See the project margin before the budget is used up
In consulting, utilisation decides the profit. MetronHR keeps billable hours apart from internal ones and shows per project where the budget stands.
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- A target-against-actual traffic light per project: green, at risk from 80 per cent, over budget above 100
- Billable hours kept apart from internal effort
- The margin per project as the basis for the next quote
In shortLike every employer, consultancies have to record all working time, trust-based working time included (Federal Labour Court, order of 13 September 2022). For the margin, what also counts is which hours are billable. MetronHR separates client time from internal time and, in the Professional plan, shows a target/actual traffic light per project: green up to 80 percent, at risk above that, exceeded above 100 percent.
- Made in GermanyDeveloped and hosted in Germany
- Certified data centreISO 27001, located in Germany
- Web, app and terminalBrowser, iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows
- GDPR compliantServers in Nuremberg and Falkenstein
Duties at a glance
The key duties and how they are met day to day
| Duty | Source | With paper or Excel | With MetronHR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record all working time | Section 3(2) no. 1 ArbSchG, Federal Labour Court 1 ABR 22/21 | only client hours are noted | client and internal time booked separately |
| Record time beyond 8 hours, keep for 2 years | Section 16(2) ArbZG | binders in the office | stored as long as the account exists |
| Prove data processing on behalf | Article 28 GDPR | collect the evidence for each tool yourself | Data processing agreement, servers in Germany, Trust Center |
Record all working time
- Source
- Section 3(2) no. 1 ArbSchG, Federal Labour Court 1 ABR 22/21
- With paper or Excel
- only client hours are noted
- With MetronHR
- client and internal time booked separately
Record time beyond 8 hours, keep for 2 years
- Source
- Section 16(2) ArbZG
- With paper or Excel
- binders in the office
- With MetronHR
- stored as long as the account exists
Prove data processing on behalf
- Source
- Article 28 GDPR
- With paper or Excel
- collect the evidence for each tool yourself
- With MetronHR
- Data processing agreement, servers in Germany, Trust Center
In detail, with examples: Time tracking in consulting: travel time, project weeks at the client and overtime covered by salary
As at: November 2026. This is not legal advice; for a specific case in your business it is better to ask someone with a licence to practise.
The project was profitable, probably
Consulting projects are sold at day rates and delivered in hours. Whether the calculation worked out often only shows once the next quote has gone out.
- Problem
The margin arrives too late
If the contribution margin is only known after the project ends, it no longer helps that project.
- Problem
Internal effort is invisible
Quotes, research and coordination are working time but cannot be assigned to a client, and they disappear from the invoice.
- Problem
Estimates stay estimates
Without solid hours from earlier projects, every quote repeats the same costing mistake.
Budget, actual hours and margin in one view
Set hours and an hourly rate per project. Every entry draws on them, the traffic light shows where it stands, and the profitability report turns the project into a basis for costing.
The budget position per project visible at any timeFor every project it is clear how much of the budget has been used and what margin is left.
From the quote to the costing afterwards
Three steps that turn hours worked into a basis for costing.
Set a budget per project
Enter the project, the number of hours, the hourly rate and the client, and MetronHR works out the total budget.
The costing is in the system, not in a quote document.
Set up the budget Budget and rate
Enter hours and hourly rate; bookings then count against this budget.
The value at once
Change the hours or the rate: the order value follows.
Set the budgetServer move · Tierklinik NordBudget120:00hHourly rate€95BillingHour budgetClientTierklinik NordOrder value€11,400Bookings count against this budget from now on.
Book hours, let the traffic light run
Every entry draws on the budget. Green up to 80 per cent, at risk above that, over budget beyond 100 per cent, visible while you can still step in.
The position is right without asking the team.
The budget runs alongside Network rebuildKanzlei Ruhr · budget 80:00hBookedas of now68:15hUsed85%Remaining+11:45hEvery minute on the stopwatch counts against the budget at once.
Report the margin and pass it on
Profitability per project with hours, revenue and margin, as Excel or CSV for the invoice and the next quote.
