Chris Vandersluis, the president of HMS will be speaking at the PMI Huron Valley Chapter in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Monday, April 16th. The subject is: “Increasing your project resource capacity without increasing your project resource costs” and focuses on how timesheet practices can help find resource capacity you didn’t even know you had. The event starts at 5:30 and is located at the Holiday Inn Ann Arbor located at: 3600 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
For more information, visit the Huron Valley PMI chapter site at: www.pmi-hvc.org.
Category Archives: timesheets
TimeControl Value Propositions for Executives
The use of TimeControl can have many benefits across an organization. Sometimes it is helpful for people to understand just how TimeControl can benefit them according to what position they hold in the company.
Today I will outline some of the key benefits that Executives would get out of TimeControl.
If you’re an executive, you’re used to looking at the big picture because your daily decisions affect the organization. TimeControl allows executives to have timely reports to show where labour is being spent. In some organizations, executives have to look at project data to track metrics on project progress and then look at financial timesheets to assess non-project labour. One of the major benefits of using TimeControl is that it collects both project and non-project data for everyone which means that consolidated data is available for all staff.
TimeControl offers flexible reporting with unlimited levels of data selection, filtering and sorting. The ability to have immediate access to any report you need saves you time and energy and allows you to focus on decision making. Perhaps you would be shocked to see how many hours have been spent in meetings over the past week. TimeControl gives you the information you need to focus resources onto more effective tasks which saves money and improves the bottom line.
For more information on the benefits of TimeControl by role, please see the TimeControl Value Propositions factsheet located on the www.timecontrol.com site.
Managing banked time with TimeControl
Keeping track of banked time is one of the fundamental reason for purchasing a timesheet system. Every company has it’s own policies which offers employees certain types of non-standard time that that needs to be kept track of. Vacation time, personal time and sick days are the most common and that is why they come as part of the default set-up in TimeControl. These can be modified or added to for a total of 9 banks per employee. 
Hours are allocated to each of the banks through the employee table. As the employee draws from the banks, TimeControl keeps track of the time taken. When users log into TimeControl they will see a table of banked time on the main dashboard. This table shows the allotted time, time taken and time remaining which allows employees to keep track of their own banked time.
Validation rules can be created to ensure that people are not taking more hours out of a bank than is available. Also, employees can use the TimeRequest function to request permission to take time from a particular bank when permission is needed.
For more information please check out the webcast entitled Managing Banked Time which is available in the TimeControl Online Learning Center.
Selecting TimeControl for Online or On-premises
With TimeControl now available to be purchased for on-premises installation and for subscription to our TimeControlOnline hosted timesheet service, there is a choice to make. Here at HMS we’ve been asked recently “Which is better – Hosted or Purchased?” and the answer isn’t obvious. Whether you subscribe to TimeControlOnline or purchase TimeControl to install on your own servers, there’s lots of great functionality including:
- Multi-browser easy to use interface
- TimeControl mobile smartphone interface
- Links to project management systems like MS Project
- Links to ERP/Finance, Payroll and HR systems
- Matrix Approvals
- Automated Validation Rules
- Extensive Reporting
- Vacation approvals
- Email notifications
- Multi-lingual functionality
But there specific advantages for both subscribing or installing so we’ve put together some resources that we hope you’ll find useful on our Timesheet Buyer’s Guide solution portal including:
Webcast
A short webcast by our President, Chris Vandersluis comparing the differences of purchasing TimeControl vs. subscribing to TimeControlOnline along with some basic questions you can ask yourself to see which path is optimal for you. Read more…
Slides
A PowerPoint slideshow that is used in the webcast. Read more…
Factsheet
A 4-page factsheet entitled Online vs. On-premises which puts side-by-side comparison of the different options available with both products. Read more…
Timesheet Buyer’s Guide
This solution portal contains numerous resources other than those we’ve listed here on how to select a timesheet for your needs and how TimeControl might apply to those requirements. See more at buyersguide.timecontrol.com.
TimeControl now available as a hosted service with TimeControlOnline
TimeControl is open for business in the cloud with TimeControlOnline! We are delighted to announce the availability of our Timesheet as a Service (TaaS) hosted subscription. This new service brings all the power, flexibility and ease of use of one of the world’s most popular timesheets to a hosted subscription model. 
TimeControlOnline culminates a development initiative that began in 2007 and lets clients who are interested in a hosted timesheet service start with TimeControl instantly.
The new hosted service brings a remarkable set of TimeControl features and benefits to the online subscription model. TimeControl and TimeControlOnline include functionality for time and attendance, time and billing, project-tracking, linking to project management tools, vacation approvals and even a mobile interface all in the same package. And, with TimeControlOnline, there is no hardware to purchase, nothing to install, nothing to maintain and nothing else to purchase. Everything is included in one competitive subscription price.
