Time tracking in Odoo: how it works.
Almost every company that comes to us for time tracking runs it the same way: a clock on the wall, a spreadsheet for everyone else, and a payroll office that pieces it together at the end of the month. It works. Until someone asks for the numbers and no one can back them up quickly.
Odoo does it differently. Clock-ins, absences, planning and payroll live in one system. No loose sheets, no double entry, no monthly reconciliation between two tools. Here is how it works, and how we set it up.
Why time tracking in Odoo.
Odoo’s attendance module brings time tracking, leave and reporting together in one place. You switch on only what you need and scale up without rebuilding the system.
The difference is in the connection. The hours you record flow through to payroll and to planning. Leave and sickness show up in attendance automatically. Project hours link to invoicing. Your HR team closes the month without retyping spreadsheets, and every entry stays traceable per employee and per device.
What the 2027 obligation means.
From 2027, the Belgian government wants every employer to record working hours digitally. A wall clock or a spreadsheet will not be enough. A time tracking system like Odoo Attendances covers that requirement, andgives you the audit trail a labour inspection can ask for.
The exact status of the law, the date, and what it means per sector are on our page about mandatory time tracking in 2027. This article focuses on how the software itself works.
Read more about mandatory time tracking in 2027 .
The core features.
Clock in and out in real time
Employees clock in on a kiosk tablet on the floor, on the mobile app, or straight from their browser. The dashboard shows who is working, who has finished, and who is building up overtime. Daily and weekly totals are calculated without external formulas.
Mobile and location-aware
People who work on the road or from home clock in on their phone, with a timestamp and optional location. Field teams log their hours without coming back to the office.
Overtime, breaks and shifts
The rules calculate night, holiday and overtime premiums without separate spreadsheets. Contractual limits raise a flag before you cross them. You plan rotating shifts with templates.
Reporting
Dashboards compare periods and show where time goes, per project, client or location. Exporting to Excel or for your payroll office takes a few clicks.
What we do in an implementation
We do not just switch time tracking on. We start with how your business runs: which shifts, which schedules, which links to payroll and accounting.
Where the standard is enough, we keep it standard. Where it does not fit, we say so, and we solve it with configuration or targeted development. We connect the hours to payroll so there are no intermediate files, and we train your key users so the system keeps running after go-live without us.
How we approach an implementation.
We work in phases. Each phase has a clear goal, and we validate it with your team before moving on.
Analysis: We map your current process and define the needs. Kick-off with the project team, a clear scope, and the gaps between what Odoo does out of the box and what you need.
Implementation: We configure Odoo to your shifts, schedules and rules. Where needed, we build custom work or integrations, for example with your payroll office.
Transition: We test with key users, fix what surfaces, and move your people over. Training is part of this.
Go-live and after: Odoo goes live with close support. After the start, our support team takes over, with the same people who know your system.
Why Dynapps?
We are the largest Odoo implementation partner in Europe, with teams in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland and Spain. We work as an Odoo Gold Partner and we are ISO 27001 certified. In 2024, the Odoo Experience Days named us Best Odoo Implementation Partner in Europe.
What that means for you: consultants who already know your industry before the first workshop, and a team that stays after go-live. The people who scope your project are the same ones who build it and who move it to the next Odoo release three years from now.
Discover what Odoo can do for your business.
A first conversation to see if we fit, followed by a demo built around your processes.
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