The next quote is calculated with real figures.
Profitability per project Project reportOctober 2026Project Budget Actual Remaining Practice IT 160:00h 124:30h 35:30h Network rebuild 80:00h 68:15h 11:45h Till system 40:00h 43:45h −3:45h Server migration 120:00h 35:45h +84:15h
What consultancies need from time tracking
Budget control, utilisation and solid costing, with no controlling department.
- Billing
A project budget with a target-against-actual traffic light
Hours and an hourly rate per project, with the usage colour-coded.
Green up to 80 per cent, then at risk, over budget beyond 100 per cent.
- Time
Only client time draws on the budget
Client hours draw on the budget; internal effort does not.
You book quotes and coordination without a client, counted as working time.
- Reports
Profitability per project
Hours, revenue and margin in one table.
Download as Excel or CSV for the invoice and the costing.
- Team
Utilisation per consultant
Hours worked against hours planned, broken down by day.
Makes overload visible before it becomes a mountain of overtime.
- Projects
Hour packages for framework agreements
Allowances per client with a usage display and carry-over.
For retainers and framework agreements alongside project billing.
- Apps
Booking between meetings
iOS and Android, at the client's site too.
Recordable at a client without a guest login, and transferred automatically.
- Security
Client data in Germany
German data centres, encrypted storage, GDPR compliant.
Roles control who sees which projects and clients.
- Simplicity
Ready without a rollout
Runs in the browser and as an app, so nothing is needed on the client's devices.
Invite external consultants by email and deactivate them afterwards.
For partners, project leads and the consulting team
Four roles, four reasons, from the margin to the payroll.
- Owner or director
Knows which project makes money
- The margin is only known once the project is over.
- The budget position and profitability per project, while the work is happening.
- Project manager
Steps in before the budget tips
- The overrun shows up while the invoice is being written.
- A target-against-actual traffic light per project and utilisation per consultant on one page.
- Consultant
Books without friction
- Hours get reconstructed from the calendar on Friday.
- Pick the client, the project and the task, at the computer or on the phone.
- Accountant
Gets project hours with no rework
- Hours from a calendar and spreadsheets that have to be merged first.
- One file per month with hours per project, balances and absences.
Client data that survives an audit
Consultancies work with other people's business figures, and are audited by their clients. MetronHR runs in Germany and provides the evidence that gets asked for.
- Servers in Nuremberg and Falkenstein, so client figures do not leave Germany
- Encrypted transfer and storage, demonstrably in line with the GDPR
- A data processing agreement and a record of processing for tenders
- Roles control the access: not every consultant sees every client
Servers in Germany, operated by AMNAU GmbH in Hanover
Frequent questions from consulting
Budget, billability and costing, answered briefly.
Question not answered here? Every step is explained in the help centre.
Send us a messageHow do I see whether a project is still within budget?
You set hours and an hourly rate per project. Every entry draws on them, and the position is shown as a traffic light: green, at risk from 80 per cent, over budget beyond 100 per cent. Looking at the overview replaces asking the team.
Am I notified when a budget is overrun?
No, there is no automatic email. MetronHR shows the status as a traffic light in the project overview. Anyone looking in regularly spots the risk early, but no alarm reaches you from outside.
Can I keep billable and internal hours apart?
Yes. Entries with a client and a project draw on the budget, and internal time such as writing a quote or team coordination you book without a client. Both count as working time; only the client hours go into the project figures.
How does that help with the next costing?
The profitability report shows hours, revenue and margin per project. That lets you cost the next quote with real figures rather than a feeling from last time, exportable as Excel or CSV.
Does it work for framework agreements with a fixed hour package?
Yes, that is what client allowances are for: hour packages per client with a period, a usage display and automatic renewal. Unused hours can carry into the next period.
Which plan includes budgets?
Project budgets, quotas and advanced analytics are part of the Professional plan at 10 € per user per month. Time tracking with customer and project assignment, absences, overtime and Excel/CSV export are included in the Team plan at 5 €.
See the project margin while you can still act?
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