The ability to save Start and Stop times for each day of a timesheet has been a part of TimeControl for many years. Early versions of a single start and stop time per day gave way quickly to a more detailed multi-line start and stop time for each day. While not every client uses this feature, it was one of the first things we were asked to create in a timesheet system long before TimeControl became a commercial product.
While this functionality is well-established, one of the things that has been requested for a long time is the ability to have a schedule to compare the start/stop times to. That is now a part of TimeControl as of version 8.6.1.
The Shift function allows an administrator or supervisor to create numerous schedules to use as a default list of start/stop times. Then in the Employee Table, each employee can be assigned to one of the Shift default lists.
The Shift Schedules and the Start/Stop entries have been enhanced to include a description of each detailed line, so a full day might look like 8:00 – 12:00: Work, then 12:00 – 13:00: Lunch, then 13:00 – 17:00 Work. Or more detailed with mid-morning and mid-afternoon breaks. The schedule can be as detailed or as summary as is appropriate for each environment.
There can be as many schedules as you wish. There can be different schedules for people in different locations or different departments. There can be daytime and nighttime schedules. You decide.
With the default schedule now a part of the product, this opens the possibility of comparing the actual start/stops with the expected start/stops and reporting on discrepancies. This is not a requirement, but some organizations must report in this manner for safety or compliance purposes.
With default starts/stops in place, entering actuals becomes that much easier. End-users can simply accept the defaults or go just to the lines where there is a discrepancy and make the changes needed.
Start/Stop functionality appears in both TimeControl and TimeControl Industrial (whether on-premise or on-line). Entering Start/Stop times is also now available in the free TimeControl Mobile App making all of these features even more accessible to users.