We recently caught up with London-based construction firm Bela Construction Ltd., a valued TimeKeeper user for over three years. Over this time, the company has navigated the challenges of managing time, projects, and resources with the help of our platform. With their extensive experience using TimeKeeper, they’re in a unique position to provide insights into the journey—from getting started with the system to how it has impacted their operations today. Here's what they had to say about their experience.

What solution did you have in place before TimeKeeper?

Before implementing TimeKeeper, Bela Construction relied on paper timesheets to track employee hours and job-related information. While this manual system served its purpose to some degree, it came with significant drawbacks that hindered the company’s efficiency and accuracy. One of the key challenges was a lack of accountability. With paper-based records, it is difficult to ensure that employees are accurately reporting their hours or adhering to company protocols. This lack of transparency could lead to discrepancies and make it harder to verify the accuracy of reported data

Another major pain point for Bela was limited visibility into job costs. The manual process made it challenging to get a real-time view of how much each project was costing in terms of hours, expenses, etc. Without this visibility, it became difficult to manage budgets, allocate resources effectively, or identify areas where costs could be reduced. Communication gaps also emerged as a result of relying on paper-based systems. Bela found it cumbersome to share updates with employees, especially when there were changes to schedules, overtime, or leave requests.

The sheer labor involved in calculating hours, tracking overtime, managing leave balances, and ensuring that expenses were accurately recorded made the process time-consuming and prone to errors.

How would you describe the process of implementing TimeKeeper and tailoring it to your needs?

In an effort to address the challenges they had been facing with manual timesheet processes, Bela Construction Ltd. decided to give TimeKeeper a try in the Summer of 2021, signing up for the two-week free trial. Bela’s experience with the onboarding process was positive. "The system was easy to implement, and our employees quickly adapted to using it, finding it intuitive and user-friendly," they shared. This ease of adoption was a key factor in their successful implementation, as it minimised disruption to day-to-day operations and allowed the team to get up and running on the system.

When considering a new software solution, one of the most crucial factors is ensuring that the provider offers the right level of support and guidance. In addition to a comprehensive collection of onboarding resources including a library of step-by-step guides and tutorial videos, Bela Construction also benefited from the support of TimeKeeper’s dedicated Customer Success team. The Customer Success team is readily available to assist with any setup questions and offer advice on how to maximise the platform’s capabilities.

As a result of using TimeKeeper, what has been the greatest impact?

Since rolling out TimeKeeper, 'employees track their time effortlessly alongside management, which has improved transparency and accountability across the board.' The transition from paper timesheets to a digital system has significantly streamlined the time-tracking process, ensuring that both employees and managers are on the same page when it comes to tracking hours and monitoring project progress. Gone are the days of manually collecting and tallying paper timesheets each week, a process that was not only time-consuming but also prone to errors.

Before implementing TimeKeeper, Bela often faced uncertainty around job and project costs, as it was difficult to get an accurate and up-to-date view of where money was being spent in real time. Now, TimeKeeper enables real-time tracking of hours, expenses, and project-related costs, providing an immediate snapshot of the financial health of a project.

Furthermore, TimeKeeper serves as a reliable tool for internal communication within the team. Whether it’s changes in project timelines, new safety guidelines, or updates on company policies, TimeKeeper has simplified the process of sharing key information, ensuring that all employees have access to the same messages at the same time.'TimeKeeper serves as a reliable platform for distributing important updates and information to employees while also making it easy to gather their input and feedback. This two-way flow of information has improved overall efficiency and helped foster stronger internal communication within the team.'

Would you recommend TimeKeeper to other companies?

'Yes! Timekeeper has proven to be an invaluable tool for both our employees and the company as a whole.'

Since implementing the platform, Bela Construction have seen significant improvements in the efficiency and accuracy of their day-to-day operations. From streamlining time-tracking to enhancing internal communication, TimeKeeper has not only made the administrative side of things much easier but has also positively impacted the company’s overall productivity and project management.

We’re thrilled to hear that TimeKeeper has had such a positive impact on the operations at Bela Construction Ltd., and we're excited to see how it continues to support their growth and success!