Managing a construction business isn’t easy. With multiple employees, job sites, job types, and various equipment – it can be easy to lose track. This is where innovation comes in with companies like busybusy and ClockShark, which make organization simple and possible.
Both are strong contenders in the mobile time-tracking space. We’ll dive in headfirst and explore both options, empowering you to choose the best fit for your team.
In a hurry? We’ve got you. Check out our comparison guide and key takeaways that lists the key differences between busybusy and ClockShark.
busybusy and ClockShark Comparison
Click to Enlarge
Table of Contents
ClockShark vs busybusy Comparison: Similar Features
- Ease of Use
- GeoFencing
- Mobile Time Clock
- Photo Kiosk
- Photo Uploads
- Scheduling Capabilities
- Alerts and Notifications
- Payroll Compatibility
busybusy Features Specific to the Construction Industry
- Real-time Reports
- Data Analysis
- Diverse Filtering
- Dynamic Desktop Widgets
- Daily Reports
- Equipment Tracking
- Injury Reports/Covid
- Labor Laws
- Supervisor Tools
- Universal Map
ClockShark vs busybusy Comparison: What’s the Cost?
What is a Fair Billing Policy, and Who Has It?
Clockshark vs. busybusy Comparison: Customer Service
- 90-day Money-back Guarantee
- No Contracts
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
- Ease of Reaching Customer Service
- Personal Onboard Specialist
Summary of Clockshark and busybusy Comparison
Similar Features
Ease of Use
Both busybusy and ClockShark have a foolproof, intuitive interface that is helpful in the construction industry. Employees will need little to no help when using the app.
Once in, the clock-in screen is the first to appear. The employee will follow several prompts to clock out when the workday is complete. busybusy and ClockShark’s customers have commented on how easy the apps navigate. Please look at some of Clockshark’s reviews and compare them to what our customers say!
GPS Time Clock with Geofencing
Integrating GPS with your time tracking needs will revamp any outdated systems to be automatic. An essential feature that GPS timekeeping clocks need is geofencing.
What is a geofence? A geofence is a virtual GPS “fence,” or barrier, that a supervisor can place around a job site location.
Once triggered, the geofence feature will then notify an employee that they are in the vicinity to clock in. This eliminates the issue of forgetting to clock in/out when arriving at the job site, preventing time corrections. Both busybusy and Clockshark have geofencing capabilities.
A slight drawback exists when using a job site time clock on your smartphone. GPS time tracking can drain a smartphone’s battery if not configured correctly.
To address this problem, busybusy created software to automatically utilize a smartphone’s preexisting GPS location technology. This eliminates repetitive GPS ‘pings’ and will optimize a smartphone’s battery.
Mobile Time Clock
busybusy and Clockshark’s time tracking software turns employee smartphones into mobile time clocks, removing the need for paper time cards. Workers can use their phones to clock in/out at remote projects without a shared time clock.
However, having a central clock-in location for admin staff or warehouse personnel is ideal for some. For this purpose, busybusy and ClockShark can turn any device into a time-clock kiosk. Facial recognition is included to help eliminate buddy punching and time theft.
busybusy has three clock-in modes: (Kiosk, Employee w/ GPS, and Supervisor Tools). These are available together so that a supervisor can update job costing or equipment data for employees on their crew. Clockshark needs an efficient kiosk solution. For them, it is a separate piece of software that doesn’t integrate well with the rest of the platform.
The busybusy app has a feature called ‘on-site’ verification. Employees must be inside the project area before they can clock in using their phones. We created this feature to address supervisor concerns about employees clocking in before arriving at work.
On-site verification allows supervisors to trust and verify that their workers are on a job site when they sign in. You can turn on-site verification on or off, depending on the circumstance.
Photo Upload
While both busybusy and ClockShark excel with photo and note uploading, their elements differ significantly. busybusy partners with CompanyCam to bring your business the best in the latest features. Take a look at the differences below!
busybusy’s seamless integration with CompanyCam provides double the amount of benefits. All photos taken in CompanyCam will appear in busybusy, and all projects created within busybusy will automatically appear in CompanyCam. Contractors, employees and supervisors alike enjoy our list of offerings! Project management is a breeze when time-tracking and visual documentation occur in the same place.
