WORK EFFORT REPORTING
Read the effort behind the project, not just a total.
Review recorded time by work and customer context, with separate total, billable and approved effort for the selected date range.
The useful question is what the team spent its time on
A time total becomes actionable when it connects to the work that produced it. Tsumira’s report groups returned entries around task, project or general work and shows the associated customer where available. Total, billable and approved time are separate measures. That helps a lead identify what needs review without pretending that effort alone explains revenue, customer value or business profitability.
Choose a period and inspect the work groups
The report accepts a start and end date and reads eligible nonvoid entries in that interval. Its table shows the work label, customer context, total time, billable time, approved time and number of entries. A person’s view is restricted by the applicable role and scope. Use the period and visible groups to ask a concrete question, such as which task accounts for an unexpected amount of preparation.
- Start and end dates
- Work and customer grouping
- Role-appropriate report scope
Compare different meanings of time
Recorded effort, billable effort and approved effort answer different questions. Billable is a classification attached to the work; approved reflects a review decision. Neither is the same as a posted payment or a final invoice total. The overview can also show work still in draft or rejected state. Read the entries behind an unexpected figure before treating it as either a staffing problem or a financial result.
- Total versus billable time
- Approved versus unsubmitted effort
- Underlying entry count
Check coverage before making a broad conclusion
The current report reads a bounded set of up to 2,000 matching entries and aggregates the returned records. It should not be presented as an unlimited warehouse or a guarantee of complete totals for arbitrarily large periods. Choose an appropriate interval and inspect its coverage. The calendar currently follows Japan-based work-date rules. For commercial conclusions, review the linked financial workflow as well as the effort data.
- Current bounded report coverage
- Review of the selected interval
- Separate interpretation from revenue or profit
A concrete workflow
Define the question
Choose the project work or period that needs explanation rather than starting with an undefined company-wide performance claim.
Set the date range
Use the report’s start and end dates and check that the resulting interval fits the question.
Read the measures separately
Compare total, billable and approved effort and inspect the work groups and number of entries.
Investigate before deciding
Read relevant source entries, check coverage and discuss missing or unexpected context with the team.
An illustrative working example
Illustrative workflow: understand preparation effort
A project lead reviews a recent period after noticing that preparation took longer than expected. The report separates the returned workshop task and internal preparation work, showing total and billable effort alongside approval. The lead checks the underlying descriptions and discovers an extra revision round. The discussion can then address that specific work instead of inferring profitability from a single hours figure.
Questions about this topic
Is billable time the same as invoiced revenue?
No. Billable is a work classification. Pricing, document issue, outstanding receivables and posted payment are separate commercial facts.
Does the report contain an unlimited number of records?
No. The current report reads up to 2,000 matching entries and aggregates the returned records. Check scope and coverage, particularly for large intervals.
Why distinguish approved and recorded time?
Recorded effort may still be draft, submitted or rejected. Approved time has passed a separate review decision, which matters before downstream billing use.
Can I use the report as a profit forecast?
No profit forecasting is established here. It reports recorded effort in its scope. Costs, prices and commercial outcomes require separate information and review.
Explore connections around this workflow.
Ideas for intended connections. Check the actual availability, permissions and supported data for each app before using a scenario.
Google Sheets
Workflow concept: Analyze reviewed project effort without treating a bounded report as unlimited company data.
Microsoft Excel
Workflow concept: Compare total, billable and approved minutes in a checked analysis workbook.
Asana
Workflow concept: Review the work breakdown behind a project effort summary.