Category Archives: timecontrol

timecontrol

TimeControl and JIRA integration

In TimeControl 8 we introduced a dynamic bidirectional link with Atlassian’s JIRA® which synchronizes task actuals bi-directionally between TimeControl and JIRA.

The link has incoming and outgoing components.  The incoming component works differently from any previous TimeControl link as it is expected to work multiple times per day or per timesheet period.  It brings into TimeControl not only the task, resource and assignment information but also the actual hours saved into JIRA by end users.  Since JIRA saves these entries as transactions, TimeControl brings in only the differential between what it has already and what has been posted in JIRA since.  The link can be called multiple times per day or as often as is convenient to populate the timesheet and from a performance perspective, because only the records that are new transactions in JIRA are transferred, the inbound link will be very quick.

The result of this process is that by the end of the timesheet period (for example weekly), TimeControl has created a timesheet for the user with all the time that has been posted in JIRA for tasks so far.  Then the user can go to TimeControl to fill in any non-JIRA or non-project time for example for meetings, travel or time-off in order to fill in a complete timesheet and then release the timesheet for approval.

TimeControl then has its usual timesheet approval mechanisms for approving the time both automatically through validation rules and manually both by supervisors and project managers.  Once all approvals are complete, TimeControl can use the outbound component of the link to send information back to JIRA so that both systems are kept synchronized.

The result is an auditable financial record of work that was originally recorded in JIRA for convenience but has become part of a corporate cost control system.

For more information on the TimeControl/JIRA integration, visit TimeControl.com/use-cases/jira.

 

timecontrol

In TimeControl 8 we extended integration of Project Server to Project Server 2019

While some vendors have abandoned the on-premise market, we have not. You may have noticed that TimeControl 8 included a brand new integration, this time for Microsoft Project Server 2019 on premise.

We have maintained a link between TimeControl and Microsoft Project since 1995 and with every version of Project Server since its first launch in 2002. The integration of TimeControl with Project Server 2019 as well as Microsoft’s SaaS version; Project Online shows our commitment to serve both in-the-cloud and on-premise clients.

Not all our clients are willing or ready to move their corporate systems into the cloud.  We know that’s true for TimeControl and it is also certainly true for Microsoft Project.

All versions of TimeControl now include the integration functionality for on-premise implementations of Project Server 2019 including TimeControl on-premise, TimeControl Industrial and TimeControl Online, our in-the-cloud Timesheet as a Service.

In creating the link between Project Server 2019 on-premise and TimeControl 8, we found that Microsoft had leveraged new technologies for creating such links.  Fortunately for HMS, we were already up to date on these technologies as they were used in the link to Project Online.

This link adds to a long list of integrations already included with every version of TimeControl including Microsoft Project desktop, Project Online, SharePoint, BrightWork, Oracle-Primavera Professional, Primavera EPPM, ARES PRISM, Open Plan, Cobra, Hard Dollar and VersionOne. TimeControl can support integration with multiple project management tools or even multiple versions of the same project management tool simultaneously.

To find out more about the link to Project Server, visit TimeControl.com/use-cases/ms-project-server

timecontrol

Linking TimeControl to Project Management at Different Levels

TimeControl has more project management system integrations than any timesheet in the industry so perhaps it’s no surprise that many years ago we had to handle requests from clients who wanted to collect time at a different level of resolution than the project management system.

We’ll cover three different scenarios in this article

Continue reading Linking TimeControl to Project Management at Different Levels →

timecontrol, TimeControl 8, TimeControl Industrial, TimeControl Mobile App

The new TimeControl Mobile App includes Crew Timesheets!

In the lastest updated of TimeControl, enhancements to the free TimeControl Mobile App include new functionality for Crews.  When the Mobile App links to a TimeControl Industrial  license, additional functionality becomes available.  Providing that the user has security profile access to these functions, they can now create, and edit a Crew Timesheet.  In addition, the user can Approve or Reject Crew Timesheets as part of the approval process.

