A personal view of the timesheet process as it has evolved

Going from a traditional paper timesheet to an electronic web-based timesheet application seemed like it would have to be a difficult adjustment. It wasn’t, but at the time, it seemed like at the very least, it was going to be one of those things that made life easy for accountants and more difficult for the regular worker. I mistrusted it, I doubted it could really make my life any easier. But then, it couldn’t be any more difficult than learning the existing paper timesheet system – the infamous green timesheet.

The infamous green timesheet

The infamous green paper timesheet did take me quite a while to understand. It wasn’t like the old time cards you slid through the time clock with the comfortable sound of crashing metal permanently embossing my time forever on a cardboard time card. That felt so permanent. That was also a thing of the past for me when the “big green monster” entered my life.

The new green timesheet provided a place for my personal information including things like employee number, department number, supervisor’s name, manager’s name, task name, charge numbers – just to mention a few. And every pay period my timesheet required all this information and more. Everything had to be exactly right. Somewhere on that green timesheet, was a place for my actual hours worked. Wasn’t that supposed to be the reason I was filling it out? To record my time?

The green timesheet was passed out during the beginning of every pay period, and had to be kept safely in my drawer. Somewhere where it wouldn’t get lost among other papers, leaky pens, or lunch. It was the most important paperwork of my week. Without total completion and total perfection, I wasn’t getting paid. I couldn’t! Without a proper reporting of my time, who would know what to pay me? I couldn’t just tell them I was there – “don’t worry about it, trust me ¬ just sign the time card.”

Daily status reports

And on top of everything else, our company requires daily status reports. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world to report your status and how your time was divided between various assigned tasks, but it was separate from the timesheet. If I spent 3 hours time on task number one, and 4 hours time on task number two, on Wednesday the 14th of the month, my timesheet needed to reflect that time exactly. If I missed a day’s status or marked my timesheet in such a way as it didn’t match my daily status report, then I was doomed. Lost forever in the sea of timesheet accountability.

Its not as if my employer wanted me lost in this sea of timesheet accountability. In fact, they would have been just as happy to approve my time card anyway – my veracity was never in question. But they had people to answer to – namely, clients. Clients who wanted… no, who needed to know exactly how many hours were spent on their tasks, and what was accomplished during that time. For these clients, both government and private sector organizations, my timesheet was their window to the project. They could keep track of how things were going, and determine whether they were on schedule or not. They could use the information from my big green timesheet and my status report to develop accurate predictions for the task’s future. They could determine the project timeline accurately. Reports could be generated. My timesheet was important to them. And that meant that my timesheet wasn’t going to be approved if it wasn’t in order.

Everyone makes mistakes!

Everyone makes mistakes. And my timesheet was not immune to a series of initialed changes and erasures because of my mistakes. There were pay periods when I couldn’t even add correctly. I’d look at those numbers, all divided into blocks of time, floating in just the right places on a sea of green, and I would see the correct number of hours ¬ all clocked in perfectly. My perfect timesheet was a work of art. Except that I would miss things. To my trained but hurried eye, everything was fine. I would swear I added everything correctly. My timesheet was perfect! Until someone from upstairs would show up, green timesheet in hand, a look of frustration, and the always polite “your timesheet isn’t right.”

My unapproved timesheet was missing this or that, required me to “initial these hours, please” or perhaps I just plain forgot to sign the thing. Each of those embarrassing total wastes of time just prolonged every process and had to make my long-suffering friends in accounting want to strangle all of us. Because it was never just me – timesheets were finding their way back to employees quite regularly. Of course, the first reaction is to defend what you’ve written, as if accounting would return your timesheet just to make you crazy. It couldn’t have been my fault again, could it? Was I so stupid not to be able to fill out a simple timesheet?

