The obligation to record working time will apply to all Belgian employers starting January 1, 2027. The first reflex for many business leaders is to buy a digital time clock or a dedicated time tracking software. Simple, quick, and seemingly cheaper. But does that calculation really hold up?

And if you already use Odoo — or are considering it — the question may not even arise.

The “Time Tracking Software” Reflex — and Why It Deserves to Be Questioned

When faced with a legal obligation, the natural reflex is to look for the most direct tool. A digital time clock, a check-in / check-out system, or attendance tracking software: it records hours, complies with the law, and gets the job done.

This reasoning is sometimes valid. But for many Belgian companies — especially those managing projects, billing based on time spent, or already using a management system — this choice creates a problem they do not yet see: another tool to manage, siloed data, and double data entry that costs time every single month.

The real question is not “Which time clock should we buy?” but rather “How will this working time data support and improve our organization?”.

What Standalone Time Tracking Software Does Well — and Its Real Limitations

Let’s be honest : a good dedicated worked-hours tracking solution does exactly what it is designed for. Solutions such as Protime, Shyfter, or Kelio are solid tools for basic HR use cases.

What Standalone Solutions Do Well

• Reliable clock-in / clock-out recording — RFID badge, PIN code, or mobile app
• Management of flexible schedules, shifts, and part-time work
• Automatic calculation of overtime and overages
• Exportable attendance reports for payroll or labor inspections
• Simple interface and fast deployment — a few days are enough
• 2027 legal compliance covered — they meet the ECJ criteria of being objective, reliable, and accessible

The Limitations Few Vendors Mention

The issue is not what these tools do — it is what they do not do, and the friction this creates on a daily basis.

• Siloed data : recorded hours remain inside the time tracking software. To transfer them to payroll, scheduling, or project tools, companies must export, import, or build API integrations between systems
• Unavoidable double data entry : if you manage project timesheets, employees enter their time twice: once in the attendance terminal and once in the project tracking tool
• No connection to invoicing : hours do not automatically generate invoice lines
• No visibility into profitability : you know how many hours were worked, but not on what, or whether the work was profitable
• One more contract to manage : additional license, additional support, and integrations to maintain over time

The Hidden Cost of Double Data Entry

A company with 50 employees that manually exports data from its digital time clock to payroll every month loses between 2 and 4 hours of HR work. Over a year, that represents an entire work week spent moving data that could circulate automatically — not to mention re-entry mistakes, a frequent source of payroll disputes.

What Integration Within an ERP Like Odoo Actually Changes

In Odoo, the Attendance module is not an isolated time tracking system. It is part of an integrated business management platform where every working time entry automatically feeds the rest of the organization.

When an employee clocks in through Odoo Attendance:

• Hours are immediately available for Odoo Payroll : without exports, imports, or manual re-entry
• If the company uses Timesheets, the data can automatically be linked to projects and customers : one entry, two records updated
• Leave requests and absences are managed within the same system : managers get real-time visibility on actual team availability
• Overtime is calculated and automatically transferred to the HR or payroll modules
• Managers get a consolidated overview : attendance, anomalies, labor costs — without switching between multiple interfaces

That is the difference between simply recording time and managing your organization through time data.

To better understand the distinction between Attendance and Timesheets in Odoo, read our article :Odoo Attendance vs Odoo Timesheet — Which One Do You Need to Be Compliant in 2027?

The Pricing Argument — What Many Companies Do Not Know

This is probably the least known — and most decisive — point for many business leaders.

With Odoo, you pay per user — not per module. An employee who already has access to Odoo CRM or Odoo Sales automatically has access to Odoo Attendance and Odoo Timesheets, at no additional cost. The modules are included in the user license.

In practical terms: if your organization already uses Odoo for other business functions, your 2027-compliant time tracking solution is already included in what you are paying for. You simply need to activate the module and configure it with your Odoo partner.

By choosing Odoo Attendance instead of standalone software, you avoid:

• An additional annual license for a separate time tracking solution
• The development or purchase of an API integration between the time clock and your ERP
• The ongoing maintenance of that integration — every update can potentially break it
• The support costs of an additional software vendor

Already Using Odoo? Then the Question Is Already Solved.

Activating Attendance in your existing Odoo instance does not require any additional license cost. The only investment is configuration and training — performed once, within your current system, by your Odoo partner, no new contract. No new data silo.

Who each solution is suitable for — by Belgian company profile

The real cost over 3 years — not the listed price 

Comparing the price of a time-tracking software with Odoo based on the catalog price is misleading. What really matters is the total cost of ownership — including everything the listed price doesn’t show.

This table does not provide precise figures — because every situation is different. But the cost structure is clear: what looks “cheaper” at first is rarely the least expensive over 3 years once you factor in API integration, maintenance, and the human time lost every month due to double data entry.