{"id":12421,"date":"2017-01-23T08:13:06","date_gmt":"2017-01-23T14:13:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/?p=12421"},"modified":"2020-02-25T08:18:06","modified_gmt":"2020-02-25T14:18:06","slug":"lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/","title":{"rendered":"Lean Accounting: Does IT Need a Time Out on Time Tracking?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12422\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LeanAccounting-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LeanAccounting-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LeanAccounting-1024x614-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LeanAccounting-1024x614-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LeanAccounting-1024x614-750x450.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Different companies have different cultures, but timesheets are almost universally abhorred by the work force \u2014 and yet they continue to stick around. Why? Because timesheets are acutely intertwined with traditional IT budgeting processes. While workers may be peeved at the inconvenience of timesheets, leadership is looking to them to answer vital questions. Questions like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How predictable are we \u2014 do we consistently deliver value?<\/li>\n<li>Are we efficient \u2014 what is the capacity utilization of the staff?<\/li>\n<li>Are we straying from our budget \u2014 projected cost vs. actual cost?<\/li>\n<li>Is the headcount and skillset right \u2014 does the current staff level serve the organization well?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span id=\"more-8988\"><\/span>These questions all feed into the more strategic question: How do we efficiently run our business in a fiscally responsible manner? How do we, as a large enterprise, remain relevant and even thrive in an increasingly competitive economy? This is where Lean comes in.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#Lean_Transformations_Not_Lean_Accounting\" >Lean Transformations, Not Lean Accounting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#A_Real-Life_Example\" >A Real-Life Example<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#The_Problem_with_Timesheets\" >The Problem with Timesheets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#A_Brief_History_of_Timesheets\" >A Brief History of\u00a0Timesheets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#The_Lean_Argument_Against_Activity-Based_Accounting\" >The Lean Argument Against Activity-Based Accounting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#Measuring_Workflow_Efficiency_with_Lean_Accounting\" >Measuring Workflow Efficiency with Lean Accounting<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#Back_to_Our_Example_A_Lean_Accounting_Transformation\" >Back to Our Example: A Lean Accounting Transformation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#Change_Management\" >Change Management<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#In_Short_The_Need_for_Lean_Accounting\" >In Short: The Need for Lean Accounting<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lean_Transformations_Not_Lean_Accounting\"><\/span>Lean Transformations, Not Lean Accounting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Loosely defined as a strategy of flow efficiency, with key principles of just-in-time and visual management,\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.planview.com\/resources\/guide\/lean-principles-101\/what-is-lean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-ol-has-click-handler=\"\">Lean<\/a>\u00a0is a scientific approach to developing products and delivering them fast.<\/p>\n<p>Some perceive Lean as a start-up phenomenon, but the Lean movement touches some of the largest enterprises in the world. As enterprises are undergoing Lean transformations, many of them run into the same problem: How do we practice continuous improvement in Lean, while\u00a0maintaining the traditional accounting practices on which we make all of the strategic\u00a0decisions as an organization?<\/p>\n<h3>Lean Accounting<\/h3>\n<p>In an effort to learn more about what to do about this Lean stumbling block, I found some fascinating articles on Lean Accounting. To be clear: I\u2019m not an expert in finance or accounting by any means. I write this post because viable options are available to mitigate this issue and are worthy of consideration. For those suffering from cumbersome accounting processes, and ripe for trying something new to move forward in your Lean transformation, read on.<\/p>\n<h3>Lean Accounting: What\u2019s It All About?<\/h3>\n<p>In Brian Maskell and Bruce Baggaley\u2019s article,\u00a0Lean Accounting: What\u2019s It All About?, the authors explain an alternative approach to traditional accounting practices, based on Lean principles. The authors explain that: \u201cEverybody working seriously to implement Lean thinking in their company eventually bumps up against their accounting systems. It soon becomes clear that traditional accounting systems are actively anti-Lean.\u201d This is the dilemma I mentioned above.<\/p>\n<p>While Maskell and Baggaley\u2019s article is written for manufacturing organizations, I see no reason why it could not apply to knowledge work. In fact, Planview AgilePlace\u2019s\u00a0Lean Business Report\u00a0validates this assumption: Finance departments are one of the last remaining holdouts in Lean transformations (read the full report\u00a0here).