TimeControl at Steven Winter Associates

swa_building_350x233 We are delighted to get written testimonials from our TimeControl clients quite frequently here at HMS but this year one of our clients has gone a step further.  The folks at Steven Winter Associates worked with the HMS marketing staff to get a case study written of their selection and use of TimeControl.  We’re thrilled with the result which is now on the TimeControl website.
Steven Winter Associates is a leader in their field creating best practices for high-performing buildings.  It’s remarkable work.  In January 2010, Steven Winter started looking for a timesheet system that would allow them to be effective in their work of making buildings more effective.  TimeControl would become that system and it has been making a difference there ever since.
The case study is at: www.timecontrol.com/resources/casestudies/swa_casestudy.php or find out more about Steven Winter Associates at: www.swinter.com.

Project Imports with TimeControl 6.8

With the update to TimeControl 6.8 for both on premises and on line users, the internal links to project management tools have been rewritten to be much more effective.  In particular, we’ve updated some links to use Guaranteed Unique Identifiers (GUIDs) when they are available.  This allows us to be much more precise about what task to send data back to and to do that transfer much more quickly. 
We were already using GUIDs in several links that we wrote more recently but we’ve been able to update a number of PM import and export links now to follow the same architecture.
In order to make sure this works properly for you, you should do an import of any open project prior to posting data to it immediately following the upgrade to 6.8 (this is true also for TimeControlOnline users).  This is a best practice anyway so you are likely doing this already but if you make sure you do a PM Import of any open projects that may have been using older identification methods, TimeControl will happily transfer them to GUIDs in the background without any further intervention.
Please contact TimeControl technical support at support@hms.ca if you have any questions.

We’ve just received a letter from E2PM

e2pm_logo E2 Project Management is an engineering and consulting firm based in New Jersey and we can’t thank them enough for the kind letter they recently sent.  E2PM’s president, John Ferrante told us that their firm has been using TimeControl now for 3 years and that it has exceeded their expectations.  We’re delighted to hear it.  Thanks John to you and your entire team for your support.  If you’d like to read John’s letter in its entirety, it can be found at: www.timecontrol.com/resources/testimonials/tst_e2pm.php.

You can see other testimonials on the TimeControl testimonial page. 

HMS Releases TimeControl version 6.8

We’re delighted to tell you that we have released TimeControl version 6.8. It seems like just yesterday that we were telling you about 6.7 and all the new features there including the new Workflow module, the elimination of the last ActiveX controls and updated OnBoarding and Project Link functionality but here we are again with a major release of new functionality! In this version, we are very excited to include a new module we have talked about for some time. The Accruals Module will allow TimeControl administrators to automate functions such as banked time or calculated overtime and more. We also have added functionality to Expenses and Timesheets to allow you to insert your own documents (such as receipts) and a new Menu Editor that gives you even more flexibility over the TimeControl menus! Here are some of the more noticeable new and enhanced features you’ll be seeing in this version: Accruals moduleAccrual4
TimeControl 6.8 includes a new Accruals module which allows Administrators to create a rules-based accrual of time into different elements of TimeControl tables. For example, Vacation could now be accrued automatically on a monthly basis and the amount per employee entered into the vacation bank on the employee table or overtime could be accrued from the timesheet using a banked-overtime rate into a bank of personal time in the employee table which could be used for time off later. There are 4 different types of Accrual rules now possible:

  1. A scheduled rule that is based on static values in the employee tables
  2. A scheduled rule that is based on values in the timesheets being posted
  3. A rule executed during posting that is based on the timesheet values
  4. A scheduled rule that looks at rate-code values

While doing Accruals within TimeControl has been possible in the past, it typically required expertise at the database level and now virtually all of these types of conditions can be managed by the users themselves in the Accruals module. Accruals are easy for an Administrator to create but, like Validation Rules and Workflow, are so potentially powerful, that we haven’t begun to explore the limits of what is possible with them. manage_menu_items_add_2 TimeControl menus now editable
TimeControl has always allowed items in the menu to be secured using User Profiles. Now, TimeControl 6.8 goes so much farther. Administrators are now able to add their own menu items directly to the TimeControl menu using the Menu Editor or move existing items from one tab to another to match their own requirements. Add documents to an expense line item or a timesheet header
Expense_Dialog_ReceiptsTimeControl 6.8 allows multiple files to be uploaded and saved within each expense line item or to the entire timesheet. This will allow scanned or photographed expenses to be saved with the Expense Line or at the timesheet level. There is no limit to the number of documents that can be attached to each expense line or to the Timesheet itself. For those who have their expense approvals managed at the same time as their timesheet, this makes the TimeControl expenses functionality that much more attractive. “Adjust” on PMV is configurable in User Profiles
In TimeControl 6.7, users who have access to the Debit/Credit function will see the “Adjust” link within the Project Management Validation screen. This appeared if the user had access to Debit/Credit. The appearance of this link is now configurable in User Profiles as of TimeControl 6.8. Even if the user has access to Debit/Credit, the Adjust link in the PMV can be hidden using this User Profile option. Clickable dashboardsClickableDashboard
As of TimeControl 6.8, on dashboard elements where appropriate such as the Personal Status view, users are able to click on a link which will bring them directly to the appropriate area or element of TimeControl We’ve added an “Adjust” button to the Posted Timesheet List
TimeControl 6.8 adds the Adjust link that is currently only in the Project Manager Validation screen to the Timesheet list. If a user has access to the Debit/Credit function, they will see the Adjust button on the Timesheet list and clicking on it will automatically create a Debit/Credit record for that timesheet. This makes getting to a Debit/Credit to adjust it in TimeControl that much easier. Hide “Remember Me” and “Keep me Logged in” on login screen
TimeControl 6.8 can now be configured in the TimeControl.ini file to allow the “Remember me” and “Keep me Logged in” checkboxes on the Login screen to be hidden from users. When users logout, return them immediately to login screen
TimeControl 6.8 can now be configured in the TimeControl.ini file to allow the user to bypass the confirmation dialog and return directly to the login screen while logging out. Filter resources during Project Management import
TimeControl 6.8 allows the project manager to set a filter to not transfer certain resources from the project management system. This could allow hiding certain types of resources such as generic resources from being automatically added to the TimeControl Resource Table. Plus, we’ve made performance and minor improvements in a wide range of other modules:Find out more about TimeControl 6.8 at www.timecontrol.com/timesheet/latest or talk to us about your timesheet needs at www.timecontrol.com/contact/contact.php or info@hms.ca.

