We use Basecamp as our project collaboration vehicle – it allows us to share files, store conversation threads, and track milestones. For a while, we were also using it to record time on tasks on projects.

I’m a project manager, so my day tends to be spent in smaller chunks on more items than other folks on the team. I might have 10-20 time entries to make in a single day. The analysts work longer on fewer things in a day, but over a month, work on many client and internal projects, so their time entry is similarly complex.

Well, Basecamp requires you to enter time (by clicking into individual projects and recording time) is really sub-optimal when you’re moving between several internal projects and several client projects in a day.

We have been pining for a way to enter time more easily (without several clicks per entry – go to the project, go to the todos tab, click on the clock, enter the time and any comments, go to the next project, etc.). Jennifer, the relationship manager we hired in early 2010, agitated for a system change to make this part of our work simpler. She investigated several systems, and we chose Harvest because it integrated with Basecamp and had an exceptionally straightforward interface. Oh, and it has task timers, which certain members of our team really craved.

We switched to Harvest in April, and our first month garnered lots of positive comments from the team. It is hard to tell if time spent tracking time has actually decreased, because we changed our time recording definitions at the transition. This is anecdotal, but the amount of my time to extract summarized data from Harvest has decreased. And, because we’re getting time entered in a more timely manner, and listening to fewer to no complaints about our time tracking system, we feel this is an upgrade.

For more information on Harvest time tracking, see http://www.getharvest.com/features

At Pure Visibility we think that our company is a pretty awesome place to work. We have quarterly team building volunteer events, an awesome lounge for relaxing or playing Wii on break time. Catherine and Linda, our Co-Founders, are enthusiastic, passionate and always inspiring us to be the best. Last week Catherine and Linda attended the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch awards ceremony celebrating second-stage entrepreneurs in Lansing, Michigan. It’s pretty cool to see that other organizations recognize how great Pure Visibility is! Goooo Team!

Linda & Catherine with their Award