Do not start by asking 'what is the best time tracking system'. Start by asking 'what problem am I trying to solve'. There are three distinct problems that lead companies to look for a system.

Problem 1: legal compliance

'I need to comply with the law and not get an ACT fine.' All systems solve this, including paper if well maintained. But a digital system is much stronger evidence.

Problem 2: administrative efficiency

'I spend hours per month consolidating records and resolving hour disputes.' This problem is only solved by an automated system that calculates automatically and keeps the history.

Problem 3: conflict resolution

'I have disputes with employees about hours worked.' This requires an objective, unalterable record that both parties accept.

Honest comparison of the three methods

Paper

When it works: teams of up to 5 people, fixed hours, no overtime disputes, no history of ACT inspections. Limitations: weak legal evidence, manual errors, no real-time visibility.

Excel

Better than paper for calculations but still manually filled, alterable and without tamper-proof timestamps. Not strong evidence for the ACT.

Automated system (RFID/app)

The only option that solves all three problems. Real-time data, automatic calculations, tamper-proof record, ACT-ready export. Find out more about Picco at damastor.com/picco.