THG Ingenuity replaced broken timesheets with a custom app. Here's what changed.

Ask anyone in a global company about timesheets and you'll get the same response. Nobody likes filling them out, managers hate chasing people to submit them, and finance never gets the numbers they actually need.

That was the reality at THG Ingenuity, an ecommerce solution provider that helps brands scale through three core services: THG Commerce, THG Fulfil, and THG Studios. With global reach and over 20 years of award-winning ecommerce experience, it's trusted by names like Myprotein, LOOKFANTASTIC, Holland & Barrett, and The Range. Across the organization, the company manages over 600 licenses on the Zoho One suite, with more than 20 applications in active use.

But for all that scale, tracking employee hours was still a weak spot. The previous timesheet system was slow, rigid, and lacked the flexible reporting the business depended on. Completing weekly timesheets took too long, and the process required manual follow-ups from managers to make sure submissions actually came in.

"Our previous system took too long for employees to complete their weekly timesheets, and it didn't give us the flexible reporting finance needed." 

— Natalie Jones, Head of Systems and Processes, THG Ingenuity

From a finance perspective, the old system created its own set of problems. It didn't allow detailed tracking across clients, projects, tasks, and activities. Generating accurate financial reports or understanding how time was distributed across projects required extra effort. Overall, the system failed to provide the visibility or control the company needed.

A custom app—built with the right partner

To address these challenges, THG Ingenuity brought in DSL Telecom, a Zoho Premium Partner and the company's long-standing implementation partner, to develop the custom THG Time Tracker app on Zoho Creator. The app was designed through multiple iterations and refined until it worked exactly the way the business required.

"The app needed to be user-friendly so our users could easily input their work hours; but it also had to be laser-accurate for finance's reporting purposes." 

— Natalie Jones, Head of Systems and Processes, THG Ingenuity

Creator gave the team the flexibility to design a solution tailored to their needs. Employees can log time daily or in weekly blocks, making the process faster and more convenient. The interface is intuitive, reducing friction for everyday users who once found timesheet entry tedious. Each entry can be tagged to a client project, an admin task, or a specific activity type, with a separate option for logging holidays and absences.

Managers can also log time on behalf of absent team members, preventing gaps in reporting. Weekly reminder emails go out automatically to employees who haven't submitted their timesheets, with their line managers copied, so there's no more manual chasing. And once timesheets are approved by finance, cut-off rules lock them from further edits, keeping data intact. All bank holidays are preloaded into the system too, so those days are automatically accounted for.

The app also integrates with Zoho Analytics, where all timesheet data is pushed into dashboards. This gives the finance team clear visibility into project-level effort and overall productivity.

"Creator makes it easy for us to report on exactly how long account managers spend on specific projects. All of that data flows into dashboards in Zoho Analytics for finance."

— Natalie Jones, Head of Systems and Processes, THG Ingenuity

What changed

THG Time Tracker has transformed how THG Ingenuity manages timesheets. The option to record hours daily or weekly makes the process quick and flexible. A simple interface encourages consistent use, which in turn improves data accuracy.

For managers, if someone is absent, they can fill in timesheets on their behalf, keeping records complete. Automated reminders mean less manual oversight.

For finance, the benefits run even deeper. The app eliminates the manual effort of checking, correcting, and following up on timesheets. Reports are now both accurate and specific, with the ability to break down time spent on clients, projects, tasks, activities, admin work, and holidays. Having all of this data consolidated into dashboards gives the team better insights for financial planning.

"We really love the time tracker app and the way we've been able to develop it for our unique needs. It's completely customized to our business and works exactly the way we need it to."

— Natalie Jones, Head of Systems and Processes, THG Ingenuity

What's next

THG Time Tracker will continue to be enhanced as the company's needs evolve. THG Ingenuity is also exploring how Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, can play a role in their operations going forward. With DSL Telecom supporting the technical builds and a dedicated internal team refining how Zoho is used across departments, the foundation is in place to keep building.

"I would absolutely recommend Zoho to any business. I sing its praises so highly!" 

— Mishje Cooper, Director of Systems and Tooling, THG Ingenuity