Chris Vandersluis, the President of HMS has been featured recently in Canada’s Globe and Mail. The article by Mr. Vandersluis is in the Globe’s Leadership Lab section where he discusses how niche operations like HMS Software have been able to win and keep customers many times their size. You can read his article in its entirety on the Globe and Mail website.
Tag Archives: TimeControl
HMS continues to update white papers and other free collateral
We work on updating the vast wealth of collateral on the TimeControl website on a continuous basis. 
The site is one of the longest standing websites in the world and the materials on it can become dated as technology advances. In the past year we’ve made updates to factsheets, slide presentations, online webcasts and white papers.
Most recently, we have made updates to several white papers including the old Buy it or Write it has become a much more current Buy it, Subscribe to it or Write it. The paper includes a financial analysis that outlines the costs of all three options. It is available for free for anyone considering this decision. These main three architectural choices come down to:
- Buy timesheet software
The main considerations for buying timesheet software and deploying it on premise is usually to have it work within existing security architecture or to have the underlying database available for integration with other systems. - Subscribe to timesheet software
The main reasons organizations elect to subscribe to timesheet software is for lower overall costs of ownership and to avoid the costs and complexities of internal technical support for maintenance and updates. - Write your own customized software
For those who have timesheet software requirements that are so unique that they cannot be met by commercial off the shelf software, they may need to consider the most expensive of options and write their own software.
We’ve outlined the major advantages and challenges of each of these three options and have given some cost comparisons.
We’ve also just updated the popular Research and Development Tax Credits with TimeControl.
For a complete list of free resources such as these, visit the TimeControl Website Resources area: TimeControl.com/resources.
Evaluating Timesheet Software
If you are here on the TimeControl blog, there is a possibility that you are evaluating timesheet software and have found TimeControl among your possible solutions. 
We have resources that will make your evaluation of TimeControl and any other timesheet systems a little easier. HMS has been in the business of providing timesheet systems since 1984 and we have an appreciation for how challenging it is to select a timesheet that will meet your needs. We have created a number of tools that are available to anyone seeking to select a timesheet for their own needs regardless of whether that timesheet is our own TimeControl or not.
“Why?” you ask? It’s pretty simple really. There’s nothing less productive for us than to sell TimeControl to someone who really needed something else. It is far preferable to not make a sale if the product isn’t the right fit.
So, on the TimeControl website, you will find all kinds of resources that you may find of interest if you are evaluating timesheets. Some of those tools are specific to evaluating TimeControl but many are generic in nature and are designed to help researchers evaluate any timesheet.
Here are just a few:
Timesheet Buyer’s Guide
HMS maintains a portal of resources and information on how to evaluate timesheets. It includes white papers, calculators, factsheets and more. There is no cost or obligation to access the Timesheet Buyer’s Guide which can be found at: TimeControl.com/why-timecontrol/buyers-guide
Free TimeControl Evaluation
For those who wish to evaluate TimeControl further, HMS provides free access to TimeControl for a renewable 2 week period. Prospective users can get access to a system complete with pre-poulated data so they can try any of the functionality they wish. The evaluation system can be accessed at: freetrial.timecontrol.com.
TimeControl Evaluation Guide
When users log into the free TimeControl trial, they are given a link to a simple-to-follow evaluation guide that takes the user through some of the basic functionality of the system. That guide has recently been upgraded and can be accessed directly at: TimeControl.com/pdf/whitepapers/tc_evalguide.pdf
Timesheet Evaluation Grid
When creating a list of requirements for a new timesheet system, it is best to start off with the business challenges that are generating the interest in the new system. However, many organizations prefer to look at a list of key functionality. We’ve created such a list to ask as a starting point for your own requirements. We’ve already checked off what TimeControl can do so and there are additional columns to use for evaluating other systems under consideration. The spreadsheet can be downloaded from: TimeControl.com/docs/timesheet_eval_checklist.xlsx
TimeControl Benefits Calculator
One of the biggest challenges often faced by evaluators is trying to justify the benefits that could be realized by implementing a timesheet system. We’ve put together a calculator you can use for your own evaluation that shows how quickly you could realize a return on investment from deploying a timesheet like TimeControl. The calculator is available from: TimeControl.com/docs/tc_roi_calculator.xlsx.
For more information, see the Timesheet Buyer’s Guide on the TimeControl website.
Otonabee Region Conservation Authority goes TimeControl
Otonabee Region Conservation Authority is an environmental agency working in the Peterborough area of Ontario Canada. They are responsible for ensuring that the Otonabee Region watershed area is healthy and environmentally diverse. HMS applauds them for this important work.
Otonabee have been using TimeControl since 2016 and reently their manager of corporate services, Denyse Landry sent us a letter expressing their satisfaction.
“We have been very satisfied with TimeControl and the level of support provided by HMS Software,” says Denyse. “We highly recommend it.”
We believe that every TimeControl client should be a satisfied referenceable customer and we strive for this every day.
