FieldKo’s automated time tracking feature captures check-in and check-out times for visits, as well as time spent on tasks, without any manual input from the user. This means every field visit has a start and end timestamp recorded via the mobile app. Over the course of the day, these timestamps build a picture of a rep’s activity – essentially an automatic timesheet of their day.
In this article, we explain how FieldKo logs these times, how “time on task” is tracked during a visit, configuration options for admins, and how managers can view the captured times in Salesforce.
How FieldKo Captures Check-In and Check-Out Times
Whenever a field user begins or ends a visit, FieldKo records it automatically:
Check-In: When a mobile user taps the Check In button to start a visit at an account, the app instantly records the exact date and time of that action. This timestamp is saved to the visit record in Salesforce (along with the GPS location). The user does not need to do anything except the normal check-in step – FieldKo handles the logging behind the scenes.
Check-Out: Similarly, when the user completes their work at that location and taps Check Out, the app records the exact check-out time on the visit. Now the visit entry has both a start and end time. FieldKo can calculate the duration of the visit by comparing these two timestamps. For example, if a rep checked in at 9:30 am and checked out at 10:15 am, the system knows they spent 45 minutes on that visit.
No Manual Timesheets: This process is entirely automated – the field rep doesn’t have to write down times or remember to log their hours separately. As long as they use the Check-In/Check-Out buttons for visits, the system will capture the timing. One customer requested this feature to eliminate manual reporting, and FieldKo delivered it by leveraging the data the app already collects. The result is fully automated attendance-like timesheets generated from check-ins and check-outs. All the work of 'timestamping' is done by the app, not by people, so your team can focus on their jobs instead of time tracking paperwork.
It’s important that users always perform a check-out when leaving a site so that an end time is recorded. If a user forgets to check out, the visit will remain open with no end timestamp. Managers can configure reminders or monitor for missed check-outs as needed. (Some organisations choose to treat the last sync or app close of the day as an implicit check-out, but the cleanest data comes from explicit Check Out actions.)
Location and Offline Considerations: Every check-in/out log also captures the device’s GPS location at that moment for compliance purposes. This does not require cellular data – it works off the phone’s GPS hardware, so even without internet, times and coordinates are gathered accurately. For instance, if a rep checks out underground with no signal, the time (and last known location) will still be stored and uploaded to Salesforce when the app next syncs. FieldKo asks the device for high-accuracy location data when logging events to ensure the info is reliable. (In rare cases of GPS interference, there may be minor discrepancies, but generally it’s very precise for compliance needs.)
Tracking Time Spent on Tasks and Surveys during a Visit
Beyond just the overall visit duration, FieldKo can capture how time is spent within a visit on specific tasks or surveys. The mobile app logs numerous events in the background as the user works through their assigned activities:
Task Completion Timestamps: Each time the field user completes a task in the FieldKo app (for example, marking a task done or submitting a survey form), the app records a timestamp for that event. This includes the time when they finish each survey or other actionable item. All these event times are synced to Salesforce along with the visit. By comparing these times to the visit check-in/check-out, managers can infer how long each task took. For instance, if the user checked in at 9:00, completed a “Store Audit Survey” at 9:20, and checked out at 9:30, one can see that survey took about 20 minutes of the 30-minute visit.
Continuous Activity Logging: FieldKo effectively creates a timeline of the visit. Every important action – Check In, completing Task 1, completing Task 2, Check Out – is time-stamped in sequence. This rich data set allows a detailed understanding of the visit flow. FieldKo does this automatically as part of normal app usage; the rep doesn’t start/stop timers for each task. The app simply notes the time whenever the user interacts with the assigned visit items.
Periodic Updates: If a user remains checked in for an extended period (for example, a very long visit), FieldKo may also log periodic “heartbeat” timestamps. By default, the mobile app records an update roughly every 60 minutes during an ongoing check-in. This ensures that if someone spends several hours at a site, the system captures that they were continuously active. These periodic timestamps, combined with task completion times, provide a complete picture of time on site. (The interval for these automatic check-ins is typically one hour, but this is handled in the background – users don’t see it happening.)
No Impact on Users: All of the above happens without burdening the field rep. The app’s background tracking is designed to be lightweight and not affect the device (FieldKo tested it and found no noticeable battery drain or performance issues for users). Reps just go about their tasks, and FieldKo logs the times silently. For the user, it’s seamless – they check in, do their work, check out, and the app compiles the timeline automatically.
By capturing task-level timestamps, FieldKo enables managers to understand “time on task.” You can see which activities tend to take longer and how a rep’s time was allocated during each visit. This is incredibly useful for coaching and process improvement (e.g. if a certain survey routinely takes 30+ minutes, maybe it can be simplified). Again, this tracking is focused on how the feature works, not on reporting analytics – it’s about the data FieldKo collects in the background to make such analysis possible.
Configuration Options for Automated Time Tracking
FieldKo’s automated time tracking is built-in to the platform, but admins have a few options to tailor it to their organisation’s needs:
Enabling/Disabling Attendance Tracking: By default, automatic check-in/out capture is enabled for FieldKo mobile users. If for some reason you need to disable it (pausing automated tracking), contact FieldKo support or check your FieldKo package settings – there may be an Attendance Tracking toggle. However, in most cases you will keep it enabled, as it provides valuable data with no extra effort.
