---
title: "Best practices for tracking time as a Project Lead"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/7TFJ/3067412542/Best%20practices%20for%20tracking%20time%20as%20a%20Project%20Lead"
format: markdown
---
> Macro (aura-html)

The number of tasks for a Project Lead in a typical day are many: 

- Assign tasks and responsibilities to team members.
- Troubleshoot technical and operational challenges.
- Identify inefficiencies in the development process.

Among many, many others. Time tracking should be the least of your concerns, and fortunately, 7pace Timetracker is built to capture work time as efficiently as possible. In addition to enabling you and your team to log work quickly and cleanly, 7pace Timetracker allows administrators to log time on another’s behalf and create custom fields for capturing granular data related to worklogs.  

### Scenario

You are a Project Lead on a short-term project with a strong need for timely data on work effort - timelines are short, turnarounds must be tight, and you’re sitting at the helm. Additionally, you want to be able to capture fine-grained data about the work being done by your team, including breakdowns of time spent on common coding tasks, recurring meetings, and client consultations. 

### Logging time for your team

> Macro (iframe)

Perhaps you have team members who lag behind in their time entry, or you’ve decided to create recurring meetings on their behalf. Either way, you need the time entered to be attributed correctly. To accomplish this, 7pace Timetracker lets you log time on behalf of other users. You can add time either through the issue view using the 7pace Timetracker panel or you can use the [Times Explorer](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/7TFJ/pages/1828782116) view. 

> ⚠️ Only 7pace Timetracker Managers and Administrators are able to log time for other users. If you are not a Jira site administrator, make sure your site administrator adds you to either the Manager or Administrator role under the Role Manager.

To log time for another user:

![7pace Timetracker for Jira Add time dialog with user selection](media://df72d2eb-9aae-4f33-8ba9-ca407d52a8e0)

1. From the main project page, scroll down in the left-hand column and click **7pace Timetracker**.
2. In the left-hand panel, click **Times Explorer**.
3. In the upper right corner, click **Add Time**.
4. In the dialog (pictured right), search for an issue or enter a comment.
5. Select the user to whom the time should be logged.
6. Enter the date, duration, and any other data required by your administrator.
7. Click **Save**.


### Custom fields for data capture

With [custom fields](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/7TFJ/pages/1355415553), you can capture additional information about the time logged. These custom fields can be used for reporting in the [Times Explorer](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/7TFJ/pages/1202651216). To create custom fields: 

1. From the main project page, scroll down in the left-hand column and click **7pace Timetracker**.
2. In the left-hand panel, click **Settings**.
3. Click **Custom fields**.
4. Click **Create new field**.
5. Select the custom field type.
6. Configure the field as needed. See [Working with Custom Fields](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/7TFJ/pages/1355415553) for more information.
7. Click **Save changes**.

### Reporting using the Times Explorer

The Times Explorer is a powerful tool for monitoring and reporting on logged work for your team. You can filter by date, project, team member, and any other data you’re gathering in 7pace Timetracker. Additionally, you can create custom views of worklogs, and then export the data from those views for ongoing or recurring reports. For more information on the Times Explorer, see the [Reporting](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/7TFJ/pages/1202651216) section.