Yes, the problem is that the plugin relies on the server's save file to calculate the elapsed time. That's why you have to delete the save file to reset it.
If we were to add something so it could be reset fictitiously during testing and configuration, I'm sure more than one person would use it in production, not just for testing.
And they would later complain that it doesn't work properly, or that the time changes when the server restarts, or some other issue. I understand the usefulness point; in fact, it happens to me every time I configure it for an event...