Frequently asked questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Following are a compilation of common questions and answers arranged by product area.

If you have a question that isn’t answered here, please feel free to ask us.

Is timesheet entry easy?

Timesheet entry is so intuitive and easy to learn that no training is required.

There are options for PC, MAC, phone, tablet, timers, voice entry and even import appointments from Outlook & Google. Timesheets typically save employees between one and three hours per week and pay for themselves in minutes.

Can I track time on a mobile phone or tablet?

Yes.

Can we control which projects users can see?

Yes, each user can only see the projects they are allowed to book time to.

Can we set rules about minimum hours?

Yes.

Can we send automatic email reminders?

Yes, you can set your own messages and have various ‘chaser’ emails.

Can users enter non project related time?

Yes, there are a number of ways to do this.

Can projects have different work attributes to book time to?

Yes, there are definable sublevels with definable categories for just this purpose.

Can users enter notes on their timesheet?

Yes, a free format note can be added to every time entry. This can then be used in reporting and billing.

Do users submit time daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly?

Users can enter time in whichever way suits them best, but at an organizational level you may want timesheets all posted by a specific date. Alerts can help prompt users to submit timesheets promptly.

Can I see previously submitted time?

Yes

Can I copy and edit last weeks timesheet to save time?

Yes, there is a function specifically for this, and yes, users report that it saves them a lot of time.

Can we report on estimates vs actuals?

Yes, there are a number of reports in the library that do this, in drill downs you can add in the estimate column to compare to actuals, there are dashboards that include this, and if you want a specific view or layout, reports can be customized to your needs.

Is there manager approval of timesheets?

Yes, there is a comprehensive manager approval system with notifications to managers, rejection notes and the ability for managers to edit others timesheets where needed.

Can we stop users entering time in the past, as this impacts reporting and invoicing?

Yes, with timesheet approval, you can stop users entering or editing time once it has been submitted. You allow administrators to edit posted time, and any changes they make are highlighted in a different color, and a record of the change is maintained for auditing.

Can users import their Outlook or Google appointments into their timesheet?

Yes, absolutely. One of the key unique features of Timewatch® timesheet systems is that users can import appointments from their Outlook and Google calendars. This feature saves hours each week, often paying for the system in minutes.

Is time entered as minutes or decimals?

Timesheet entry is very flexible. Users can enter time as hours:minutes, hours.decimal, as a %age of time, or using a timer.

Can you set rules for hours in a day?

Yes, timesheet rules can be set by employee daily or weekly. For example you can set it so that a user must enter a minimum number of hours per day Monday through Friday, or any combination.

How many projects can be setup?

There is no limit to the number of projects that can be setup.

Can a project have chargeable & non-chargeable time?

Yes, this is definable by project.

Is there a way you can help us chase late timesheets?

Yes, you can configure auto email alerts for late timesheets. You can even have escalating emails that can have a ‘different tone’ for a second, third, fourth reminder. Alerts can also be setup for managers to notify them that they have timesheets to approve.

Can we export timesheet data?

Yes. Data can be exported in various formats including Word, Excel & CSV. There are also APIs available to access data directly.

Can timesheets be integrated with Accounting Systems?

Yes, there are a number of standard integrations available. We also provide API’s and examples to integrate with any modern system that supports dynamic integration.

How does the Outlook Timesheet work?

It works in two ways:

Our web application links directly with Outlook. This makes it easy to allocate customer / project information to appointments, then, when you are ready, you can add them to their timesheet. It takes users seconds as most of the information needed for a timesheet is already in Outlook. Customers tell us our Outlook timesheet system saves their users hours each week.
Users of Outlook for Windows desktop 2019, 2016, 2013 & 2010 can also use our Outlook plugin. This brings Outlook timesheet functionality within Outlook itself. Again, it takes seconds and saves users hours each week. In 2020 we will be releasing a plugin that also works on MAC, on the Web edition of Outlook and on the forthcoming Outlook for Chrome plugin !

How easy is it to use?

Really easy. If users can create appointments in Outlook, they can use OutlookTime® as it doesn’t change the way Outlook works, it enhances Outlook by letting users allocate customers / projects to appointments, and then post them to their timesheet. It takes seconds and saves hours each week.

How long does it take to enter a timesheet?

It’s fast, faster than any other system.

Outlook appointments already holds the date, start time, end time, duration and notes. OutlookTime® users simply allocate a Customer / Project, then post it to their timesheet. That’s it! It takes seconds, and saves hours each week.