Our thanks to the Otonabee Region Conservation Authority for their trust in TimeControl to make them more efficient. We look forward to a productive relationship for many years to come.
You can read the letter from Denyse in its entirety in the TimeControl Testimonials area.
That was an awesome 2017… now bring on 2018!
Our TimeControl team turned in a year of remarkable accomplishments in 2017. Here are just a few of the highlights…
In our development department, we released 2 major releases of TimeControl in versions 7.1 and 7.2. Interim versions 7.1.1 and 7.2.1 updated several features as well. The features released this year have propelled TimeControl further forward than in any period since its original release in 1994!
Among other spectacular features, were the free TimeControl Mobile App and the TimeControl API as well as:
- Line Item Approval
- No more ActiveX’s in TCi
- Primavera Web Services link
- BrightWork link
- Link to Project Online
- SharePoint bidirectional link
- Grouped timesheets
- Scheduled Autofill
- Language support for TC Mobile
For more information on what’s new with TimeControl, visit TimeControl.com/features/latest.
TC Mobile App
The release of the free TimeControl Mobile App on the Apple App store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android devices marked a milestone for TimeControl. TimeControl introduced one of the first mobile interfaces many years ago but the TimeControl Mobile App has to support the incredible flexibility of TimeControl along with its powerful centralized auditability. We’re very proud of the App we released. It is on an independent yet coordinated development stream so new updates of the App are released separately and are designed to always be backward compatible so the TimeControl Server and App are not required to be updated simultaneously.
TimeControl API
TimeControl has long been acknowledged as the most flexible and integrateable timesheet in the industry thanks to the many ways external applications such as HR, Payroll, ERP, Finance and Project Management systems can be linked to it. The release of the TimeControl API gave a quantum boost to an already robust suite of integration options. Now programmers can pull from or push data to TimeControl to create an even more intimately integrated system.
Case Studies and Testimonial letters
Happy TimeControl clients continue to be our strength in the industry.
Over the last year we’ve collaborated with our clients on 3 case studies and have received more testimonial letters.
You can read case studies published in 2017 from:
and testimonials published in 2017 from:
and next week a brand new one received late in the year from Otonabee.
We appreciate each and every one of our clients and are delighted when they share their TimeControl experience with others.
Coming in 2018…
There is so much more from last year but let’s look into our crystal ball ahead to the year to come. Looking forward to 2018 promises to be even more exciting.
A major release of TC during the year will be 7.3 with a slew of new and improved features. We expect that to be released by mid-year and we’re already working on a major new version of TimeControl which we’ll be able to talk about more near the end of 2018.
Our development staff have also started research on something completely new for the project management community that we think will be of great interest to many of our TimeControl users. That we will be talking about by summer time.
We are working on new material and elements of the TimeControl website. Already there are new factsheets, slide shows web sections and online training. We’ve got lots more of that to come. Online training will be greatly expanded this year to include more extensive courses on things like report writing and customizing TimeControl. We’ve also got more collateral coming on using the new TimeControl API so stay tuned!
We’ll keep you up to date on developments this year in our quarterly newsletter by email and the blog at blog.timecontrol.com along with our Twitter feed @HMS_TimeControl.
Let us introduce the free TimeControl Mobile App!
We’re so excited about the new TimeControl Mobile App, that it’s hard to talk about almost anything else around HMS these days. 
The new TimeControl Mobile App brings TimeControl right to the palm of your hand on your SmartPhone or Tablet.
The TimeControl Mobile App connects your device directly to your TimeControl or TimeControl Online system. All your timesheet configuration, profile security, data selections and customizations are all already there so what appears on your screen matches what you would see on a full browser when connecting to TimeControl.
You log in with the same credentials you use for TimeControl and you can now create a new timesheet, update one in progress, or complete your week and release your timesheet. If you are a supervisor, you can do your approvals right from your phone or tablet!
TimeControl supports both Android and Apple (iOS) phones. The screen functionality is highly responsive and will adjust to the resolution available to it in both portrait and landscape modes.
Timesheet entry
The TimeControl Mobile App includes a number of different views to see or update your timesheet. You can view current and past timesheets, update an existing timesheet or create a draft timesheet and add projects and charges from the selections that are available to you. A simple tap where you see the hours and you can update hours and minutes for that line in an instant. The TimeControl Mobile App supports the same timesheet durations as TimeControl so whether you are working in weekly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly, monthly or custom periods, the date range at the top of the screen lets you scroll to the relevant day and date and update the information you need.
Approvals
Supervisors can use the TimeControl Mobile App to review, approve, or reject a timesheet. Automated Validation Rules work just as they do in the full-sized web version. If a user tries to release a timesheet that doesn’t follow one of the timesheet business rules defined in TimeControl, then the user is immediately prompted with the error and asked to correct it.
What do you mean it’s free?
We mean there is no additional cost. None. When you download the app from Google Play or the Apple App store, you don’t pay a thing. All you need to do is connect to your existing TimeControl system.
