All posts by chris.vandersluis

timecontrol, Timesheet Buyer's Guide

The Timesheet Buyer’s Guide is available to all

TimeControl Buyers Guide, TimeControl, TimeControl Industrial, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisOver the years here at HMS we’ve become used to questions about how TimeControl compares to other products.  Our answers are always the same.  We don’t publish those kinds of comparisons. Whatever we would say about another product would be unfair as we aren’t experts in whatever those other products are.  What we’ve done instead is to provide tools for prospective clients to find out what is great about TimeControl and make it easier to compare against other products.

Introduce: The Buyers Guide.

The Timesheet Buyers Guide is hosted on the TimeControl website and contains a wealth of information for anyone looking to buy a project-oriented timesheet system.  There are white papers, factsheets and even calculators that any prospective buyer or subscriber can use to evaluate their own possible choices.  The page is called the Timesheet Buyers Guide, not the TimeControl Buyers Guide deliberately.

For those who say, but what about TimeControl, there are even pre-prepared Excel comparison grids where we’ve already added in the answers for TimeControl or TimeControl Industrial and left a couple of columns blank for prospective clients to do their own research.

It’s better for HMS and for possible clients to get the bulk of their simplest answers quickly and opens the door for us to start talking about how we can use those features to solve real-world business problems once we start talking.

The Timesheet Buyers Guide is available to all without charge or need to register at: buyersguide.timecontrol.com.

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A configurable search interface helps set TimeControl apart

Searchable Interface Configuration, TimeControl, TimeControl Industrial, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter Vandersluis Many versions of TimeControl ago, we were confronted with a dilemma.

How do we search the TimeControl tables?

TimeControl is architected around many interrelated tables and each of these tables can hold dozens or hundreds of fields.  Some of these fields may be designed for internal system use. Some may contain data.  Some may only contain data if that TimeControl instance has been configured to use those fields.

Presenting a search dialog that would search every single field in every single table was not a solution.  The possible returns for a search inquiry would deliver many, many more possible returns than was useful.  After all, if you’re searching for something, the point is to find it!

So we created the Search Interface Configuration.  It is located in the Maintenance menu of TimeControl and is often set up only during the initial configuration or perhaps from time to time when additional User Defined fields are created and configured.

The configuration is extremely simple.  The Administrator simply selects which fields on a particular table will be ones they want to use for searching.  All the main tables are there to be configured.

Searchable Interface Configuration, TimeControl, TimeControl Industrial, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisThe effects of the configuration are felt in the interface of each table.  On the top left of each screen above the list of table entries, is the “Search” bar.  Entering criteria for the search here will honor all the fields that have been selected in the Search Interface Configuration.  What could be easier?

This structure allows a TimeControl Administrator to have the best of both worlds: a simple interface that any user can take advantage of and at the same time, robust search functionality that can extend to whatever fields are relevant to them.

It’s just another way that TimeControl can be adapted to every client.

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Table Templates and Table Validation Rules are huge benefits to TimeControl Administrators

TimeControl Default Template, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisThere are so many ways under the covers that TimeControl saves time and after a couple of versions, we start to think of them as always there and give them too little credit.

A great example is TimeControl Table Templates.

As everyone who has ever administered TimeControl knows, there are a number of tables that make the flexibility of the system so powerful and yet easy for end users.  They include tables for Users, Employees, Projects, Charge Codes, Resources, Rates, Extended Rates, WBS, Assignments, Hierarchies and Assignments as well as Resource Planning.

All the Table interface screens are based on the same navigation structure and look and feel but of course, all of them are different based on their content.  For every table however, you can define a Default Table Template.  The information saved in that template will automatically populate the table for any new record.  That can be a massive time saver for Administrators.

