show chart" button is spontaneously blocked, it is not clear why. You can set late arrivals and departures. There is a cool jackdaw “to compensate for the delay with a later departure”.

Stakhanovite

There are three types of product: Home Stakhanovets, Cloudy and simply Stakhanovets. Server Stakhanovite is our option. It is installed as a normal executable, for functioning you need MS SQL Server 2008 and at the same time (!) MySQL. The server receives information about the time of arrival / departure of the employee, the list of sites, the use of programs. There is no division into useful and unproductive time. It intercepts everything: pictures, screenshots, correspondence, texts, graphics, clipboard, data from a webcam, and can even listen from a microphone. It will be a concentration camp, not an office.

There is a trick: the program collects the hardware configuration, i.e. if someone smacks something, the system will display it. The interface is not user-friendly, but it worked right away. The problem is that you cannot view the data online, you must download the report.

Debriefing

Yaware- software for an amateur. Who is ready to get confused and install the Standalone solution, you are welcome. The second time I installed it: it takes screenshots, it is possible for employees to write "explanations" - why they were not at their computers during working hours. For me, this is a little silly: I can always write that I was at the meeting, even if I actually drank tea. From suitable in terms of functionality: automatic division of time into useful and not, accounting for delays and absenteeism. I was not satisfied with the speed of work on 50 PCs, which will be on 200 - I'm afraid to imagine.

system screen

CrocoTime well written, installed immediately, does not slow down (later installed agents on 50, and then on all 200 computers, the speed of issuing reports did not change). Meets the requirement of automation (installation via GPO, import of employees via Active Directory, automatic calculation of productive and unproductive time by employees and departments). Does not make screenshots, does not intercept correspondence. Fly in the ointment - problems with the proxy server, lengthy setting of the regulations.

system screen

Discipline raised doubts: if the company's specialists did not cope with the installation and abandoned this business, under the pretext “test on 10 PCs for now”, then what will happen if the program, having already been purchased, crashes? They didn’t add points to it and entering users manually, a clumsy interface and a strange gradation of the usefulness of the programs - from 1 to 3 stars.

system screen

Office metric I was pleased with the ease of installation, graphical presentation of data and operational support. A significant disadvantage is that statistics come in every 30 minutes, the program does not divide time into productive and unproductive. Instead, there are statistics on the number of keystrokes, scrolling and mouse clicks. And what to do with it?

system screen

Stakhanovite- a program, frankly sharpened for espionage. I'm, of course, an evil sysadmin, but not enough to recommend it to my superiors. In addition, according to the criteria of automation and convenience, Stakhanovets is inferior to other solutions.

system screen

To avoid accusations of advertising any product, I will not say what they chose in the end (if someone is interested - write, I will share my impressions of the first month of using the system). I can only say that the system is working steadily and yielding results. I believe that I was not mistaken with the choice.

If you have questions about the functionality or the process of installing systems, I will be happy to answer in the comments. A lot of work has been done, I want it to benefit not only our company.

Tags:

• software installation
• tested on myself
• time monitoring

Add tags

Ozerova April 25, 2017 at 10:45 am

Overview of time tracking systems

• Project management ,
• Personnel Management

Hello, Habr! I would like to share my test results of time tracking systems.

In our cozy hi-tech company, the bosses took care of the control of the working hours and the efficiency of the employees. And I was tasked with providing a comparison and conclusion on the suitability for use and functionality of such systems.

Of course, I was not very happy about the prospect of the appearance of such a system in my workplace, because I think that the work of an employee should be judged by the result, and not by formal indicators. I hope that the data I have collected, especially the results of testing the system bypass, will help a colleague who happened to be in my place to convince his management that such solutions are ineffective.

