My Timesheet view and features
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Topic Last Modified: 2016-11-14
Features that can assist in tracking utilization are available before a user enters and submits a Timesheet for approval. The look of a Timesheet can vary depending on the type of Timesheet and the criteria that the user selects in the Timesheet Settings and Defaults feature. Team members may need to add new line items, administrative time, overtime, or non-billable work as part of their utilization for each Timesheet Period. The features in the Timesheet offer versatility for a changing work week.
My Timesheet view
After a Timesheet is created, the team member sees the My Timesheet view for the period. The My Timesheet view is comprised of the toolbar, where features are accessed, and the timesheet grid, where utilization is recorded.
The user can customize a new view or the My Timesheet view to add the following fields.
Cost Type [Resource]
Health [Task]
RBS [Resource]
Team Name [Resource]
Or any other Assignment custom field
These fields are positioned to the right of the time-phased data in new Timesheets. Timesheets that are in progress are not affected.
Timesheet Header Data
Users can select Timesheet Header Data on the My Timesheet toolbar in the Settings drop-down menu to show the Timesheet properties and status. Users click Show On Menu to display the Timesheet Header Data icon on the toolbar for direct access when the feature is toggled to display or not display.
Users can view the following details and status fields in the Timesheet Header.
Title. A Timesheet is given the Title My Timesheet by default after it is created. Users can display Timesheet Header Data to change the Title of the Timesheet and add Comments in the available field.
Period. The start and end date of the Timesheet Period to record utilization.
Status. The current status of the Timesheet. The following Timesheet status values are available: In Progress, Surrogate, Submitted and Processing. Users can view Processing if an action on the Timesheet is occurring.
Year to Date Vacation Time Used. After the initial recording of vacation in a Timesheet, users can view their accumulated vacation and track forward in the Timesheet Header Data for the year.
Year to Date Sick Used. After the initial recording of sick time in a Timesheet, users can view their accumulated sick time and track forward in the Timesheet Header Data for the year.
Owner. The user whose utilization is being tracked.
Creator. The user who created the Timesheet is listed. This information may include the Surrogate Timesheet creator.
Submit to. The Timesheet Manager who will receive the Timesheet for approval.
Last Reviewer. The individual who last reviewed the Timesheet for approval. Several levels of approval can be configured.
Previous and Next Period icons. Users can click and view the previous or next Timesheet Period.
Add Lines
Timesheets can be created with Administrative time or with a list of current Task Assignments or current Projects. There can also be scenarios when the Timesheet originator may need to add additional lines to the lines that are already listed. For example, a resource may be available to work on an assignment that occurs in the next Time Period or a new item or unplanned task that is neither a task assignment nor an administrative time category may be required and tracked as part of the utilization.
Add Lines is available from the Actions menu and toolbar. The following parameters are used to add assignments or new Timesheet line items:
Select from existing assignments. All of the assignments the team member is assigned to are listed in this section by project. If the assignment exists in the Timesheet and the user attempts to add the same assignment without selecting a unique classification the following warning message appears: One of the timesheet lines is not added because it already exists. The Server Side Scheduling engine recognizes the assignment as a duplicate and does not allow it to be added to the Timesheet.
Type a name for the new timesheet line. This parameter allows unverified Timesheet line items. The parameter may not be viewable because it is controlled by the Timesheet Policy. This option gives the team member the autonomy to enter new items that pertain to work that has been performed but that is not listed as an available assignment for the team member. The Project Name for the new line item is marked as Unverified in the Timesheet and is not updated as an assignment in the plan. If there is a trend on new line items, Project Managers may decide to add the line items to future project plans or to create new standard Administrative Categories for exception reporting.
Select a line Classification. This optional item pertains to the unverified timesheet line item. The user selects a classification for the new timesheet line item from the drop-down menu.
Comment. The comment field is used to add additional information. The same field is available in the Timesheet View for the line item.
After existing assignments or new items are added, the user clicks OK to return to the area of the Timesheet where utilization is entered. The user cannot enter time in the Planned field for the line item, because planned hours may only be entered through the Plan Administrative Time dialog box or through a project plan.
Delete Lines
The Timesheet offers a Delete Lines feature. Delete Lines is available from the Actions menu or toolbar after the user selects the line item, assignments, or Administrative Time. If the line item is deleted, it is only removed from that instance of the Timesheet.
Replace Actual with Planned
For team members who do not report task progress frequently, the timesheet is often seen as a single point of entry for both task progress and actual hours worked. However, these users are presented with a timesheet that has no actual hours of work reported; instead it only has hours planned. If work on a task assignment is completed as planned, or nearly as planned, a team member can use the feature Replace Actual with Planned to update the actual work for the task assignment on the Timesheet. This will leave the team member with either few or no changes necessary before having to submit the timesheet for approval.
The user performs the following steps to Replace Actual With Planned:
Click Add Lines to include the task assignment in the Timesheet.
Click the check box on the left to select the task assignment row.
Click Replace Actual with Planned on the Actions menu.
The user is presented with a warning dialog box that states that the planned hours automatically replace hours that are already entered for the selected item.
The actual work now reflects the amount of work that the task assignment originally displayed in the Tasks Center view for the same assignment.
Import Task Progress
For users who create the timesheet before all work is reported in the My Tasks page, work on assignments can be synchronized by using the Import Task Progress feature. This is done instead of manually re-entering the actual time for assignments. This is done on a task-by-task basis and only for those tasks in the timesheet that the team member has selected.
