We were delighted to see TimeControl featured on the ECommerce-Fastlane “Best Valuable Solutions For the Modern Business Environment” article this week.

Another perspective often stems from the Human Resources department.  Here, the management of “exception days” such as vacation or holidays or sick-leave make interest in a management by exception system that is usually referred to as “Time and Attendance”.  Time and attendance systems look to provide minimal information as they only look at anything that isn’t the expected work-week.  In a salary-only environment, this is also enough to manage the payroll and a time-and-attendance system will often be used for this as well.

Additionally, HR management software such as those from SenseHR becomes a helpful tool as organisations navigate the complex landscape of HR responsibilities. This software fills in the gaps left by traditional time-and-attendance systems, particularly in scenarios where employee engagement and well-being are as crucial as monitoring time. Such tools may facilitate a detailed approach to managing employee relationships, covering aspects from onboarding to career development, and even conducting exit interviews. This type of software is more than just a record-keeping system, it improves the employee experience and ensures that HR’s long-term strategies align with the company’s goals.

TimeControl’s links to not only project management tools and HR tools but also systems like Payroll, Billing and Job Costing is one of its most popular aspects.  Find out more about TimeControl links including HR at: www.timecontrol.com/use-cases.

Sure, I know we talk about Agile all the time here but it’s worth noting that the flexibility of TimeControl can carry you a long, long way past Agile project task assignment.  Here’s an example we used ourselves just recently at HMS.  Instead of having tasks listed as backlogged, in progress, in testing and complete, we organized the columns by hiring status.  Incoming applicants were easily added into the first column (don’t worry, these names are made up, they aren’t actual applicants).  We could attach a Resume, key indicators of skills and even a picture of the applicant if that was included.  Then  we screened those applicants and dragged the cards to different columns.  We were able to use assignment options in case someone  in particular on the staff had to review an applicant for a particular skill and the color coding was used to identify the priority or urgency of considering the applicant.  User defined fields (there’s an unlimited number of these) allowed us to key in particularly important skills.

Worked like a charm.

And, it made us think of all the other ways TimeControl Project may be being used out there for different uses.   Because TimeControl Project can be coded against a live project (like one you’d see in your timesheet) or against tasks that are a sort of internal code, we didn’t have to interfere with our normal project management tracking while we did this exercise.

Flexibility has its benefits.  For more about TimeControl Project go to project.timecontrol.com.

We are delighted to find ourselves once again in the pages of Starter Story. This is a follow up to the original interview done about a year ago.  You can read this follow up interview with the HMS Software President, Chris Vandersluis, in its entirety on the Starter Story page.

Following our successful launch of TimeControl and TimeControl Industrial version 8.5 for on-premise deployments, we have completed upgrading all TimeControl Online servers to version 8.5.  This is an exciting and extensive upgrade that includes enhancements to TimeControl Online, TimeControl Industrial Online and TimeControl Project. Among the many new and enhanced features are:

TimeControl BI

The new TimeControl Business Intelligence Dashboard is a brand new module included in all online subscription editions of TimeControl.  It allows administrators to create views of TimeControl data as it trends over weeks, months and years to provide a unique perspective in how the organization is working.

See www.timecontrol.com/features/timecontrolbi for more details and examples.

Inline Debit/Credit

Inline Debit/Credit is a huge change to how our auditable Debit/Credit system works for post-posted adjustments.  With Inline Debit/Credit, the changes to a posted timesheet are simply made as though the timesheet was still in draft mode.  Along with the new Inline Debit/Credit there is a major enhancement to how this affects both Project Manager Validation and Line Item Approval.  Now, when changes are made to a posted timesheet with Inline Debit/Credit, as those changes are posted, they will shift the status of lines in PM Validation and Line Item Approval to pending.

TimeRequest Approvals and Validation Rules

Now, not only can the approval workflow for a TimeRequest be different from the timesheet workflow, it can follow rules for the type of request.  Our extensive Validation Rules system which already included the ability to create definitions of what would make an acceptable timesheet or crew timesheet has been extended to include TimeRequests.

