Are you leaving money on the table with invisible unbilled time and expenses across your active projects?
In today's fast-paced project management landscape, where billable hours and unbilled expenses directly impact your bottom line, gaining real-time visibility into project billing status isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a strategic imperative for cash flow optimization and financial tracking. Many business leaders using Zoho Books notice that the Time Tracking > Projects view defaults to displaying active projects with essential column headers like Project Name, Customer Name, and Project Status. While the Settings menu allows adding Billing Method and Rate for better project accounting, it doesn't directly reveal unbilled time or unbilled expenses—prompting a deeper dive into Zoho Books' project management tools.[1][5]
The strategic unlock: Shift from static views to dynamic billing status intelligence.
Instead of customizing column headers in the Projects list, navigate to Reports > Projects and Timesheets > Project Details. Here, click Customize Report, select filters for Customer Name, Project Name, and Report By (Task, Staff, or both), then Run Report. This reveals comprehensive time tracking software metrics: logged hours, billable hours, billed hours, billed amount, and crucially, unbilled amount—empowering you to pinpoint revenue leaks instantly.[1][3][8]
For a quicker expense tracking and time management filter on unbilled projects, go directly to Time Tracking > Timesheets. Set the Status filter to Yet to be Invoiced, and you'll see all unbilled time entries grouped by project, complete with expense management details. This invoicing shortcut transforms raw data into actionable project billing insights, letting you bundle unbilled expenses and projects into invoices via Sales > Invoices > + New—where pending items auto-appear for seamless selection.[5][9]
Why this matters for your business transformation: Imagine converting overlooked unbilled time into predictable revenue streams. Zoho Books bridges time tracking, expense tracking, and project management by surfacing these metrics in reports like Timesheet Details (tracking logged, non-billable, billed, and unbilled hours) and Project Summary (with logged amount and revenue insights). This isn't mere reporting—it's financial tracking that reveals true project profitability, enabling data-driven decisions on rate configuration, resource allocation, and client invoicing cadence.[6][7]
Forward-thinking action step: Regularly leverage these Zoho Books navigation paths (Time Tracking > Projects, Timesheets with Yet to be Invoiced filter, and Project Details reports) to audit active projects. What if every billing status check became a profitability pulse? Leaders who master this turn project accounting into a competitive edge, ensuring no billable hours go unbilled in your time tracking ecosystem.
How do I find unbilled time and unbilled expenses in Zoho Books?
Use Reports > Projects and Timesheets > Project Details, click Customize Report, set filters (Customer Name, Project Name, Report By: Task/Staff), then Run Report to see logged hours, billable hours, billed hours, billed amount and unbilled amount. For a fast view of unbilled time entries, go to Zoho Books Time Tracking > Timesheets and set Status to "Yet to be Invoiced".
Why doesn't the Projects list show unbilled amounts by default?
The default Time Tracking > Projects view shows active projects and basic columns (Project Name, Customer, Status). Billing metrics such as unbilled time/expenses aren't included there; you must use project reports (Project Details, Project Summary, Timesheet Details) or the Timesheets "Yet to be Invoiced" filter to surface billing status.
How do I invoice unbilled time and expenses?
Go to Sales > Invoices > + New — pending billable time and expenses linked to projects will appear for selection. Alternatively, pull unbilled items from the Timesheets view (Status = Yet to be Invoiced) and add them to your invoice so they're billed in one step.
Where do I configure a project's billing method and rates?
Open Time Tracking > Projects, edit a project and use the Settings area to set Billing Method (fixed/ hourly) and Rate. Proper rate configuration ensures accurate billing calculations and improves the fidelity of reports that show billed vs. unbilled amounts.
Which reports should I run to monitor project billing health?
Key reports: Project Details (customizable to show unbilled amounts), Timesheet Details (logged, billable, billed, unbilled hours), and Project Summary (logged amount and revenue insights). Use Report By (Task, Staff, or both) to slice the data by resource or activity.
How often should I audit projects for unbilled time and expenses?
Run a quick audit weekly or biweekly for active projects (use Time Tracking > Timesheets with Status = Yet to be Invoiced) and a deeper report-driven review monthly (Project Details/Project Summary). Frequent checks minimize revenue leakage and keep invoices timely.
Can I see unbilled amounts broken down by staff or task?
Yes. In Project Details, use Customize Report and set "Report By" to Staff or Task to view unbilled time and amounts by resource or activity, which helps you identify where billable work is accumulating without invoices.
What's the best way to prevent unbilled time from accumulating?
Best practices: require daily or weekly time entry, use timers instead of manual entries, enforce timesheet approvals, schedule periodic "yet to be invoiced" reviews, and automate invoice creation where possible. Clear project billing settings and staff training reduce missed billable hours.
How do I include project expenses on client invoices?
Enter expenses and link them to the relevant project. When creating an invoice (Sales > Invoices > + New), pending project expenses tied to that client/project will be available for selection so you can bundle unbilled expenses with time on the same invoice.
What if a timesheet entry was logged to the wrong project or marked non-billable?
Edit the timesheet entry in Time Tracking > Timesheets: change the project assignment or toggle the Billable flag. Re-run Project Details or Timesheet reports afterward to update unbilled totals and ensure the entry appears for invoicing if appropriate.
Can I automate alerts or workflows for unbilled time?
Zoho Books has limited built-in alerts for timesheets. To automate notifications or workflows for unbilled time/expenses, use Zoho Books' workflow rules where applicable, or integrate with Zoho Flow/Creator or third‑party automation tools to trigger reminders and invoicing actions based on report results or custom criteria.
How can I use these billing checks to measure project profitability?
Compare reported logged amount, billed amount, and unbilled amount in Project Summary and Project Details against your internal cost data (staff cost rates, project expenses). Calculate margin as billed revenue minus costs; track trendlines and adjust rates, resource allocation, or billing cadence to protect profitability.
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