Introduction
Daily reports are central to tracking progress and time spent on various tasks within your projects. They feed directly into key metrics like utilization rates and project margins, helping you make data-driven decisions. By logging work daily, you ensure accurate records and financial transparency for your firm.
Creating a Daily Report
Click “+Daily Report” in the top-right corner. A snapshot of today’s daily report appears by default.
Change the Date (If Needed): Use the date picker to backdate a report (within your organization’s allowed grace period) or to enter a report you missed. A calendar pop-up indicates dates you’ve already logged (green) and those you haven’t (red).
Once you’ve selected the date, you’ll see two sections: Billable Tasks and Non-Billable Tasks.
Billable vs. Non-Billable Tasks
Billable Tasks: These directly generate revenue for your firm. In a design firm, this could include design drafting, client meetings, or 3D modeling for a paying project.
Non-Billable Tasks: These don’t contribute directly to client revenue but are essential for your firm’s operations, such as internal training, administrative work, or general meetings.
Billable Tasks
Click “Add Task” in the Billable Tasks section. By default, this list shows tasks assigned to you. You can switch filters to view all tasks in the organization if needed. Next to each task, you’ll see:
Total Allocated Hours: The estimated hours assigned to you in the resource plan.
Hours Logged to Date: The total hours you’ve already reported for this task.
You can log more hours than allocated, but note that this leads to a variance from the project’s planned hours, affecting margins.
Non-Billable Tasks
Below the Billable Tasks, you’ll find Non-Billable Tasks such as “General” or “Administrative.” Enter the hours you spent on these activities, ensuring your overall time records reflect all the work you do for the firm.
Backdating & Grace Period
Your organization may set a grace period (default 7 days) to allow backdated entries. During this time, you can add daily reports or edit existing ones for past dates. After the grace period, these entries lock, preventing further modifications and preserving financial accuracy.
Viewing & Editing Daily Reports
Once submitted, your daily reports appear in the Daily Reports section in the main navigation. You can:
Review all reports for any selected date.
Edit your past reports if needed (within the grace period).
Check which tasks you or your teammates logged time against, ensuring clarity on project progress.
Best Practices
Log Hours Promptly: Recording tasks daily (or within a short timeframe) reduces errors and ensures more accurate project tracking.
Monitor Variances: Keep an eye on hours logged vs. hours allocated. If a task consistently runs over, it may need re-estimation.
Categorize Wisely: Use Billable vs. Non-Billable correctly so your firm’s metrics (e.g., utilization rate) remain reliable.
Respect the Grace Period: Make sure you finalize entries before they lock. This avoids surprises when reviewing project costs down the line.
Daily Reports in descon.ai are a robust yet straightforward way to capture your team’s daily progress on both billable and non-billable tasks. By leveraging the built-in calendar highlights, grace-period edits, and task filters, you’ll maintain an up-to-date record of where your firm’s effort is going—and how that aligns with your estimations and financial goals. If you need further guidance, check out the in-app AI chat or email [email protected].