ExakTime vs Connecteam: A Comparison of Time Management Software

Accurately tracking time and managing jobs is critical in the construction and field service industries. With crews spread across multiple sites, complex payroll needs, and regulatory requirements, construction companies need a time-tracking solution designed specifically for their unique needs. When searching for alternatives to Connecteam, construction companies often compare it with industry-specific solutions.

While both Connecteam and Arcoro's ExakTime offer time tracking capabilities, their approaches differ significantly. This detailed Connecteam review explores how it stacks up against ExakTime for construction-specific needs. When it comes to the specialized requirements of construction and field service, ExakTime rises above Connecteam as the superior choice.

Understanding Construction Time Tracking Software

Time-tracking software is a crucial tool in the modern workplace, offering digital solutions to streamline employee management within organizations. While general-purpose solutions like Connecteam provide basic functionality, construction-specific platforms offer specialized features that enhance efficiency and accuracy in tracking employee work hours. When evaluating Connecteam vs. specialized construction software, several key features should be compared:

• ​Clocking in and out: Both Connecteam and construction-focused solutions like ExakTime allow employees to record their working hours digitally through web-based or mobile time clock applications. Each clock-in and clock-out event is timestamped with the precise time and date, ensuring a reliable record of work hours.
• ​GPS tracking: Employee time clock software records GPS data, providing validation of the geographic location where clock events occur. This enhances employee accountability.
• ​Automated reports: Administrative and managerial users gain access to automated reports covering daily operations, employee hours, job site coding, overtime calculations, payroll export files, and more. These reports help organizations make informed decisions based on accurate data.
• ​Configurable notifications: Notifications regarding clock events, overtime rules, missed clocks, and other alert triggers keep managers and administrators informed.
• ​Payroll integration: Payroll integrations are seamlessly integrated, making the transfer of clocked hours into payroll software systems easy and reducing errors from manual data entry.

For construction companies, time-tracking apps eliminate the need for outdated paper timesheets, which are susceptible to issues like lost sheets, buddy punching, and inaccuracies. Digital time-tracking apps reduce payroll errors and time theft, thanks to validated clock-ins and built-in verification features, including GPS tracking and photo captures. Compliance with labor laws and regulations becomes simpler, and payroll accuracy is improved through seamless integrations.

Organizations gain better visibility into job and project costs by automating the coding of hours. Location monitoring capabilities like GPS tracking and geo-fencing provide oversight of remote field crews. These systems also reduce the administrative workload spent reconciling inaccurate paper timesheets.

While basic time clocks provide essential digital logs, advanced plans provided by ExakTime offer tailored features and capabilities designed to meet the specific management needs of the construction industry.

The Importance of Time Tracking Software in Construction

Construction presents unique challenges in capturing, managing, and validating field employee time. With a dispersed, mobile workforce operating across multiple job sites, general workforce solutions like Connecteam and paper-based processes quickly fall short.

Supervisors may struggle to collect accurate, complete paper timesheets from team members spread across projects and locations. Administrative staff spend hours transcribing handwritten sheets, manually calculating hours, applying job codes, and ensuring payroll compliance. With limited construction-specific features, payroll delays and mistakes remain challenges.

ExakTime's robust, construction-focused platform solves these problems through digitization, mobility, and construction-specific functionalities. Unlike Connecteam's basic GPS features, ExakTime provides real-time visibility and oversight into remote field teams through GPS tracking and geo-fencing. Integrations with payroll software reduce manual data entry and improve accuracy.

While Connecteam offers basic time tracking, ExakTime's advanced features like shift scheduling, equipment tracking, custom field alerts, and more provide a specialized construction management platform. Construction companies often find ExakTime's construction-specific capabilities better suited to their needs.

ExakTime Review

ExakTime by Arcoro is an industry-leading time and attendance tracking platform, crafted for the construction industry. From small crews to large enterprises, their basic plan offers a comprehensive set of core features for efficient workforce management.

Built Specifically for Construction Teams

Purpose-built for construction teams, the intuitive time clock app simplifies clocking in and out. Clock events capture GPS tracking data, validating the exact location.

Reliable Performance on Job Sites

ExakTime's mobile time clock app can function in offline mode. Workers can clock in and out without an internet connection, and pending time clocks sync to the cloud when a connection is restored.

Construction-Grade Reporting

ExakTime offers powerful reporting tailored to construction management needs. Real-time employee attendance reports provide insights into hours worked, labor costs, overtime calculations, certified payroll compliance, payroll previews, and more. Reports are accessible through web and mobile dashboards.

Payroll Integration

ExakTime integrates with over 100 major payroll software platforms, including ADP, Paychex, and QuickBooks. This reduces the likelihood of payroll errors from manual data entry.

Advanced Job Costing Features

Job costing provides robust coding options to allocate hours to cost codes, wage categories, equipment, job phases, and more. This ensures detailed insights into expenses.

