Pros and Cons of Connecteam: Analysis of a Unique Time Tracking Software Solution in 2024

There are many all-in-one business solutions available in the market. Most, however, are designed mainly to help manage on-premise teams with features built mostly to support work in office environments. There are also those that offer time tracking software capabilities and add-ons for managing deskless workers. But these additional modules may feel like add-ons as opposed to built-in features. This is not so with Connecteam.

Connecteam is an all-in-one business solution for managing a non-desk workforce. With this unique offering, the product is becoming popular among field-workforce-heavy industries. These include logistics, cleaning, construction, field services, real estate, delivery, and HVAC. Still, the product is flexible enough to be deployed in an office setting.

In this article, we are going to discuss the main pros and cons of Connecteam. This will be in the context of balancing in-office and non-desk employee management. We will include staple considerations like integrations and ease of use. In this way, you will be able to weigh whether Connecteam is the right product for your business.

The global field service management market is expected to reach $24.9 million by 2030. This is at a CAGR of 17.9% from the 2021 market size of over $4.8 million. Predictions have been quite bullish largely because of real estate trends such as a rise in home improvement and smart home demands. To manage such growing operations, field service companies—large and small—have been adopting software platforms to streamline their operations as the positive impact of these tools, when used well, is undeniable.

In fact, around 75% of field services outfits have reported an increase in employee productivity as a result of adoption. The remaining 25% reported an improvement in customer satisfaction. This shows that the benefits of adoption spill over to the customer-facing side. Moreover, these tools enable companies to bring together seemingly disparate business functions under one roof and manage them in an integrated manner. So, no business function exists in a silo and 360-degree visibility is achieved. This is important in field service operations. With this, companies can proactively adapt to market dynamics and optimize service provision using data-driven intuitions as they go.

This is what Connecteam is built for. So far, based on user reviews, it is making good on its promise. But, of course, no software solution is perfect. This is what we are going to explore in this article concerning the featured software. But, before going into a more detailed analysis of the pros and cons of Connecteam, let’s provide a context of what the software product really is.

What is Connecteam?

Connecteam is billed as an all-in-one business solution for companies with field-centric operations. The platform is quickly becoming popular in these types of businesses, including cleaning, consultancy, delivery, transportation, events, home care, real estate, and property management. Companies using the solution include the Boston Consulting Group, Canada’s Restoration Services, and Centennial Construction. Also, Connecteam is even flexible enough to be used in a retail setting with company users such as Nike and SodaStream.

The platform is mainly prized for its easy-to-use employee time tracking and job scheduling features in its Daily Operations module. These make managing field operations a breeze. Also, the module is fitted with task management features with a customizable digital checklist and forms. Hence, users can tailor these tools to support a wide range of job orders and tasks.

Connecteam

Try out Connecteam with their free trial

VISIT WEBSITE FREE TRIAL

Furthermore, the platform is also rounded out with two other modules: Communications and HR & People Management. Features include chat, company directory, surveys, knowledge base, employee timeline, and employee training, among others. With these in tow, it is easy to see why many users consider Connecteam a complete package for deskless employee management.

Additionally, users get to access these features via Connecteam’s mobile applications for both iOS and Android devices. Thus, field workers will always be kept in the loop and also be able to update HQ on how things are going on their end.

Also, Connecteam integrates with other third-party business solutions, including Google applications, and more recently, QuickBooks. Lastly, it is offered in four different pricing plans, including a free version. Paid plans start at $39 per month paid annually. Monthly payment schemes are also available.

Who can benefit from using Connecteam?

Connecteam is a versatile workforce management software solution, ideal for businesses that rely on field service operations, mobile workforces, or remote teams. Its flexible tools make it an excellent choice for a variety of industries, including:

• Service-Based Industries: Companies in construction, plumbing, cleaning, and maintenance can benefit from Connecteam’s features, such as employee scheduling, time tracking, and task management. These industries need real-time updates and communication to ensure smooth operations and efficient resource use.
• Healthcare Providers: Medical practices, hospitals, and clinics can use Connecteam to schedule shifts, manage teams, and track compliance. Its mobile app helps ensure healthcare workers stay on the same page, even when working across multiple locations or shifts.
• Retail and Hospitality: Businesses in retail and hospitality can streamline employee management, shift scheduling, and communication with Connecteam’s tools. This benefits large teams working across multiple locations, where coordinated efforts are essential.
• Education and Nonprofits: Connecteam can benefit schools, training organizations, and nonprofits that require real-time communication, task management, and scheduling. Its user-friendly interface makes it accessible for non-tech-savvy employees, and the app can keep teams connected on the go.

