Integrated timesheets with Project Server and Finance systems

Integrated timesheets with Project Server and Finance systems Chris Vandersluis President HMS Software

HMS Software Ø Founded in 1984 Ø Experts in project management and timesheet systems Ø Products: v Time. Control Ø Services: v Enterprise project management implementation v Microsoft Project implementation consulting services v Microsoft Project Training Ø Milestones: v First custom timesheet system in 1983 v Became a Microsoft Project Solution Partner in 1995 v Released first version of Time. Control in 1994 v Became a Microsoft Gold Certified partner in 2005

Timesheet Types v Time and Attendance » Often done “by-exception” keeps track of whether an employee worked or not and if not, why but doesn’t track what project/task they worked on v Time and Billing » Used mostly by professionals such as lawyers, accountants. Tracks what client worked on and a description and billing rate – usually no links back to planned work v Manufacturing time and motion » Often entered by barcode or mag-card, used on assembly lines and in production to keep track of per-unit manufacturing cost – usually no links back to planned project work v Project-status timesheets » Usually supplied by scheduling system - designed to update task data only – usually no financial controls that make the system acceptable to Finance v Manual timesheet systems » Could be used for anything – laborious but a pencil is the ultimate flexibility!

Project Server 2003 timesheet Ø The Project timesheet is a project-status timesheet Ø Fully integrated into the Project Server 2003 web client (PWA) Ø Started in Project 2000 as the Project Central timesheet Ø Updates data directly into the task resource updates Ø Allows project approval by task by the Project Owner Ø Allows view of the timesheet by a supervisor

Why link project mgt and finance? Ø Reduce irreconcilable differences between Finance’s costs and PM’s costs Ø Increase efficiency by eliminating redundancy Ø Provide variance reporting Ø Integrate project data into the management process Ø One family of data – one voice

Methods of Linking Ø One task in the ERP is one task in MSP v. Use ERP timesheet v. This is the rarest implementation Ø One task in the ERP is many tasks in MSP v. Use ERP timesheet at summary level only v. This results in loss of detail of actuals at the task level Ø One task in the ERP is many tasks in MSP v. Use 3 rd party timesheet such as Time. Control

1 task in ERP = one task in MSP Use ERP timesheet ERP Timesheet System ERP/Finance System Microsoft Project

1 task in ERP = many tasks in MSP Use ERP timesheet at summary level only ERP/Finance System ERP Timesheet System Labour Actuals Microsoft Project Summary Task data (Dates, ETC)

1 task in ERP = many tasks in MSP Use 3 rd party timesheet Summary Task data Including Dates, ETC Labour Actuals for Finance Microsoft Project 3 rd party timesheet ERP/Finance System

Options Use Microsoft Timesheet Ø Advantages: v Already integrated with Project v Updates as they happen Ø Disadvantages v No payroll controls v Limited link to ERP Use Payroll Timesheet Ø Advantages: v Linked to payroll Ø Disadvantages v Limited link to Project Use ERP Timesheet Ø Advantages: v Already integrated with Finance v Payroll integration usually simple Ø Disadvantages v Usually used at a summary level v Limited link to Project Use 3 rd party timesheet Ø Advantages: v Linked to ERP, Project and Payroll v Audit trail for financial purposes v Tracks at the detail task level Ø Disadvantages v Timesheets on a weekly basis

Demonstration

Project Organization Output: Payroll Tasks Department Supervisor Employees Work to be accomplished by this employee Projects All company work Output: Budget vs. Actual Complete Organization All work for one project for this week. All work for one employee this week.

What companies try Project Scheduling/Control Systems MS Project P 3 e Excel Timekeeping system Project Server Progress Reporter Internal Payroll Timesheet Financial Systems Human Resources ERP Billing Payroll

When to use the Project timesheet Ø When you have standardized on a single project management tool and virtually all users of the timesheet system are involved in the project process Ø If you do not require integration with payroll or other finance areas directly from the timesheet Ø When the primary purpose of the system is to update project data Ø When most users require access to other project management data from the schedule through the timesheet interface Ø When timesheet data does not need to be auditable Ø When all timesheet data is approved only by project managers

When use a 3 rd party timesheet Ø If you wish to support multiple project scheduling systems (e. g Project 2000 and Project Server 2003 and even Primavera) Ø If you wish to include both project and non-project personnel Ø If you require automated validation rules Ø If you wish to support both Project Management and Finance (e. g. Payroll) from the same timesheet system Ø If you require Matrix Approvals (both Finance and Project Management) Ø If you must comply with government reporting standards such as the DCAA, the FMLA, EEC Work Rules, California Work Rules etc, Sarbanes, Oxley, Bill 198 Ø If you require auditable timesheet data

Conclusion Ø Timely results to the people who need them Ø A structure for approving the labor actuals in both directions: (Organizational and Project) Ø Ability for project managers to enter changes to the charge definitions without affecting the total number of hours worked by an employee. Ø An interface tailored to the right level of use Ø Ability to reconstruct or display data by originally entered the employee Ø Ability to return the results to the systems that require them

Some of our more than 800 clients Ø Ø Ø Ø General Motors Ericsson First Trust Credit Suisse/First Boston Bank Mercury Marine US Navy Standard Life Honda Canada Koch Industries Eaton Corporation Panasonic Standard Life Tech. Int Saab Fiat Weyerhaueser Ø Ø Ø Ø Cable and Wireless Dept of Health CRI Advantage Bombardier Canadair Global Crossing Philips EDS Positron Atlanta Airport ACR Systems Agilis Toronto Transit Commission CAE Nortel Dofasco Steel Hydro Quebec

Take action! To find out about the MSP timesheet: http: //www. microsoft. com/office/project/prodinfo/timesheet. mspx To find out more about other timesheets: www. timesheet. org To read about timesheet and epm issues: http: //www. hmssoftware. ca/resourcecentre/