Helpful Tips
July 2007
How can my employees capture the exact start and stop times for the work they're doing?
Timesheet includes several methods for capturing specific start/stop or "in/out" times when simply tracking total hours worked per project isn't enough. The best method for your employees will depend upon how you need to track and use the information.
The simplest and most restrictive method for capturing in/out times is the Punch User. This is a specific type of account in Timesheet assigned to the role of Punch User. The user must also be assigned to a Punch screen. These users do not see one of the standard time entry screens; rather, they see a simple interface with a button for punching in or out. You can configure the punch screen to include selection of a project, task, etc., but that's the extent of what Punch Users can do. Punch Users are automatically logged out after every punch in or punch out. Journyx recommends this method for staff who do not need to capture project details for the type of work they are doing, but do need to track the beginning, ending and lunch break times for each day.
The next methods makes use of the "Display in/out times at the top of the entry screen" setting on the Time Entry Screen configuration screen. Timesheet includes two default screens, Allocation Entry - In/Out Times and Allocation Entry - Punch Clock. that make use of this setting. Provided you give an employee access via Groups to an allocation screen, the employee can enter in and out times at the top of his timesheet, while allocating the corresponding hours to specific projects, tasks, pay and billing codes. The in/out times can be entered manually or generated by a "punch clock" button that captures the punch in and out times automatically. These allocation screens display the number of hours that are represented by the in/out times and show the remaining totals in red until the hours have been fully allocated to projects. Timesheets subject to approval cannot be submitted for approval until all hours are fully allocated. You can, however, set some Pay Types as exceptions for time off tracking. When time off hours are entered against an exception Pay Type, they are not required to match up with a set of in/out times. Journyx recommends this method when you have project-based employees for whom you also need to capture the beginning and ending times of their work days for regulatory purposes.
Like the previous method, line item entry screens make use of the Time Entry Screen configuration options. Unlike grid entry, line item provides the date selection for an entry in a drop down menu along with the other entry detail selections. The in/out times on line item screens can be entered manually or using drop down menus with pre-defined minute increments (e.g., 15 minute increments).Journyx recommends this method when project-based employees need to capture start and end times for several distinct projects/tasks each day, which result in several pairs of in/out times for each day.
The final method for capturing start and end times, the Timesheet "Stopwatch", is offered for employee convenience rather than any regulatory or auditing purposes. Employees who are only required to enter hours worked per project, task, etc. may wish to use the Stopwatch to note when one type of work is completed and another is begun. The Stopwatch is a button on the employee's timesheet that opens a new screen for noting when work is started and ended for a specific project or task. The Stopwatch then fills in the corresponding hours in the employee's timesheet. In order to give your employees access to the Stopwatch, you must first go to Configuration->System Settings->Entry Sheets and enable the "Show the Stopwatch button on Time Entry Screen" setting under Timesheet Settings. When this setting is enabled, employees will see the Stopwatch button on their timesheets provided they have access to at least one Stopwatch screen via their Group memberships. The Stopwatch screens can be configured to capture the details of any given piece of work when the employee starts the work - or the screen can be configured to accept the details upon completion of the work. It can also be configured to show a user's memorized entries included on his timesheet. In any case, Stopwatch should be used as a tool to make time capture easier for employees and should not be combined with any of the other methods of in/out time capture that are intended for maintaining audit trails for regulatory compliance.
How can I update Project status in Timesheet to reflect the Customer Job status in QuickBooks?
Accountlink 6.0 includes a new feature for automatically updating Timesheet Project status to reflect QuickBooks Customer Job status when a synchronization is run. This automatic updating of Project status is optional and can be enabled on the Projects tab of the Accountlink Mapper screen during synchronization. The Customer Job status "In progress" corresponds to the Project status "Loggable and Reportable" in Timesheet. Jobs/Projects set to Loggable and Reportable in Timesheet are available for time and expense entry. All other status options in QuickBooks correspond to "Reportable Only" in Timesheet. Reportable Only status blocks users from entering time and expenses against the Project, but historical records for the Project can still be viewed in Reports.