Pros & Cons of Connecteam

Employee Time Clock and Job Scheduling

On Connecteam, managers can see which employees clocked in, from where, and what tasks they are on.

As mentioned, Connecteam is mostly known for providing excellent employee time clock and job scheduling functionalities for managing deskless teams. In this regard, it goes above and beyond ordinary standalone time tracking platforms not just with the functionality but also with the ease of use.

One good reason for this is that these features are deployed in an integrated manner with task management tools. So, users won’t have to switch software or windows to find out task details. Moreover, the module also includes custom forms and checklists. These allow users to create tools for various job orders, specifications, and contracts. Hence, it is very useful in HVAC, repair, construction, and professional services operations.

The only downside is that advanced capabilities are only available in higher-tiered plans. For instance, Basic plan subscribers only get to add two subtasks. Also, the plan lacks the ability to set up recurring tasks. However, the software provider offers its higher-tiered plans at a friendly price, especially considering that it has 50-user support. So, they can be pretty affordable for SMEs.

Communication and Collaboration Tools

A screenshot of the Connecteam chat dashboard with numerous chat options.

Connecteam’s Communications module offers a well-rounded set of features. These include updates, announcements, and file sharing. Moreover, the interface is also reminiscent of popular social media platforms. Hence, users find it very intuitive to use. It sports familiar features such as posts, likes, comments, @mentions, and replies. Thus, it comes with very high out-of-the-box usability.

Furthermore, the module’s file-sharing feature provides a wide variety of support for different media and files. These include images, videos, GIFs, PDFs, and even location sharing. Additionally, it comes with post insights. So, companies will be able to measure user engagement and get a better picture of user behavior for platform usage optimization.

Of course, no communication platform nowadays is complete without text chat capabilities. Connecteam offers organizational chat features, including team chat creation and chat channels. In this way, users will be able to keep in constant contact with relevant team members whenever it is necessary. Overall, the platform’s communication and collaboration tools are legitimately high-level offerings with little left to be desired.

Employee Timeline and Training

A screenshot of Connecteam’s course design module with mobile preview.

Connecteam offers holistic employee management and development features through its HR & Skills module. Key features include an employee timeline to record and monitor employee journey and growth. This is essential in onboarding, building talents, upgrading skills, and employee engagement. Other key features include training tools such as a course creator, quizzes, recognition, and rewards.

With these, companies may not only implement training programs but also gamify performance. And, according to gamification statistics, the approach can help improve productivity and cohesion.

Also, these features are quite configurable and flexible. So, companies will be able to personalize employee learning experiences. According to recent gamification trends, this is very important at the onset. It was found that a good 54% of new hires become highly productive because of gamified onboarding.

The only problem is that advanced features are only available in higher-tiered plans. But, again, the software provider offers them at reasonable prices. So, for many SMEs, this will not be an issue.

Knowledge Base

Employees won’t always remember every protocol, process, and answer to every issue they encounter. Thus, it is important for companies to provide a single source of information to their workforce. With a Connecteam subscription, they can do so. Users can easily create knowledge categories with multiple knowledge bases. This allows them to organize knowledge content for easy reference. Moreover, this can also be used for the onboarding process and training.

Also, knowledge base creation is made quick and easy, thanks to templates. In this way, users won’t have to start everything from scratch. What’s great is that these features are even included in the Free plan. Of course, advanced features such as insights, file support, and higher storage capabilities are only made available in paid plans. And, the Basic plan only affords a 1GB storage support per knowledge base with a knowledge category cap of three. For more complex operations with different functions, this might not cut it.

However, again, higher-tiered plans are quite affordable. Advance plan features are available for just $40 more than the Basic plan monthly price of $39. This comes with knowledge asset archiving and duplication capabilities as well. And, the Advance plan supports 50 users. With all other features from the three main modules, the cost of a subscription for a 50-person team is less than $0.65 per user per month.

