Integrated timesheets
with Project Server
and Finance systems
Chris Vandersluis
President
HMS Software
HMS Software
 Founded in 1984
 Experts in project management and timesheet
systems
 Products:
 TimeControl
 Services:
 Enterprise project management implementation
 Microsoft Project implementation consulting services
 Microsoft Project Training
 Milestones:
 First custom timesheet system in 1983
 Became a Microsoft Project Solution Partner in 1995
 Released first version of TimeControl in 1994
 Became a Microsoft Gold Certified partner in 2005
Timesheet Types
 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
 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
 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
 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
 Manual timesheet systems
» Could be used for anything – laborious but a pencil is the ultimate
flexibility!
Project Server 2003 timesheet
 The Project timesheet is a project-status
timesheet
 Fully integrated into the Project Server 2003
web client (PWA)
 Started in Project 2000 as the Project
Central timesheet
 Updates data directly into the task resource
updates
 Allows project approval by task by the
Project Owner
 Allows view of the timesheet by a supervisor
Why link project mgt and finance?
Reduce irreconcilable differences
between Finance’s costs and PM’s
costs
Increase efficiency by eliminating
redundancy
Provide variance reporting
Integrate project data into the
management process
One family of data – one voice
Methods of Linking
 One task in the ERP is one task in MSP
Use ERP timesheet
This is the rarest implementation
 One task in the ERP is many tasks in MSP
Use ERP timesheet at summary level only
This results in loss of detail of actuals at the task
level
 One task in the ERP is many tasks in MSP
Use 3rd party timesheet such as TimeControl
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 3rd party timesheet
Summary
Task data
Including
Dates,
ETC
Labour Actuals
for Finance
Microsoft Project
3rd party timesheet
ERP/Finance System
Options
Use Microsoft Timesheet
 Advantages:
 Already integrated with Project
 Updates as they happen
 Disadvantages
 No payroll controls
 Limited link to ERP
Use Payroll Timesheet
 Advantages:
 Linked to payroll
 Disadvantages
 Limited link to Project
Use ERP Timesheet
 Advantages:
 Already integrated with Finance
 Payroll integration usually simple
 Disadvantages
 Usually used at a summary level
 Limited link to Project
Use 3rd party timesheet
 Advantages:
 Linked to ERP, Project and
Payroll
 Audit trail for financial purposes
 Tracks at the detail task level
 Disadvantages
 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
P3e
Excel
Timekeeping system
Project
Server
Progress
Reporter
Financial Systems
Internal
Payroll
Timesheet
Payroll
Timesheet
Human
Resources
ERP
Billing
Payroll
When to use the Project timesheet
 When you have standardized on a single project
management tool and virtually all users of the
timesheet system are involved in the project process
 If you do not require integration with payroll or other
finance areas directly from the timesheet
 When the primary purpose of the system is to
update project data
 When most users require access to other project
management data from the schedule through the
timesheet interface
 When timesheet data does not need to be auditable
 When all timesheet data is approved only by project
managers
When use a 3rd party timesheet
 If you wish to support multiple project scheduling
systems (e.g Project 2000 and Project Server 2003
and even Primavera)
 If you wish to include both project and non-project
personnel
 If you require automated validation rules
 If you wish to support both Project Management and
Finance (e.g. Payroll) from the same timesheet
system
 If you require Matrix Approvals (both Finance and
Project Management)
 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
 If you require auditable timesheet data
Conclusion
 Timely results to the people who need them
 A structure for approving the labor actuals in both
directions: (Organizational and Project)
 Ability for project managers to enter changes to the
charge definitions without affecting the total number
of hours worked by an employee.
 An interface tailored to the right level of use
 Ability to reconstruct or display data by originally
entered the employee
 Ability to return the results to the systems that
require them
Some of our more than 800 clients
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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
TechInt
Saab
Fiat
Weyerhaueser
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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/