And so much more

In TimeControl Project the ability to export a Board or GANTT View to Excel, create a Sheets View independent of the Posted Timesheet table, hover over a card to see the details, and the ability to create a default landing page for TimeControl Project.

To see the complete list of changes in TimeControl Online, TimeControl Industrial Online and TimeControl Project version 8.5, go to TimeControl.com/features/latest.

It’s a brand new year and there is a lot happening here at HMS.  We’re coming off an amazing 2023 where we posted record revenues in the biggest year ever for the company.  There’s a lot more to come.

First, 2024 is HMS Software’s 40th anniversary.  For those of us who have been with the company since the beginning that’s a bit mind boggling.  We’ll be talking more about HMS turning 40 in the months to come including a look back at how we got here.

Next, 2024 is TimeControl’s 30th anniversary.  There are more HMS’rs who were here for the initial launch of TimeControl.  We’ll be making a big deal about that too later in the year.

Finally, we have just launched TimeControl 8.5 and will in the next few days update all TimeControl Online servers to version 8.5.  That includes TimeControl Online, TimeControl Industrial Online and TimeControl Project.  See What’s new with TimeControl for a more comprehensive list of new features.

We’re looking forward to an amazing year!

As we near the end of a remarkable 2023, we’re reminded here at HMS of how grateful we are to our clients, our colleagues and friends.

We wish you and yours the very best of the holiday season.  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

HMS will have holidays hours over the next week as follows:

• Fri, Dec 22 – Office closed at noon
• Mon, Dec 25 – Non work day – office closed for Christmas
• Tue, Dec 26 – Non work day – office closed for Boxing Day
• Wed, Dec 27 – Work day
• Thu, Dec 28 – Work day
• Fri, Dec 29 – Office closed at noon
• Mon, Jan 1   – Non work day  – office closed for New Year’s
• Tue, Jan 2 – Non work day – office closed
• Wednesday, Jan 3 – return to normal operations

Version 8.5 of TimeControl and TimeControl Industrial have been released.  We are very excited about this version of TimeControl.  There have been new features, enhancements and improvements for TimeControl, TimeControl Industrial, TimeControl Online, TimeControl Industrial Online and TimeControl Project and the list is extensive.

TimeControl BI

Our new TimeControl Business Intelligence Dashboard is a brand new module included in every edition of TimeControl.  It allows administrators to create views of TimeControl data as it trends over weeks, months and years to provide a unique perspective in how the organization is working.

See www.timecontrol.com/features/timecontrolbi for more details and examples.

Inline Debit/Credit

Inline Debit/Credit is a huge change to how our auditable Debit/Credit system works for post-posted adjustments.  With Inline Debit/Credit, the changes to a posted timesheet are simply made as though the timesheet was still in draft mode.  Along with the new Inline Debit/Credit there is a major enhancement to how this affects both Project Manager Validation and Line Item Approval.  Now, when changes are made to a posted timesheet with Inline Debit/Credit, as those changes are posted, they will shift the status of lines in PM Validation and Line Item Approval to pending.

TimeRequest Approvals and Validation Rules

Now, not only can the approval workflow for a TimeRequest be different from the timesheet workflow, it can follow rules for the type of request.  Our extensive Validation Rules system which already included the ability to create definitions of what would make an acceptable timesheet or crew timesheet has been extended to include TimeRequests.

Plus so much more

Enhanced link to Primavera, optional grid lines in the timesheet, support for database LDAP authentication for on-premise deployments, enhancements to the free TimeControl Mobile App,  line-item approvals for materials and equipment, default views for TimeControl Project.  Also in TimeControl Project the ability to export a Board or GANTT View to Excel, create a Sheets View independent of the Posted Timesheet table, hover over a card to see the details and so, so much more.

To see the complete list of changes in TimeControl 8.5, go to TimeControl.com/features/latest.

TimeControl and TimeControl Industrial for on-premise deployments can be downloaded right now at TimeControl.com/support/updates.  For TimeControl Online, TimeControl Industrial Online and TimeControl Project clients, systems will be updated automatically in the first week of January.  Users will receive notice within the application online of exactly when to expect their update.