Time TrackingLesson 12

Configuring Time Tracking in Projects

Back to P120: Project Accounting Basic Scenarios

Lesson 12: Configuring Time Tracking in Projects

Part 6: Time Tracking

This lesson describes how to configure the tracking of employee time spent for projects so that you can bill projects

based on this time.

Time Tracking Configuration: General Information

In Acumatica ERP, you can configure time tracking so that employees will be able to report the time spent on any project based on time cards and, optionally, time activities. Employees' reported time will be tracked in the project and billed automatically when project billing is run.

Learning Objectives

In this lesson, you will learn how to configure the system so that employee time can be tracked for individual projects. In particular, you will do the following:

  • Prepare the system for the configuration of time tracking
  • Enable the needed system features
  • Specify the minimum required configuration so that time cards (and time activities, if applicable) can be used to track employee time spent for a project

Applicable Scenarios

When you are initially configuring accounting for projects, you configure time tracking if your organization is going to bill the customers for the time employees spend working on any projects.

Time Tracking with Time Cards in Projects

If time tracking is in use in your organization, the time the employees spend on daily activities is recorded in time cards to track the expenses. A time card is a weekly report on the time an employee has spent each day on particular activities, including project-related ones. If time tracking is configured for use with projects, the time reported by employees is logged to the related project (or to the non-project code if no project is involved). The employee time logged to a particular project is billed during the project billing procedure. When a time card that includes project-related activities is released, for each line of a time card that relates to a project, the system retrieves the labor cost rate at which the employee's labor is billed and generates the corresponding project transaction. The project transaction affects the cost budget of the related project: The system either updates the actual amount and quantity of the existing line or adds a new cost budget line with the incurred costs. Further, this project transaction is billed according to the billing rule specified for the corresponding project task.

Time Tracking with Time Activities in Projects

You can configure the system so that an employee will report working hours by using time cards in combination with time activities. The information from time activities entered by the employee is then copied to the employee time card for the week that includes the date for which the time activity has been entered. For more information, see Time Tracking Configuration: Tracking Time with Time Activities.

Time Tracking Implementation

To prepare the system for time reporting for projects, you perform the following general steps:

  1. You enable the Advanced Financials feature on the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, and specify the minimum required configuration for time reporting. For more information, see Time Tracking Configuration: To Configure Time Tracking in Projects.
  2. On the Earning Types (EP102000) form, you select the Billable check box for the earning types that will be specified in the time cards that must be billed within a project. The earning type determines how the system calculates the cost of employee labor.
  3. Optionally, you configure time tracking with time activities, as illustrated in the Time Tracking Configuration: To Track Time with Time Activities.
  4. On the Non-Stock Items (IN202000) form, you define labor non-stock items that correspond to the services provided by employees; then on the Employees (EP203000) form, you assign the labor items to the employees who will perform those types of labor. For an example of the creation of labor items, see Labor Items: To Configure a Labor Item.
  5. On the Labor Rates (PM209900) form, you define labor cost rates that are specific to employees, projects, and project tasks. For an example of this task being performed, see Labor Items: To Define Labor Cost Rates.
  6. You configure the basic project accounting settings, as demonstrated in the Basic Project Configuration: Implementation Activity.
    Aer you perform the basic time tracking configuration, employees will be able to log project-related work by using time cards (and, optionally, time activities).

Time Tracking Configuration: Tracking Time with Time Activities

The following section explains how to configure the system to track time spent on project by using time activities, which an employee enters on the Activity (CR306010) form to record the provided services.

Combining of Time Cards and Time Activities

In Acumatica ERP, an employee can report working hours by using time cards in combination with time activities. If tracking of time with time activities is configured in the system, the Track Time and Costs check box becomes available for a time activity on the Activity (CR306010) form; in each activity, an employee provides the description of the performed services and reports the working hours spent on these services. The reported data from the time activity is then copied to the employee time card that relates to the week that includes the date for which the time activity has been entered. On the Employee Time Cards (EP305000) form, the employee can view the details of all time activities associated with a particular time card. A time activity can be released individually or within the time card to which it is added. When the time card is released, all the associated time activities are released automatically. For time activities associated with a project, a project transaction is created during time card release. During the project billing procedure, based on the time and material step of the billing rule configured for the account group associated with this project transaction, the applicable customer is billed for the reported employee time spent on the project.

Configuration of Time Tracking with Time Activities

To configure the tracking of time with time activities, you perform the following general steps:

  1. On the Enable/Disable Features (CS101000) form, you enable the Time Management feature.
  2. On the Earning Types (EP102000) form, you select the Billable check box for the earning types that will be specified in the time activities that must be billed within a project. The earning type determines how the system calculates the cost of employee labor.
  3. On the Activity Types (CR102000) form, you select the Track Time and Costs check box for the activity types for which you want to track time. In the newly entered time activities of the type, the Track Time and Costs check box will be selected by default.
    Aer you perform these configuration steps, employees will be able to log project work and specify the information required for billing (that is, the earning type for the time activity, and the total billable time spent on a particular project).

Time Tracking Configuration: To Configure Time Tracking in Projects

In this implementation activity, you will learn how to configure the system to track time spent on particular projects.

Story

Suppose that you, as an administrative user of the SweetLife Fruits & Jams company, are configuring accounting for projects. The manager of the company has decided to track employee time spent on each project and bill the customer based on employee time spent on work related to the customer's project. The employees should report their working time on a weekly basis by using time cards. You must configure the basic time tracking configuration and specify the time tracking settings in the project accounting preferences.

System Preparation

To prepare to perform the instructions of the activity, sign in to the system as system administrator by using the gibbs username and the 123 password.

Step 1: Reviewing the Basic Configuration for Time Reporting Make sure the minimum required configuration for time reporting has been performed by doing the following:

  1. On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, make sure that the Advanced Financials feature is enabled.
  2. On the Earning Types (EP102000) form, review the default earning types. Make sure that the Billable check box is selected for the RG (Regular Hours) and OT (Overtime) earning types, which will be used for time tracking in projects.
  3. On the General tab of the Time and Expenses Preferences (EP101000) form (in the Time Reporting Settings section), make sure that Post PM and GL Transactions is specified in the Time Posting Option box.

Step 2: Reviewing the Basic Configuration for Project Accounting Do the following to make sure the minimum required configuration has been performed for project accounting that relates to time tracking functionality:

  1. On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, make sure the Projects feature is enabled.
  2. On the Projects Preferences (PM101000) form, make sure of the following:
  • In the Visibility Settings section, the Time Entries and Expenses check boxes are selected.
  • In the Expense Account Source box, Labor Item is specified.
  • In the Expense Accrual Account Source box, Labor Item Accrual is specified.

Time Tracking Configuration: To Track Time with Time Activities

In the following implementation activity, you will learn how to configure the system for tracking time in projects by using time activities.

Story

Suppose that you, as an administrative user of SweetLife Fruits & Jams company, are configuring accounting for projects. The manager of the company has decided to track employee time spent on each project and bill the customer based on employee time spent on work related to the customer's project. The employees should report their working time on a daily basis by using time activities. You must configure the system for using time activities for time tracking.

System Preparation

To prepare to perform the instructions of the activity, sign in to the system as system administrator by using the gibbs username and the 123 password.

Step: Configuring Time Reporting for Time Activities Do the following to make sure the minimum required configuration has been performed in the system for time reporting by using time activities:

  1. On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, make sure that the Time Management feature is enabled.
  2. On the Activity Types (CR102000) form, make sure the Track Time and Costs check box is selected for the Work Item activity type, which you will use for logging time spent by projects.