How I tested the system bypass

All programs evaluate an employee's presence at the workplace by the time elapsed since the last keystroke or mouse movement. Some people see what kind of program was active at that time, with a division into productive and non-productive. Some take screenshots of screens or record videos of their work. Razors attached to the mouse are not our method, our users are all advanced, so AutoIt was taken and a small script was written that imitates a primitive, but real work- reading the documentation, viewing the report, if the employee is being watched, then what he is doing will be visible even without such a program, and if someone looks at several screenshots from time to time, then it is unrealistic to notice that the script was working, and not the person. Especially if you turn it on not for the whole day, but for 20-30 minutes of additional rest). Yes, the program was named iexplore.exe, well, who will compare the number open tabs and processes with that name).

Script

SRandom (@MSEC) opt ("MouseCoordMode", 0) Sleep (3000) While true if random (0,3,1) = 2 then Sleep (Random (1000,5000,1)) Send ("(PGDN)") Else Sleep (Random (500,1500,1)) $ aPos = MouseGetPos () MouseMove ($ aPos + Random (300) -115, $ aPos + random (300) -110) $ aPos = MouseGetPos () MouseMove ($ aPos + Random (314) -117, $ aPos + random (310) -115.3) Sleep (Random (1000,5000,1)) EndIf WEnd

During the system bypass, it turned out that a couple of the tested programs did not perceive the actions of the AutoIt script as the actions of the user. It was decided to emulate the user's work in hardware using available tools. The main condition was the imitation of activity similar to the real one. An Arduino Due board was found in the bins and a small program similar to our script for AutoIt was written.

Program

#include #include void setup () (Mouse.begin (); Keyboard.begin ();) void loop () (delay (random (6000) +1000); if (random (0,4) == 1) (Keyboard.write ( 0xD6); delay (random (4000) +4000);) else (Mouse.move (random (6) -3, random (6) -3, 0); delay (100); Mouse.move (random (6) -3, random (6) -3, 0); delay (random (2000) +2000);))

So, an overview.

I must say right away that the option of collecting data in the cloud was not considered due to security and confidentiality reasons, not everyone is ready to share personal data, etc. Because of this, the overview presents systems with a local version. Those systems in which local server declared, but it was not possible to get it for testing, placed at the end of the list. Their parameters may not be objective, because are given according to the results of “survey, not measurement”.

Here are the criteria I added to the comparison

1. Name.
2. Sourse of information. Site, mentions on the swag.
3. Principle of operation. general description work, and the specifics of the collected data.
4. Flexible schedule. Possibility of flexible schedule. For example, came from 8 to 10:30, left from 17 to 20, lunch 30-40 minutes at any time.
5. Vacation applications, time off. Report card. The ability to mark days as vacation, day off, business trip ... What documents the system generates for OK accounting.
6. API availability.
7. Reports. What reports are there and how informative they are.
8. OS and DB with which the program works.
9. Integration with blood pressure. How it is configured, whether users need to enter a password, whether the system understands which user is working on the computer.
10. Settings. What needs to be configured to start the system.
11. Whether the system is able to recognize the work of several users on one computer-terminal server or one user on several computers.
12. Work via the Internet. Information about publishing and encrypting a connection when transferring data between a client and a server. NAT settings.
13. Access to statistics. The ability to provide the user with access to their own statistics and the ability to assign roles that delimit access.
14. Bypassing the system. Results of testing our script.
15. For the observed. How can a user determine that a client is installed on a computer.
16. Price.
17. Screenshot of the program window. The screenshot shows the statistics collected over the night, in which the actions of the user were imitated by the script (or arduino board).

