AKRO HR

Backend

• Django — High-level Python web framework for rapid development and clean, pragmatic design
• Python — Core programming language
• SQLite — Lightweight database for structured data storage

Frontend

• HTML5/CSS3 — Semantic markup and styling
• JavaScript — Client-side interactivity and dynamic form handling
• Bootstrap — Responsive UI framework for consistent design

Reporting & Data Export

• openpyxl/xlsxwriter — Excel file generation for detailed reports and data exports
• HTML to PDF API Service — External API integration for converting HTML pages into professional PDF documents
• Chart.js — Data visualization for dashboards and time tracking summaries

Deployment

• PythonAnywhere — Cloud hosting platform for Python web applications with built-in database support and SSL

Time Tracking System

The heart of the platform is a comprehensive time tracking system used by all workers. Employees can clock in/out with automatic timestamp recording, manual time entry with employer approval, and weekly/monthly timesheets with breakdowns by project or variation.

The system calculates total hours worked and tracks time allocation across multiple projects simultaneously.

Project & Variation Management

Create and manage projects with defined timelines and deliverables. Each project can have multiple variations representing different phases, scopes, or deliverables.

Assign team members to specific projects and variations, track progress with detailed time allocation per variation, and monitor resource distribution across the company.

Advanced Reporting System

Generate comprehensive reports in multiple formats:

• Excel (.xlsx) — Detailed spreadsheets with complete data for analysis and record-keeping
• PDF — Professional, print-ready documents generated via HTML-to-PDF API service for management review and client presentation

Report types include:

• Weekly/monthly timesheets by employee or project
• Project-specific reports showing time spent per variation
• Time allocation reports across all active projects
• Employee work summaries with project breakdowns
• Variation-level detailed reports with hour tracking

All reports can be customized by date range, filtered by employee or project, and exported on-demand by employers.

Holiday Management System

Employees can submit holiday requests with date ranges and calendar integration. Employers receive notifications for pending approvals and can view team availability through an interactive calendar.

The system tracks holiday allowances, used days, and remaining balances while preventing scheduling conflicts through automatic availability checking.

The calendar displays company-wide holidays, individual employee leave, and team capacity at a glance. Holiday limits are enforced automatically, preventing over-booking and ensuring adequate staffing levels.

Role-Based Access Control

The platform implements a two-tier permission system:

• Employers — Full system access including user management, project/variation creation, report generation for all employees and projects, holiday approval workflows, and system configuration
• Employees — Personal time tracking, holiday requests, assigned project access, and viewing their own timesheets and reports

Each role sees a customized dashboard showing only relevant information and actions. Employees can track their own time and request holidays, while employers have complete visibility and control over all company operations.

Approval Workflow Engine

Implements a flexible approval chain system where holiday requests route automatically to employers. Employers receive real-time notifications and can approve or reject with comments directly from their dashboard. All approval decisions are logged with timestamps and stored permanently.

HTML-to-PDF Conversion Pipeline

Rather than generating PDFs directly in Django, the system creates formatted HTML pages with all necessary styling and data, then sends them to an external API service that renders professional PDF documents. This approach provides greater flexibility in document styling and reduces server load.

Data Visualization Dashboard

Real-time dashboards provide at-a-glance insights:

• Project progress and current time allocation
• Team capacity and workload distribution
• Holiday calendar with team availability
• Weekly/monthly time tracking summaries
• Variation-level time breakdowns with visual charts

Audit Trail System

All critical actions (approvals, time entries, data changes) are logged with timestamps and user information. This creates a complete audit trail for operational transparency and dispute resolution.

Project Variation Tracking

A sophisticated system allows projects to be broken down into variations (sub-projects, phases, or deliverables). Time can be tracked against specific variations, providing granular insight into where effort is being spent. Reports can be generated at the project level (showing all variations) or per-variation for detailed analysis.

Operational Efficiency

By consolidating time tracking, project management, and holiday administration into one platform, the system eliminates context-switching between tools, reduces duplicate data entry, and minimizes administrative overhead. Automated approvals and notifications ensure processes move quickly without manual follow-up.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Management gains real-time visibility into company operations through comprehensive dashboards and reports. This enables proactive resource allocation, accurate project time tracking, and informed strategic planning based on actual work patterns.

Accountability & Transparency

Every action is tracked and associated with a user, creating clear accountability. Employees have visibility into their own data (time worked, holiday balance, pending requests), while employers can oversee team performance and resource utilization across all projects.

Accurate Project Costing

Detailed time tracking at the variation level allows AKRO Solutions to understand exactly how much time each aspect of a project requires. This historical data informs future project estimation, pricing decisions, and identifies areas where efficiency can be improved.