Of course it wasn’t a simple timesheet, was it? If it was so simple, I would have mastered it better, and my friends in accounting wouldn’t have to be so understanding all the time. There had to be a better way – perhaps something more automated – a timesheet without so much human error built into it. A timesheet that required only the barest of necessities from me. Where my name, employee number, social security number, department designation, section information, address and phone, customer, contract and task information, pay period information, and all the rest was already done for me ahead of time. That’s the kind of timesheet a guy can really appreciate!

A timesheet that merges my status reporting requirement right there with the actual hours I worked. A timesheet that required only a few seconds of my time each day, and would automatically sign itself for me at the end of the week. A timesheet that wouldn’t get lost or wrinkled; that wasn’t full of confusing initials whenever something strange happened on the project. A timesheet I didn’t have to worry about all the time. A timesheet that didn’t make me look stupid as I diligently tried to make it perfect.

Enter xpdOffice timesheet

Then came xpdOffice. It was good to know that someone higher up the corporate ladder was feeling the same pain as I was, because xpdOffice promised to take that pain away. And it did.

Because it was web-based, I could access my timesheet from anywhere. Whether I was at home or in the field, I could access my timesheet right then and there and record accurate information quickly – for specific tasks. And I no longer had to figure out customer numbers, or task assignment numbers, or whether I was going to go over the allotted amount of time for a given task – xpdOffice already figured all that out for me. I didn’t have to even enter my name. No more department blanks to fill in, or charge numbers to remember. And my status report was incorporated right into the timesheet application. All I had to do was log in, and then enter the number of hours spent as they related to specific tasks. Entering time took seconds. Adding a status report for each task worked became easy. No more time wasted looking for the actual physical green timesheet. No more calls from upstairs, and questions about why I did what I did. No more comparing my status report with the timesheet, or the timesheet with correctly assigned tasks.

xpdOffice created my personal profile, including all the pertinent information about who I am and to whom I am assigned. It includes my personal employee number, the date of the current timesheet, and my section and department information. My xpdOffice timesheet application also lets my manager assign whatever tasks he wishes, directly to me. And as soon as he clicks submit, my timesheet reflects those additions. My manager can even determine how many hours he wants me to work on a certain project, and notification is made when I exceed them. My timesheet doesn’t even need to be signed or approved to make the current up-to-the-minute data available for project analysis and needed timely reports. And best of all, my timesheet only takes a couple of minutes of my precious time each day.

Success!

I haven’t received a visit from accounting yet about my timesheet since we started using xpdOffice. All totals are computed without my involvement. All I need to do is make sure my time is recorded on the right day and my xpdOffice timesheet takes care of everything else. It even computes the percent complete for the hours assigned to me on any given task. Holidays are already marked, so there’s no forgetting those, and I can apply for and receive leave approval instantly through my xpdOffice timesheet.

My old green paper timesheet was cumbersome, even if it was just one sheet of paper. It was difficult to work with, and easy to lose. My old green timesheet required me to be accurate and didn’t allow for any forgetfulness or incorrect addition. My xpdOffice timesheet takes care of my addition for me, and guarantees the accuracy of my timesheet.

And I can check my timesheet from several different views. I can see my daily entries, including my daily status reports, for any day of the year. I can view the entire week, if I like, or the entire pay period. My timesheet is available to me and my corporate officers to overview at any given moment and will be as complete as my last entry. And when my timesheet is due at the end of the pay period, a click of the button will electronically sign it for me and notify my immediate superior that it has been completed and is waiting for approval.

But my new xpdOffice timesheet is more than just a simple timesheet. From my xpdOffice timesheet, I can work with and submit my expense report, create requisitions, handle my correspondence, and work with contracts and projects on whatever level I need. I can keep in touch with deliverables and reports as required, and I can manage my time more effectively.