Kickidler

www.kickidler.com

Principle of operation. Hidden agents are installed on employees' computers that record video from the screen, keystrokes, and running applications. Efficiency is specified for each application. The administrator can remotely manage users' computers. The main program window is a real-time view of employees' monitors.
Flexible schedule. The program lacks the ability to set a schedule.
API availability. No.
Reports. The reports show the most used programs and sites. The reports are not informative, they are not designed to control the work schedule of employees. There is filtering in the reports. When viewing employee monitors, up to 16 monitors are simultaneously placed on the screen, which will be a problem if you need to monitor the work of employees in real time in companies with a large staff.
OS and DB. Kickidler server works under Windows OS and PostgreSQL database. There is a version of the server for Linux, but it has limited functionality.
Integration with blood pressure. No.
Settings. For the system to work, the server and agents must be installed on user computers. To access recorded videos, use separate program"Viewer", which must be installed by employees who will monitor the collected data. If the system is deployed locally, then a local licensing server is required.
Multi user multi computer mode. Identification occurs by username and workstation name.
Work via the Internet. For the program to work, you need access to my.kickidler.com, through which the server, grabers and viewers are synchronized and the license is checked. At local installation this address should lead to the local licensing server. Support for ssl is declared.
Access to statistics. It is impossible to provide users with access to statistics for self-monitoring. Access to statistics and recorded videos occurs through Viewer program... For the Viewer to work, you need to select in the admin panel which users are allowed access to.
Bypassing the system. The script works, activity is taken into account. Thanks to the use of the random pause, the activity schedule also changes. You can track the use of the script only when watching the video by repeated actions; in this case, the complication of the script will help.
For the observed. The presence of an agent can be determined through the task manager for the processes grabber.exe, grabberAgent.exe, grabberSubAgent.exe. The default path is C: \ Program Files (x86) \ TeleLinkSoftHelper.
Price. Cloud version: 500 rubles per month per employee. 10,000 rubles per employee, no time limit. Local version: Price on request.

StaffCop

www.staffcop.ru

Principle of operation. A hidden agent is installed on employees' machines, which collects information about activity, running processes, visited sites, keystrokes, access to files, received and sent messages Email and messengers. Interception of mail is possible using unencrypted protocols, the supported protocols of messengers are outdated (ICQ, MSN Messenger, Mail.ru Agent ...). It is possible to take periodic screenshots.
Flexible schedule. There is no way to set a schedule.
Leave leave applications. Report card. There are no applications and reports for accounting.
API availability. No.
Reports. Reports are divided by the type of data collected (screenshots, processes, search queries, visited pages, messenger messages, keystrokes ...). There is filtering by period or keyword... The program collects a lot of data, but does not independently evaluate the user's actions, which is why the report does not have sufficient information content.
OS and DB. The server runs under Windows OS and uses a simple file database.
Integration with blood pressure. No.
Settings. The program is distributed as executable file, without binding to the developer's servers. Therefore, the program server is deployed locally. Agents can be installed remotely, for this you must have administrator rights to remote machines. If the agents were installed manually, you must set the IP addresses of the machines from which you want to collect data on the server.
Multi user multi computer mode. Statistics are collected by computer.
Work via the Internet. The server collects data from agents, so employees' computers should not be behind NAT. The connection between the server and the agent is encrypted, the algorithm could not be determined.
Access to statistics. The statistics are displayed in the server application. There is no web interface access. It is impossible to provide employees with access to statistics.
Bypassing the system. StaffCop did not perceive the AutoIt script as user action. So the workaround was done with Arduino boards which emulated keyboard and mouse.
For the observed. The presence of the agent can be determined through the task manager by the running Scheduler service and the SchedulerSVC.exe process. Agent installation path C: \ Program Files (x86) \ StaffCop.
Price. There is no cloud version. Local version: 1300 rubles per user, unlimited.

ManicTime

www.manictime.com
Principle of operation. The installed agent collects data on the time spent on the PC and the programs used (only with a graphical shell) and sites. The agent also knows how to take screenshots.
Flexible schedule. The timetable indicates the start and end times or the number of hours of work per day. Multiple schedules can be created.
Leave leave applications. Report card. There are no applications, but there are tags with which you can mark your time. They can be used to mark time off, etc. There is a "Attendance" report that displays the number of days worked by an employee.
API availability. To access and manipulate server data, it is possible to use the HTTP API.
Reports. There are not many reports. They are divided into two types: uptime (start / end, rework ...), and productivity (web sites used, programs, documents, productivity statistics).
OS and DB. The server works under Windows. The default is SQLite. For a large number of users (more than 5 - the recommendation of the developers), it is necessary to use PostgreSQL or Microsoft SQL Server.
Integration with blood pressure. You can get a list of users from AD. This will prevent you from manually typing in usernames.
Settings. When installing the server, you must choose which database to work with. The DBMS must be configured before installing the server (except SQLite). In the agent, you must specify the server address where statistics are sent.
Multi user multi computer mode. The system identifies the user by computer name and login.
Work via the Internet. An open port 8080 is required to access the server (can be changed). To secure the connection, you can enable https, in which you will need to set your own certificate or use a standard one.
Access to statistics. It is possible to provide access to statistics to employees through the web interface. There is also access to personal statistics through the client application, if it is not in hidden mode... It is possible to grant access to statistics for the entire department.
Bypassing the system. The bypass script works, activity is taken into account, it is impossible to track the use of the script.
For the observed. In normal mode, the agent is visible in the tray. If the agent is in stealth mode, you can determine its presence through the task manager. The process is called ManicTime Client, the standard installation path is C: \ Program Files (x86) \ ManicTime.
Price. Same price for on-premises and cloud: $ 67 per user, unlimited.

