Project plan for a time-tracking rollout
Many companies are introducing working-time recording — in Germany a Federal Labour Court ruling made it mandatory. The sticking point is rarely the tool but the works council, data protection and adoption in production and administration. This plan shows a rollout for 80 employees.
No sign-up · opens instantly · 15 Weeks · 6 Phases · 36 Tasks · Budget approx. €39,950
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Workforce Management / Time-Tracking System Implementation
This project will introduce a new time-tracking system for 80 employees across production and administration. It will align the solution with works council requirements, privacy and GDPR obligations, and operational needs in both shop-floor and office environments. The implementation also includes system configuration, payroll-related integration, testing, training, and go-live stabilization. The goal is to establish a compliant, practical, and reliable time-tracking process with clear ownership and user adoption.
Phases
Phase 1: Project Initiation and Requirements
Establish the project structure and define the operational, payroll, and employee requirements for production and administration. The phase creates a jointly agreed baseline for system selection and works council discussions.
Phase 2: Works Council, Privacy, and Compliance Alignment
Define the employee-data and monitoring framework before system configuration begins. This phase secures works council alignment and confirms that the planned solution complies with GDPR, information-security, and retention requirements.
Phase 3: Solution Selection and System Design
Select or confirm the time-tracking solution and translate the approved requirements into a practical target design. The design must support production-specific workflows as well as administration, payroll integration, controlled access, and required reporting.
Phase 4: Configuration, Integration, and Data Preparation
Configure the selected system, prepare accurate employee and organizational data, and establish the payroll-related interface. The phase produces a test-ready environment reflecting real production and administration scenarios.
Phase 5: Testing and User Acceptance
Verify that the configured system works correctly for both employee groups and produces reliable payroll-relevant results. User acceptance confirms operational usability, privacy controls, approval workflows, and readiness for launch.
Phase 6: Training, Go-Live, and Stabilization
Prepare employees and managers to use the new system correctly, launch the solution in a controlled manner, and provide focused support during the initial operating period. Stabilization ensures that payroll, production, and administration processes function reliably after go-live.
Timeline
Budget
| Item | Qty | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-Tracking System Configuration Consultant | 9 Person days | €950 | €8,550 |
| Payroll and HR Integration Developer | 5 Person days | €900 | €4,500 |
| Works Council and GDPR Compliance Advisor | 3 Person days | €1,100 | €3,300 |
| Item | Qty | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager / Internal Coordination Lead | 5 Person days | €850 | €4,250 |
| HR and Payroll Lead | 7 Person days | €600 | €4,200 |
| IT and Information Security Coordinator | 2 Person days | €500 | €1,000 |
| Item | Qty | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test and User Acceptance Lead | 3 Person days | €900 | €2,700 |
| Employee and Manager Training Facilitator | 3 Person days | €750 | €2,250 |
| Training Materials and Employee Communications | 1 Flat rate | €700 | €700 |
| Go-Live and Initial Stabilization Support | 3 Person days | €500 | €1,500 |
| Item | Qty | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time-Tracking System Subscription for 80 Employees | 12 Person days | €500 | €6,000 |
| Shop-Floor Time-Tracking Terminal Kits | 2 Person days | €500 | €1,000 |
Risks
Works Council Agreement Delayed
If the works council has not formally approved the monitoring, access, reporting, and retention framework by the end of Week 5, configuration and the planned go-live may be delayed.
Payroll or HR Integration Errors
If employee master data, working-time rules, absence codes, or payroll mappings fail reconciliation during Weeks 11–13, the system may produce incorrect payroll inputs and require manual corrections.
Production Workflow Mismatch
If shift patterns, break rules, shared terminals, badge access, or shop-floor connectivity fail production scenario tests in Week 12, employees may be unable to record working time accurately.
GDPR or Excessive-Monitoring Concerns
If the selected solution collects unnecessary location, biometric, device, behavioral, or detailed activity data, or if the privacy assessment remains unresolved by Week 8, the configuration may require redesign and the go-live may be blocked.
Incomplete or Incorrect Master Data
If employee records, departments, contracts, working-time models, manager assignments, or absence entitlements for any of the 80 employees are not validated by the end of Week 11, access, approvals, reporting, and payroll outputs may be incorrect at launch.
Employee Adoption and Incorrect Booking Procedures
If fewer than 95% of employees and all relevant managers complete training before Week 14, or if pilot users generate repeated booking errors during Week 13, time records may be incomplete or inaccurate after go-live.