TimeControl Table Templates, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisIt’s a simple feature to use, create a new record, add only the data that you’d like to automatically appear and then under the More… Menu, click save as Default.  If you already have a Default Template you can edit it from that same menu.  So, let’s say as an Administrator you’ll be working on the North American Employee table all day today.   It would be handy to pre-populate the user defined fields for location and office and anything else specific to the North American employees so you don’t either forget it or mis-enter it.  That can come automatically out of the Default Template.  Perhaps tomorrow you’ll be working on the European Employee Table.  No problem, just edit the Default Template to change the user defined fields to the European standard values and save that.  Now, the default fields will be automatically populated in that way.

This isn’t the only time saving and quality checking method in Tables.  Table Validation Rules can also check for things you’ve set up.  For example, let’s say you have a User Defined field for Employee Type and when you select “Contractor” you want to be certain that the Contractor Name field is populate with one of the possible selections.  But, if the Employee Type field is “Salaried” then you want to be certain that the Contractor Name field is empty.  This is an easy Table Validation to create and will help ensure the quality of your table data.

These features are all explained in TimeControl’s Reference Manual.

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Wait. TimeControl has GANTT Charts?

TimeControl GANTT, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisIt’s not really news.  TimeControl has had a GANTT / Barchart view as part of the product for many years.

In fact, there are a couple of places to see a barchart view in TimeControl.  The most available is often from each users MyAccount area where they can see their own tasks in either a Calendar or Barchart (GANTT) view.  For TimeControl users who have been given access to the Reports / GANTT view, they can view a barchart of their any charges they have been given access to.

For TimeControl Online users who have access to TimeControl Project, there are much more extensive methods of seeing a GANTT of either charge codes or Tasks.  In the case of tasks, there are easy to use drag and drop options to add, move, delete or edit tasks right in the barchart.  For charge codes, that’s a bit more restrictive as the charge code values for example the start and stop times might be critical to numerous other processes for both Project Management and Finance. The data is still viewable but changing the key data is controlled more stringently for Charge-Code lines than for Task lines.

There are numerous options for display including adjusting the visible fields, adjusting the scale and filtering of course but there’s even more.  The GANTT view includes an optional resource capacity heat map as displayed above.

A barchart view is only one way to look at data and, the more activities there are on the screen, the less productive this type of display is.  But that’s only one of the many ways TimeControl and TimeControl Project can display this kind of information and where the volume of data is appropriate, it can be the best graphical view possible.

If you’re interested in more project type views or in what TimeControl Project adds to TimeControl, see project.timecontrol.com.

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The HMS and TimeControl website design philosophy

Website philosophy, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisThe TimeControl website follows an educational and information sharing philosophy.  That’s not an accident.  To talk about how and why we follow that model, we have to look back at HMS Software’s history of publishing our information on the World Wide Web.  HMS’s creation predates the Web which came along a good 6 years after our founding.  HMS Software’s original website is one of the oldest websites in the world, dating back to the early 1990s.  For those who keep track of such things, the HMS site was in the first 7,000 or so sites added (manually) to the old Yahoo website directory during its first year.  To put that in context, that’s before Google and at its peak, Yahoo was adding thousands of directory listings per day.

The Yahoo directory was shut down some 10 years ago from this writing.

All websites were educational or information sharing sites at the time.  And the HMS website along with the TimeControl website which followed closely behind, were no different.

With the web extending and the types of sites taking advantage of the capabilities of web development tools, a new type of philosophy became the go-to for people like ourselves in the software publishing industry: The Landing Page.

In this model, users were directed to a starting page where, in order to move forward, they would have to give up some identifying information such as a name, an email address, or a company name.  Some such sites were more intrusive than others where they would check to see if you were using a generic email account such as gmail.com or hotmail.com or outlook.com and would insist that if you wanted to get to the “good stuff”, you use a corporate email.