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12423\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LK_LeanBusinessReport_Blog_2000x1200px_1.0-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LK_LeanBusinessReport_Blog_2000x1200px_1.0-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LK_LeanBusinessReport_Blog_2000x1200px_1.0-1024x614-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LK_LeanBusinessReport_Blog_2000x1200px_1.0-1024x614-768x461.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LK_LeanBusinessReport_Blog_2000x1200px_1.0-1024x614-750x450.jpg 750w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Real-Life_Example\"><\/span>A Real-Life Example<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To demonstrate the reality of timesheets, let\u2019s examine a real-life example:<\/p>\n<p><em>It\u2019s 4:45 PM on a Friday. Jim sets his TechOps work aside to complete his weekly timesheet. He doesn\u2019t exactly remember everything he did this week, but he gives it a go:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>There was a request to estimate some architecture rework required for a new project, but there\u2019s no place to charge time against projects not fully funded yet.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Jim also helped run down a production issue on Tuesday, but there\u2019s nowhere to charge time for unplanned work.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>There\u2019s also no spot for the overhead of time unrelated to project tasks \u2014 like the merit reviews that are due this week.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Rather than fret about it, Jim puts in some ballpark numbers, calls it good and gets back to work, relieved to be done on time for a change.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Problem_with_Timesheets\"><\/span>The Problem with Timesheets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>To clarify, the timesheets I\u2019m discussing are not used for billing or compensation purposes. They are completed by professional exempt, full-time, salaried employees to track hours towards projects. So when I use the word \u201ctimesheets\u201d from here on, I mean survey-based activity timesheets used for the management of projects.<\/p>\n<p>The scenario I described above is the reality of using a survey-based timesheet process for IT project budgeting purposes. There\u2019s no incentive to do it well. Jim doesn\u2019t use the timesheet data to make any decisions. Neither do his direct reports, nor his boss. Jim\u2019s boss cares that the timesheet gets done. Period. It\u2019s a bureaucratic checkbox.<\/p>\n<p>Jim is close enough to his team\u2019s work to make decisions based on observations, experience, and team performance metrics. The people who might benefit from the data, like the Project Management Office (PMO) and the accounting department, are several steps removed, and not in a good position to ensure compliance. And so, the data is incomplete at best \u2014 and more often than not, inaccurate. This contributes to the inconvenient truth that the timesheet results are not truly valuable to the whole organization.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Brief_History_of_Timesheets\"><\/span>A Brief History of\u00a0Timesheets<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The timesheet data submitted by Jim\u2019s team is inaccurate. Jim knows it. Jim\u2019s boss knows it. The project managers know it. Given the lack of evidence on their value, many workers question the validity of the timesheet requirement. But they understand that there is a concrete reason for having some record of their activity, and at the risk of appearing less productive or compliant than their peers, they complete the timesheets out of obligation. This is a far cry from the original intent of the timesheet.<\/p>\n<p>If you loathe timesheets, you can blame a lawyer named Reginald Heber Smith for inventing them. Influenced by\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/theymadeamerica\/whomade\/taylor_hi.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-ol-has-click-handler=\"\">Frederick Winslow Taylor<\/a>\u00a0and his theory of scientific management, Smith introduced the timesheet, to (in his own words), \u201clet the work in the office flow where it will be done best, most quickly, and at lowest cost.\u201d In other words, to help employees work better, faster, cheaper.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Lean_Argument_Against_Activity-Based_Accounting\"><\/span>The Lean Argument Against Activity-Based Accounting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Timesheets have come a long way since Smith introduced them in the legal profession in the early 1920s to bill customers in six-minute increments. These days, activity-based timesheets are used to plan for and adjust project budgets, and to estimate skillsets and resources needed to meet future demand. Companies need to know how many people they can hire and how much money to budget for.