Field Service Time Tracking – Practical Guide

Busy days don’t always equal productive days. Crews can hustle for ten hours and still miss windows, pad travel time by accident, or forget to log job notes. Field Service Time Tracking sorts that out. It turns “I think” into “we know”—when a job started, who was on site, how long the work took, and whether the schedule was realistic from the get-go. With clear records, arguments fade, billing happens quicker, and managers coach based on facts, not gut feel.

You don’t need a six-month overhaul. Start small: one crew, one KPI, one streamlined workflow for tracking. Shifton lets you test the core toolkit for a month at no cost, so you can see the impact on live jobs before committing.

Field Service Time Tracking pain points: coverage, costs

Costs are up, customer patience is wearing thin, and work is a mix of scheduled visits and last-minute emergencies. Without a reliable trail showing when and where time was spent, you end up guessing on payroll, overtime, and warranties. Field Service Time Tracking provides verified punches linked to real locations and jobs. It also highlights poor planning—routes that zigzag, narrow windows, jobs that consistently run long—so you fix the system, not just the people.

Here’s the point: tracking isn’t about policing. It’s about backing up technicians when they did everything right, and giving managers the data to remove obstacles next time around.

What “good” tracking looks like in the field

Field Service Time Tracking setup: roles, training, approvals

1. Arrive → auto-prompt. The app detects the geofence and nudges the tech to start time on the work order.

2. Do the work → record proof. Notes, photos, checklists, and part scans attach to the same job.

3. Wrap up → sign-off. Customer signature and finish time stamp the record.

4. Move on → the route continues. The next stop and ETA update, and the clock resets.

Repeat that loop all day. The result is a timeline that explains every hour without back-office chasing.

What the platform must handle

• Offline mode that truly works. Tunnels, basements, rural sites—no signal is normal. Punches, photos, and checklists should sync later without duplicates.

• GPS + geofencing with limits. Enough precision to confirm presence on site, with privacy rules (no after-hours tracking, no map stalking).

• Work-order integrity. Start/stop only on a specific job to avoid orphan punches.

• Route awareness. Track travel minutes separately from on-site work to see where the day really went.

• SLA context. Flag when a punch would break a window and suggest a rescue move. That’s where Field Service Time Tracking pays twice: fewer misses and cleaner records.

Where the minutes really go (and how to get them back)

Travel time. If half the “workday” is driving, you don’t have a timekeeping problem; you have a routing problem. Time data paired with routes shows which zones always run hot and which windows are unrealistic. Tighten territories, chain jobs better, and watch overtime drop.

Prep time. Ten minutes hunting for parts at each stop equals an hour lost by mid-afternoon. Track short “pre-job” segments and attach a parts checklist. You’ll see which job types need better kitting.

On-site time. If a task consistently runs long, adjust the estimate or assign higher-level skills. Field Service Time Tracking turns “this always takes longer” from a complaint into a chart that prompts a smarter plan.

Admin time. End-of-day note-typing is where details die. Capture notes as you go—voice-to-text, photo annotations, quick templates. Short, structured entries beat lengthy tomes written at 7 p.m.

Features that actually move the needle

• One-tap start/stop with job lock. Prevents stray time that isn’t attached to a work order.

• Geofenced punches. Optional guardrails that confirm presence without being intrusive.

• Break compliance. Count paid vs. unpaid breaks automatically so payroll isn’t guessing.

• Parts + time in one place. When a repeat visit happens, you’ll know whether it was due to missing stock, a poor estimate, or a skill mismatch.

• Customer-visible proof. A clean service report with times, steps, and photos ends most disputes in one email.

• Dashboards for action. Travel minutes per job, average on-site time by task, and overtime by crew. Field Service Time Tracking makes these numbers hard to ignore.

Rollout plan your crew will actually follow

1. Choose one KPI. Example: reduce travel minutes per job by 15% in four weeks.

2. Limit options. Use one template for arrivals, one for wrap-up notes, one report style.

3. Set fair rules. No tracking off the clock; no GPS pings when the app is closed. Explain the “why” before the “how.”

4. Pilot with three champions. Let respected techs test first and suggest tweaks.

5. Coach with data, not tone. Review one route per tech each week; praise good records before pointing out gaps.

6. Upgrade estimates. Use real task times to improve job durations and SLA windows.

7. Scale. Roll to the next crew only after the first crew achieves consistency.

What to track weekly (and what “good” looks like)

• Travel minutes per job. Trending down 10–20% after a month means routing and zoning are improving.

• On-site time per task type. Narrowing variance indicates more accurate estimates.

• First-time fix rate. Rising 3–7 points means parts/skills matching is working.

• Overtime hours. A steady drop is the clearest signal that time tracking is changing behaviour.

• Punch completeness. Over 95% of jobs with clean start/finish, notes, and at least one photo is a solid target.

Privacy and trust

Strong time tracking doesn’t require intrusive tracking. Keep it straightforward: track within geofences during jobs, show techs the exact data you store, and allow them to correct obvious mistakes. When people see Field Service Time Tracking protecting their time and reputation, adoption sticks.

How time data powers the rest of operations

• Scheduling. Real task times make tomorrow’s plan believable.

• Routing. Identify zones that should start later or earlier to avoid traffic.

• Inventory. Link long visits to missing parts and refine the kitting list.

• Billing. Faster invoices with fewer disputes.

• Coaching. Notice who excels at specific job types and copy their checklists.

Why Shifton is a practical choice

Shifton was built for field work: offline punches, geofencing guardrails, job-locked timers, and simple reports customers actually read. It also links time to routes, skills, and parts, so you see cause and effect, not just clocks. Spin up a workspace in minutes, invite one crew, and test a straightforward loop for a month—no cost while you demonstrate the gains on your own routes.
Start here: Registration • See it live: Book a Demo • Explore the stack: Field Service Management

Objections you’ll hear—and straight answers

“We already track hours in payroll.” That’s end-of-day totals, not route-aware job time. You can’t fix zones, parts, or estimates with a single number. Field Service Time Tracking provides context.

“GPS feels invasive.” Use geofences and on-job tracking only. No off-the-clock data, period. Show the timeline to techs; let them correct mistakes.

“It’ll slow us down.” One-tap punches and voice notes take seconds and save hours of back-and-forth later.

FAQ

Does Field Service Time Tracking work without a signal?

Yes.

A robust app caches punches, photos, and notes offline, then syncs once service returns—no duplicates, no lost time.

Will this reduce technician flexibility?

No.

Track inside job geofences and retain swap/approval flows. People can still exchange visits; the system merely ensures coverage and windows remain intact.

How soon will we see results?

Two to four weeks.

Once punches are consistent and routes are optimised, travel time drops, estimates become accurate, and disputes diminish. Field Service Time Tracking speeds up each step.

Do we need IT to deploy?

Not much.

Import crews and jobs through CSV, set zones and geofences, and start the pilot. Integrations can follow once you’ve proven the lift.

How do we prove ROI?

Track four numbers.

Travel minutes per job, on-site time by task, first-time fix rate, and overtime hours. If each trends the right way, finance won’t need an extensive deck. Ready to shift from guesses to clear facts? Run a pilot with one crew, one KPI, and clear rules. The basic plan is free for the first month, so your only risk is clinging to arguments and slow billing.