Category Archives: primavera

Oracle, primavera, timecontrol

Oracle names HMS a Gold partner for 2019-2020

Oracle and HMS Software extend their technical alliance for a 22nd consecutive year
Oracle has listed HMS Software as a Gold Partner for the twenty-second straight year of their technical alliance.

We are delighted to tell you that our long standing relationship to Oracle will get a little longer as HMS and Oracle have just renewed our technical alliance for a 22nd consecutive year.

Oracle has just named HMS a Gold Partner for the 2019-2020 season making the technical partnership that started back in 1997 one of the longest in the industry.

HMS and Oracle partner together in many different ways in order to best support our mutual clients. The TimeControl timesheet system supports Oracle databases, we also integrate with numerous Oracle Applications including Oracle-Primavera, Oracle Financials, Oracle EBS, JD Edwards and PeopleSoft.The Oracle and HMS technical teams regularly work together to support their mutual clients.

TimeControl is already used by some of the largest organizations in the world, so our ability to respond to any technical challenges with a single call to HMS technical support is a hig priority for us.

The Oracle Partner program enables software publishers such as HMS to work directly with Oracle to support mutual clients. Being an Oracle Gold Partner provides HMS with early access to Oracle technology and expertise in order to support Oracle products as soon as they are released.

TimeControl includes a bi-directional integration with both Oracle-Primavera Professional and Oracle-Primavera EPPM to allow clients to create a powerful cost control solution as part of project and portfolio management. It provides a highly flexible and auditable timesheet that updates Primavera tasks with finance-quality data and simultaneously updates Finance modules such as Oracle EBS, PeopleSoft or JD Edwards with data for payroll, HR, job costing and invoicing. Using TimeControl with Primavera means that the organization can use a single timesheet entry for multiple auditable purposes.

Some of the many TimeControl’s value-added benefits when linking with Oracle-Primavera include:

  • Support for Multiple rates per employee
  • Automated business rule validations
  • Automated workflow
  • Auditable timesheet records suitable for Finance, HR, Invoicing or Payroll
  • Missing timesheet notification
  • Simultaneous support for multiple versions of Primavera
  • The free TimeControl Mobile App for smartphones and tablets supporting both iOS and Android
  • Matrix timesheet approvals with HMS’s unique Matrix Approval Process for Labor Actuals™
  • With TimeControl Industrial, the Crew Timesheet and Materials and Equipment field data collection

TimeControl’s Industrial version also includes crew timesheets and field-data-collection capabilities to update Primavera and Finance with material consumption, equipment usage and even production accomplished information. This information is also linked with Primavera to provide both labor and non-labor costs to the project management system.
clients.

TimeControl is available as an in-the-cloud subscription service or for purchase for an on-premise deployment.

We have created a portal for information on how Oracle and HMS Technologies work together. You can visit it for free at: Oracle.TimeControl.com or contact HMS at info@hms.ca.

primavera, timecontrol

Read the new White Paper on Integrating TimeControl and Primavera

Oracle_GoldPartner_300x80Oracle-Primavera EPPM administrators know that a Primavera timesheet for task updates is already included when you purchase the EPPM Team Member license. But there are many business scenarios where using a third party timesheet will maximize your Primavera effectiveness.

TimeControl is a multi-function timesheet that is already integrated to both Oracle-Primavera EPPM and Primavera Pro.  It was created to bring timesheet functionality even further.

Imagine one or more of these scenarios:

You need a timesheet but you are using Primavera Pro on the desktop, not EPPM on the server or in the cloud

TimeControl already includes complete integration with both Primavera EPPM and Primavera Pro on the desktop. You can support as many desktop users as you wish and even have a mix of EPPM projects and remotely managed projects on Primavera Professional integrated at the same time.

Your rates are different per client or per project or per task

TimeControl has extensive rate management functionality allowing an individual to have an unlimited number of rate codes. An employee can have different rates for different projects, different rates for different roles on the same project or different rates for different tasks all on the same timesheet. Not only that, but for each of those rate codes you can maintain multiple values so tracking the internal cost, billing value and average project cost can be done all at the same time.

You use Roles rather than individuals in Primavera for Resource Scheduling

TimeControl supports the notion of work at the role level, the generic resource level and the individual.

You are working at a different level than the project tasks

TimeControl allows you to summarize Primavera activities into higher level TimeControl Charge Codes or to summarize TimeControl Charge Codes to Primavera activities. This lets the timesheet function at a different level than the project schedule.