How does OutlookTime® save hours each week compared to other systems?

In a traditional timesheet system, users need to enter a date, a customer / project, start time, end time, hours spent and perhaps some notes.<br><br>With OutlookTime® most of the work is already done as the date, start time, end time, duration, notes, location etc. comes from the Outlook appointment. <br><br>All OutlookTime® users need to do is allocate a customer / project, then post it to their timesheet. It takes seconds as it reuses data already in Outlook, avoiding the duplicate entry of data that traditional systems require, and that is how it saves users hours each week†.

^{† Customers report an average saving of 6 hours per month per person. Nearly an extra productive day each month.}

Can it track PTO?

Yes, absolutely. You can even display the individuals PTO information within each user’s dashboard so it is instantly visible to them.

Do I have to post appointments individually?

You can post appointments to your timesheets individually, or in bulk.

Do we need to install any software?

No, you don’t need to install software. OutlookTime® is a cloud application that syncs with Outlook, allowing users to allocate Customer / Project information to appointments directly from our Web App. Appointments created in any device are available to users to turn into timesheets from OutlookTime®.

Users that want to use Outlook plugin would need to install the plugin. The plugin is an option, you don’t need to install it, but some users like to do everything from within Outlook. It is a personal choice.

Is OutlookTime® scalable?

Yes. We have customers ranging from 5-5000+ employees so yes, it is fully scalable.

What reporting is available?

OutlookTime offers over 50+ built in reports and there are also options for advanced drilldowns, charts/graphs/dashboards/KPI’s and alerts.

We use categories as customers. Does OutlookTime® support categories?

Yes. You can allocate a customer / project to categories, which saves even more time! With categories, posting timesheets is as simple as clicking a button.

Is OutlookTime® available for single users

OutlookTime® is a teams based system and is not aimed at single user use.

Who uses OutlookTime®?

OutlookTime® is appropriate for any organization that uses Outlook and needs to track time.

We have incredibly broad customer range covering almost all of the alphabet: Architects, Airlines & Aviation, Banks & Broadcasting, Charities, Consultancies, Defense, Education & Engineering, Finance & Foundations, Government, Healthcare, Insurance, Lawyers, Lobbyists & Local Government, Medical & Mining, Natural Gas & Non-profits, Oil & Gas, Payroll, Pharmaceuticals, Power Utilities, Quality Control, Railroads, Real Estate, Religious Organizations, Sports Institutes, Steel, Telecoms, Transportation & TV Production, Universities & Utilities, Venture Capital, Water Boards, Yacht making. For a full list, click here.

Is there manager approval of timesheets?

Yes, there is a comprehensive manager approval system with notifications to managers, rejection notes and the ability for managers to edit others timesheets where needed.

Can you set rules for hours in a day?

Yes, timesheet rules can be set by employee daily or weekly. For example you can set it so that a user must enter a minimum number of hours per day Monday through Friday, or any combination.

Can we stop users entering time in the past, as this impacts reporting and invoicing?

How many projects can be setup?

There is no limit to the number of projects that can be setup.

Can a project have chargeable & non-chargeable time?

Yes, this is definable by project.

Is there a way you can help us chase late timesheets?

Can we export timesheet data?

Yes. Data can be exported in various formats including Word, Excel & CSV. There are also APIs available to access data directly.

Can Outlook timesheets be linked with an Accounting System?

Yes, there are a number of standard integrations available. We also provide API’s and examples to integrate with any modern system that supports dynamic integration.

I use Outlook as my personal calendar as well, does OutlookTime® interfere my personal appointments?

No, not at all. OutlookTime® does not change the way you use Outlook, and it can ignore personal private appointments.

Is training available?

OutlookTime® is so easy to use it doesn’t require any end user training. We do provide training and implementation assistance for administrators and those responsible for setting up the system initially.

We need to see where everyone is and what they are doing. Can it do this?

Yes. You can create’Views’ to show the resources you want to see. Views show which resources are free and which are busy and what they are doing. You can make new bookings, drag bookings from one resource to another. It is incredibly easy to use.

We need to group, schedule and manage resources by location, skillset and expertise, can you do this?

Yes, a resource grouping system allows any level of grouping, sub groupings to be created, and then used in scheduling.

Can the system push bookings to users calendars automatically?