Scheduling Capabilities
With the right time-tracking software, you also can create employee schedules. ClockShark and busybusy have a simple scheduling feature to quickly schedule and inform employees of any changes or updates.
Scheduling boosts employees’ love for busybusy by enhancing data accuracy and making it easier for field workers to clock in. How does busybusy do this? busybusy allows employees to clock in directly from their schedule as well! This increases efficiency because you can pre-select the project, cost code, and equipment when creating the program.
Alerts and Notifications
The alert system can remind employees about clocking in/out, taking meal breaks, and notifying them of schedule changes. Both busybusy and ClockShark offer GPS/time of day notifications, shift change, and meal break reminders.
ClockShark’s app will notify workers when their timecard is available for signing. This helps them know when to come to the office and get it signed.
Time cards are important; companies must have two years of signed time cards stored at all times. busybusy takes the hassle out of getting a signed time card and keeping it. The busybusy app helps employees sign their time cards on their smartphones, making it convenient for employees and office staff.
One of the biggest perks of using mobile time-tracking software is going paperless. Choosing a time-tracking software that still requires printing, signing, and storing paper timesheets seems, we’ll say it—outdated. It defeats the purpose of using the software in the first place!
Another thing to consider is compliance. Labor laws require employees to keep two years’ worth of signed timecards. If you are a business with many employees that also stores paper timecards, we salute you, that’s a lot of used-up space. Free it up and avoid the hassle and stress of having to organize time and again.
busybusy stores your digitally signed timecards in the cloud. This allows you to stay compliant with labor laws while also having peace of mind that your documents are backed up and safe.
Payroll Integration
GPS time tracking software can automatically import data into your payroll software, making it more accessible. Both busybusy and ClockShark integrate with outside payroll services like Intuit Quickbooks and ADP, among others. busybusy partners with many of these external payroll services, and there is no extra fee to use them. busybusy will build you a customized import program to help your payroll process run flawlessly if needed.
Features Specific to the Construction Industry
ClockShark provides its services to a variety of buzzing industries. Among them are audio/video technology, real estate, accounting, nonprofits, construction…the list goes on. While being a Jack of all trades certainly has its perks, sometimes less is more.
We like to keep it simple, which is why we’ve served one industry since 2010. busybusy took root from construction and has since developed (and continues to grow) to elevate the industry with the latest tech.
Real-Time Reports
ClockShark generates a real-time report that displays the current clocked-in employees and their respective work locations.
busybusy also offers this basic real-time report, and that’s just the beginning. busybusy also provides real-time reporting on equipment statistics and location.
It also provides job costing, project budgets, and detailed employee reports. These reports include information on hours worked and past projects. You can see more than 30 reports in an instant on any device. This allows you to monitor your business while relaxing on the beach with your family!
Data Analysis Reporting
Gathering data is valuable for informed decision-making. busybusy simplifies this process by compiling and providing comprehensive data analysis.
One instance is being able to access graphs and charts quickly. These visuals compare estimated labor costs to current costs or estimated hours versus actual hours. Additionally, busybusy offers report that showcase labor budgets and cost codes.
These simple reports assure you that your projects are on schedule and within budget. In the construction industry, data analysis will optimize your business.
ClockShark provides reports in a straightforward spreadsheet format. However, their spreadsheet only displays numbers, requiring you to personally examine and analyze trends and patterns. This is in contrast to busybusy, which handles all analysis for you.
Diverse Filtering
Using busybusy, you can organize your data using up to five categories: projects, employees, cost codes, equipment, and dates. You can then apply further filters within these categories. For example, with data to a specific project you can narrow it down by employee, cost code, and equipment, among others. If you want to focus on cost codes, you can then access them and arrange by project, date, and more.
The combinations to sort and analyze your data is endless. This gives you the tools you need to research and prepare future bids.
Dynamic Desktop Widgets
Building on its extensive reports, busybusy just released a new feature for desktop displays. Its desktop dashboard shows up to 19 different adjustable widgets. Owners/administrators can see an overview of every possible aspect regarding employees, hours, projects, equipment, and personnel issues. You can customize devices to show timeframes of the last seven days, 14 days, weekly, monthly, or according to pay periods.
busybusy’s Adjustable Desktop Widgets
Daily Project Reports
If you’re a construction industry supervisor, you’re probably familiar with daily project reports. busybusy’s daily report feature automatically generates in-depth daily information using the data it has compiled throughout the day. The ClockShark app does not offer a daily report feature.