The TimeControl Mobile App functions with all versions of TimeControl 7.2 and higher.
You can find out more about the TimeControl Mobile App at: Mobile.TimeControl.com.
You can download the TimeControl Mobile App from Google Play or the Apple App store.
HMS is in The Twin Cities this week
Our HMS team is in Minneapolis/St-Paul this week for the Minnesota PMI’s Professional Development Days. Our own president will be speaking at the symposium and we will have a booth with staff at the show so attendees can get their questions about TimeControl answered. We’ll be showing the upcoming version 7.2 of TimeControl with the all-new TimeControl Mobile app.
If you are attending the symposium, please come by the TimeControl booth and say hello. For more information on the Minnesota PMI’s Professional Development Days, visit: pmi-mn.org.
Integration with BrightWork is not just the technical link
Over the last few months we have been working closely with the team at BrightWork to present to our mutual clients a united front not only in terms of the technical link between TimeControl and BrightWork that we released early this summer but also in the marketing, sales and technical support areas. BrightWork is a popular collaborative project management system based on SharePoint.
Driven by the CEOs of both firms, we have had numerous initiatives behind the scenes that will make using both products together even easier for prospective and existing clients.
BrightWork and TimeControl teams have extended their relationships to include training of the marketing, sales and support staffs.
You will now find information about TimeControl on the BrightWork websites and blogsites and information about BrightWork on our TimeControl websites and here on the blog. Also we’ve worked on increasing the availability of collateral and other internal training information for both teams.
BrightWork will even be featuring one of the BrightWork/TimeControl joint clients in an upcoming webinar.
Interested in seeing how the two systems work with the bi-directional integration between them? Take a peek at this video:
In the coming weeks there will be even more news to share about the BrightWork / TimeControl link as the TimeControl Mobile app is launched for both Apple and Android devices. BrightWork clients who are using TimeControl will now be able to see and update their BrightWork tasks right on their mobile device.
The TimeControl / BrightWork integration is included at no cost with all versions of TimeControl both on premise and in the Cloud.
If you’d like more information visit TimeControl.com/use-cases/brightwork.
Case Study: Hamon Deltak uses TimeControl Industrial to improve efficiency
We are delighted to have worked with our client Hamon Deltak on a case study highlighting how they have deployed TimeControl in their Minneapolis-based offices.
Hamon Deltak is an engineering firm that focuses on the energy industry. They do custom design, planning and manufacturing of power plant components with projects that can run anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 hours of work. So making sure that those hours are properly accounted for is a key component of their business.
We collaborated with several of Hamon Deltak’s staff to get this story written and we are very excited with the results. You can read this story in its entirety at TimeControl.com/why-timecontrol/case-studies/hamondeltak.
To see a list of other case studies, visit: TimeControl.com/why-timecontrol/case-studies and to see some of our client testimonial letters, visit: TimeControl.com/why-timecontrol/testimonials
A timesheet, is a timesheet, is a timesheet… Isn’t it?
A timesheet is just a timesheet, isn’t it?
Not so much.
What we’ve found here at HMS since 1984 is that timesheet requirements seem to be all the same until you put different departments who need them into the same room. Suddenly, the requirements seem quite different.
In 1984 when we were working on the very first mandate as HMS Software, we had to create a timesheet that would encompass the requirements of payroll and project management at the same time. The design requirements were so different, we ended up almost doubling the effort we had estimated in doing the work originally.
We needed a Time and Attendance timesheet for payroll with numerous requirements from the Finance department.
We also needed a task-based project tracking timesheet with the ability to update the project management schedule.
And, that was complex enough. The project was delivered successfully but the seeds had been planted for what would ultimately become the commercial TimeControl 10 years later.
As we did design on the out-of-the box multi-function TimeControl we realized there were more types of timesheets than just those two.
How about Time and Billing? What about Job Costing? How about timesheets for R&D tax credit compliance and so on.
We’ve created a short white paper identifying some of the timesheet types that we are most commonly asked about but this is not a theoretical exercise. If no one intervenes in what kind of timesheet to select, the most likely result is that multiple timesheets will be implemented. Payroll and HR will want a Time and Attendance timesheet. Finance may require a Time and Billing timesheet or a Job Costing timesheet or both. There may be requirements from Sales or Contracts to comply with government regulation timesheets in order to successfully comply with a new order or contract.
In some organizations we arrive to find 2, 3, 4 or even more timesheets all deployed at the same time. In a worst case scenario, employees must fill in 2 or 3 timesheets every week to accommodate all the requirements.
The best solution for this dilemma, as we discovered over 3 decades ago, is to create a multi-function timesheet that has a single interface in the front end so it is easy for end users, yet has all the controls that each of these requirements demands in the back end so Administrators can fulfill the different needs from a single source.
You can read the Timesheet Types and TimeControl white paper at: TimeControl.com/pdf/whitepapers/tc_timesheet_types.pdf. To see our complete list of white papers, visit TimeControl.com/resources/whitepapers.
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