Employee Engagement

Connecteam goes beyond the usual communication and collaboration offering. As mentioned, it has employee engagement features such as posts, comments, and @mentions. And, again, it also has excellent HR tools for performance monitoring and training. But, it is also worth noting that the platform includes other important employee engagement features.

These include surveys and events. These features provide users with the ability to gather employee feedback and act on insights gained. Also, they are customizable enough to be deployed for different uses. These include company-wide activities such as conventions and departmental functions like team building or uptraining. Your creativity is the limit.

Some users, however, may find this more of a blank canvas than a ready-to-use well-structured feature as they need to invest a good amount of time in configuring employee engagement efforts. This, of course, is the price of customizability and flexibility. On the other hand, this provides users full control of the experience design. And, the latter is, arguably, more important. Regardless, customization controls are really intuitive. So, designing employee engagement activities on Connecteam can be quite enjoyable.

Reporting and Analytics

Connecteam modules have built-in reporting and analytics tools, from its employee scheduling feature to engagement insights. So, users will be able to track, monitor, and optimize key management functions in daily operations and HR. While reporting and analytics on Connecteam are great, data there can be siloed away from other key business management areas, especially financial management. This is because Connecteam is far from a dedicated accounting solution.

Hence, to create more general reports, users may use standalone business intelligence software tools. Thanks to the platform’s data export capability, users can easily incorporate their Connecteam data in more detailed reports and analytics they can perform elsewhere. There is also an integration with QuickBooks. So, QuickBooks users can easily pull real-time data out of the Connecteam platform.

Mobile Experience

You can access Connecteam features using is mobile applications for Android and iOS devices.

Mobile experience is a very important consideration when it comes to choosing a platform to manage deskless teams that are almost always out on the field. Connecteam, like other top time tracking and workforce management platforms, provides native mobile applications to users. And, when it comes to usability and overall mobile experience, Connecteam delivers. In fact, it is a core competency.

All Connecteam features are accessible via its mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. This does not only include task management and collaboration tools but also reporting and HR features. The app interface is also highly-visual and intuitive. Thus, it is highly usable right off the bat. All features are accessible with just a few taps and swipes. And, they maintain the same functionality as found in the web interface.

Integrations

Integrate Connecteam with Xero, QuickBooks, and Gusto with just a few clicks.

Today, no business software should exist in a silo. Each has its own specialty and set of capabilities. But, most of them are not complete solutions, especially when more advanced reporting and analytics are needed. As mentioned, this is the case for Connecteam. It may have all the reporting capabilities you need for daily operations, communication, and HR but it lacks advanced financial tracking functions. Hence, it provides data export capabilities and limited integration options. Right now, the platform only integrates with QuickBooks for accounting and Gusto for payroll.  It also works well with Xero and Google productivity tools such as Google Calendar for scheduling and Google Sheets.

While the platform lacks range when it comes to integration compared to other solutions, it makes up for it with its well-rounded offering. The software provider is also known to be proactive when it comes to updates and in listening to the needs of its users. So, we can expect more integrations to come in the near future.

Is Connecteam good for managing deskless teams?

As the foregoing pros and cons of Connecteam show, it isn’t just a good software tool but it is also a great platform for managing a deskless workforce. Moreover, it is flexible enough to be used for managing office-based operations as well. In fact, it is one of the best tools to connect both in-office and field activities. Through its collaboration and communication tools, businesses are able to keep everybody in the loop.

Also, thanks to its Daily Operations module with time tracking and job scheduling features, businesses can monitor and manage task assignments and performance across different locations and projects. In fact, when it comes to functionality and ease of use, it rivals top project management solutions.

While it is a well-rounded solution being used in a wide variety of industries, it is really best deployed in businesses with field-service-heavy operations—with a good percentage of workers always out on the field. These include repair services, real estate, and consultancies, among many others. So, if your business belongs to this general category, Connecteam could be a great fit for you.

By Jenny Chang

Jenny Chang is a senior writer specializing in SaaS and B2B software solutions. Her decision to focus on these two industries was spurred by their explosive growth in the last decade, much of it she attributes to the emergence of disruptive technologies and the quick adoption by businesses that were quick to recognize their values to their organizations. She has covered all the major developments in SaaS and B2B software solutions, from the introduction of massive ERPs to small business platforms to help startups on their way to success.