Increase Time Sheet conformance!

In a professional services organization, billing time is how you make money.  Having trouble with time sheet conformance?  Follow these simple rules and you will be on your way to success! 

1. Set appropriate expectations.  Communicate to all employees the reasoning for entering time and when it is required to be submitted.  Help them to understand the impact of non-conformance on the organization and customers. 
2. Establish a transition plan.  Establish a timeline to move the organization from the current to the expected behavior.  Communicate how this timeline will be posted and shared with the entire organization.
3. Inspect often and swiftly move to correct.  Expect only what you inspect and do it daily.  A large part of changing behavior is in helping others see what they need to do and make sure they do it.  At first, this will require daily inspections and as time moves on, will diminish to weekly and then monthly.  Don't be surprised if one or two don't follow this path, you will want to be ready with consequences your organization can enforce. 
4. No exceptions.  Everyone follows the process!  Any movement from what is expected will delay your success.  In fact, giving someone a free card to not submitting their time can ruin any progress you hope to make.  Make it mandatory for everyone and you will see a change.
5. Keep it simple.  So, if you’re so lucky to have a process that is easy to follow, technology that is easy to use and the effort takes very little time to complete, you will reach your outcome much faster.  Many fall victim of low conformance due to time consuming, broken and confusing steps.  Doing your homework upfront and providing a sound process and technology before you launch your effort will pay off in the end.