Yes, we support both a one way push to Outlook/Google etc. or a full bi-directional sync with Outlook / Office 365.

Can I color code Bookings by type?

Yes, you can define colors you want to see for the different booking types.

Is it multi user?

Yes, the system is fully multi-user and scalable from 10’s to 1,000’s of users.

Can users view and schedule themselves on a mobile?

Yes, either via our app or with Outlook or Google using our dynamic calendar sync.

Can I apply a skills matrix?

Yes, each resource can be associated with customer defined skill sets and resource groups.

Can we book multiple resources for multiple dates in one go?

Yes, and once made, the bookings are tied together in what we call a chain so they can be edited collectively too.

Can the system choose the best resource for me?

Yes, our Scheduling Advisor can search for resources that meet both skills and availability requirements. It can even search for the closest resource by proximity.

Can I have recurring bookings?

Yes

Can we see who is working on a particular project/customer

Yes, as well as resource views, you can create project and customer views.

Can I report against Projects?

Yes, Time&Space® allow for scheduling and reporting by Project.

Can we report on estimates vs actuals?

Yes, what’s more, with scheduling you can report on Actual v Still Scheduled v Estimate, this always gets a “wooooo” in a demo. The beauty of Time&Space® reporting is that there are already a number of reports in the library that do this, there are also dashboards, and even if you want a specific views or layouts, reports can be created for you.

Can we personalize the information on a booking form?

Yes, you can create new fields, define their name and data type and group them into ‘Questionnaires’ which are asked when a booking is made. You can even have different questionnaires asked for different types of bookings, different customers, different resource. The system is very flexible in this area.

Can I view multiple resources on one screen?

Yes, you can create ‘Views’ with any number of resources. How many can be displayed depends upon the height of each resource in view and your screen size, but this is all configurable.

Can you integrate with Outlook?

Yes, you can integration with Outlook and other calendar systems with iCal. We also have an advanced, bi-directional integration system that syncs from our schedules to Outlook and from Outlook to our schedules, which allows schedulers to see time users have booked for themselves and makes scheduling more accurate. Additionally, we can add a level of security to bookings such that users cannot edit or delete them, something which Outlook itself cannot do.

Can I schedule non-human resources?

Yes, both employee and non general resources can be scheduled (equipment, training courses, rooms, vehicles etc.)

What reporting facilities are available?

Time&Space® includes print preview style reports, dashboards, auto email alerts, exports and APIs to retrieve data.

Can we export data?

Yes, can export to Excel, Word, CSV etc.

Can it be integrated with LMS, CRM and other systems?

Yes, there are a number of standard integrations available. We also provide API’s and examples to integrate with any modern system that supports dynamic integration.

Do I need to download anything, or is this browser based?

Time&Space® is browser based. There is nothing to download and install, so is supports PCs, Macs and mobile devices.

How easy is it to setup, how easy is it to use?

Time&Space® is incredibly intuituive and easy to use, once setup. Setup is the key, as this is when you define your booking types, custom booking fields, employee rules, booking rules, booking security etc. As the system is highly configurable, it is requires thought and diligence when configuring it. We provide services to assist customers in configuring their system in the optimal way.

Can users enter expenses via their phone?

Yes, from the phone app you can add an expense item. You can even take a photo of a receipt and attach it to the expense claim.

Can users attach receipt photos to expenses?

Yes, from their PC, Mac, phone or tablet, users can attach photos of receipts to the expense claim.

Is there an authorization process?

Yes, as with timesheets, expenses can also have manager approval enabled.

Can users see which expenses have been approved?

Yes.

Can we limit the expenses available by project?

Yes. Administrators can define which expenses are applicable to each project.

Can employees print off their expenses?

Yes, there is a report available for exactly this purpose.

We have project expenses that are not related to an employee. Can you handle this?

Yes, we call these project disbursements and they are there for exactly this purpose.

Can we enter quantities of items with a specific cost and charge rate?

Yes, you can enter a quantity to allow a preassigned value eg. mileage to be charged.

Can we have chargeable and non-chargeable expenses on a project?

Yes, these can be decided at the entry point or during the billing process.

Can we have a different rate for charging the customer?

Yes. You can apply a markup as a %age or value to the expense cost when charging customers.

Can we have a different rate for charging different customers?

Yes. Markups can be set specifically by project / customer where needed.

Can users amend expenses once they are authorized?