Stakeholders
Executive Sponsor / Management
Provides funding, resolves escalations, and approves the target solution and go-live decision
HR and Payroll Lead
Defines working-time rules, payroll requirements, absence handling, and operational ownership
Works Council
Reviews employee monitoring implications, access rights, reporting, and the required agreement
Production Management
Validates shift patterns, shop-floor access methods, breaks, and practical production workflows
Administration Department Managers
Validates office-based working patterns, approval processes, and reporting needs
IT and Information Security
Assesses architecture, integrations, access management, support, and security controls
Data Protection Officer / Privacy Counsel
Reviews GDPR compliance, retention periods, employee information, and monitoring risks
Time-Tracking System Vendor or Implementation Partner
Configures the solution, supports integration, testing, training, and go-live stabilization
Compliance
Define and document a lawful GDPR employment-data processing basis, purpose limitation, data minimization, transparency notices, retention periods, employee rights, and deletion procedures for time and attendance data.
Complete a GDPR data protection impact assessment where the planned systematic monitoring or processing presents a high risk to employees, and resolve all identified privacy risks before production use.
Execute a GDPR Article 28 data-processing agreement with the system provider, verify sub-processors, and establish appropriate safeguards for any processing or transfer outside the EEA.
Implement GDPR Article 32 security controls, including role-based access, least privilege, authentication, audit logging, secure data transmission, backup/recovery, vulnerability handling, and access revocation when employment or responsibilities change.
Configure and validate working-time, break, rest-period, shift, night-work, absence, and overtime rules in line with the German Working Time Act, applicable collective agreements, employment contracts, and approved company policies.
Ensure reliable records and audit trails support payroll, wage, social-insurance, and labor-law reviews, with retention and access controls aligned to applicable statutory and company retention schedules.
Provide employees with clear information and role-specific training covering the purpose of processing, booking procedures, corrections, approvals, support contacts, and privacy rights before go-live.
Milestones
- Week 2
Approved requirements baseline covering both employee groups, working-time rules, payroll needs, and success criteria
Depends on: Phase 1 completion - Week 5
Signed or formally approved works council and privacy framework covering monitoring, access, reporting, retention, and employee information
Depends on: Phase 2 completion - Week 8
Approved solution design and implementation scope, including access methods, configuration rules, reports, roles, and payroll interface requirements
Depends on: Phase 3 completion - Week 11
Configured and integrated test environment populated with validated data for all 80 employees and agreed production and administration scenarios
Depends on: Phase 4 completion - Week 13
Signed user acceptance record with no open critical defects and verified payroll, access-control, privacy, and operational results
Depends on: Phase 5 completion - Week 15
System live for all 80 employees with completed training, validated initial payroll output, documented support ownership, and no unresolved critical launch issues
Depends on: Phase 6 completion
How this plan was created
This plan was created by PathHub AI from a single description: “Introduce a new time-tracking system for 80 employees in production and administration, including alignment with the works council and training.” — without company context. With your departments, approval processes and compliance requirements it becomes much more precise.
Obligations with lead time: what many think of too late
These obligations are typically triggered by a time-tracking rollout (example: Germany). PathHub AI schedules them with lead time, warns when the schedule is too tight and shows the rule with its criteria under “Rule & evidence”, which you tick off and back with evidence. Not legal advice.
Rule & evidence
Why: The system must reflect statutory maximum hours, breaks and rest periods.
Legal basis: Since the Federal Labour Court decision of 13 Sept 2022 (1 ABR 22/21) employers must record working time systematically; time beyond 8 hours must be recorded and kept for two years (Sec. 16(2) ArbZG).
- Maximum 8 hours per working day, up to 10 hours with compensation within 6 months or 24 weeks (Sec. 3 ArbZG)
- Breaks: 30 minutes after 6 hours, 45 minutes after 9 hours (Sec. 4)
- Rest period of at least 11 hours after work ends (Sec. 5)
- Systematic recording of start, end and duration of working time (Federal Labour Court, 1 ABR 22/21)
- Record time beyond 8 hours and keep records for at least two years (Sec. 16(2))
If breached: Administrative offences under Sec. 22 ArbZG with fines up to EUR 30,000; intentional violations endangering health are criminal offences under Sec. 23.
Rule & evidence
Why: Time recording is a technical system that can reflect performance and behaviour.
Applies: only if a works council exists
Legal basis: Sec. 87(1) No. 2 and 6 BetrVG: co-determination on working time arrangements and technical monitoring systems.
- Enable works council election from 5 eligible employees upward
- Co-determination on working time, monitoring systems, IT rollouts (§87)
- Hearing before every dismissal (§102) — written with reasons
- Balance-of-interests and social plan on operational changes (§111)
If breached: Dismissals without works council hearing are void. Administrative fines up to €10,000 per violation. Criminal liability (§119) for obstructing the works council up to 1 year imprisonment.
Rule & evidence
Why: Time recording continuously processes personal data of all employees.
- Legal basis for every processing of personal data (consent, contract, legal obligation, legitimate interest)
- Complete record of processing activities (Art. 30) for all processes
- Data Processing Agreements (DPA) with all sub-processors
- Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) for high-risk processing
- Technical and organisational measures (TOM) documented
If breached: Fines up to €20 million or 4% of global annual revenue — whichever is higher. Plus civil damages claims by affected individuals.
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