Category Archives: TimeControl 6

EXFO, HMS Software Case Study, TC6, TimeControl 6, TimeControl Case study, TimeControl Timesheets, timesheets

Have you seen the latest TimeControl case study?

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EXFO has been a TimeControl client since 1999 and recently they were gracious enough to allow us to interview them and do a case study on their use of TimeControl.  EXFO wasn’t a publicly traded company when we first sold them TimeControl but they sure are now.  The company has expanded enormously since our first visit there years ago.  The case study is on our website and available in both French and English.  Our thanks to Andre Richard who took time out of his busy schedule to do the interviews for us and to review the final copy.  We invite you to read how EXFO has been able to enjoy some of TimeControl’s key benefits and see how the timesheet links to multiple systems for multiple purposes within the EXFO environment.
To see the EXFO case study in English, click here.
To see the EXFO case study in French, click here.

Oracle 11g, TC6, timecontrol, TimeControl 6, TimeControl Installation, timesheets

Installing TimeControl 6 on a 64 bit server with Oracle 11g+

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We’ve encountered an unusual condition when clients are installing TimeControl 6 on a 64 bit server with the very latest Oracle 11g.  Most 64 bit installations go forward without incident but, if you are installing your TimeControl on a 64 bit server and you are using Oracle 11g or later
Because TimeControl’s architecture now includes elements that are both in 64 bit and 32 bit.  When TimeControl is installed on a 64 bit server and the Oracle 11g or higher driver is installed, you will need to do some specific configuration in order to have the TimeControl Transaction Server (TTS) (in .Net) connect through the 64bit Oracle supplied driver and the TimeControl Administration Transaction Server (ATS) connect through the 32bith Oracle supplied driver.
Do this you will need to create multiple Oracle homes by installing Oracle 32bit and Oracle 64 bit client. For more information on installing and configuring multiple homes please refer to Oracle documentation.
First, install both the:
* Oracle 32 bit Client Software (minimum Runtime installation) and the; * Oracle 64 bit Client Software (minimum Runtime installation)
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Next, create an environment variable called TNS_ADMIN to point to the location of your tnsnames.ora file. For more information on creating environment variables, refer to your Oracle documentation.
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Now update your tnsnames.ora file to have the connection information for your Oracle data.

Now you’re ready to install TimeControl or run the TimeControl database configuration tool.

R and D, R and D Tax Credits, R and D Timesheet, Research and Development, Research and Development Tax Credits, Research Credits, timecontrol, TimeControl 6

Take a look at the new TimeControl R&D Tax Credit Solution Portal

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HMS has just published a collection of new tools and resources for those organizations which do Research and Development Tax Credits.  R&D tax credit programs are offered by governments all over the world including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and throughout the EU.  Virtually all R&D tax credit programs require documenting what eligible work was done and who did it and that’s one reason TimeControl is often part of the R&D reporting environment.  If your organization does an R&D tax claim then our new Research and Development solution page includes a range of new tools that you may find of interest:
There’s a new white paper on how R&D tax claims work and how you can configure TimeControl to help overcome the “Triangle Audit” that is often how R&D tax claims are reviewed by the particular jurisdiction.
There’s a new webcast talking and R&D tax claims and a demonstration of TimeControl 6 already configured to do R&D reporting.  The reports we used in that webcast are available for download from the MyTimeControl Plugin library on the timecontrol.com website in the Support area.
There is a new case study of how TimeControl is being used at EXFO in Canada for their R&D reporting requirements.
There are slides, links to online resources in numerous countries, slide presentations, other white papers and fact sheets.  You can even try TimeControl for free on our Free Hosted TimeControl Trial site.
The new TimeControl R&D Tax Credit Solution Portal is at www.timecontrol.com/solutions/randd.

IIS Impersonation, TimeControl 6

TC6 and ASP Impersonation

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You’d think that the word “impersonation” would be used only by those trying to defeat security but in fact, the term is quite commonly used by those dealing with web-based services such as those found in .Net applications like TimeControl 6.  We’ve had a couple of clients who are not using the default ASP.Net security profile when running TimeControl 6 under Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 and only under some circumstances clients have experienced a The pipe name could not be obtained for the pipe URI: 5 (0x5) error to indicate that Access to the website and the service was denied. 

To fix the problem, Microsoft tells you to enable “Impersonation” (no, I’m not kidding). 

