Time tracking software for shift teams
Shiftdesk connects app, browser and tablet-terminal entries with approvals, target-to-actual comparison, working-time accounts and payroll preparation in one traceable workflow.
No credit card · hosted in Frankfurt · built for small and medium-sized shift operations
1 · Capture
Schematic exampleApp
on the go
Browser
at a workstation
Tablet
shared by a team
2 · Entries with source and status
Jonas Weber
App · early shift
Jonas Weber
Break · added manually
Jonas Weber
App · target +4 min
3 · Process
More than a digital time clock
A time clock records an arrival or departure. Good time tracking software turns that event into a reviewable process by assigning it to a person, a day and, where available, a planned shift.
Start, break and end events come from the app, browser, tablet or a manual addition.
Source, time, break and deviation are displayed as one connected record.
Open entries can be approved or corrected with a traceable reason.
Approved hours feed reports, working-time accounts and preparatory exports.
Shiftdesk supports documentation and review. It does not replace operational checks that breaks were actually taken or a legal assessment of an individual case.
Capture time where work starts
Not every workplace needs the same device. Employees can clock for themselves, while teams without company phones use a central PIN terminal.
Product interface with fictional example dataEmployees capture their start, break and end in the app. If location validation is enabled, a single position is checked at the time of clocking — no movement profile is created.
Explore app-based time tracking
Product interface with fictional example dataAn existing tablet becomes a shared clocking terminal. Employees identify themselves with a personal PIN and do not need their own smartphone.
Explore the tablet time clockFrom clocking to month-end
Each step has a clear purpose and visible status, so teams can distinguish captured time from time that has already been reviewed.
A time event originates in the app, browser, terminal or a manual entry.
Shiftdesk connects it with the date, person and, where available, the planned shift.
Managers see deviations and process open additions.
The confirmed entry becomes the basis for reports and the time account.
A closed month is read-only and can only be reopened deliberately.
Three capture modes
Trust-based working time, consistent clocking or a link between plan and actual hours: the right mode depends on how closely your schedule represents the work that actually happens.
Published shifts initially represent working time. Managers only correct deviations that actually occurred.
Useful for stable schedules and trust-based time.
Clock-in and clock-out events create actual hours. An existing schedule supplies additional context.
Useful for variable end times and consistent clocking.
The schedule creates the expected entry; clock events supplement or replace planned values without creating a duplicate.
Useful for shift operations that need target-to-actual comparison.
Time tracking software with a working-time account
The working-time account separates each component instead of displaying only one plus or minus value. This makes the result reviewable before month-end close.
The working-time account and month-end close are available from the Pro plan. An open period can change as further entries are reviewed.
How to manage a working-time accountExample for an open month
Current balance
+11:00 h
Choosing software
A long feature list says little about whether month-end will work. What matters is whether capture, correction, approval and handover form one coherent process.
01
App, browser, terminal and manual entries for different workplaces.
02
Make it clear where an entry originated and whether it was changed.
03
Review additions and deviations in an ordered workflow.
04
Apply configured rules without claiming that a break was actually taken.
05
Compare the planned shift and captured time in the same context.
06
Show carry-over, target, actual, premiums, corrections and balance separately.
07
Document edits with time and the responsible person.
08
Close reviewed periods and control later changes deliberately.
09
Transfer reviewed data into suitable file and export processes.
10
Limit access and configure optional location checks transparently.
Transparent plan boundaries
Core capture is included in every plan. Working-time accounts, period close and advanced payroll preparation support more extensive workflows.
Capture and review
Close and hand over
Shiftdesk prepares data technically but does not run payroll and does not replace professional review before handover.
Clear system boundaries
Rollout
A good start does not begin with as many rules as possible. It begins with a clear operational workflow.
Decide which teams work plan-based, clock-based or in hybrid mode.
Match app, browser and tablet to the real workplaces.
Set breaks, approvals, locations and permissions deliberately.
Run through schedule deviations, additions and forgotten clock-outs in practice.
Check the time account, period close and preparatory exports before the wider rollout.
Pricing
Start with core capture or connect the working-time account, month-end close and payroll preparation in Pro. Every plan includes a 14-day trial.
per month · 6 employees included
per month · 12 employees included
per month · 30 employees included
All prices exclude VAT · Cancel anytime · No credit card required
Time tracking software in practice
A running timer initially answers only when a person started or stopped. For an operational process, those events must be assigned to a working day, supplemented with breaks and reviewed before reporting. This context is what turns a digital time clock into dependable time tracking software.
Shiftdesk therefore keeps more than the result. The source and status of an entry remain visible so managers can distinguish captured, open and approved hours.
In a shift operation, an expectation exists before actual hours are captured: the published schedule. When planning and time tracking live in separate systems, target values must be transferred manually and deviations have to be found in spreadsheets.
A connected target-to-actual view shows whether the start, end or break differs from the planned shift. The responsible manager still decides whether the deviation is correct and can be approved.
Shiftdesk can apply configured break rules and the statutory default values. Custom rules are available from Pro. A calculated break deduction does not prove that the employee actually took the break.
Operational organisation, employee information and review therefore remain the employer's responsibility. Software prompts support plausibility checks but are not automated legal advice.
A working-time account is easier to understand when carry-over, target, actual, premiums and corrections are shown separately. A plus or minus balance can then be reviewed before close instead of appearing only as a final number.
At month-end, the reviewed period becomes read-only. If a later change is required, an authorised user deliberately reopens the period. This creates a controlled correction and re-review process.
Approved working hours, absences, premiums and cost centres can be prepared for downstream processes. Shiftdesk can create files for DATEV LODAS, DATEV Lohn und Gehalt and CSV-based workflows.
Professional review and payroll processing remain with the company, payroll office or tax adviser. This boundary prevents a technical export from being mistaken for a tax or social-security assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Related pages
App, browser and terminal at a glance
Compare capture devices and methods
A shared PIN terminal for teams
Understand obligations and working-time rules
Connect schedules and actual hours
Target, actual, overtime and corrections
A 10-point checklist for SMEs
Compare Basic, Pro and Enterprise
Start your 14-day free trial now — free and no credit card required. Or book a personal demo.