Friday, 29 August 2014

The development and evolution of time tracking methodologies

Time wasn’t always calculated or managed using the systems we use today and there was a time when even clocks weren’t there to help us know what time it was. Well in earlier times, humans used to calculate the phase of the day by observing the periods of darkness and light.  Comparing this with the latest time tracking apps on our Smartphones, it is quite surprising how far we have come and how much the world has evolved.

Time management isn’t just a fundamental way of tracking hours, it has now become an effective way to improve efficiency and organisation and contribute to the overall success of a business.  Without proper time management building a business is almost impossible and success at handling day to day home tasks would also be difficult. These days, you can track your hours using a simple click of the mouse or touch of a finger on your Smartphone but there was a time when tally sticks were used for this purpose. To know more about how time management systems have developed, you can read the following:

Ancient time management systems

Tally sticks were an ancient memory tool which were either made or wood or bone and helped humans calculate the number of days that have elapsed.  This was followed by calendars which were not like modern day calendars but were based on sun and moon cycles and the rotation of the earth. Some other earlier methods of time management included sundials, which still can be found at some places, astronomical clocks, water clocks and hourglasses.  All these methods used natural things like sun, water, sand to calculate and manage time.

Electronic and modern time management systems

After the time of ancient management systems passed a lot of scientific advancements took place, then better and more advanced time management systems took birth. Wristwatches, which we still use today, were first developed for the military and was the best invention as far as timekeeping was concerned.  After years of military use, wristwatches were introduced into the civilian market and became a hugely popular all over the world. Task lists were being introduced and helped people make time management and scheduling easy. Clocking terminals were also becoming popular as payroll time clock software and are still used at many places. Some other inventions of modern time management systems include stopwatches, personal organizers, atomic clocks and quartz clocks.

The latest and most advanced time management system

We live in the world of Mobile technology where the latest technology is being used for time tracking. Some of these methods include Postcard reminders, Palm Pilots, Email alerts, Smartphones, Google Calendar, time tracking apps and Scheduler apps. All these methods have changed the way we function not only at home but also at workplaces. Without clocking in software's, employers would still be using manual methods of calculating working hours of employees. Without time tracking apps, we would still be spending a lot of time and making error trying to keep track of time.