Some time-tracking companies might give daily reports with unnecessary elements like weather updates. With busybusy however, automated daily reports provide crucial details such as total project hours, injuries, and job site notes. If desired, supervisors can add a brief workday summary on top of the included information.
Daily Reports are stored in the cloud and can be effortlessly shared with management, crew members, or clients using methods like text, email, Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, and others.
Equipment Tracking
ClockShark claims its software is designed for construction companies yet has yet to offer an equipment tracking solution. busybusy’s equipment tracking allows you to see where your equipment is located in real-time, track fuel levels and hours, view current and past operators, assign equipment to existing projects, and associate labor costs with time-on equipment. Not only will you save time by searching for equipment, but you will increase profits by increasing bid accuracy.
Injury Reports & COVID-19 Reports
Onsite injuries and the liability that follows in the days afterward can keep construction business owners awake at night. Documentation is critical to preventing unnecessary legal headaches in the construction industry.
busybusy’s Safety Questionnaire Feature allows your workers to report and record any injuries before they can clock out. This feature protects you (and your workers) from future injury arguments. With this daily documentation, you can ensure there won’t be a surprising claim weeks/months down the road. Injuries are dealt with quickly and correctly.
busybusy and ClockShark provide a clock-out questionnaire where employees can document injuries they might have received that day. This ensures proper record for insurance purposes, workers comp, or future litigation. Both applications also alert you to any unexpected responses received from clock-out questionnaires so you can monitor any issues.
In response to Covid-19, busybusy also created a self-health assessment to safeguard your employees from potential exposure. This assessment is taken before the employee clocks in.
Labor Law Compliance
Labor laws are always present, no matter the state you’re in. These laws are overwhelming to comprehend and challenging to implement. The great news is that busybusy can be configured to comply with your state’s labor laws. By customizing break length and calculating overtime correctly, your business will stay compliant and out of hot water.
As mentioned earlier, busybusy enables employees to digitally sign their timecards using their smartphone and finger, making it simple and convenient. Using busybusy, you can comply with labor law mandates that require two years of signed timecards per employee. This would be much more challenging if you had to print, physically sign, and store paper time cards.
Notice to California Businesses! busybusy is the only time tracking software company with California labor/break laws built in. This feature is valuable as California becomes stricter with labor laws and work break regulations.
With busybusy, your business’s compliance is guaranteed with automatic break reminders and accurate overtime calculation. If you’re a construction business in California, the only smart choice for time-tracking software is busybusy. Read more about busybusy and California overtime laws and California break laws.
Supervisor Tools for Crew Leads, Supervisors, and Foremen
In construction, the boss is often off-site, running the admin side of things. It is the job of the foreman or supervisor to oversee the crew members and attend to any job site issues.
With this in mind, busybusy created a Supervisor Tools feature. This feature allows the boss/owner to grant selective administrative access to their job site foreman. This allows the supervisor/foreman to handle onsite admin tasks without bothering the big boss.
What do the supervisor tools allow? Supervisors will be able to clock in/out whole crews, individually or all at once. They can also create or modify schedules, create daily reports, see where equipment is, monitor job costs, and track employee locations based on timestamps. Supervisor Tools will ease the administrative burden for owners and empower supervisors to handle job site issues.
Universal Map
ClockShark and busybusy both allow employee location viewing in real-time. ClockShark named this feature “Who’s Working Now.” This version holds information about the employees currently clocked in, their ongoing tasks, and their respective locations.
busybusy’s Universal Map doesn’t just show you the location of employees but also equipment and all active projects. This gives supervisors and management the visibility and insights they need about their equipment, projects, and workers – all in one feature.
Cost Comparison
How much does ClockShark cost? ClockShark pricing offers two packages; Standard and Pro. Its standard package has minimal features and costs $8/month per user with a $20/month base fee.
busybusy offers a free and unlimited standard package. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it is a bare-bones program without nifty features. With busbusy’s freemium, you and your employees will access 12 powerful features. In ClockShark’s Standard package, you pay for the seven features available.