Same timesheet for Primavera and Payroll and HR and Billing and R&D Tax Credits…

This is TimeControl’s key design feature. It is an auditable timesheet that is designed to be multi-purpose.  TimeControl fulfills multiple timesheet requirements from the same timesheet at the same time.  It’s perfect for Finance, HR, Payroll, Billing, and governance as well as integrated with Primavera.

You need to enter timesheets for a whole crew at a time not just individuals

Need to enter a high volume of timesheet data for field personnel who don’t even have access to a computer? TimeControl Industrial is our field data collection version which allows you to enter Crew Timesheets, Material consumption, Equipment usage and even production accomplished and integrate that information with Primavera.

TimeControl 6 / Primavera 6 Solution Portal

We have just published a new White Paper in our free TimeControl / Primavera Resource Portal where you’ll also find webcasts, factsheets, white papers, slide presentations and other information. You will see how integrating TimeControl and Oracle-Primavera allows a single timesheet to be used for multiple purposes.  You can read the new White Paper at: Integrating TimeControl and Primavera. or, go to the Portal at: Primavera.TimeControl.com.

Oracle, primavera

The TimeControl / Primavera Alliance continues as Oracle names HMS a Gold Partner for the 21st year of their partnership!

Our technical alliance relationship with Primavera started back in 1997 when TimeControl 3 was about to enter the market.  HMS and Primavera had known each other well since the mid 1980s but as competitors selling project management software.  Now we had an opportunity to collaborate together as partners instead of adversaries and the president’s of HMS and Primavera struck the deal in a short phone call.

We’ve never looked back.

TimeControl 3 was released that year with a bi-directional integration with Primavera P3 and HMS has maintained the integration with Primavera since that time.

In 2008 Oracle would purchase Primavera but for HMS that only served to draw the two firms closer.  HMS already had a partnership with Oracle to enable integration of TimeControl with Oracle Financials and to support the Oracle database.

Now Oracle and HMS have extended their relationship and the relationship has never been stronger.  There are so many technical facets to the two firms working together that we’ve had to create a portal to keep track of them all.  The TimeControl integration now works in two ways, direct from database-to-datebase or through the Oracle-Primavera Web Services link.  The link works with multiple versions of Primavera including Primavera Professional and Primavera EPPM.

There are more Oracle products of course.  TimeControl has been configured to work with many different Oracle tools including Oracle EBS, PeopleSoft, JD Edwards and, MySQL.

Some of the many TimeControl’s value-added benefits when linking with Oracle-Primavera include:

  • Support for Multiple rates per employee
  • Automated business rule validations
  • Automated workflow
  • Auditable timesheet records suitable for Finance, HR, Invoicing or Payroll
  • Missing timesheet notification
  • Simultaneous support for multiple versions of Primavera
  • The free TimeControl Mobile App for smartphones and tablets supporting both iOS and Android
  • matrix timesheet approvals with HMS’s unique Matrix Approval Process for Labor Actuals™
  • With TimeControl Industrial, the Crew Timesheet and Materials and Equipment field data collection

HMS is proud of our long standing relationship with Oracle and particularly with the Oracle-Primavera teams.  We look forward to a productive year working together as a Gold Partner.

For more information about TimeControl and how it links to Oracle technologies, visit the TimeControl Oracle Solution Portal at: http://www.timecontrol.com/use-cases/oracle-portalor contact HMS at info@hms.ca.

Oracle, primavera, Primavera P6, Primavera Timesheet, timecontrol

HMS named Gold Partner by Oracle

For the 18th year, Oracle and HMS have renewed their technical partnership with Oracle naming HMS once again as an Oracle Gold Partner for the 2015-2016 season.  HMS is delighted to count Oracle among our key technical alliances.  Oracle_GoldPartner_300x80The relationship is one of the longest standing technical partnerships of its kind in the industry.

The HMS alliance with Oracle has many different aspects.  Back in the mid 1990’s, HMS started alliances with Oracle because of HMS’s support for the Oracle database and links to other Oracle software.  HMS also forged an alliance in 1997 with Primavera and joined the Primavera Partner program because of the links between HMS Software’s TimeControl’s and Primavera’s project management software.  When Oracle purchased Primavera many years later, these two initiatives became part of a much richer relationship.”