SkypeTime

skypetime.ru

Principle of operation. SkypeTime retrieves employee status data from the Skype For Business server, so there is no need to install agents on employee machines. Due to this concept, the amount of data collected is much less than that of the considered analogs, these are: the employee's time at the computer and from which machine the login was made.
Flexible schedule. The schedule indicates the start and end times of the working day and the number of hours that must be worked per day. The duration of the lunch break and the time of being late are also indicated. You can create several schedules that can be set for both a department and an employee.
Leave leave applications. Report card. An employee can create tickets that will be reviewed by management. For accounting there is a report "Worktime" in which the hours worked for each day are indicated.
API availability. No
Reports. Reports provide information on employee and department working hours, events (late arrivals, absences and early departures), employee holidays (vacations, days off, sick leave ...), devices used to log in to the system and remote sessions. There is filtering in the reports.
OS and DB. The program works on Windows and with the base MySQL data.
Integration with blood pressure. Since the Skype For Business server has integration with AD, a separate integration is not required.
Settings. To get started, you need to install a web server, install SQL Server, provide read access to the Skype For Business database, deploy the database, provide access to the database, and configure publications.
Multi user multi computer mode. The system recognizes users by their logins, which are used to log into Skype For Business. Information on computers from which the login was made will be available in statistics.
Work via the Internet. When configuring publishing, you can enable SSL.
Access to statistics. It is possible to provide employees with access to statistics through the web interface. Department managers can be assigned.
Bypassing the system. No script or arduino is required to bypass the system. It is enough to maintain the Skype status "Online". Absence from the workplace can be tracked only if a call is missed. The missed call will be displayed on the employee's work schedule, which can lead to a more attentive attitude to the employee's work.
For the observed. The client application is not installed on employee computers, which makes it impossible to determine whether SkypeTime is being used.
Price. The price starts at 300 rubles per user.

Yaware.TimeTracker

yaware.ru
Principle of operation. The installed agent collects data about the operating time, and the programs used, and sites. For each program or site, its productivity is set ("Productive", "Neutral", "Not productive"). Based on this data, reports on employee productivity and working time efficiency will be built. The program has the ability to take regular screenshots and webcam snapshots.
Flexible schedule. You can set the start and end time of the working day, and the time that must be worked out in order for the day to be counted. The program supports two options for the schedule. "Standard week" - fixed working days. "Work in shifts" - allows you to set up an employee's schedule if his working days are not tied to the days of the week.
Leave leave applications. Report card. There are no applications, the manager himself puts events (vacation, sick leave), you can specify both a specific person and a department. To report to the accounting department, the program provides reports: "Timesheet", "Attendance report".
API availability. There is an API that allows you to independently implement access to the collected statistics using HTTP requests.
Reports. There are many reports in the program, both on operating time and efficiency. Some reports display similar information. It is possible to display a report for a certain period. Data from reports can be exported to XLS, CSV, PDF.
OS and DB. It was not possible to determine on which OS and with which database the local server is running.
Integration with blood pressure. No.
Settings. For the cloud version, you just need to install the client. It was not possible to obtain information on setting up the local version.
Multi user multi computer mode. Yaware identifies the user by login and computer name. If you change your login or change to another car, it will be recognized as New user... Users can be combined.
Work via the Internet. The agent and server are connected via http and https protocol... SSL is used for protection. In the local version, you can choose your SSL certificate. SSL certificate both the agent-server connection and the connection to the web panel are protected.
Access to statistics. It is possible to provide an employee with access to his statistics. Brief statistics can be obtained from the agent, if he is not in stealth mode. More detailed statistics are displayed in the web interface. It is possible to appoint a department manager.
Bypassing the system. The script works, activity is counted, the script does not appear in the applications being used.
For the observed. By default, the agent is displayed in the tray; the server has an option to hide the agent. In this case, the presence of the agent can be found from the task manager for the processes YaService.exe and YaUpdate.exe and the Yaware.TimeTracker Collector Service.
Price. Cloud version: 450 rubles per month per employee. Local version: $ 4800 for 50 jobs, $ 96 for an additional job.

