Time entry in Mataee is done in 15-minute increments (quarter hours). This choice is not arbitrary: it corresponds to the established professional standard in intellectual service industries.
A recognized standard
Quarter-hour granularity is the standard used by law firms, architecture agencies, engineering offices, and the majority of service providers. It offers the best balance between tracking precision and ease of entry for collaborators.
Why not by the minute?
Minute-by-minute tracking may seem more precise, but it causes several practical problems:
- It is burdensome for collaborators, who must time every activity
- It creates a false impression of precision (no one works exactly 23 minutes on a task)
- It complicates billing without adding value for the client
Why not by the hour?
Conversely, hourly tracking is too imprecise. It doesn't allow distinguishing a 15-minute task from a 45-minute task, which distorts profitability analyses and billing.
The right balance
The quarter hour provides sufficient granularity to:
- Accurately track time distribution per project
- Calculate the true profitability of each assignment
- Produce detailed and transparent invoices
- Maintain fast, non-burdensome entry for teams
For more on this topic, we recommend reading our blog article: The 15-minute rule: what granularity to choose for your time tracking?.
Discover how to put this approach into practice with Mataee's features.