The Mobile App also allows the user to Add or Remove Crew Team Members.

Field Data Collection often occurs in areas where Internet services are spotty.  If a connection is lost, the TimeControl Mobile App continues working offline until the Internet is restored and then synchronizes with the main TimeControl system.

The TimeControl Mobile App is available at no charge on the Google Play Store for Android phones and tablets and on the Apple App Store for iOS devices.

You can find out more about Crew Timesheets at: Industrial.Time
Control.com/features/crew-timesheet.

timecontrol

TimeControl / PRISM Integration now available

A few weeks ago, we announced a strategic alliance with ARES PRISM who are the publishers of enterprise project control ares_prism_200x90.jpgsoftware. We’re delighted to tell you that the integration of the ARES PRISM and TimeControl is now available.  A design team made up of both HMS and PRISM staff created the link which is available from ARES PRISM as a plug-in for their G2 system.

Now our joint clients can integrate the power of TimeControl’s multi-purpose timesheet and field data collection system matched with enterprise level forecasting and analysis.

We have created a solution page for the PRISM/TimeControl link at: TimeControl.com/use-cases/prism where you’ll find screen shots, factsheets and more.  Contact your HMS or PRISM representative for more information.

BrightWork, timecontrol

Join our Live Webinar: Integrating TimeControl and BrightWork

TimeControl is a multi-purpose timesheet designed to integrated with multiple project webinar_300x178.jpgmanagement systems.  When it is integrated with BrightWork, you can create a collaborative project management SharePoint environment where the organization’s timesheets are blended naturally into the project process.

Join BrightWork and HMS Software on July 11 for a live webinar where you will:

  1. See how to quickly get started managing projects and portfolios with SharePoint
  2. Learn how integrating TimeControl as an enterprise timesheet brings a single point of entry for timesheets into the project environment
  3. Get a live demo of BrightWork and TimeControl working together

Don’t worry if you can’t attend! Sign up anyway and we will send you the recording.

The Webinar is scheduled for July 11th at 4pm GMT | 11am EDT | 8am PDT.

To Register click: Register Here.

timecontrol

TimeControl Industrial 8 now available

With the successful launch of TimeControl 8 only a few days ago, we’ve now released TimeControl Industrial version 8.  The TimeControl 8 version already included numerous features that will be of interest to all TimeControl Industrial clients.

crew_tsentry_3There are also some features very specific to TimeControl Industrial in this edition.  Some of these include:

Crew Timesheets in TimeControl Mobile

TimeControl 8 includes the free TimeControl Mobile App and TimeControl Industrial users can, for the first, time create and edit Crew Timesheets and edit Crew members while mobile.  With nearly half of the total global workforce expected to be comprised of mobile employees by 2022, these new features in TimeControl Industrial Mobile will be welcome.

Manage Crews in TimeControl Mobile

Not only can supervisors and team leaders create crew timesheets while on the go, they can also use the TimeControl Mobile App to update team members.  A team lead who is out in the field with their crew can start their shift by updating their crew and then updating Crew Timesheet information as the day progresses no matter where they are.

Support for TimeControl Mobile when disconnected from the Internet

TimeControl Mobile has been enhanced so that if connection to the Internet is interrupted; something that can occur more frequently in remote construction sites, the App will continue functioning and will automatically syncronize with the central application as soon as a connection is re-established.

Mobile Views

The TimeControl Mobile App includes dynamic data analysis for management of all timesheet data under their control.  Instant graphics in numerous formats will enable rapid decision making based on where time is being spent.

The upgrade is available to existing on-premise clients with a current support and maintenance agreement at no additional charge from the TimeControl upgrades site at: Industrial.TimeControl.com/support/updates. TimeControl Industrial 8 will be upgraded automatically for TimeControl Online subscription clients in mid-July.