No, only administrators can amend expenses once they have been posted, and a full audit trail of amendments can be recorded.

Can we run a report showing approved expenses?

Yes, and unapproved, awaiting approval and rejected expenses as well.

Can expense items to synced with our accounting system?

Yes, APIs are available to sync expense types and expense transactions. If you need assistance to do this, we can create an App for you to plug into your system.

Is there a limit to the number of expenses that can be setup?

No, there is no limit.

Do you support foreign currency expenses?

Yes. You just need to make sure the multi-currency module is installed for the system to do this.

Is there a way to remind people to submit expenses on time?

Yes. Auto email alerts can be setup to remind people to submit their expenses. Once setup, there is nothing for administrators to do as the system will send out the notifications automatically.

Our current system only a limited number of charge rates, what is your limit?

There is no limit to the number of rates or how they operate. You can have different rates for every employee, for every project, for every type of work they perform or role they have on that project, but typically customers have some standard rates, but when they need specific rates for people / projects / work etc, they have a specific rate table for that project.

Does it support both time based and fixed price projects?

Yes, fixed price projects are supported. You can set billing schedules based on date, milestone completion, and some customers have unique rules which can be supported by custom plugins that can be created that embody your rules.

Can you have employees have different rates within a project?

Yes. You can define tags within a project and allocate employee rates to these tags.

Can we see what is waiting to be billed?

Yes, there is a specific area for this, which is actually the start of the invoicing process.

Can we see what will be billed before invoicing it?

Yes. The system creates draft invoices for you to work with to amend transactions, add text etc before finalizing an invoice.

Can we bill in multi-currency?

Yes, you can set the billing currency for a project.

Can Invoices be amended?

Yes, before an invoice is finalized, it is a draft and you can edit drafts as required before you finalize and invoice them.

Do we have to change the timesheet to suit our billing requirements?

No, effectively you teach the system your rules so that timesheets (and/or fixed schedules) can be turned into invoices. The benefit of this approach is that if your timesheet or your billing processes change, each can be changed without affecting the other.

Is it possible for Project Managers to prepare an invoice, but accounts staff to finalize an invoice?

Yes. You can configure security levels such that project managers can prepare draft invoices but not finalize them, and for accounts staff to finalize them.

We have a huge delay from timesheet to billing. Can you help?

Yes. Streamlined timesheet entry means minimal entry delays. Auto late timesheet alerts reduce this further. Easy line manger approval and flexible period posting rules allow for late timesheets without them being lost in a previous period. This results in minimal delays in starting billing, and the streamlined billing functionality make it a very rapid and smooth process.

Can a project have chargeable and non chargeable time?

Yes.

Can employee and project expenses be invoiced?

Yes. End users can enter their expenses, and administrators can enter project expenses (disbursements) which can be billed with timesheets or fixed fees or separately.

How easily can we find the details behind invoices?

Very quickly and easily. There are numerous reports and drill downs that allow you to interrogate the details on invoices.

Can we report on estimates vs actuals?

Can end users see cost and charge rate information?

Cost and charge information can be sensitive information that you only want certain people to see. The security system within Time&Space® allows you to configure who can see what information.

Can we issue credit notes?

Yes, and you can credit an invoice, which will match off that invoice. If an credited invoice was based on time and expense transactions, they system can release associated transactions, so if you need to, you can start the billing process again.

Can we stop certain users billing?

Yes. The inbuilt security system lets you control who has access to which features. Security is comprehensive. You can limit people to certain areas of billing, for example to edit an invoice in preparation for billing, but not be able to finalize it, and you can even limit people to just the projects they are allowed to see.

Can we write time off?

Yes, you can also delay and hold time to bill later, edit the values/rates in billing and the invoice totals, and the system keeps a record of the original and amended values.

Is it possible to have different invoice templates by project?

Yes.

Is it possible to link with accounting systems?

Yes. Links are available via downloadable Apps. There are Apps for many popular accounting systems such as Sage, Quickbooks, Xero etc. We can also help you setup a custom interface to any system so long as it supports dynamic interfaces.

What reporting tools are available?

There are 4 main tools: the classic ‘print preview’ style Reports that everyone is used to, Drill Down reporting, Dashboards and Alerts.

Does the system come with standard reports?

Yes, there are many standard reports, we can also work with you to create custom reports if you have specific requirements.

What are Drill Downs?

