Time tracking automation for billable hours

Purpose

1. Automate end-to-end time tracking of billable hours in appliances customer service to maximize transparency, ensure accurate invoicing, reduce manual errors, integrate records with payroll/accounting, and maintain audit trails for all service agent activities from dispatch to case closure; includes multi-channel, multi-location, real-time tracking with notifications and approvals across professional services teams.

Trigger Conditions

1. New customer service ticket creation.

2. Service agent check-in at client location (physical/digital).

3. Job status updates (start, pause, resume, stop).

4. Calendar booking confirmation/reminder sent.

5. Manual agent input on mobile/web app.

6. Time logged in third-party helpdesk or CRM.

7. Completion of diagnostic or repair task marked in field tool.

8. Supervisory approval submitted.

9. Integration webhook fires (custom event from external system).

10. Receipt or invoice created.

Platform Variants

1. Salesforce

• Function: Use "Time Tracking APIs / Field Service Lightning" to log hours on case update and sync to billing object.
  
• Feature/Setting: Configure Process Builder with "Update Records" on status change, call REST API POST /services/data/vXX.X/sobjects/TimeSheet.
  

2. ServiceNow

• Function: Enable "Time Worked" tracking via Incident table; automate with Flow Designer and Scripted REST API.
  
• Feature/Setting: Automate rules on incident state change, POST /api/now/table/time_worked_record.
  

3. Zendesk

• Function: Activate "Time Tracking App" and custom triggers on ticket update.
  
• Feature/Setting: Use App ID for time tracking, automate POST to /api/v2/apps/time_tracking/time_entries.
  

4. Freshdesk

• Function: Integrate "Agent Time Tracking" module; tie API PATCH /helpdesk/tickets/{id}/time_entries.
  
• Feature/Setting: Event automation on ticket status "in-progress."
  

5. QuickBooks Online

• Function: "Time Activity" API endpoint to log billable hours for payroll/billing.
  
• Feature/Setting: Automate POST /v3/company/{companyId}/timeactivity.
  

6. Asana

• Function: Use "Harvest" time tracking integration trigger or custom webhook on task state.
  
• Feature/Setting: Forward to POST /v2/tasks/{task_gid}/add_tag with "billable" tag.
  

7. Trello

• Function: Power-Up "Time Tracker," trigger via card movement events.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /1/cards/{id}/actions with start/stop metadata.
  

8. Jira Service Management

• Function: Native "Worklog" API to register time spent on each service ticket.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /rest/api/2/issue/{issueId}/worklog on transition/action.
  

9. Clockify

• Function: "Time Entries" API; automate entries when ticket progresses in helpdesk.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /api/v1/workspaces/{workspaceId}/time-entries.
  

10. Toggl Track

• Function: Automate via /api/v8/time_entries endpoint on agent check-in/out or status change.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST job and project references, with custom tags.
  

11. Harvest

• Function: "Time Entries" API ingestion after job phase in CRM/helpdesk; auto-tracking toggle.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /v2/time_entries with notes and billable flags.
  

12. HubSpot

• Function: Use custom workflow to trigger Workflows API when service ticket is updated.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /crm/v3/objects/time_tracking with associations.
  

13. Microsoft Dynamics 365

• Function: "Bookable Resource Booking" entity for logging hours; Power Automate for triggers.
  
• Feature/Setting: Trigger "On status change," then create entity record.
  

14. Monday.com

• Function: Automate "Time Tracking" column population on status automation.
  
• Feature/Setting: Integrate via API v2, mutation change_column_values.
  

15. Zoho Desk

• Function: "Time Entry" API sync on ticket action, with agent ID.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /api/v1/tickets/{ticketId}/time_entries.
  

16. ConnectWise Manage

• Function: "Time Entry" endpoint automation for dispatch/ticket events.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /v4_6_release/apis/3.0/service/tickets/{id}/timeentries.
  

17. Google Calendar

• Function: Create calendar events for service time; capture duration for sync to time-tracking system.
  
• Feature/Setting: Use Events API POST /calendars/{calendarId}/events with start/end as time log.
  

18. SAP SuccessFactors

• Function: "Time Sheet" API on Work Order status change; update for payroll sync.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /odata/v2/TimeSheetEntry.
  

19. Smartsheet

• Function: Use row automation in time log sheet; API update on action.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /sheets/{sheetId}/rows for time entry.
  

20. ADP Workforce Now

• Function: "Punch-in/out" via Time/Attendance API on job state action; sync with payroll.
  
• Feature/Setting: POST /api/v1/time/events with employee/action reason.
  

Benefits

1. Eliminates manual time entry, reducing clerical error risk.

2. Ensures accurate, real-time billing and payroll readiness.

3. Improves compliance and traceability for audit purposes.

4. Accelerates case-to-invoice cycle for improved cash flow.

5. Uniform, centralized, multi-system reporting and analytics.

6. Increases agent accountability and client trust in billing.

7. Reduces time fraud and oversight via automatic triggers.

8. Integrates natively with common industry software stacks.