The TimeControl timesheet system now supports many different products that have become part of the Oracle family including the architectural support for the MySQL database and as links between TimeControl, Oracle EBS, PeopleSoft and JD Edwards. We work regularly with Oracle to support our mutual clients.

The Oracle Partner program in which HMS has been named as a Gold Partner again this year is designed to allow software publishers such as HMS to work directly with Oracle to more effectively bring products and services to each other’s clients.  Thanks to our status in the Oracle Partner program our integration with Oracle-Primavera P6, for example, can be tested on pre-release versions.

Some of TimeControl’s value-added benefits when linking with Oracle Primavera include: multiple rates per employee, automated business rule validations, automated workflow, missing timesheet notification, simultaneous support for multiple versions of Oracle Primavera, both a browser and mobile/tablet interface and matrix timesheet approvals with HMS’s unique Matrix Approval Process for Labor Actuals™.

We value our relationship with the Oracle team and are very proud to be an Oracle Gold Partner this year and for many years to come.

For more information about TimeControl and how it links to Oracle Primavera and other Oracle technologies, visit the TimeControl Oracle Solution Portal at: www.timecontrol.com/use-cases/oracle-portal or contact HMS at info@hms.ca.

Microsoft Partner Network, MPN, OPN, Oracle, Oracle Partner Network, Oracle-Primavera, primavera, Project, Project Server, timecontrol, timesheet

HMS Renews key technical alliances with Microsoft and Oracle

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Microsoft / TimeControl Resources Portal

HMS recently renewed its Microsoft certifications in the Enterprise Project Management / Portfolio Project Management  and t he Independent Software Vendor competencies.  As a Silver partner in the Microsoft Partner Network, this renewal makes the 9th consecutive year that HMS has been officially designated as a Gold or Silver partner.  Yet, the relationship with Microsoft was established long before this.  With the first release of TimeControl for Windows in 1995, HMS became one of the first Microsoft Project Solution Partners and has had a continual relationship with the Microsoft Project team since.
The references between HMS and Microsoft are so numerous that HMS has recently established a central portal with links to a wide range of webcasts, links, white papers, factsheets and other collateral.  This new TimeControl / Microsoft portal can be found at Microsoft.timecontrol.com.

Oracle / TimeControl Resources Portal


HMS has also recently renewed as a Gold Certified Partner in the Oracle Partner Network.  The relationship with Oracle started from multiple directions in the 1990s.  HMS was an Oracle Technology Partner and many clients had deployed TimeControl with Oracle Financials, JD Edwards and PeopleSoft ERPs.  These products would all become part of the Oracle family.  HMS became a Primavera technology partner in 1997 and there has been a continuous link between TimeControl and Primavera since.  Primavera is also an Oracle company.

HMS and Oracle have many points of contact and to help clients navigate through the myriad links and materials available, HMS has created an Oracle Technology Portal with ties to many elements of collateral in the TimeControl site.  This TimeControl / Oracle Portal can be found at oracle.timecontrol.com.

Collaborate, OAUG, Oracle, primavera, timesheets

Our president is in Vegas speaking at Collaborate12

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Chris_Feb2011_500x621Chris Vandersluis, the president of HMS Software is in Las Vegas next week to speak at the Oracle Application Users Group meeting; Collaborate12.  The topic of his talk is “Using Best Timesheet Practices to increase your Resource Capacity”.  The talk is scheduled on April 24th at 10:45am to 11:45am in Conference Room: “Breakers J”

If you are attending Collaborate 12 and wish to meet Mr. Vandersluis, please let us know at info@hmssoftware.ca.  For more information on the conference, go to collaborate.oaug.org.

Oracle Timesheets, Oracle-Primavera, primavera, Primavera P6, Primavera Timesheet, Solutions, TimeControl 6