Defining Work Hours: To address privacy and off-hours tracking concerns, FieldKo allows you to configure the active tracking window during the day. You can set the system to only capture location/time data between certain hours (for example, 07:00 to 17:00 each day). Events outside this window would be ignored or not recorded. This means if a user opens the app late at night or outside their shift, the app won’t log those moments as “attendance” data. Define your team’s standard working hours in the FieldKo settings or let FieldKo support configure it. This ensures the automated timesheet only reflects actual work hours.
Location Permission and Background App Refresh: For the smoothest operation, ensure your field users have granted the FieldKo mobile app location access and allow it to run in the background. The app needs GPS permission to stamp locations, and allowing background refresh means it can log those periodic pings or catch a late check-out even if the user switches apps. On most devices, the default settings after installing FieldKo will be fine. Just advise users not to “kill” the app during the workday. If the app is completely closed, it might miss some background events until reopened. (All critical events like check-in/out will still log when the app is next opened, but intermediate timestamps could have a gap if the app was forced closed.)
Adjusting Interval (Advanced): The default interval for periodic in-visit updates (mentioned as ~60 minutes) is generally fixed in the app design. If your organisation needs a different frequency (or none at all), discuss this with FieldKo – it may be adjustable via a custom setting or an app update. For most, the default hourly check is sufficient and strikes a balance between detail and battery efficiency.
Audit Trail and Data Storage: All timestamps and location points are stored in Salesforce objects. Admins can decide how long to keep this detailed data. By default, it becomes part of your FieldKo data in Salesforce (which can be reported on or archived like any other CRM data). If you have data retention policies (say, only keep 1 year of detailed location logs), you might implement a policy or ask FieldKo for options to periodically purge old tracking records. This isn’t so much a configuration “toggle” as it is data management, but it’s worth noting as part of setup.
In summary, little configuration is needed to use automated time tracking – it works out-of-the-box. The main things are to set any needed constraints (like work hours) and ensure users have the proper app permissions. FieldKo built this feature to be very hands-off: install it, enable it, and it quietly logs away in the background.
Viewing Time Stamps in Salesforce (Manager View)
The power of FieldKo’s automated tracking comes to life when managers or team leaders review the data. All the check-in, check-out, and task timestamps captured by the mobile app are available in your Salesforce (FieldKo) system for managers with the appropriate access. Here’s how managers can view and utilize this information:
Visit Records: Each Visit (or call report) in FieldKo contains fields for Check-In Time and Check-Out Time. When a manager opens a visit record (for example, “Visit – Woolworths Sydney Store – 12/04/2025”), they will see timestamps for when the rep checked in and out. These are populated automatically by the app. Managers can quickly glance at a visit record and know, say, “Alice checked in at 14:05 and checked out at 14:50.” This helps verify that the rep spent an appropriate amount of time at the account.
Task/Survey Completion Times: The detailed task timestamps can be viewed in related lists or activity logs. For instance, if FieldKo uses a “Survey Response” object or logs tasks as child records of the visit, those entries would carry a Date/Time stamp of completion. A manager can view the list of tasks completed during the visit (e.g., Survey A completed at 14:20, Promotional Audit task completed at 14:35, etc.). This might be visible on the visit detail page or via a separate “Visit Timeline” view. In some configurations, FieldKo may present a timeline component or Gantt view that visualises the sequence of events during the visit. If not, the raw data is still there in Salesforce for each item.
Automated Attendance Record: FieldKo also introduces an Attendance object behind the scenes – essentially a log of user’s day (first check-in of the day, last check-out, total active time, etc.). Depending on how your org is set up, managers might have access to an “Attendance” tab or report. For example, a manager could open an attendance record for a specific rep on a given date to see summary info: Login time, first check-in time, last check-out time, total hours worked, number of visits completed. This is derived automatically from the check-in/out data. If your implementation includes this feature, it’s a convenient one-stop view of a person’s day.
Salesforce Reports & Dashboards: Though we’re focusing on how the tracking works, it’s worth noting that all these timestamps can be used in Salesforce reports. Managers can run reports (or view dashboard components) to see things like “Total time spent on visits this week by each team member” or “Average visit duration per account.” FieldKo’s data is stored in standard or custom Salesforce objects, so you can use the native reporting tools on it. For instance, a report could calculate the difference between check-in and check-out times to give duration per visit. Another report might list all visits of the day that exceeded a certain length. These analytical views help managers identify outliers or coach team members (e.g., someone consistently spending significantly less or more time than average). All the source data (timestamps) is captured automatically to enable this.
To access these records, a manager would typically use Salesforce (either the Lightning interface on desktop or the FieldKo mobile/tablet interface if provided). They should navigate to the relevant object (Visits or Attendance) and either open records or view list views. Many FieldKo deployments also have pre-built dashboard pages for managers – for example, a “Field Team Daily Dashboard” that might highlight who’s currently checked in where, who has finished for the day, etc., using live data from these timestamps.
Example: A store manager calls saying the rep arrived late today. The field manager can look at FieldKo’s data for that rep: The first check-in of the day was recorded at 10:17 am, whereas their schedule said 9:00 am. This is immediately visible from the automated time stamps, and the manager can address it with the rep. No one had to manually log or confirm the timing – it’s verified by the app (with GPS for location context).
By leveraging the automated check-in/out times, managers gain transparency into field activities in real time. They can ensure visits are happening as planned and see how time is being allocated across tasks. It removes the guesswork and the need to ask reps for status updates like “When did you start/finish?” – the system has already captured that info. Managers should familiarize themselves with the FieldKo pages or reports that surface this data. Once they do, they’ll find the automated time tracking hugely valuable for day-to-day management and long-term analysis of field operations.