You can find out more about how to do this within your Windows Server environment, take a look at

Configure ASP.NET Impersonation Authentication (IIS 7) which one of our clients pointed us to.
TimeControl 6, TimeControl upgrade, timesheet upgrade

TimeControl 6 upgrades now available

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For those clients who have patiently been waiting for their upgrades to TimeControl 6, the upgrades to the new version are  now available.  Clients with a current support contract can download the upgrades which includes a full installation of TimeControl 6, and a complete ISO image of the CD.  In addition, the download area includes the Installation and Upgrade guide which includes the hardware requirements, the installation instructions for the new version and instructions on how to upgrade an existing TimeControl 5.1.8 database to the new version. 
Clients with existing support contracts should go to www.timecontrol.com/support/updates where the new version is available at no additional charge.
Clients whose support contracts have expired can contact custsvc@hmssoftware.ca to update their contract.

timecontrol, TimeControl 6, timesheets

HMS readies TimeControl 6 upgrades

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We know that existing TimeControl clients have been waiting patiently for TimeControl 6 to arrive.  We have been waiting for is the module to convert older TimeControl databases into the TimeControl 6 format.  We’re happy to let everyone know that this code is complete and testing for the migration tool has also been completed.  Packing the TimeControl 6 updates and putting some finishing touches on documentation is wrapping up now and we will be making the TimeControl 6 upgrade available to clients early next week.   This version of TimeControl will be made available at no cost to existing TimeControl clients who have a current support contract.  Clients who wish to ensure their support contract is up to date should check with support@hmssoftware.ca. 

TimeControl 6 updates as well as a complete installable version and even an ISO CD image file will be available from the www.timecontrol.com/support/updates/ area for any clients whose support is current . 

enterprise timesheet, new release, TimeControl 6

TimeControl 6 now available!

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HMS Software announces the release of TimeControl 6. This version represents a significant evolution in one of the world’s most popular timesheet systems. Since its initial release in 1984, TimeControl has been one of the most recognized timesheet systems for organizations who wish to implement project timekeeping, time and billing and time and attendance within a single interface. Now TimeControl 6 brings a new architecture and new interface design to its clients.

Enhancements in TimeControl 6 include:

New architecture
Along with the new interface comes new architecture. TimeControl now fully supports a 64bit server environment. Client workstations using 64 bit operating systems have been supported for some time. TimeControl 6 will also embrace MySQL along with ongoing support for Microsoft’s SQL Server and Oracle databases.

All-new Timesheet List
The new timesheet list allows for multiple types of timesheets to be visible at one time. Now in a single screen, users or supervisors can see pending timesheets for approval, missing timesheets, historical timesheets and pending debit/credit adjustments. A powerful filtering mechanism lets the user select which type of files to view. This will make approving and managing timesheets much easier and much faster for administrators and supervisors.

All new multi-browser timesheet interface
The new timesheet interface is entirely web based and eliminates the need for ActiveX Controls. This new interface includes functionality for the timesheet, approvals, adjustments through TimeControl’s Debit/Credit system and the new My Account area to adjust personal options. Only Administrators may require access to ActiveX controls for TimeControl’s setup, linking to external products and reporting.
The new interface supports multiple browsers and hardware platforms. Testing was effected on Internet Explorer, FireFox, Mozilla and Safari.

Along with rewriting the underlying architecture and communications protocols for the new version, there’s a whole new look and feel for the interface to conform with more modern and ergonomically pleasing standards.

TimeRequest module tracks vacation requests and more
The all-new TimeRequest module allows users to make a request for certain types of times to be approved for entry in future timesheets. The most common application of this module may be for requesting Vacation time. Users will enter a request for a block of time to be taken for vacation and, once approved, the time will then automatically populate the users’ timesheet in the future when that timesheet is created.

The TimeRequest module is, however, not restricted to just Vacation requests. Any category of time can be exposed to the module. This allows an infinite number of applications such as requests for travel time, training time, offsite or onsite time or any other type of time category where the organization wishes it to be approved in advance.

Additional Enhancements
There are numerous additional enhancements to TimeControl 6 including the new TimeControl MenuStrip for navigation, the new MyAccount area which allows default selections for each navigation tab, additional rate values, cost values for the already extensive rate system, up to 9 banked time categories (up from 3), longer passwords and user names, enhanced security and intrusion logging and an updated language file that adds Spanish to the numerous languages already included in the system.

To see a complete list of what’s new in TimeControl 6, visit www.timecontrol.com/timesheet/latest.

TimeControl 6 is available for immediate shipment. TimeControl customers with existing current support contracts will receive updates to their systems by September 1st.