<\/p>\n<p>The budgeting process typically begins with the program managers who build business cases using estimates for projects. Once a project and its associated budget is approved by senior leadership, the project manager (PM) keeps a sharp eye on the project costs. Many PMs are held accountable for their project budget. When the PM sees that the project exceeds its budget run rate (the total number of hours worked x hourly rate, totaled up for all project workers), they may need to go ask for more money.<\/p>\n<p>The problem here is twofold: First, there\u2019s risk\u00a0in making decisions based on inaccurate data. The inaccurate, activity-based timesheet data is used to calculate project run rates, which are often incorrect. Then, prioritization decisions are driven by run rate data \u2014 data that is estimated at best, and in no way reflects how much value is created for the customer.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly and more importantly, this approach emphasizes activity over value. Activity-based accounting is unrelated to the delivery of business value. Tracking the number of hours Jim spent working on a project task does not reflect the business value delivered \u2014 it just reflects how many hours he spent working on it.<\/p>\n<h3>The Danger of Activity-Based Accounting<\/h3>\n<p>Imagine if we used a similar method to assess someone who makes sandwiches. If we know whether they spent five minutes or 30 minutes making a sandwich, do we know anything about the quality of the sandwich they made? Do we know whether the recipient of that sandwich was satisfied with his or her meal? Do we know how we can improve future sandwiches? No. We only know how long it took to make a sandwich.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the customer doesn\u2019t care how many hours Jim spent working on line item 236. Measuring activity incentivizes people to max out their capacity. The reality is that a team loaded to 100% capacity is much like a freeway at 100% capacity \u2014 a parking lot (learn more about this concept\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"\/batch-on-flow-the-physics-of-lean-throughput\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-ol-has-click-handler=\"\">here<\/a>). Correlating activity with business value is risky, because high activity levels do not equate to high\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Art-Business-Value-Mark-Schwartz\/dp\/1942788045\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-ol-has-click-handler=\"\">business value<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Measuring_Workflow_Efficiency_with_Lean_Accounting\"><\/span>Measuring Workflow Efficiency with Lean Accounting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Instead of spending time managing a budgeting process using estimates and error-prone timesheets, Lean accounting invests in people, measures business value, and improves an organization\u2019s products and services.<\/p>\n<p>In their article available from the Scaled Agile Framework,\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scaledagileframework.com\/original-whitepaper-lean-agile-financial-planning-with-safe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-ol-has-click-handler=\"\">Lean and Agile Financial Planning<\/a>, Rami Sirki\u00e4 and Maarit Laanti echo Maskell and Baggaley\u2019s sentiments on how enterprises experience financial control as a restriction.<\/p>\n<p>Both articles share insights for how to evolve from traditional, project-based resource allocation and cost accounting to a leaner, faster, lower-overhead, decentralized financial management model. Details include removing wasteful practices such as long-horizon detailed cost estimates, and involving the people required to achieve the results in the planning and goal-setting for their own areas of responsibility.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Back_to_Our_Example_A_Lean_Accounting_Transformation\"><\/span>Back to Our Example: A Lean Accounting Transformation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The large global company with $2 billion in annual IT spend where Jim works is undergoing a Lean transformation. Here\u2019s how they\u2019re managing it:<\/p>\n<h3>Team<\/h3>\n<p>First off, teams are trained on Lean flow metrics such as flow efficiency, cycle time, throughput, and\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"\/how-to-quantify-cost-of-delay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-ol-has-click-handler=\"\">cost of delay.<\/a>\u00a0Work is pulled by product teams as determined by the prioritization policy.<\/p>\n<p>In a product-oriented world, it makes sense to organize teams around products instead of projects. Fewer interdependencies across functional teams saves time and reduces coordination costs.<\/p>\n<p>Product-oriented teams also make cost accounting easier. They have a predictable run rate based on the salaries of the team members.\u00a0<a title=\"\" href=\"\/kanban-calculations-how-to-calculate-cycle-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-ol-has-click-handler=\"\">Cycle time metrics<\/a>, which measure elapsed time to build and deliver value, are easier to measure for one product team, than across disjointed project teams.