ClockShark’s Pro package is $10/user with a $40/ month base fee. However, with busybusy’s premium version, you’ll receive access to top-tier features for $9.99 per user, with a ZERO monthly base fee. Take a look at our packages here.
Monthly base fees accumulate, creating the illusion of lower charges, when in fact they are higher. Plus, a base fee is subject to unannounced price increases, to which ClockShark has unfortunately been a culprit to. There are NO monthly base fees at busybusy; contact us today to learn more about our solutions!
Automatic Billing Policy
A frequent worry about time-tracking software is, “What if I have more employees in certain months but fewer in others? I don’t want to pay too much.”
busybusy has an automatic Fair Billing Policy that will only charge you for what you use. busybusy automatically tracks your usage and adjusts your bill accordingly, giving you peace of mind. This is especially important in the construction industry, where employee turnover and seasonal employment occur.
The savings can be enormous.
For instance, a small construction business hires 25 crew members for nine months. Yet, only a handful stay on during winter. busybusy’s fair billing prevents the business from being billed for seasonal employees who aren’t active during winter months. busybusy will automatically adjust their bill, saving them over $1,000 yearly.
ClockShark allows you to manually switch an employee’s status on and off, but unlike busybusy, it doesn’t do this automatically. This means you’ll have to remember to switch your seasonal employees, which can add to concerns and expenses. busybusy’s policy ensures that if employees aren’t clocked in during off-peak times, you won’t be charged.
Customer Service
When it comes to trying out software, both busybusy and ClockShark offer a 14-day free trial of some of their premium features.
If signing up for an annual subscription package with busybusy, you get an additional 2 months for free. busybusy also provides every Pro and Premium user with a 100% money-back guarantee for a full 90 days after signing up. That’s three months to decide about our product and explore our features.
Customer Service is a vital component to both busybusy and ClockShark. Both companies include free premium customer support with any package. You can reach customer support any time by phone, email, or through their onsite chat feature.
busybusy assigns new clients a dedicated onboarding specialist. These specialists will guide you through step-by-step and help you customize each setting to match your company’s specific requirements. They help import and set up current projects, equipment, and employees. Your onboard specialist will also help with payroll integration, including walking you through your first payroll process.
Conclusion
While ClockShark and busybusy provide phenomenal time tracking, only one specializes in construction. busybusy’s construction-based features make it a clear choice for contractors in the industry.
ClockShark’s time tracking makes sense if you have a mobile-based business like a delivery service or provide home healthcare. If you own a construction business, using busybusy, which is no stranger to the industry, will fit best for your needs. busybusy stands out as an industry leader due to its exceptional reporting, fair billing, customer service, and high-tech features.
Reasons to use busybusy over ClockShark
- busybusy was designed exclusively for the construction industry. They have stayed true to their construction roots and continuously improve to best serve the industry.
- Simple Design. Voted #1 in ease of use and reliability, busybusy exceeds employer expectations.
- Digital Timecard Signatures for Employees & Supervisors.
- Automatic Fair Billing Policy that adjusts your bill according to employee seasonality/usage.
- 90-day money-back guarantee for paid users that allows you to try us risk-free.
- Comprehensive analysis and reporting.
- Daily Project Report creations that increase communication and efficiency between crews and management.
- Equipment Tracking to help protect and utilize equipment most efficiently.
- Easily searchable jobsite photos and notes.
- Universal Map.
- Labor law compliance.
- Personal Onboarding Specialist(s) that keep you on track with a quick, successful rollout while understanding your business in-depth.
- Better liability management for construction owners.
Reasons to use ClockShark over busybusy
- ClockShark is a fantastic time-tracking software program to track mobile employees such as delivery drivers, house cleaners, etc.
- They cover a multitude of industries ranging from landscape, healthcare, and franchises, to construction and staffing companies.
- ClockShark reviews rate them as reliable with quick customer service and simplistic in-app features.
- If you run a service-based business where project bidding and in-depth reports aren’t necessary, ClockShark’s basic reports will handle it.
- If your business does not own work trucks or heavy equipment, you won’t need busybusy’s extensive equipment tracking feature.
- If your business does not require daily project reports, you won’t miss this busybusy feature by going with ClockShark.
- Your favorite week of the year is Shark Week (shoutout to Discovery Channel!)