Here at HMS, we’ve never been comfortable with that whole concept.  I remember visiting a website of a vendor once and, before I had even entered my name, email or phone number, my phone rang right beside me on my desk.  “Hello?” I answered.  “Hi!” said a bright cheery salesperson.  “I see you’re browsing our website and I wanted to see how I could help!”  That was so unnerving that I told the cheery fellow to please never call me again and hung up.  Thinking on it later, I could see the technology the company used to get my name, and contact information from just visiting the site but the experience was so intrusive, that it felt creepy and stalkerish.  I never visited that vendor again but I also made a pledge that HMS would never, ever do the same.

So, the TimeControl and HMS websites are almost all completely open.  There are some exceptions.  There is a closed client-section where we ask for an email ID and to get access to the free trial site of TimeControl, we ask for an email ID.

All our white papers, brochures, solution pages, testimonials, most of our webcast videos and all client case studies and so, so much more are simply open.  How that impacts HMS is that people are welcome to come in and look around and read or watch whatever they want.  As a result, when prospective clients do contact us, they are often already very well informed and our sales cycle from that point moves quickly.  It also means that if TimeControl is not for a particular opportunity, the client can figure that out without having to run a gauntlet of eager salespeople.

I’ve often been asked if I’m worried about our competitors finding out too much about our products and capabilities and how we should make sure all that remains secret.  We’re not worried.  HMS advances its products and capabilities constantly.  If our competitors think they can catch up, they’re welcome to read along like everyone else.  What they’ll never have is the team of people who know the concepts behind project flow and multi-function timesheet systems that TimeControl has.

Interestingly, recent discussions on the future of the web have shown we’re not the only ones highly irritated by “Identification Walls” on a website.  The new philosophy of people in this industry seems to be to shift to what we’ve done since the early 1990s and making sites more informational and educational.  I wish them all good luck in catching up.

Alternate user

What happens when someone isn’t here? Let’s talk about Alternates

TimeControl Alternate User , Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisOne of the first questions we were ever asked about TimeControl features way back in version 1, some 30 years ago was “What do I do if a user is absent?”  It’s a simple question and our answer was to ask some more questions.  Were we referring to an end user?  That was simple.  TimeControl could already allow anyone in the release path to enter a timesheet on their behalf.  This strategy led to several deployments where an administrative assistant would be entered into the release path before the end-user who would normally do their timesheet.  Given the clerk was in the release path, they could create a timesheet on behalf of the other user.  But that was the easiest.

“What about if it’s a supervisor who approves timesheets?” we were asked.  This quickly led us to creating one of the least talked about but most used TimeControl features, The Alternate User.

TimeControl Alternate Users, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisAn Alternate User is a user who has been given permission to enter TimeControl as though someone else.  If you are logging in to TimeControl and you have been defined as an alternate user by another user or users, you’ll get an extra login screen question asking who you’d like to log in as.

If you select to login as someone else, then at the top of the screen you’ll see the username of who you’ve logged in as and your own username in brackets. Here, Joseph Gardner has logged in as Chris Peters.
TimeControl Alternate User Logged in, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisYou will have all the views, data access, features and other privileges of the user who you’ve logged in as.  But, as always, TimeControl is keeping track of who actually made changes.  So, if you release a timesheet for approval as an alternate.  The visible record will say that it was the alternate user but in the background, for auditing purposes, TimeControl also has your own username identified as who actually did the action.

You can easily create your own Alternate user in the Alternate User tab of MyAccount accessible at the top right of the screen.  When you do, you can also enter the date the alternate user’s permissions will expire.  Plus, you can have numerous alternate users and even send them email notifications if they have logged in as you.

If you are an organization that uses this feature a lot, then when you click on your username at the top of the screen, you can instantly revert back to your own user account or to any of the alternate users who have authorized you to be an alternate who are presented in the list.

Alternate users has been around TimeControl for a very long time but it remains one of the most used features.

 

Update, Updates, upgrade, version

How often do we release new TimeControl updates?

TimeControl version number, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisOne of the most common questions from both prospective and new clients is “How often will we get updates and how are they indicated.