An all new and improved Primavera Solution Portal

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We have many clients who use TimeControl with their Oracle-Primavera system.  Perhaps it’s no surprise.  TimeControl has integrated with Primavera since 1997 with P3 and we’ve maintained that link all the way up to the most recent P6r8 release even once Primavera was purchased by Oracle.  Primavera clients who need a single timesheet to update not only the task progress in Primavera but also Payroll, Billing, Finance, Job Costing or HR have looked to TimeControl to provide multi-purpose timesheet functionality that will allow a single point of timesheet entry and multiple back-end uses.
Our relationship with Primavera goes back to 1997 and our relationship with Oracle separately tc6_p6_linkalso goes back to 1997 when TimeControl was first able to store its data in either SQL Server or Oracle (We now also support MySQL which is coincidentally also owned by Oracle).  So the relationship has many facets and runs deep.
We’ve done a little work to remake our TimeControl and Primavera Solution Portal with a range of new materials that we hope you’ll find useful.  Aside from a remake of the portal itself, we’ve got new factsheets, slide presentations, white papers and an all-new on-demand webcast that shoes TimeControl 6 and Primavera’s P6 interacting back and forth.
The integration options between TimeControl and Primavera are extensive.  Not only can you bring into TimeControl Primavera tasks, resources, steps and assignments, you also have abilities on how to match employees to generic skills and Primavera codes to TimeControl user defined fields.  Updating your Primavera project data with TimeControl timesheets is incredibly flexible.  You can update hours and costs, Primavera Step progress, ETC, Financial periods and more.
The new and improved TimeControl / Primavera Solution Portal covers some of the benefits of integrating these two world-class tools including:

  • Automated Business Validation Rules
  • Extensive Rate Management
  • Management of Vacation, Sick Leave, Personal time banks
  • Management of Banked Overtime
  • Included integration with P6 and other project systems
  • TimeControl Mobile interface for tablets and smartphones
  • Missing timesheet management
  • The Matrix Approval Process for Labor Actuals™

Access to the portal and its resources is free.  Find out more at www.timecontrol.com/solutions/primavera.

Oracle-Primavera, primavera, Primavera Timesheet, project management software, timecontrol, timesheet

TimeControl supports Primavera “Steps”

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TimeControl 5.1.2 became available yesterday and along with several improvements came long-awaited support for updating Primavera Steps within the TimeControl Timesheet. As you can see by clicking on the screen at right, there is a new tab called Activity Steps which displays the sub-task level steps and the percent complete for each one. The resource which is designated in Primavera as the ‘primary’ resource will be able to edit the Step progress. Other resources will be able to see them only. New Steps cannot be added within TimeControl. They must be done within Primavera itself. You can see a quick video of Primavera Steps working within TimeControl 5.1.2 on the TimeControl 5.1.2 Steps Screencast.

deltek, microsoft project, microsoft project server, open plan, primavera, project management, timecontrol, timesheet

On demand, scheduled, triggered, which is best?

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TimeControl includes a number of links to project management tools and a number of different methods of connecting to them.

If using Microsoft Project Standard or Professional, the link is to a desktop tool and that’s always going to be on-demand but what about if you’re linking to Microsoft Project Server, Primavera or Deltek’s Open Plan? Now the link is typically server-to-server and could be scheduled or on-demand. With Project Server, incoming links can also be triggered by the TimeControl “OnPublish” event that is included with the system. Primavera can also be set up to automatically link data to TimeControl when a new project is created. Here’s the best practice that’s most commonly applied:

First for incoming changes in data, this is a link that is meant to keep the TimeControl charge and activity code information up to date with the changes that may exist in the project files. It’s most typical to create the incoming links as scheduled or automatic events. If the link is with Project Server, then the “OnPublish” event module that is part of the installation is perfect for this. If the link is with Open Plan or Primavera then a regular scheduled link moving information on a server-to-server basis is ideal.
How often should the links happen? As often as the project is likely to be updated. For most projects a weekly link will probably be fine. If your week-ending day is Friday, then a link on Thursday night might be appropriate. Some projects are highly dynamic and need to be updated multiple times per week or even multiple times per day. Create as many scheduled events to do this. A scheduled link can be daily or weekly and you can pick the day and/or time when you’d want it to occur.
For project updates that will move timesheet information back to the project management tool, we recommend making most of these links “on-demand” for the project manager. That means that the project manager will pull the data from TimeControl to their project management tool when they are ready for it. You can make the link automatically scheduled of course but we had an image of a project manager working on his project late one night and suddenly “poof” everything changes as the automatic link moves the data in from TimeControl. Most project managers will want to bring in the data when they’re ready to see the project advance.
There may be exceptions of course. Some projects such as regular maintenance projects aren’t really managed the same way and an automatic link to update those files from TimeControl may make more sense. You have the option to do both.
With TimeControl, you get the ability to make your links as automatic or as manual as you wish and each situation can be different.