How to Track Employee Time and Productivity in NetSuite?

A clear view of staff hours drives profit, keeps clients happy, and cuts burnout. NetSuite places time entry, approval, and analysis in the same space that holds finance, projects, and payroll. The guide below shows how a firm can use these tools to count each hour, test output, and pay workers on time.

Why Time Tracking Matters

• Cost control: Hours flow into job cost and margin.
• Client trust: Service firms prove billable work with signed sheets.
• Payroll speed: Approved hours post straight into pay runs.
• Staff balance: Managers spot extra load before morale drops.

The Core Time Tools in NetSuite

Time Entry Form

Each user enters date, hours, task, and memo. A drop-down lists projects and service items tied to that worker’s role. Managers see only the lines from their own crew.

Weekly Time Sheet

One page holds seven days for fast bulk entry. Copy prior week to cut clicks. A Submit button pushes the sheet to the first approver.

Mobile App

Field techs and consultants open the app, tap the clock icon, pick a task, and hit Save. GPS stamp shows where the entry took place.

Project Task Link

When a user selects a task from a project, NetSuite ties the hours to that project line. Cost and progress update at once.

Paid Time Off Record

Staff pick Vacation or Sick from the time type list. The system lowers the PTO balance, so HR need not run a separate sheet.

First-Time Setup Steps

Build Time Types
Add types such as Billable, Non-Billable, Vacation, and Training. Mark Billable as chargeable so it lands on client invoices.

Set Employee Preferences
Open the employee record, tick the Can Enter Time box, and select approval path. Choose Supervisor First or Project Manager First.

Open Accounting Periods
Time entry must land in an open period. Lock past periods to stop late edits.

Assign Roles
Grant Time Entry Only role to hourly staff, Time Approver role to leads, and Administrator rights to payroll staff.

Load Projects and Tasks
Each project needs tasks, rates, and budgets before time entry starts. Use SuiteRep templates to speed this load.

Daily Time Capture Options

Manual Clock In and Out

Turn on Time Clock for warehouse or shop floor staff. Users swipe a badge. NetSuite rounds to the nearest set minute and blocks early clock-in.

Bulk Upload

For large crews, supervisors can scan a crew sheet, save as CSV, and import. NetSuite checks each name and warns on errors.

Real-Time Timer

A live timer counts down as a worker moves through calls. At the end, one click posts the hours to the sheet.

Approval and Controls

• Email Prompt: Approvers get an alert each day with open sheets.
• Line-Level Reject: Approver can reject one line, not the whole sheet.
• Audit Log: System notes hold who approved, date, and any comment.
• Auto-Approve Rule: Hours under a set limit auto-pass to payroll.

Measure Productivity

Key Measures to Place on a Dashboard

• Utilization Rate: Billable hours ÷ total hours.
• Average Hours per Task.
• Project Budget vs. Actual Hours.
• Overtime Trend by Week.
• Time Sheet Submission Lag.

Saved Searches to Build

• “Unsubmitted Time Sheets Older than 3 Days.”
• “Projects over Budget by Hours.”
• “Top 10 Staff by Billable Hours.”

Each search drives a chart or reminder tile so leaders act fast.

Link to Payroll and Billing

Once sheets sit in Approved status, NetSuite:

• Multiplies hours by pay rate for payroll.
• Multiplies billable hours by client rate for invoices.
• Posts cost to the project or cost center.

No export files, no manual re-key.

Tips to Boost User Adoption

• Train in small groups, ten users at a time.
• Keep project lists short with role filters.
• Set a daily phone alert at 4 p.m. to remind staff to log hours.
• Reward teams that hit on-time entry goals for a whole quarter.
• Review mobile data use to be sure field staff face no signal gaps.

Why Choose SuiteRep for NetSuite Implementation?

Our NetSuite developers and consultants have the right expertise for time tracking that touches finance, projects, and HR. SuiteRep leads the setup with cross-team experts so no gap appears. Clients gain:

• Ready-to-use time sheet templates that match service, retail, or manufacturing work.
• Clear path for role setup, approval rules, and dashboards.
• Trainers who teach staff in plain words, on site or online.
• A fixed cost, fixed timeline plan. No last-minute extras.
• Live support after go-live, with answers in four business hours.

SuiteRep turns on the right features, maps pay and bill rates, and shows managers how to read the numbers. You start each day with fresh data, not guesswork.

Ready to put every hour to good use? Post your biggest time-tracking hurdle in the comments, and let’s solve it together.