Eight hours of work don't tell you what was actually accomplished

An employee worked for eight hours. A traditional time tracking system knows that. But what was accomplished during those eight hours? How much time was spent maintaining green spaces? How long did the repair take? What effort was involved in a particular order? Which cost centre was actually charged?

This is exactly where performance tracking comes in. With ZEUS®, working hours can be assigned directly to projects, orders, cost centres, cost objects or activities. The data is therefore available as a basis for costing, controlling and analysis. The key question is no longer: “Who worked for how long?” but rather: “What service was delivered with how much working time?”

When working time suddenly gains value

Municipal services are not created on paper. They are delivered out in the field. In green space maintenance, road maintenance, repairs, servicing work or municipal projects. With ZEUS®, employees can assign their working time directly to the relevant order, project or cost centre. This is also possible on the go via the ZEUS® mobile App. Individual time bookings thus become usable performance data. Working time gains context. And public administration gains transparency.

The work happens in the field. The booking should be possible there too.

Municipal maintenance employees rarely work at a desk. They are out on roads, green spaces, construction sites, cemeteries or other locations. With ZEUS® mobile, services can be recorded directly on site. For example, employees can select the relevant order, project or cost centre and assign their working time immediately. This eliminates a significant gap between the work performed and its subsequent documentation. The data is captured where the work takes place.

What does in-house work really cost?

This question is particularly relevant for municipalities. The decision to perform a service in-house or outsource it should not be based solely on a comparison of quotations. Anyone who wants to assess the economic efficiency of in-house services needs to know the actual internal effort involved. ZEUS® provides a reliable data basis for this. Working hours can be allocated to services, projects and cost centres based on the actual source of the work. This makes it possible to see how much working time is spent on specific tasks. Only when in-house services are measurable is a meaningful comparison possible.

Double-entry accounting and cost & performance accounting don't need estimates

Cost and performance accounting plays an important role, particularly in the municipal sector. ZEUS® supports the allocation of working hours based on the actual source of the work, thereby providing data for double-entry accounting and cost & performance accounting. Working hours can either be distributed automatically according to defined rules or assigned directly using web-based time recording. A working time booking thus becomes usable information for municipal management. Not estimated. Not painstakingly compiled afterwards. But digitally recorded and transparently assigned.

Record performance instead of entering it all on friday evening

Performance tracking should not become an additional administrative project for employees. That's why ZEUS® focuses on making bookings as simple as possible. The allocation can be made directly when the booking is created or supported automatically based on defined rules. Mobile recording is also available. This not only increases acceptance. The closer the recording takes place to the actual work process, the more up-to-date and reliable the data is.

Individual bookings become transparent insight into municipal services

A single booking is not yet management information. But many accurately assigned bookings create a clear picture: Which services are being delivered? Which orders require particularly large amounts of time? Where do high levels of effort arise? Which tasks could be planned more effectively? ZEUS® makes this information available for analysis and controlling and can transfer the data to existing payroll, HR and other systems. Performance tracking thus becomes more than documentation – it becomes the basis for better-informed decisions.

ZEUS® Job Costing for municipal maintenance departments and services

ZEUS® Job Costing connects working time with its actual purpose. Employees can assign services to projects, orders, cost centres or activities. Recording can take place either at fixed terminals or on the go. This provides administration and controlling with a central data basis for analysis, post-calculation and cost assessment. Working time becomes performance information.

Facts, figures and data: municipalities need to take a closer look

The financial situation of municipalities is increasing the pressure to use available resources as efficiently as possible. In 2025, the financing deficit of municipalities amounted to €31.9 billion. According to Statista, this was the lowest financing balance in the period under review and the largest deficit since German reunification. The Handelsblatt also reports a record municipal deficit of almost €32 billion.

At the same time, pressure to invest is growing. According to KfW, the municipal investment backlog reached around €231.2 billion in 2026. Compared with the previous year, this represents an increase of 7.2 percent. Handelsblatt also reports the record figure of around €231 billion.