Crocotime

crocotime.com
Principle of operation. The agent collects data about the time at the computer, and used applications and sites. Programs without a GUI are not counted. Applications can be categorized as efficient and ineffective. It is possible to enable periodic screenshots.
Flexible schedule. In the schedule, you can specify both the start and end time of the working day, or simply the number of hours per day. Lunch time is hard-coded.
Leave leave applications. Report card. There are no applications. The manager can establish the reason for absence: business trip, sick leave, day off, vacation, absenteeism. By default, if absent, the program puts "absenteeism". For the accounting department there is a report "Timesheet", which indicates which days worked and how many hours.
API availability. There is a Web API that allows you to interact with the server using HTTP requests.
Reports. Reports provide information on the productivity of both the company and the employee, the structure of the day, programs used, types of tasks, projects, deviations from working hours. The reports can be filtered by employees (departments), and by time (day, week, month).
OS and DB. The server runs on Windows OS. By default, the SQLite database is used, but it is possible to switch to PostgreSQL. Migration to reverse side not possible.
Integration with blood pressure. It is possible to load users from AD. This saves the administrator from having to manually enter the employee's data (full name, email ...) and the structure of departments into the system. It will also allow users to log into the monitoring system using domain passwords using Kerberos authorization. You can unload not the entire structure, but only a part.
Settings. To configure, just install the server and agents.
Multi user multi computer mode. Identification is made by login and computer name. In Crocotime, one employee profile (one license) may correspond to different Accounts(computer or domain). If there are several records within a profile, statistics on them will be summarized.
Work via the Internet. To publish the server, you need to open port 8085. To secure the connection, you can use SSL, adding a certificate is carried out in the admin panel accessible through a browser.
Access to statistics. It is possible to provide access to statistics to users for self-control. Statistics are available through the web interface. You can provide access to statistics of other employees (departments).
Bypassing the system. In the admin panel, you can choose whether software activity or only hardware activity will be taken into account. By default, only hardware activity is taken into account, and in this case the AutoIt script is not perceived as user actions. The bypass was done using an Arduino board that emulated user activity.
For the observed. The presence of an agent can be determined through the task manager by process
agent_service64.exe and CrocoTime Agent service. By default, the path of the agent is C: \ Program Files \ CrocoTime Agent.
Price. Cloud version: 150 rubles per month per employee. Local version: no price specified.