For further information, please visit Industrial.TimeControl.com or email info@hms.ca.

timecontrol, TimeControl 8

TimeControl 8 begins shipping

All of us here at HMS are very excited about this announcement.  After over a year in the planning and countless hours of work, TimeControl 8 is now available!  This version represents huge changes that have been recommended by our clients, by our own research and by evolving industry guidelines.  There is so much new in this new version but for those already using or about to begin using TimeControl, don’t worry.  We have kept all previous functionality alive and well.  You’ll have no trouble finding your usual functionality for your timesheet, security, tables and reporting all where they’re supposed to be, even if they look a little different.

Here is just a bit of what you’ll see in this brand new version!

All new interface

tc8_timesheet_groupedFirst, the interface is all new.  The last time we made this big a change in the look and feel of TimeControl was 2010 and it was due.  We’re following new industry guidelines on look and feel and we think you’ll agree that it’s even easier to find your way around the new screens!

JIRA support

We’ve found many of our clients have IT groups within them who have adopted JIRA.  JIRA is a task and project management system that has a big following amongst developers and IT specialists.  TimeControl 8 includes a bi-directional link with JIRA that allows JIRA users to have their task updates and effort expended automatically populate their timesheet.  Then, when going to TimeControl to finish their timesheet for any non-development (non-JIRA) work they have they will already find all their JIRA data already there.  This promises to be a big time savings for JIRA users.

ARES PRISM Support

Along with ARES PRISM, we have also included support for a bi-directional integration between ARES PRISM and TimeControl.  ARES PRISM is a high-end project cost control system that is often used in large Engineering-Procurement-Construction mega projects.  The new link with TimeControl means that ARSE PRISM users can implement enterprise-level timesheets within the same system so that estimates can now be directly compared to actuals.  The link is effected from a plug-in inside of the ARES PRISM system.

All new TimeControl Mobile App Views

tc8_mobile_views_polarareaWe’ve gone so much further with TimeControl Mobile.  Aside from the new Mobile Crew Interface for TimeControl Industrial which we’ll talk more about next week, there is a new feature for supervisors, managers and administrators that lets them see graphical representations of all TimeControl data in their control to help them make decisions at a glance!  The new looks are stunning but more importantly, they bring the depth of TimeControl data to a look that is effective and easy to understand.

Much, much more…

There is so much more.  Support for Microsoft Project Server 2019 on-premise, additional enhancements in the TimeControl Mobile App, the new TimeControl Notification system, new email notification capacity, improved single-sign-on for corporate users, a major expansion of the API to introduce new end points and methods.

And, countless other less visible changes that have made TimeControl even better…

You can find a more complete list of changes at: TimeControl.com/features/latest.

TimeControl 8 is available for download right now for clients who have an active support agreement at TimeControl.com/support/updates.  TimeControl Industrial will be available next week and TimeControl Online clients will be upgraded automatically in mid-July.  We will inform TimeControl Online users at least a week before their systems are updated.  If you are an existing TimeControl client and need to renew your support agreement, please email info@hms.ca.

ARES PRISM, timecontrol

HMS and ARES PRISM announce a Strategic Alliance

ares_prism_200x90.jpgWe’re very excited to announce the formation of a strategic alliance with ARES PRISM who are the publishers of enterprise project control software.  ARES PRISM focuses on cost control, forecasting, change management and performance measurement and TimeControl focuses on project actual labor, material and equipment usage data collection.  This makes a powerful case for bringing these two suites of functionality together.

Teams from the two firms are already hard at work finalizing integration tools between the respective products.

Our President, Chris Vandersluis explains that “This is a situation where one-plus-one equals much more than two.  Our joint clients will enjoy the power of TimeControl’s multi-purpose timesheet and field data collection system matched with enterprise level forecasting and analysis.  We think our clients and prospective clients are going to be very excited about what comes of this new partnership.

Dates for the complete integration have not yet been announced but it is expected shortly.

You can read the complete press release at: TimeControl.com/resources/newsroom/press-releases/2019-05-23 and for more information on ARES PRISM, visit www.aresprism.com.

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.