Drill Downs provide are a real-time, interactive, data interrogation tool. Drill downs start with a spreadsheet like summary of core data by project, customer or employee. By double clicking on any data cell, you ‘drill down’ to the underlying data, level by level down to the underlying transactions. Administrators and managers often tell us that the Drill Downs are their favorite reporting tool as it quick, easy and helps them find the data they are looking for in seconds.

What Dashboards are available?

Dashboards are available at a high level on all key areas including: scheduling, timesheets, billing etc. There are also ‘zonal’ dashboards for each customer, project & employee.

Can I export to Excel?

Yes. Although with the multitude of reporting tools, you probably won’t not need to.

Can we stop certain users seeing certain reports?

Yes, the security system allows you to specify which reports each security level has access to.

Can I write my own reports?

Yes, the corporate system includes a SQL Report Designer. We also offer a cost effective report writing service, and even customers that have the report writer often have us create reports for them.

What Report Writer technology is used?

Time&Space® uses Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services.

How configurable is reporting?

Very. Administrators can setup: which reporting tools users have access to, the reports and dashboards that are active in your system, which reports and dashboards various users can see, even write or have custom reports written specifically for you.

How do Auto Alerts work?

Alerts can test for certain situations, then email designated people if true. For example, you could have the system test at 11:00am Monday morning whether there are outstanding timesheets and email the people concerned a message that you define. You could have a follow up alert with a different message later in the day. Common tests for alerts are late timesheets, unposted expenses, managers with timesheets or expenses to approve, late changes to a schedule. The system also supports custom eventualities. If you can define an event to test, we can create a trigger for you for you to attach an alert.

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Answer5.

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Answer6.

Is this cloud based or can we install on our servers?

The Corporate edition is available for installation on your own servers.

Is training / setup assistance available?

Yes, we provide implementation services, which includes training, consultancy, report writing and customizations. Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Do you do not for profit pricing?

Yes, we welcome and support not for profit organizations. Please contact us.

Does it run on Macs?

Yes, Time&Space® is a responsive web application which supports all major browsers on PCs and Macs.

Does it run on mobiles and tablets?

Yes, Time&Space® is a responsive web application with a specific system designed specifically for mobiles and tablets: iOS, Android and Windows.

Is it multi-lingual, does it support languages other than English?

Not at the moment, however we are testing a multi-lingual version at the moment and are looking for people that want to be early adopters, so please contact us.

Can it integrate with Active Directory?

Yes. The Corporate edition supports single-sign on via Federation Services, which supports Active Directory.

Is it scalable? Are there any size limits?

Yes, Time&Space® is scalable. It is used by small to medium sized businesses to large international organizations.

Can we install this on our servers?

Yes, the Corporate edition is available for on-premises installation.

Are there API's

Yes, API’s are available to securely access and update data and create interfaces with other systems.

How customizable is the system?

Very customizable. Out of the box there are an extraordinary number of configurable options, but where specific functions, business logic or work flow is needed, custom apps can be created to expand the functionality available. Apps allow the system to be tailored to customers’ needs, without sacrificing future upgradability. Apps allow for custom forms or functions to be created and added to custom buttons which can be added to the menus. Custom business logic can be created to replace or augment existing logic, and custom interfaces can be created that act in real time, posting or retrieving data from other systems. If you have a unique or specific need, contact us to discuss the possibility of having a custom App created.

Can we link this with our Accounting System?

Yes. There are a number of standard interfaces for common systems, API’s if you wish to create an interface yourselves. Another option is for us (or you) to create an App for our system to link directly with API’s from your accounting system.

Can we link this to our LMS and CRM systems?

Yes. We have a number standard CRM links. LMS systems tend to require a specific interface based on how you’ve setup your system, but you can either build your own interface with our API’s, or it might make sense to create an app whereby our system calls the API’s in your LMS or CRM system.

Can Scheduling link with Outlook / Office 365?

Yes, we offer both a one way push to Outlook/Google etc. or a full bi-directional sync with Outlook (Exchange & Office 365 systems). The sync is an advanced sync that not only publishes bookings to Outlook, it can ‘police’ certain bookings to ensure end users do not accidentally move or delete them – something Outlook itself cannot even do!

Do you integrate with Xero?

Yes, there is a standard App to link with Xero, which if needed, can also be customized.

Do you integrate with Quickbooks Desktop?

Yes. For desktop applications you need to install our Integration Manager locally, but you’ll need to have a fairly recent version of the desktop app.

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