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

Time tracking integrations are a great way to enhance various sources of data for better business insight

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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.

The presence of integration tools and API technology in operations & finance today

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.

Custom integrations vs. no-code and low-code solutions: What’s the difference?

Custom integrations

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 solutions

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.

The case for no-code and low-code integrations

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.

What are the pros and cons of no-code and low-code integrations?

Let’s have a look at both the good and bad of no-code and low-code integrations.

Pros

  • Faster: Thanks to the majority of the development falling on the iPaaS tool itself, no-code and low-code integrations can be deployed very quickly.
  • Cost-effective: Long story short, these integrations are cheaper than custom ones because they require much fewer resources.
  • Low barrier of entry: Almost anyone can set up these integrations since there’s no need for a technical background.
  • Less dependency on IT: Using an iPaaS to set up your integrations means that you won’t have to depend on an IT team.

Cons

  • Lack of flexibility: Because IPaaS rely on pre-built components and templates, they don’t provide the flexibility needed for complex integration scenarios.
  • Incompatibility issues: There are situations where an iPaaS won’t be able to adapt to your needs. For example, it could be difficult to find an iPaaS that supports your legacy software, or you could find that it doesn’t offer sophisticated enough data mapping.
  • Scalability: Low-code and no-code integrations are scalable but not to the same degree as custom integration. If you deal with high volumes of data, iPaaS might not be your best bet.

The case for custom 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:

  • Current and future business goals
  • Data control
  • Security and compliance

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.

What are the pros of custom integrations?

  • Unique needs: Custom integrations adapt to your needs—not the other way around. This means you can have maximized attention to detail and customization.
  • Data control: If you’re building your own integration and not relying on a third party application, then you’ll of course have complete control over your data. That includes how you handle, access, store, and encrypt it.
  • Control over the details: Because custom integrations are designed to fit your exact needs, you can also prioritize improving and streamlining your processes as you design it.

What are the cons of custom integrations?

  • Higher initial cost: Custom integrations cost you more out of the gate. Put simply, developing a custom integration requires skills, time, and resources.
  • Longer development time: If you go with a custom integration, remember that they require someone with a technical background to build them, and then the time itself to develop, test, launch, and maintain.
  • Maintenance & dependency: Creating a custom integration means you’ll be dependent internally on keeping the integration up and running, updating it if necessary, and fixing any bugs. Custom integrations create this dependency on an IT team to ensure it’s working properly.

Project time tracking integrations in action

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.

Project time tracking integrations in the wild

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.

Beebole offers a Google Sheets add-on that can automatically retrieve data from Beebole.

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.

Beebole’s Google Sheets integration is the winner for us. I love that you can easily integrate with Sheets; it makes my reporting an absolute breeze. Two clicks and the latest data is imported and ready for interrogation; it makes Beebole a really powerful tool.
Sarah G. , Operations director at Ostmodern
Beebole integrates with Excel, thanks to their add-in, and this makes accessing and analyzing time tracking data even easier. In general, it’s super easy to create and customize the exact reports we want for managing both time and expenses. Plus their customer service is a 10. They always get back to me quickly and with a real person behind the messages.
Vikesh V. , Senior SEO analyst

Overcoming challenges in implementing custom integrations

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.

Resource allocation

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.

  • Available skills: To understand what skills you need to hire for, you need to know what you have first. Remember that creating integrations generally requires technical skills like programming languages and API familiarity.
  • Time management: Create internal milestones and timelines to hold your team accountable and have an end goal in sight.
  • Budget constraints: Be wary of budget overruns and project scope changes, two things that could throw the integration off track.
  • Priority levels: It wouldn’t be out of the norm for multiple projects to be competing for the same resources. Don’t underestimate the importance of understanding where the integration fits into the company’s priorities.

IT & business operations: Turning two departments into a dream team

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?

  • Goal alignment: The end-goal (a functional integration) is the same for both teams. With this in mind, both teams should meet regularly with a check-and-balance system in place. IT will always be concerned with technical feasibility and security, while operations will remain focused on business goals. But it’s precisely with these two lenses that the teams must work together to assess needs, manage the timeline and milestones, and work towards the common goal.
  • Decision making: Because both departments have different perspectives, decisions need to be made together. This way, we can ensure the integration is technically sound and also functional for day-to-day operations.
  • Continuous feedback: Shame on the company who saves all of their inter-department feedback for meetings on the calendar. An open dialogue can help avoid bottlenecks and keep project scope creep at bay.

The integration is done: Now what?

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.

  • Training: If you don’t invest in training your employees, you run the risk that they won’t actually use the integration.
  • Stakeholder buy-in: Show stakeholders how the integration can help them with success stories, ROI analysis, and company profitability.
  • Monitoring and support: After deployment, the work’s not over. Remember to continue monitoring the integration and how people use it in their day-to-day. If you’d like to be proactive, set up internal surveys to understand and improve how it’s used.

Weighing the pros and cons of custom integrations and low-code solutions for your business

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.

Integrations: How far can they go, and what are their limitations?

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.

Integrations: Connecting data points & painting a clear picture

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.

Katie is a digital marketer who researches and writes about project management, leadership, and best practices in business operations. She's on a mission to spread the word about the value of accurate and easy project time tracking. Through her interviews, research, and articles, Katie hopes to help professionals on their journey to a happier, more efficient work day.

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