You can import timesheets of different types in a single process. This involves importing a flat file into a workspace, where the data can be validated, and then posted to the appropriate modules. This supports:
Employee-related time (monthly and weekly) [PR]
Subcontract time cards [SC]
Agency workers via Accounts Payable [AP]
Contract time [JC]
GL direct postings [GL]
These functions are only available with the correct licence; clients need to contact their account manager if they require a licence to use these functions.
Parameters
The following CI parameters control the behaviour of the timesheet import functionality.
Parameter | Description |
CTSWFLOW | Whether to use workflow on Combined Timesheets Y/N (Default N). |
CTSWFTMP | The workflow template or templates to use. If this parameter is populated with the code of a valid workflow template, a Release to Workflow action is available on the Combined Timesheet Workspace screen. You can enter two workflow templates, separated by a pipe symbol. The first entry is the workflow to use for the review process. The second, optional, entry is the workflow to use for timesheets with validation errors. |
The SY parameter EQACCESS controls which users have access to the timesheet imports, in the same way as it controls access to batches. If EQACCESS is set to Y, users in the same group and with the same security level can access each other’s imported timesheets. If EQACCESS is set to N, only users with a higher security level can access them.
Combined Timesheet File Format
The import file is a text file with fields delimited by commas, semicolons, or spaces. A single file can contain timesheets for different modules and different Coins ERP+ companies. You can use Import Timesheets to generate an empty template file.
Position | Field Name | Description | Required | Format | Default |
1 | Sequence | A number used for sorting the data. | Yes | 999 |
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2 | Company Number | Coins ERP+company number. If not set in the import file, this will be populated based on the mapping for the account reference field (see Combined Timesheet Mapping) if set, otherwise with the logged in company. | No | 999 |
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3 | Transaction Date | The date the timesheet was created. | No | Date | Today |
4 | Module | The code for the module that the timesheet relates to. If blank, this is populated from Combined Timesheet Mapping. | Yes if not specified by mapping | Char(3) |
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5 | Account Reference | The account reference used in Coins ERP+. This can be a Supplier, Subcontractor, Payroll Employee, Contract Timesheet Employee or GL Analysis. See Combined Timesheet Mapping which will be used to convert mapped fields to Coins ERP+. | Yes | Char |
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6 | Activity Reference | Activity Code linked to rates or PO Number for Pl | Yes | Char |
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7 | Analysis Type | 1 – Contract [Default] 2 – Asset 3 – GL Account 5 - Workshop | No | Integer 9 |
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8 | Analysis | Related to Analysis type. Default will be Contract/Costcode/Cost Category Analysis | No | Char(32) |
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9 | Timesheet Description | Description | Yes | Char(40) |
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10 | Hour Type | Timesheet hour charge type | Yes | Char |
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11 | Hours | Hours | Yes | Dec |
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Combined Timesheet Mapping
If you are importing timesheets from one or more third-party systems, the imported data might use different references from those you use in Coins ERP+ (for example, different employee IDs or supplier account codes). If this is the case, you can set up mappings so that the imported timesheets are associated with the correct Coins ERP+ records.
Combined Timesheet Mapping allows you to set up these mappings.
Combined Timesheet Mapping Screen
Import Timesheets
Import Timesheets is a new routine for loading Timesheet data from a text file. The file is formatted as comma-separated, semicolon-separated or space-separated. These are imported into a workspace that can be accessed using Combined Timesheet Workspace, where they can be validated, and there are options to make amendments, clear the workspace or load the data into Coins ERP+.
Import Timesheets
Combined Timesheet Workspace
Combined Timesheet Workspace allows you to verify Timesheet data which was imported using Import Timesheets, before loading it into Coins ERP+.
The initial browse shows a single row for each import.
Combined Timesheet Workspace Browse
Actions
The following actions are available on the Combined Timesheet Workspace browse.
Validate Workspace allows you to validate all the records in an import, to check for any errors; these will be displayed on the workspace. These errors will need to be corrected before the timesheets can be loaded into Coins ERP+.
Release to Workflow allows you to release the records to a review workflow, which can be configured to route individual timesheets to the person responsible, based on the module. If both a review and a validation workflow have been configured, the validation workflow will apply to timesheets that have validation errors. The person responsible will need to resolve the error so the validate process can be run again. This action is only displayed when CI parameter CBTFLOW=Y and CI parameter CBTTMP is populated with a valid workflow.
Review Workspace allows you to review records that have a status of Validated. This action can be controlled via security access so only certain people can perform this task
Un-review Workspace allows you to unset records that have been marked as Reviewed. This action can be controlled via security access so only certain people can perform this task.
Post Workspace allows you to load the timesheets into Coins ERP+, once there are no errors against any records. This will create and post a single batch in the current company.
Clear Workspace deletes all details linked to a header record and sets the header Status to Cancelled. The header will remain for auditing but no details will be saved.
Reviewing Imported Timesheets
Clicking the link in the Internal Reference column on the Combined Timesheet Workspace screen takes you to the timesheet Import screen. This consists of three tabs.
Import Tab
The Import tab shows the header details from the Combined Timesheet Workspace screen. An actions menu is available, which allows you to run the same actions for the import as on the Combined Timesheet Workspace browse.
Time Review Tab
The Time Review tab lists the timesheets in the import. It allows you to validate, amend, and review the timesheets, and post them to the respective ledgers. All timesheets must pass validation before they can be posted into Coins ERP+.
Combined Timesheet Workspace – Time Review Tab
The Status column shows:
Blank if the Validate Workspace action has not been run, or if the timesheet data has been changed since Validate Workspace was last run.
Reviewed if the timesheet has been validated successfully and the Review Workspace action has been run.
Validated if the timesheet has been validated and no errors were found.
Validation errors found if the timesheet has been validated and errors were found. Details of the errors are shown on the timesheet details.
Time Review Tab – Validation Errors
From the Time Review tab, if you need to correct a errors on a timesheet, click Open (
) to edit the details.
Update Timesheet Screen
Distributed Time History
This tab shows the imported data from Time Review that has been posted. A field is available on the column sets with a link to the posted transaction.