<\/p>\n<h3>Tooling<\/h3>\n<p>The decision filter hierarchy starts with business value, then workflow efficiency, and then removal of waste from the system. The company uses a Lean work item tracking system (like Planview AgilePlace) making it relatively easy to measure\u00a0workflow efficiency. Unlike timesheet data, employees like Jim actually benefit from putting their work in the tracking system because it helps them collaborate with their teammates. They are motivated to record accurate data.<\/p>\n<h3>Metrics<\/h3>\n<p>Lean and Agile practices encourage team members to break work down as granularly as possible, to improve predictability, collaboration, and quality, and this makes for an increasingly accurate picture of where time was spent. Metrics on time spent actively working are automatically captured \u2014 at no extra cost \u2014 and can help teams and organizations learn to improve their flow efficiency. This is something timesheets could only dream of doing.<\/p>\n<p>Flow metrics like cycle time, when viewed at the product level, provide an easier way to see relevant problems that impact the product itself. Flow metrics can be used to forecast future business requests with a high degree of accuracy \u2014 again, without additional cost. The data is already there in the tracking system as a result of just doing the work.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Change_Management\"><\/span>Change Management<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Jim\u2019s IT management team is re-examining timesheet tracking to see if it should still play a role (unlikely).<\/p>\n<p>How will the CFO and the finance team adjust? The IT management belief is that the reduction of waste from removing low-value tasks will free up finance people\u2019s time to allow them to be more actively involved in business improvements.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_Short_The_Need_for_Lean_Accounting\"><\/span>In Short: The Need for Lean Accounting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Timesheets measure activity only and capture questionable data. Correlating activity with business value is risky, as busy people alone do not create business value. Traditional accounting systems often cripple Lean transformations, triggering companies to investigate a healthier approach \u2014 a Lean accounting approach.<\/p>\n<p>Lean accounting does not require traditional activity-based accounting methods. Instead, Lean accounting focuses on delivering business value, improving products and services and doing away with wasteful practices.<\/p>\n<p>Lean accounting actively drives Lean transformations, giving companies better information for decision-making. This helps companies grow, adds more value for customers, and ultimately adds value for the shareholders and owners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Different companies have different cultures, but timesheets are almost universally abhorred by the work force \u2014 and yet they continue to stick around. Why? Because timesheets are acutely intertwined with traditional IT budgeting processes. While workers may be peeved at the inconvenience of timesheets, leadership is looking to them to answer vital questions. Questions like:&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[511],"class_list":["post-12421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-work-collaboration","tag-leankit"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.8 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lean Accounting: Does IT Need a Time Out on Time Tracking? - Blog | Planview<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In an effort to learn more about what to do about this Lean stumbling block, I found some fascinating articles on Lean Accounting.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lean Accounting: Does IT Need a Time Out on Time Tracking?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In an effort to learn more about what to do about this Lean stumbling block, I found some fascinating articles on Lean Accounting.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Planview Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/Planview-Inc\/89422974772\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-01-23T14:13:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-02-25T14:18:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LeanAccounting-1024x614.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dominica Degrandis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Planview\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Planview\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dominica Degrandis\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dominica Degrandis\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/eb07f960fc49f0f339a2d9fc1090e875\"},\"headline\":\"Lean Accounting: Does IT Need a Time Out on Time Tracking?\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-01-23T14:13:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-02-25T14:18:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/\"},\"wordCount\":2003,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/LeanAccounting-1024x614.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"LeanKit\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Work Management for Teams\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blog.planview.com\/lean-accounting-does-it-need-a-time-out-on-time-tracking\/\",\"name\":\"Lean Accounting: Does IT Need a Time Out on Time Tracking? 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