TimeControlOnline Features include:
Multi-browser/Multi-lingual interface
TimeControlOnline’s interface is designed to be easy to use. We know that end-users will spend only a few minutes a week entering their timesheet so the interface must be both simple and intuitive. TimeControlOnline is multi-browser compatible and multi-lingual.
TimeControlMobile Smartphone interface
TimeControlOnline now includes a mobile interface designed for smartphones like the iPhone, Blackberry as well as Android and Windows 7 Mobile devices.
Vacation approvals with TimeRequest
TimeRequest is TimeControl’s vacation approval system. It is a simple easy-to-use screen to enter requests to take time off in the future and once approved, the time will automatically appear in the appropriate future timesheet.
Matrix timesheet approvals
TimeControl has an extensive approvals system including automated validation rules, multiple levels of approvals and individualized approval paths. The unique Matrix Approval Process for Labor Actuals was designed to allow both work-based approvals and organization-based approvals to occur at the same time.
Email notifications for missing timesheets
On Monday morning the hardest thing about timesheets can be finding them. TimeControlOnline makes this easy with automatic scheduled email notifications.
Links to Project Management
TimeControl supports more project management links than any other timesheet on the market. Whether you use Microsoft Project or Project Server, Oracle’s Primavera or Deltek’s Open Plan or Cobra, TimeControl can help create an integrated Enterprise Project Management environment.
Government compliance
TimeControl enables organizations to comply with many different government standards including the DCAA, R&D tax credits, the FMLA, California Wage Laws, the European Time Directives and Sarbanes Oxley.
Pricing for TimeControlOnline starts at a highly-competitive $12/month/user with a minimum of 10 users. Discounts are available for volume subscriptions. Prospective clients can request pricing for their particular configuration at www.timecontrol.net/contact/pricing. TimeControlOnline is available immediately. Additional information and pricing can be found at www.timecontrol.net.
All new Solutions area for those using Excel timesheets
HMS has just released an all new Solutions Portal for those who are using Excel timesheets and know it’s time to graduate to a full timesheet system like TimeControl. Thousands of organizations every year create their first timesheet in Excel. And, why not? It’s easy to do, there are numerous free Excel templates available for download and The new solutions area contains a number of resources that will be of interest to those currently using Excel for timesheets and are considering a move to a timesheet application. Among the collateral on the portal is included:
- Moving from Excel timesheets to TimeControl Webcast
This webcast shows the benefits of moving from an Excel timesheet system to TimeControl and how easy and familiar TimeControl will be to those who have used Excel for timesheets in the past. The webcast shows TimeControl in action and discusses how TimeControl can import and export data directly with Excel. - Excel to TimeControl PowerPoint presentation
This slide presentation shows various free Excel templates and some of the benefits of moving from an Excel-based timesheet to TimeControl. - Excel to TimeControl factsheet
This all-new 4-page factsheet describes the ease of moving from Excel timesheets to TimeControl timesheets and highlights some of the functionality that may be missing from an in-house Excel-based timesheet system that can be found in TimeControl.
The Solutions area is free of charge and can be found at www.timecontrol.com/solutions/excel/.
Have you seen the latest TimeControl case study?
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.
Installing TimeControl 6 on a 64 bit server with Oracle 11g+
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)
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.
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.
It’s the holidays–Here’s how to deal with absences in TimeControl
With the holiday season approaching, it’s a good time to talk about how to handle timesheets for people who will be away. TimeControl has several options for dealing with absences whether they are planned in advance, or unplanned.
Unplanned absence
If an employee is absent and the timesheet for the week in question has not been started, the employee’s supervisor can create the timesheet and enter the time data on their behalf. The supervisor uses the Add Timesheet function and selects the employee from the Employee List in the Create Timesheet dialogue box. TimeControl is designed to allow supervisors in an employee’s approval path to enter timesheets for them.
If the timesheet has already been started, we have a couple of choices, a supervisor or designated replacement can log in on behalf of the employee by using the alternate log in function. An alternate log in can be specified for any employee from the User Table / Other Information tab. This allows someone to be the delegate of someone else. When setting an alternate log in, you also must set an expiry date. When a user logs in as an alternate for an employee, the audit trail records that the alternate has made the entries, as opposed to the original employee. This function is an easy way for a supervisor to complete a timesheet for an employee who has an unplanned absence or for another supervisor to approve the timesheets of a supervisor who is absent.
There is another option to managing timesheets that are already underway. A supervisor or administrator can use the Change Ownership function to move the control of a timesheet from one user along the approval path to their supervisor to have the timesheet completed and approved.
Planned absence If the absence is planned, TimeControl’s new TimeRequest function allows users to request approval for various types of time including vacation or time off. The employee enters the type of time-off, dates and hours requested and then submits the request to the supervisor. Once the TimeRequest has been approved, it is maintained in a queue and will automatically appear in that employee’s timesheet when it is created.
HMS readies TimeControl 6 upgrades
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 .