TimeCamp

www.timecamp.com
Principle of operation. The program is designed for project tracking, in which the user himself sets what and when he was doing. But it is possible to install the agent on a PC. It collects data about the time spent at the computer and running applications.
Flexible schedule. You can set the start and end times and / or the length of the working day. The specified time also affects the running time of the installed agent. If it is not business hours, the agent will not collect activity information.
Leave leave applications. Report card. There are no applications, the manager can change the type of day (vacation, sick leave, business trip ...) of a certain employee. There is a report "Attendance", which displays data on the employee's work time for each day in the month.
API availability. There is an API, interaction with the server occurs via HTTP requests. There are many add-ons that allow you to synchronize data with different calendars, and more detailed tracking of activity in applications (for example, in Visual Studio).
Reports. Most of the reports contain information about projects and assignments in those projects. There are reports on the applications and sites used, the work schedule of employees, work efficiency. There is filtering by time, employees and projects.
OS and DB. There is only a cloud version of the program, it is impossible to determine the OS and the database for this.
Integration with blood pressure. No.
Settings. To get started, you just need to create users and install agents on computers.
Multi user multi computer mode. There is no automatic user detection. When installing the agent, you must enter the credentials from your account at timecamp.com.
Work via the Internet. SSL is used to send data to the server. Since the agent itself sends data to the server, NAT does not affect the operation of the application.
Access to statistics. Users can view their statistics through the web interface. There are three levels of access: user, manager, administrator.
Bypassing the system. The program was bypassed by the AutoIt script. The script was not displayed in running applications since TimeCamp collects information only about windows with graphical interface.
For the observed. The agent is displayed in the tray. You can also determine the presence of the agent through the task manager by the process timecamp.exe and reshost.exe. By default, the agent path is C: \ Users \ UserName \ AppData \ Local \ TimeCamp.
Price. Cloud version: $ 10 per user per month. There is no local version.

In conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that all the time tracking systems were bypassed. This means that you cannot completely rely on the data collected by such programs. And in most cases there is little point in collecting such detailed data. Also, such programs can collect personal information, which can be poorly interpreted from the point of view of the law or at least ethics. In any case, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of a time tracking system, since with the general similarity, each has its own unique qualities, which in certain situations can act as both pluses and minuses.

And finally, if you have experience in using time tracking systems, write in the comments what systems you use and your impression of them.

Tags:

• time
• control
• timetracker
• hardwork

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We are glad to present you our program time tracking NkTimeTracker... This program will help you understand where your precious time goes when you communicate with your favorite friend - a computer.
We, just like you, were puzzled by this question - that's why this program appeared.

What can she do ... As always - everything is very simple :)
The program is loaded at the start of your session in Windows and in the background it records how much time you devote to this or that program.

Those. the operating time is recorded only for the program or document you are actively using (the window in which the mouse or keyboard input focus is located). The rest of the programs currently running are not counted. Thus, at any time, for example at the end of the day, you can see how long you have been working with this or that document, on this or that project. This information is useful, for example, for a programmer, because can be used to estimate the value of the work performed.

We ourselves were very surprised when we discovered how long it actually takes to surf the net even with very "serious" work. A sober look at the statistics of the time spent at the end of the day allows the next day to "behave better" ... after all, this is OUR time, and I do not want to waste it on trifles ...

Of course, we added a few more useful, in our opinion, features to this one on the computer. For example, it keeps statistics not only of the programs used, but also of the documents that were opened in these programs (for example, the names of the headers of letters in mail programs) and sites viewed by browsers (all browsers are supported).

Moreover, the program has the ability to associate the use of a program or document with a certain virtual state of your work.

This virtual state has six independent parameters (Project, Client, User, Computer, Label, Activity). NkTimeTracker can automatically switch them depending on the program and document you are working with at the moment. More details.

Of course, you can get more varied statistics by opening the report window. You can open multiple report windows at the same time.

Sitting at a computer all day is harmful, it is clear even to a child, therefore time tracking program we have added the ability to organize work breaks with a specified frequency. For example, after 50 minutes - n 10 minutes of rest. If you went to pour yourself a cup of coffee during a break, the computer will invite you to work with any audio track (melody, song or rooster crow, for example) that you ask yourself at will.

By the way, if you use breaks, then on the pie chart you can see the remaining time before the break. By double-clicking on the chart title, you can select the break time display mode.

The program is designed to help you organize your work on your computer in the most efficient way, so if you do not need it at the moment, you can pause it or turn it off altogether. you can use time tracking program on several of your computers. If necessary, you can very simply collect all events from several computers on one.

The program does not use databases and stores information in plain text files.

If you want to use the program at work on several computers and for several users, then you may be interested in the extended version of the program - NkTimeTracker Pro. This program contains all the functions of the regular version and additionally has several