Thanks to Ascendant for a great letter!

Ascendant Ascendant is a Bermuda-based firm which supplies critical utilities to Bermuda’s residents and community.  Caroline Rance, Ascendant’s VP of Information Technology sent a great recommendation for TimeControl based on their successful implementation from over a year ago. 

Caroline’s letter can be read at: www.timecontrol.com/resources/testimonials/tst_e2pm.php

You can see other testimonials on the TimeControl testimonial page. 

Thanks for a great letter from Aedon Consulting!

aedon_consultingCarolyn Gavsie the office manager of Aedon Consulting in Canada’s west coast recently sent us a letter explaining how delighted they are to have moved from a manual timesheet system to TimeControl.  Aedon is a consulting services firm working in the utilities industry.
Carolyn’s letter can be found at: www.timecontrol.com/resources/testimonials/tst_aedon.php.
More TimeControl testimonial letters can be found on the TimeControl Testimonial page.

Have you seen the letter from Esterline?

Esterline_logo Esterline is a UK-based manufacturing company specializing in aerospace and defense products.  Anne Vokal, Esterline’s IT Project Manager sent us a lovely letter about the success of their TimeControl deployment since last year. 
You can read Anne’s letter at: www.timecontrol.com/resources/testimonials/tst_esterline.php.
More testimonial letters can be found on the TimeControl Testimonial page.

See HMS at the Scottsdale Hard Dollar Conference

2014-InEight-Experience HMS Software will be at the InEight Experience Hard Dollar Conference in Scottsdale, AZ at the end of this month.  Not only will HMS be exhibiting the very latest version of TimeControl Industrial and showing how it can link to Hard Dollar’s HD PCM but HMS Software’s President, Chris Vandersluis will be co-presenting a paper with Erik Marthinsen, the President of BASEMETHOD.  Erik’s firm is not only a TimeControl  Dealer, but also one of Hard Dollar most experienced dealers.  Erik and Chris will be describing how TimeControl Industrial and Hard Dollar’s HD PCM were deployed at a major oil producer in Canada and how combining TimeControl’s field data collection with HD PCM’s cost control has resulted in significant efficiencies in managing literally millions of sub-contractor hours.
Find out more about the Hard Dollar Conference at: http://www.harddollar.com/ineight-experience or contact HMS at info@hms.ca if you need more information.

Testimonials letters

In case you missed it, HMS received several wonderful letters from clients earlier this year.
ASL_Environmental First the CIO of ASL Environmental Sciences based in British Columbia Canada sent us a very flattering letter about TimeControl.  ASL has been around longer than HMS and specializes in Oceanographic services..  Their letter can be read at: www.timecontrol.com/resources/testimonials/tst_asl.php.

ESI_Tennessee Next, ESI Derrick Duke from the Georgia offices of ESI sent us a great letter about their TimeControl deployment. is a design and engineering construction firm specializing in steam and power systems.
You can read the letter at: 
www.timecontrol.com/resources/testimonials/tst_esi.php

scisyslogo And SCISYS; a multinational communications specialist who develop Information and Communications Technology for the defense and aerospace industries as well as other blue chip and public sector organizations.  SCISYS boasts amongst its client lists such prestigious organizations as the BBC, the European Space Agency and the UK Ministry of Defense.  SCISYS is in its third year of using TimeControl now and the kind letter from Michael Henke, the Operations Manager Space makes us thankful for the great clients we partner with.  You can read Michael’s letter at: www.timecontrol.com/resources/testimonials/tst_scisys.php.
You can read more testimonials letters and case studies on the TimeControl Testimonial page.

Drop a newsfeed into your TimeControl Dashboard

The TimeControl dashboard is a remarkable thing.  Aside from pie charts, announcements, employee time banks and more, you can also drop a link to almost any kind of web-enabled file.  We’ve talked about using this feature in the past to show an externally hosted dashboard but have you ever thought of putting your newsfeed into TimeControl?  It’s crazily easy to do.
Dashboard with Twitterfeed
Here for example is a TimeControl dashboard with the TimeControl Twitterfeed right in it.  Most social media sites allow a feed whether it’s an RSS feed or something designed like Twitter has here, as an embedded widget.  We used the Custom URL type in the right-hand window when defining the dashboard and then we pointed to a file which had the needed widget from Twitter.
For this example we created a file which we like so much, we’re going to put it in as a default for Administrators in future deployments.
This file embeds code that Twitter gives us for just this type of exercise.  The file is open to anyone who might want to use it for their own TimeControl.  Our Twitter feed is the same one that appears on our www.timecontrol.com site.
The file is located at: www.timecontrol.com/docs/TimeControlTwitterFeed.html in case you want to use it for your own Administrator Dashboards.

The official blogsite of TimeControl