Years ago with the release of TimeControl 6, we moved from a Windows-based ActiveX timesheet to a multi-device, multi-browser version. It was an essential move. The world is no longer all PC/Internet Explorer-based. So TimeControl 6 was a complete rewrite of much of TimeControl. But in making the TimeControl timesheet work on tablets, SmartPhones and browsers like Chrome, Safari and Firefox meant a change. 
In order to be able to evaluate the content of each timesheet cell and do all the validations that TimeControl is known and selected for, we had to move to a one-line-at-a-time edit. For new users, this was just fine but some users of the Windows-based interface felt that editing each line at a time was slower than they were used to.
In TimeControl 7, technology caught up to us in a way that we can bring back something old that’s new again. The technology built into the multi-device, multi-browser TimeControl timesheet now allows us to be both performant and functional and to allow all lines to be edited at once. For users who enjoy the efficiency of pre-loading, this will be a welcome change. Each timesheet with multiple lines has all lines editable at the same time. Users can just click on any cell and they are instantly editing that cell. Just like TimeControl has always done, when the focus of editing moves off of a cell, TimeControl evaluates that line and warns the user if there are any issues with that cell or conditions other data on the timesheet as required. So cascading user defined fields and resource filters are all in place just as they always have been.
Multi-line edit isn’t the only change in the timesheet. The new Options screen allows a number of new selections. For example, users can now decide if they wish to word-wrap header rows. This allows dates and the day of the week to be displayed on two lines but also allows the field to be narrow. Each column can also be defined to be word-wrapped. If you have longer project descriptions or charge descriptions, just click on wrapping that column. You can also define which fields on the left of the screen will be frozen in place in case you scroll to the right. This is particularly important if you have defined longer timesheet periods. If you have monthly periods for example, you’ll certainly want to freeze the project/charge descriptions on the left to be able to fill in columns far to the right!
All the other timesheet functions are still there but many have been enhanced. Attachments can still be made at the timesheet level or the expense line item level so if you have receipts to photograph or scan, they can be attached here. There is a new Views tab that will be of more interest to administrative users who have to check timesheets with a large number of lines. The Views function works much like the Drill Down Analyzer, allowing the user to drag and drop timesheet columns to see data summarized and grouped by each field selected.
We think you’ll like the new multi-line timesheet. It will form the core of this wave of TimeControl for the foreseeable future.
HMS is in Minneapolis/St-Paul this week where we are the gold sponsors of the Minnesota PMI’s Professional Development Days event. HMS Software’s President, Chris Vandersluis will be speaking on two topics and HMS will have a booth to show off the latest version of TimeControl. The Symposium part of the week is Thursday September 15th and we’ll be auctioning off a big screen TV to one lucky attendee. Stop by the booth and speak to us about TimeControl 7 and how it might help solve your timesheet challenges.
This gives users an easier perspective into data they have access to and to highlight potential assignment challenges in the coming days. The view is highly configurable and is accessed from either the Reporting tab or the MyAssignments tab of each user’s Options page.
If only the TimeControl timesheet had multi-line edit…
Not every organization expects all their staff to fill in a timesheet every single week. Instead, theses salaried staff are instructed to fill in a timesheet only “by exception” meaning only if they were not at their intended post for the entire pay period. If the employee has an exception such as a sick day, vacation, a day when they left early, etc. they must then enter only the exception.
Using the Drill Down Analyzer presents a selected amount of data which can be a small selection or a massive selection into a simple list. But, just like an Excel Pivot table, you can then drag a column header to the top of the screen and the data instantly reorganizes into sub-groups and sub-totals by that column. Drag another column and another level of sub-grouping and sub-totaling appears. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated (which you can do on the 
For users of TimeControl prior to version 6, they will be familiar with the spreadsheet-like reporting tool based on a FormulaOne component that was automatically installed by TimeControl. Using this ActiveX control, you can organize your selection of TimeControl data into groupings, sub-totals and totals and then either print it directly or save the result into Excel for further reporting. The Legacy Report Writer is not viewed by default in new TimeControl systems. It is visible in the Legacy menu area as it will be most attractive for clients who have created many reporting views in that report writer and wish to keep using them while they create new reports in the TimeControl Report Interface.
This is a great question and one faced by any organization that is shifting from paper-based timesheets to an automated system. Signature approvals are designed to have evidence that the person who signed the document actually saw the document they signed and their signature signifies their approval of the content. There are two main areas of reluctance for auditors to accept an automated version of a signature in a computer-based timesheet:
tab to tab or add a new entry. Imagine that you’ve created an internal project management tracking process manual and you’d like to make sure that all of your TimeControl users can access it from right inside TimeControl. You can click Add in the Menu Entry module and add the URL and an icon for that selection. Once you’ve added the new entry, it will immediately become visible in the User Profiles module in case you want to make sure it is secured for one user or another.
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