Time tracking integrations: Should you go low-code, no-code, or custom data integration?

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Have you ever thought that you could be using your project time tracking data better in your organization? That you’re dealing with data silos and your teams could be more efficient with better integrated insights? If yes, it’s most likely time to talk about time tracking integrations.
Just imagine this scenario: Without having to even lift a finger, your project time tracking data is silently sent to both your invoicing software and your HR software that’s on the lookout for employee engagement and burnout. It could even be sent to tools such as Microsoft Power BI along with data from the entire company to run reports on overall financial health and performance at teams or company level.
This is what time tracking integrations are all about. Integrations can combine data sources to provide insights and reports into your organization’s key metrics. And if you nail this part—choosing and implementing the right time tracking integrations—you’ll be rewarded with the kind of insight that helps you make smarter business decisions based on the real-time data in front of you.
With the myriad of data integration platforms out there, the challenge for project managers, finance controllers, and IT teams isn’t really if your department or team should invest in integrations, but how.
For the sake of this article, we’re breaking data integration approaches down into two categories: custom integrations vs. IPaaS (integration platform as a service), which offer no-code and low-code solutions. Follow along if you’d like a little help in deciding which is the best option for you.
Cloud-based solutions, automation & artificial intelligence, and no-code and low-code platforms have all had an effect on integration solutions. In short, they’ve made data integrations more accessible for organizations of all sizes. But with that accessibility comes a dilemma that both operations and finance departments are faced with today: Which type of data integration is best for them? And what’s the best way to implement them?
Before you can answer those questions, it’s essential to understand the two main approaches to integrations: custom integrations and no-code and low-code solutions via iPaaS like Zapier and Pipedream.
A custom integration is a unique solution connecting different systems to communicate with each other. They are tailored to a system’s exact needs and requirements, usually via APIs, middleware, consulting IT service or custom code.
Low-code and no-code integrations connect software or programs via user-friendly interfaces, and pre-built templates, or workflows. You might’ve also heard of this type of integration called iPaaS, which stands for integration platform as a service. As mentioned above, two very well-known iPaaS platforms include Zapier and Pipedream. Using this sort of no-code and low-code solutions simplifies and accelerates the integration process.
iPaaS has changed the integration game. An iPaaS provides a low-code (or no-code) method for integrating software. One of iPaaS’ biggest draws is that it doesn’t require a technical foundation. In other words, implementing these types of integrations require less time and fewer resources than custom-built ones.
Let’s have a look at both the good and bad of no-code and low-code integrations.
Here’s what you need to understand about custom integrations. They are more expensive and rely on more resources. But that doesn’t mean they’re not the right choice for your organization. As a starting point, consider where your company stands on the following topics:
If you have a firm stance on the above topics, you’ll have a leg up when it comes to deciding between custom integrations for an iPaaS.
Project time tracking tools like Beebole can be integrated with all sorts of tools to help achieve business goals. Time tracking data is useful for finance, operations, and HR teams alike. Actually, employee time entries are the starting data unit to make informed decisions about project budgeting, project planning and forecasting. If breaking down data silos and having the information you need to make key decisions is importnat to you, time tracking integrations are a must.
Let’s see how 3 different companies benefit from integrating their time tracking data with other software across departments in the organization:
Scenario 1: Company A is a Microsoft-centric company that would like to easily query the timesheet data collected with Beebole in their existing Power BI account. Bob, the finance controller at this company, creates a workflow in Pipedream to retrieve all data from Beebole on a weekly basis and deploy it into PowerBI. This is an example of a low-code custom integration via an iPaaS. But if Bob doesn’t have this skill set (or the time, resources, etc.) to develop this integration, they could also hire the Beebole consulting team to take care of it.
Scenario 2: The accounting department in Company B needs to create a journal entry in QuickBooks Online once a month from summarized timesheet data from Beebole. Mary, from the accounting department, creates a GSheet where she formats time data from Beebole to group and filter certain entries to match their journal entry format in QuickBooks. She previously installed the Beebole Google Sheets add-on to automatically retrieve employee time data from Beebole on a monthly basis.
Scenario 3: A project manager from company C needs to know how many hours have already been spent on the projects they manage. This is important so that they can ensure they have enough resources for the rest of the project. Peter, the project manager, is currently in charge of the renovation of a factory in Miami. He has a link available to retrieve the employees’ current hours on the different milestones. He uses those hours to update Microsoft Project and estimate how much longer the employees will remain within budget.
Custom integrations aren’t necessarily a walk in the park. Like anything built from the ground up, they come with their own set of hurdles to jump.
Allocating resources correctly can make or break a custom integration. First, you need to understand the skills your team currently has so that you can pinpoint what skills you might need to hire for. Make sure you budget the project out in both dollars and hours. And finally, don’t forget to define how this integration’s development fits into the rest of your company’s current workload and clients.
It’s well-known and expected that IT and business operations teams don’t align in many ways. They each bring their own perspectives and priorities to the tables. But that’s actually a really important part of creating a useful integration. So how can we encourage these two teams to come together?
So the integration is finally complete—now what? Well, now it’s time to make sure it’s being used by the whole team.
Introducing a custom integration can mean big changes for the entire organization. Imagine entire processes and workflows that are now done differently thanks to the integration. To counteract any friction, make sure you present the integration to the whole team as well as provide training.
Choosing between these two integration approaches isn’t black and white. There’s no right or wrong—only what’s right for your company and situation. A good place to start is internally discussing the pros, cons, and challenges we’ve detailed today. At Beebole, we’re proud to say that we offer both solutions. Don’t miss our integrations library, where you can see the plethora of iPaaS-powered integrations we have.
Custom integrations give you room to grow. They offer flexibility in data management and scalability. Don’t forget the added benefits of improved efficiency and productivity. They also guarantee enhanced data control and security. But they do require more resources.
Low-code and no-code solutions provide quick, secure solutions that require very little technical knowledge. Benefits include streamlined workflows from one day to the next. But you can also expect less flexibility, incompatibility issues, security concerns, and limited scalability.
Businesses deal with more data now than ever before, and we haven’t hit the tipping point just yet.
This data is what leads companies to making smarter decisions. It has a direct impact on almost every decision that needs to be made, from the customer journey to employee engagement, and profitability. Integrations help us connect the dots between all the data points, and that’s precisely why integrations are so imperative.
Integrations are the perfect way to piece all of our various data sources together so that we can read one, cohesive story. The important part isn’t how you get the whole story, but just making sure you get it at all.
So, what does it mean to choose a DCAA compliant time tracking tool? The most simple answer is that for an organization to remain compliant, its timekeeping processes and software must also follow a certain set of guidelines. We’ll get into those details below. Being DCAA compliant means fulfilling a considerable list of requirements, most […]
In this tutorial, learn how to create a budget vs. actuals report in Excel using Power Query. Gain insights and track financial performance effortlessly. As a financial controller, accountant, or CFO, you’re likely familiar with the concept of budget vs. actuals. You know that reporting budget vs. actuals can be both cumbersome and time-consuming, given […]
Is your organization stuck in spreadsheet chaos because your teams use unnecessarily complicated planning, budgeting, and forecasting tools? For example, when it comes to business budgeting, planning, and forecasting, many top-tier companies still rely on “the good old” Excel or some similar specialized planning tools like SAP BPC, Hyperion, or Workday Adaptive. Nevertheless, do you […]