We’ve built significance into our version numbers so when you see an announcement or see that your version number has changed, you can easily determine how that might impact your system.  We keep a current list of the version numbers for both TimeControl Online and TimeControl on-premise in the TimeControl Support area at: TimeControl.com/support. We list the last date of an any version and the exact version number.  The TimeControl version number has four parts to it, each corresponding to a specific level of release.  We’ll identify those below along with the expected frequency of an update of that level.

Level 4: Build

The full version number of TimeControl always includes the “build” number.  For an initial release, that number might be zero (0).  For example, in version 8.2.1.4, “4” would be a new build of update 8.2.1.  This Build number may change over time.  A new build is usually made when we identify a hotfix that is required but might only refer to a highly specific and limited circumstance.  A build almost never has any change to the database at all and never introduces new functionality.  It is typical for us to release a new build every 4-8 weeks.

Level 3: Updates

An update to TimeControl is identified by the 3rd level of the version number.  For example, in version 8.2.1.4, “1” would be an update.  An update to TimeControl includes fixes to existing functionality and while it may have small additions to the data structure it has no changes to the existing data structure.  An update may include minor enhancements to existing functionality and, rarely, new functionality.  We release an update to TimeControl every 6 months or so depending on the need.

Level 2: Upgrades

An upgrade to TimeControl is identified by the 2nd level of the version number.  For example, in version 8.2.1.4, “2” would be an upgrade.  An upgrade to TimeControl may includes fixes to existing functionality and will contain enhancements to existing functionality as well as new functionality.  An upgrade may include some changes to existing data structures as well as additional data structure elements.  We strive to never deprecate data structures, so there should never be the removal of a table or fields.  It is typical for us to release a new update every 6-12 months.

Versions

A new version of TimeControl is identified by the 1st level of the version number.  For example, in version 8.2.0, “8” would be a new version.  A new version of TimeControl represents a change in the underlying architecture.  This may mean a change or an increase in the types of platforms supported, in the technology layers such as database connections or communications protocol and in the fundamental interface design and architecture.  A new version typically includes new functionality and enhancements or changes to existing functionality.  In some cases, functionality in a new version is deprecated and a path to shifting from the old functionality to new functionality is identified.  Data structures may undergo change in a new version compared to an old version.  We typically release a new version every 3-4 years.  TimeControl is enjoying its 30th anniversary this year and we are in version 8 so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a version 9 in the next year.  That’s something to be excited about.

Where to find your version number

In either TimeControl Online or TimeControl on-premise, you can clickon your profile logo at the top right of the screen and select “Support Info”.  You’ll see a screen like the one here.  The version numbers is in the Web Information area.  You can see the version is 8.5.0.3.  That’s Version 8, Upgrade 5, Update 0 and build 3.  You can ignore the “e” as this is sometimes used for internal systems.

We always publish the changes in any new Version or Upgrade. on the TimeControl website.  You can find the most current release notes at: TimeControl.com/features/latest.

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We’ve received an amazing Testimonial Letter from RECL

RECL, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisWe’re always happy to hear from our clients but when one of them writes a testimonial letter explaining how TimeControl has made a difference in their organization, it makes everyone at HMS delighted.  This week we are proud to showcase the Ron Eastern Construction Ltd. (RECL) whose president, Bruce Thomas sent us a much-appreciated letter.  Bruce explains how pleased they are that they transitioned from an Excel-based timesheet to TimeControl.  You can read the letter in its entirety on the TimeControl website at: TimeControl.com/why-timecontrol/testimonials/recl.

We thank Bruce and his entire team at RECL for trusting TimeControl and making us their partners for this initiative.

TimeControl Sandbox

TimeControl Online includes an optional Sandbox!

