Lanco

Time Logging

Track your billable hours accurately with Lanco's time logging system. Time logging is at the heart of Lanco. Each time log entry captures the hours you work, links them to a project and client, and calculates the billable value based on your day rates.

Creating Time Logs

To create a new time log:

  1. Click Time Logs in the sidebar
  2. Click New Time Log
  3. Select the client and project
  4. Enter the number of hours worked (use decimals for partial hours, like 1.5 for 1 hour 30 minutes)
  5. Add a description of the work performed
  6. Select a date if you're logging time for a previous day (optional)
  7. Add a label to categorize the work (optional)

AI Description Suggestions

If you're part of the beta test group with AI features enabled, Lanco can suggest descriptions based on your project context and previous entries.

To use AI suggestions:

  1. Select the client and project
  2. Click AI Suggest Description
  3. Review the suggestion
  4. Use it as-is or edit as needed

To request access to AI features, contact andrew@flett.cc.

Using the Timer

Lanco includes a persistent timer that allows you to track time in real-time as you work. The timer is visible across all pages in the application, making it easy to start, pause, and save your time without interrupting your workflow.

Starting the Timer

To start tracking time with the timer:

  1. Click the timer icon in the top navigation bar
  2. Select the client and project you're working on
  3. Click Start Timer
  4. The timer will begin counting up from 00:00:00

The timer continues running as you navigate between different pages in Lanco, ensuring you never lose track of your time.

Pausing and Resuming

You can pause and resume the timer at any time:

  • Click Pause to temporarily stop the timer
  • Click Resume to continue from where you left off
  • The elapsed time is preserved when you pause

This is useful when you need to take a break or switch to non-billable work.

Saving Time Logs from the Timer

When you're ready to save your tracked time:

  1. Click Save on the timer
  2. The timer will automatically create a new time log with:
    • The selected client and project
    • The exact start and end times
    • The total duration (calculated to the second, displayed as fractional hours)
  3. Add a description of the work performed
  4. Optionally add a label to categorize the work
  5. Save the time log

The timer records precise start and end times, giving you an accurate record of when you worked. The duration is automatically calculated and converted to fractional hours (e.g., 2 hours and 30 minutes becomes 2.5 hours).

Timer Best Practices

  • Start the timer when you begin working on a task
  • Pause during breaks or when switching to non-billable activities
  • Save your time log at natural stopping points (end of a task, end of day)
  • Add detailed descriptions when saving to maintain clear records
  • The timer persists across browser sessions, so you can close your browser and return later

Understanding Billable Value

Lanco calculates the billable value of each time log using the formula:

Hours × (Day Rate ÷ Hours Per Day)

For example, if your project has a day rate of £600 and 8 hours per day, your hourly rate is £75, so 3.5 hours of work would be worth £262.50.

The day rate and hours per day settings follow a hierarchy:

  1. Project-specific settings (highest priority)
  2. Client-level settings
  3. Organization defaults (lowest priority)

See the Clients and Projects documentation for more details on rate configuration.

Viewing and Managing Time Logs

The Time Logs page shows all your time logs grouped by date, with the most recent entries at the top.

Each entry displays:

  • Client and project name
  • Description
  • Hours worked
  • Billable value
  • Billing status

Filter options:

  • By client using the dropdown at the top of the sidebar
  • By date range using the date picker

To edit unbilled time logs:

  1. Click the edit icon
  2. Update any fields
  3. Save your changes

Once a time log is included in an invoice, it's marked as "billed" and the rates used are permanently stored with the entry to preserve historical accuracy.

Labels and Organization

Labels help you categorize different types of work. Common examples:

  • Development
  • Design
  • Meeting
  • Research

To use labels:

  1. Create labels from the Labels section in the sidebar
  2. Select them when creating time logs

Labels are color-coded and make it easier to analyze how you spend your time across different activities.

Billing Status

Time log billing workflow:

  1. New time logs start as "unbilled" and are available to include in invoices
  2. Once included in an invoice, they're marked as "billed" and won't appear in unbilled lists
  3. The system stores the day rate and hours per day used at the time of billing

This ensures that future rate changes don't affect historical invoices.