Tag Archives: integration

timecontrol

Integrateability sets TimeControl apart

Integration, TimeControl, enterprise timesheet, Chris Vandersluis, Christopher Vandersluis, Christopher Peter VandersluisWe refer to “integrateability” as an ability to integrate.  It is one of the most common requests by existing and prospective TimeControl clients.  When you think about it a moment, you can see why.

An enterprise timesheet collects actuals, the data from employees and contractors of what actually happened.  It’s essential of course for processes like Payroll.  We need to know when people worked so we know how to pay them. It’s essential for Human Resources.  We need to know if people didn’t work why were they gone.  Was it a sick day, a holiday?  It’s essential for project management to know how much time people worked on what task.  Is that task complete? Half done? Not started?

When you look at a multi-purpose timesheet like TimeControl, there may be many different corporate processes where pulling data out of the timesheet data or inserting updates into the timesheet data is essential.

So here at HMS we see integrateability as a key feature.

For ages, we’ve not spoken of it as a feature at all because the ability to integrate is woven into so much of TimeControl that we tend to think of it as architecture.  But given how frequently we’re asked, “How Integrateable is TimeControl?” we thought it was finally time to devote one of our feature pages to it.

So, you’ll now find “TimeControl Integration Abilities” on the TimeControl.com website.

For those wondering how to integrate TimeControl with internal tools and processes, talk to us on the Contact page.

timecontrol

What’s new with TimeControl’s link with Oracle-Primavera?

Version 7.1 of TimeControl includes an additional link type that will be of great interest to those who use Primavera’s Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management (EPPM) system.

integration_puzzlepieceHMS has maintained links between TimeControl and Primavera since 1997 when we made the first link with P3.    Since we never throw anything away here.  We still have that link in TimeControl though P3 hasn’t been sold in some time.

The newer versions of Oracle-Primavera come in two flavors:

Primavera Professional

This version is designed to work in a stand-alone fashion for those users who must strap on a laptop and work in the field.  We often say that these Primavera users might not have access to the Internet because they’re building the internet out in the wilderness but, for whatever your reason, if you need to work independent of the corporate network, this is the version to install on your computer.  Primavera Professional installs with its own optional database system.

Primavera EPPM

This server-based version installs on a web server and is then accessed via your browser.  The server-based software integrates with the web server and corporate database to deliver integrated project management and portfolio management functionality.

TimeControl already includes links to both Primavera Professional and Primavera EPPM which work at the database level.  These existing links are highly effective and have been used by many organizations for years but the new version of TimeControl brings a level of capability that is beyond what is possible with older versions.

With the Web Services link, TimeControl will be able to make a link with Primavera EPPM using the Web Services provided by Primavera EPPM.  This link is highly configurable, just like the database-based link but because it using Web Services, it will also work just fine when your Primavera EPPM is not implemented on premises.  When organizations use TimeControl Online or subscribe to Primavera EPPM from an in-the-cloud service, TimeControl will still be able to create and maintain an automated link.

The availability of the TimeControl Web Services Link to Primavera EPPM does not mean we will be abandoning the database-to-database link.  This will be kept in the product for the foreseeable future to ensure we have a working link to Primavera Professional and to be used when TimeControl and Primavera EPPM are implemented together on premises and large volumes of data will be transferred.  A database to database link is always going to be a little faster.

So the TimeControl Web Services Link is a new extension to our many system links and one which holds great promise for those looking to work more with subscription service enterprise systems.

For more information on TimeControl’s links with external system, see the TimeControl Use-Case pages.