One option that almost all TimeControl Online subscribers opt for is a TimeControl Sandbox.  This service is tied to your production instance of TimeControl but is a completely separate instance of TimeControl operating on the same server.  The parallel service allows administrators to replicate the production database and test new reports, modifications, Validation Rules, Accruals Rules Links and more in a way that will not interrupt the production usage of TimeControl Online, TimeControl Industrial Online or TimeControl Project.  The cost is a fixed amount per year and is associated to the subscription.

The cost is a small fixed price per year regardless of the number of users on your TimeControl Online subscription.

Here’s how it works

TimeControl Sandbox Restore screen, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisThe sandbox instance is logged into separately and has its own URL.  Once in the instance as the administrator, you go to Maintenance/System and you’ll see a button called “Restore from Production” that isn’t visible from a non-sandbox TimeControl.

Clicking on “Restore from Production” will move all production data into the Sandbox and will turn off any scheduled services.  Now you have a current copy of the production data on which to experiment.  If you make a mess, not to worry, you can redo the Restore from Production whenever you want.

Here are some notes to be aware of:

  • You can never restore the Sandbox database back into the Production database. This prevents any possibility of damaging the production database.
  • If you are satisfied with the new Filter, Report, Validation Rule, etc, that you have created in the Sandbox, you can move those items into the Production system with the Export Packages function.  Then use the Import Packages function in the Production system to imports those items.
  • The Scheduling Service in the Sandbox is automatically turned off at the server level. This prevents any unexpected transfers, emails or other schedulable services from occurring and avoids pushing data twice to corporate, or project systems.

The TimeControl Sandbox is available as an option for all TimeControl Online, TimeControl Industrial Online and TimeControl Project subscriptions and can be added to an existing subscription at any time.  To find out more or to inquire about pricing, contact HMS at TimeControl.com/contact or email info@hms.ca.

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Microsoft / HMS Software relationship turns 29!

Microsoft Partner Network, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisMicrosoft has renewed HMS Software’s membership in the Microsoft Partner Network for a 29th remarkable year.

The Microsoft partner system has changed names and directions in those 29 years but the work between HMS and Microsoft has been a constant.

HMS started its formal relationship with Microsoft as a solutions partner in 1995 and our primary objective was to integrate then new TimeControl system with Microsoft Project.  We integrated with Project version 4 and the just-released Project 95

“In 1995 it seemed like such a simple conversation,” explained our president, Chris Vandersluis.  “We would move data in and out of Microsoft Project and Microsoft could point to TimeControl if ever a prospective client asked where to find the timesheet. We quickly discovered that the integration required a more intimate understanding of how Microosft Project processes progress.  Given HMS Software’s history with project management software, that was right up our alley.”

Over the years HMS has adapted our relationship to keep up with so much more than one product link.

TimeControl can be tied to Microsoft 365, SQL Server, Azure 365 Active Directory, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Microsoft Dynamics, and of course, Microsoft Project, Project Online, and Project for the Web.  The ongoing relationships with Microsoft is at multiple levels both for business and on the technical side.  As Microsoft Project and other elements of Microsoft technology evolve, TimeControl is adapted to include them.

Microsoft technology is used to deliver TimeControl Online, HMS Software’s in-the-cloud subscription timesheet service and TimeControl on-premise.  Other technologies used can vary from client to client. Windows Server is the platform for the server and some clients will combine the TimeControl Online service with Microsoft Project, Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams, or Dynamics.

Using HMS Software’s TimeControl either in the cloud or on premise with Microsoft technologies allows clients to enhance their business processes to comply with numerous timesheet requirements such as simultaneous project tracking, billing, HR management, payroll, job costing and auditable governance such as R&D tax credits, DCAA or Sarbanes-Oxley requirements.

To help find HMS Software resources on the many different Microsoft technologies TimeControl interacts with, HMS has a free resources portal .  The portal includes numerous resources including white papers, webcasts, PowerPoint presentations and more.  The TimeControl Microsoft Technology Portal can be found at: Microsoft.TimeControl.com.