Bist du aus Excel als Zeiterfassungssystem herausgewachesen? So gelingt der einfache Umstieg auf eine Softwarelösung

If you’re still tracking time in Excel, you’re not alone. A lot of small teams – especially agencies and consultancies – start out using spreadsheets to log hours, manage leave, and track billable hours. It’s simple, familiar, and it works… for a while.

But as your business grows and your team expands, the cracks start to show. Suddenly, that spreadsheet becomes harder to manage, full of errors, and more of a chore than a tool.

So how do you know if you’ve outgrown it?

Let’s find out.

Take the quick quiz

Let’s take a short quiz to find out if it’s time for you and your team to ditch manual spreadsheets. Answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions.

• Do you spend more than 10 minutes a week manually fixing time entries in Excel?

• Are there frequent mistakes or missing hours in your timesheets?

• Is it hard to distinguish between billable and non-billable hours in your spreadsheet?

• Do you often have to remind your team to fill in their timesheets?

• Does creating reports or invoices from your time data take longer than it should?

• Are you unsure if your time tracking process is fully compliant with local labor laws (e.g. Germany, Austria, Switzerland)?

• Do team members often forget to track time or find the current system frustrating?

• Have you ever lost data due to version conflicts or spreadsheet errors?

If you answered “yes” to one or more questions, it might be time to level up. 

Why spreadsheets seem like a good idea (but often aren’t)

At first glance, spreadsheets in Excel feel like the perfect solution for tracking time. They’re familiar, quick to set up, and don’t seem to cost anything extra. Most teams start with them not because they’re the best option, but because they seem the most convenient.

And in the beginning, they do the job. You already know how to use them. They feel “free” since there’s no additional software to buy. You can tweak and customize them to fit your workflow exactly how you want.

But as your team grows and your needs become more complex, those early advantages quickly become bottlenecks:

• Customization turns into complexity. What started as a flexible solution becomes a tangled web of formulas and formats.
• “Free” starts costing you. You lose hours every week managing timesheets, fixing errors, and chasing updates – time that could’ve been spent on billable work.
• Version control becomes chaos. With multiple people editing the same file or saving different versions, mistakes are inevitable.
• Human error increases. The more people involved, the higher the risk of miscalculations, missed entries, and inconsistencies.

Simply put, spreadsheets don’t scale. What works for a solo freelancer or a small team often breaks down under the weight of a growing business.

Why it’s worth switching to time tracking software

Switching to a dedicated time tracking tool doesn’t just make your admin easier – it can directly improve your bottom line.

Here’s what you gain:

• Greater accuracy

No more guesswork, missed hours, or overwritten data. Time entries are more precise, and you capture billable work you might otherwise lose.

• Faster processes

Need to generate reports, track billables, or process payroll? What used to take hours now takes minutes.

• Improved accountability

Automatic reminders keep your team on track, while managers get clear visibility into how time is spent without micromanaging.

• Better employee experience

A well-designed tool feels supportive, not invasive – giving team members a smoother, more transparent way to log time.

• Easier compliance

If you’re in a region with strict labor laws (like Germany), software helps you stay compliant by default – no extra effort required.

Manual spreadsheets vs. time tracking software: A quick comparison

What to look for in a time tracking tool

Not all time tracking tools are created equal. If you’re ready to move beyond spreadsheets, it’s important to choose a solution that actually fits the way your team works – not one that adds new frustrations.

Here are the key features to keep in mind when evaluating your options:

• Ease of use. If a tool isn’t intuitive, your team simply won’t use it. Adoption depends on a clean interface, minimal training, and fast, frictionless onboarding. The simpler it is to log time, the more accurate your data will be.
• Reporting and insights. Time tracking should give you more than raw data. You should be able to break down time by project, client, team member, or task—and actually use that information to identify inefficiencies, optimize resources, and plan smarter.
• Integrations. The best tools don’t operate in a silo. Choose a solution that connects with your existing systems – like invoicing, payroll, or project management platforms. That way, you eliminate repetitive tasks and avoid manual errors.
• DACH compliance. For businesses operating in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, legal compliance is a must. Look for features like audit trails, break tracking, and legally required data logs to ensure you meet regional labor laws without manual oversight.

Common fears about switching (and why they’re overblown)

Switching tools can feel like a hassle, but most of the common concerns about moving away from spreadsheets are easy to overcome. Here’s what teams worry about – and why it’s usually not as hard (or costly) as it seems:

• “It’ll take too long to set up.”
  Most time tracking tools can be set up in under an hour. If you’ve got your projects and team defined, you’re halfway there already.

• “My team won’t use it.”
  If your current spreadsheet is already a pain, your team might welcome a tool that’s easier and faster. A clean UI, intuitive time tracking methods and smart notifications make a huge difference.

• “It’s too expensive.”
  When you factor in lost billables, admin time, and compliance risk, “free” spreadsheets often cost more than you think. Many tools like EARLY start with a free trial, so you can test it risk-free.

How to get started in 3 simple steps

Making the move to time tracking software doesn’t have to be a major project. Here’s how to get started in three simple steps:

1. Sign up to EARLY for a 30-day free trial

EARLY is a simple time tracking and leave management software for teams and individuals. It offers a vast array of intuitive time tracking methods like automatic time tracking or tracking time with a physical device. Used by over 100,000 of agencies and consultancies, it’s a solid alternative to manual tracking. To try EARLY for free, sign up for a 30-day free demo.

2. Set up your workspace

You can copy your current timesheets structure (like the team setup, tasks and projects) or create a new one. For a smoother onboarding and workspace setup, book a 30-minute demo with one of EARLY experts.

3. Add your team and start tracking

Next, invite your team to the newly created workspace. They’ll get a simple onboarding flow and can start tracking time right away – from desktop, mobile, or browser. It’s as simple as that.

Want to make the first step?

Buche eine Demo und finde heraus, wie du mit EARLY Zeit und Kopfschmerzen sparen kannst.

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