Import Task Progress is different from Replace Actuals with Planned. Replace Actuals with Planned updates work that is defined in the Project Plan. Import Task Progress looks at the value that is entered in the Tasks Center Progress field and imports that value.
The user performs the following steps to Import Task Progress from the My Tasks page to the Timesheet.
Select the task assignment row by clicking the check box on the left.
Click the Import Task Progress option on the Actions Menu.
If the My Tasks page is used to enter progress for task assignments, the user can use Import Task Progress to automatically add the My Tasks page to the Timesheet. If the My Tasks page is not added, the user will record double entries for task progress. The My Tasks page is the only place that the user can use to submit task progress to the Project Manager for project plan updates.
The My Tasks page has a similar feature called Import Timesheet. When the My Tasks page or Timesheet features are used, the Import Timesheet feature in the My Tasks page eliminates the user's need to switch between Web pages to see the values that were entered in one Web page and enter the same value in the other Web page.
With Office Project Server 2007, the user is always presented with synchronization options that are designed to be “pull” events. This means that the team member will imitate the synchronization and they will also see the results of that action on the same page as it was initiated.
Toggle Overtime Work
Capturing overtime labor also counts toward utilization for a specified period.
The Overtime Work field does not appear on the Timesheet by default. Users can select Show\Hide Overtime Work from the Actions menu to display the Overtime Work field in the Timesheet.
For assignments where overtime work has occurred and has been entered, users can update the assignment with the total progress in the My Tasks page when Timesheets are imported. When task updates are performed, the Actual Overtime Work field reflects the amount of time that is charged at an overtime rate for the assignment and the total work that is complete. For example, 8 hours are reported for regular actual work and 2 hours are reported for actual overtime work. This equals 10 total hours of actual work, with 2 hours billed at the overtime rate.
Toggle Non-Billable
The utilization that is entered by resources for a timesheet period is associated with costs. For example, team members accrue paid vacation hours and are paid for time off. These hours are charged back or are a billable expense to the company.
Some tracked items and assignments are considered Non-Billable. These can vary, depending on the organization's requirements. Examples of Non-Billable work include performance reviews, interview time, company sponsored volunteer time, and pro-bono (legal). Non-Billable events can also occur after regular work hours. For example, a team member can attend a conference during normal working hours. After hours, there may be a sponsored social activity. Overtime Non-Billable hours are non-billable activities that extend beyond work hours.
Users can select Show\Hide Non-Billable from the Actions menu to include or remove Non-Billable and Overtime Non-Billable hours in the Timesheet when utilization is reported for a period.
Non-Billable and Overtime Non-Billable hours do not import into the My Tasks page and subsequently do not update to the project plan. The hours count toward the utilization in the Timesheet and are not considered actual or billable work.
Delete Timesheet
A record of each Timesheet that is created is stored in the MSP_Timesheet table of the ProjectServer_Published database. The utilization that is entered is stored in the MSP_Timesheet_Actuals table.
A user may decide to delete a Timesheet. The team member may not have selected the correct Timesheet or may have tracked time for the wrong period. The Delete Timesheet option is located on the Actions menu.
After a Timesheet is deleted, a notification is sent to the queue to begin the delete process. The timesheet records are deleted from the MSP_Timesheet table. The hours that were entered are deleted from the MSP_Timesheet_Actuals. The user is returned to the Timesheet List, where a status of Processing shows for the deleted timesheet period. After the user clicks Refresh or goes to another page, a status of Not Yet Created is assigned in the Timesheet List and the team member can regenerate the Timesheet.
Recall Timesheet
The team member may discover discrepancies and may need to make corrections after utilization is entered and is submitted to the Timesheet Manager for approval. At the same time, the Timesheet is being reviewed for approval by the Timesheet Manager or the next approver. The Recall Timesheet feature on the Actions menu enables the user to retrieve the Timesheet, correct the discrepancies, and resend the Timesheet for approval.
A status on the Timesheet List shows where the Timesheet is in the approval process. If the status is listed as Acceptable, the Timesheet Manager or the next approver is in the process of approving the Timesheet and it can be recalled. If the status is listed as Approved, the Timesheet cannot be recalled or deleted.
If the user recalls the Timesheet while the Timesheet is in the approval process, the hours that were entered may have been adjusted since the initial submission. This occurs when the Timesheet Manager or the next approver is given Global Permission to Adjust Timesheets. The team member should be aware of this if a recall is initiated.
Sync to Outlook
Sync to Outlook updates the task assignment information that is being tracked in Outlook with data from the Timesheet. Outlook Integration is discussed in detail in the Outlook Integration topics.
Users can print their Timesheet by using the Print option, which is available on the Actions menu or toolbar. When Print is selected, users can view their Timesheet entries in Internet Explorer. Users can select the Print option from the Internet Explorer File menu.
Export to Excel
Users may want to perform further analysis and reporting on their timesheet data outside of Project Web Access. With the Export to Excel feature, the Project Name, Task Name, Comments, Billing Category, Approval Status, and time-phased entries are exported to an Excel workbook. Users perform this action on a per-timesheet basis.
The supported versions of Excel are Office 2003 or greater.
Timesheet List Page
A team member may want to include an Administrative Time category or review the Total Hours of a previous Timesheet. Instead of clicking My Timesheet each time, a user can click Previous Page on the Go To menu. This action returns the user to the My Timesheet page.
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