Field Oversight and Location Management

ExakTime offers location monitoring through GPS tracking and geo-fencing, confirming that crews clock in only from designated job sites and enabling tracking of worker movements.

Construction-Specific Scheduling

Managers can schedule shifts, trades, job assignments, equipment access, and time off requests for field crews, enhancing oversight and resource allocation.

Real-Time Job Site Alerts

Configurable alerts inform managers about overtime hours, missed clock-ins, inconsistencies, and inactive employees, allowing for quick responses.

Secure Role-Based Access

ExakTime provides access controls for customized roles and permissions for supervisors, foremen, payroll administrators, and employees, ensuring a secure workforce management system.

Connecteam Review

Connecteam offers a simplified digital time tracking application with a broader emphasis on team communication tools. Key features include digital clock-in and clock-out via web and mobile apps. However, it lacks some advanced verification features found in other systems.

Connecteam enables communication via team chat, group notifications, and document sharing. Users can create customized digital forms for tasks, equipment inspections, announcements, and more. Its limited GPS tracking for location stamping lacks advanced options like geo-fencing, which are essential for job site management.

Key Differences Between ExakTime and Connecteam

Understanding key differences between platforms is crucial for making an informed decision. While both offer digital time tracking, their approaches to serving the construction industry differ.

Construction Industry Focus

Connecteam serves construction firms as one of many industries, while ExakTime is designed exclusively for construction, skilled trades, and field service. ExakTime’s features are built around industry-specific needs, such as job site validation and site-to-site visibility.

Features

ExakTime provides workforce management oversight capabilities like customizable SMS alerts, equipment tracking, employee scheduling, certified payroll handling, and more. Connecteam offers streamlined digital clocks but lacks deeper specialized features required for complex field operations.

Customer Support

Connecteam lacks industry-specific support, while ExakTime has a US-based customer service team dedicated to construction industry needs, offering guidance through configuration, training, and ongoing optimization.

Criteria for Evaluating Construction Time Tracking Software

When reviewing Connecteam and other solutions, consider these critical factors:

• ​Construction-Specific Features: Does the system handle prevailing wage rate tracking, multiple job locations, certified payroll, and customizable coding for equipment and cost centers? ExakTime provides these capabilities, including shift scheduling, trade management, and field alerts.
• ​Access Controls: Can administrators configure granular permission controls for different roles? ExakTime offers robust role-based controls; Connecteam provides only basic access.
• ​Payroll Integrations: Does the system automate data transfer into your payroll platform? ExakTime integrates with over 100 payroll systems; Connecteam relies on exporting CSV files.
• ​Field Oversight: Are GPS tracking, geofence mapping, and verified check-ins available? ExakTime offers comprehensive field oversight tools; Connecteam's GPS capabilities are limited.
• ​Support and Training: Is there specialized, industry-focused support? ExakTime provides tailored assistance.
• ​Scalability: Can the solution scale with your business? ExakTime's cloud platform is designed for both small and large enterprises.
• ​Data Security: Does the vendor provide robust security protocols and compliance standards? ExakTime follows validated security protocols.

Why Construction Firms Choose ExakTime

ExakTime stands out as the superior choice for several reasons:

• ​Purpose-built for construction, with features designed for industry needs.
• ​Proven ROI through time savings, increased payroll accuracy, reduced administrative expenses, and enhanced job cost clarity.
• ​Mitigates risks with verified tracking capabilities, protecting against fines and litigation.
• ​Scales from small teams to nationwide enterprises.
• ​US-based customer success team ensures tailored implementation and support.

Learn More About ExakTime's Time Tracking Solutions

From location tracking to certified payroll handling, robust access controls, and real-time data visibility, ExakTime gives construction firms the tools needed to track, manage, and optimize a dispersed, mobile workforce. The platform scales from 5 to 50,000+ employees. To learn more and request a demo, visit ExakTime.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What industries are ExakTime's solutions designed for?

ExakTime is purpose-built for the construction, skilled trades, and field services industries. Every feature is designed around the unique needs of tracking and managing dispersed construction crews and projects.

Does ExakTime offer GPS and geofencing?

Yes. ExakTime has robust location-tracking capabilities. Every clock in/out event is GPS timestamped down to the job site or even position within a site. Administrators can build virtual geofences around job sites and receive alerts when workers clock in from outside expected locations.

What payroll platforms does ExakTime integrate with?

ExakTime offers certified real-time payroll integrations with over 100 major platforms including ADP, Paychex, QuickBooks, and many more. This automation eliminates the need for duplicate manual data entry.

Is phone support available?

Yes. ExakTime customers have access to US-based, construction-experienced customer success representatives who provide unlimited phone, email, and chat support at no additional cost. Customized onboarding, training materials, weekly live training webinars, and proactive check-ins are also provided.