Now, I can hardly remember the big green timesheet. It seems like so long ago – an unwanted relic, full of inaccuracies and wasted time. The old green paper timesheet was my master, but no longer. Thanks to xpdOffice, my timesheet gives me more time to actually work – less time spent fixing mistakes. My new xpdOffice timesheet improves my productivity and give me the flexibility to concentrate on what is truly important – the needs of my clients.

xpdTime™ – The leading time and attendance solution for enterprises of all sizes

xpdTime™ is a unified web-based solution that fully addresses organizations’ need for a powerful yet easy-to-use system. xpdTime™ cost effectively addresses the needs of organizations of all sizes – from those as small as 30-40 employees up to global enterprises with many thousands of employees. Addressing all of the key functionality of automated time & attendance solutions, xpdTime™ also includes powerful features such as DCAA compliance – a critical need for U.S. government contractors. Delivered as an ASP solution or hosted on your site, xpdTime™ integrates quickly and easily with popular accounting, human resource and payroll systems. With its simple and intuitive graphical interface, staff can learn to use xpdTime™ almost immediately

A timesheet that merges my status reporting requirement right there with the actual hours I worked. A timesheet that required only a few seconds of my time each day, and would automatically sign itself for me at the end of the week. A timesheet that wouldn’t get lost or wrinkled; that wasn’t full of confusing initials whenever something strange happened on the project. A timesheet I didn’t have to worry about all the time. A timesheet that didn’t make me look stupid as I diligently tried to make it perfect.

Enter xpdOffice timesheet

Then came xpdOffice. It was good to know that someone higher up the corporate ladder was feeling the same pain as I was, because xpdOffice promised to take that pain away. And it did.

Because it was web-based, I could access my timesheet from anywhere. Whether I was at home or in the field, I could access my timesheet right then and there and record accurate information quickly – for specific tasks. And I no longer had to figure out customer numbers, or task assignment numbers, or whether I was going to go over the allotted amount of time for a given task – xpdOffice already figured all that out for me. I didn’t have to even enter my name. No more department blanks to fill in, or charge numbers to remember. And my status report was incorporated right into the timesheet application. All I had to do was log in, and then enter the number of hours spent as they related to specific tasks. Entering time took seconds. Adding a status report for each task worked became easy. No more time wasted looking for the actual physical green timesheet. No more calls from upstairs, and questions about why I did what I did. No more comparing my status report with the timesheet, or the timesheet with correctly assigned tasks.

xpdOffice created my personal profile, including all the pertinent information about who I am and to whom I am assigned. It includes my personal employee number, the date of the current timesheet, and my section and department information. My xpdOffice timesheet application also lets my manager assign whatever tasks he wishes, directly to me. And as soon as he clicks submit, my timesheet reflects those additions. My manager can even determine how many hours he wants me to work on a certain project, and notification is made when I exceed them. My timesheet doesn’t even need to be signed or approved to make the current up-to-the-minute data available for project analysis and needed timely reports. And best of all, my timesheet only takes a couple of minutes of my precious time each day.

Success!

I haven’t received a visit from accounting yet about my timesheet since we started using xpdOffice. All totals are computed without my involvement. All I need to do is make sure my time is recorded on the right day and my xpdOffice timesheet takes care of everything else. It even computes the percent complete for the hours assigned to me on any given task. Holidays are already marked, so there’s no forgetting those, and I can apply for and receive leave approval instantly through my xpdOffice timesheet.

My old green paper timesheet was cumbersome, even if it was just one sheet of paper. It was difficult to work with, and easy to lose. My old green timesheet required me to be accurate and didn’t allow for any forgetfulness or incorrect addition. My xpdOffice timesheet takes care of my addition for me, and guarantees the accuracy of my timesheet.

And I can check my timesheet from several different views. I can see my daily entries, including my daily status reports, for any day of the year. I can view the entire week, if I like, or the entire pay period. My timesheet is available to me and my corporate officers to overview at any given moment and will be as complete as my last entry. And when my timesheet is due at the end of the pay period, a click of the button will electronically sign it for me and notify my immediate superior that it has been completed and is waiting for approval.

But my new xpdOffice timesheet is more than just a simple timesheet. From my xpdOffice timesheet, I can work with and submit my expense report, create requisitions, handle my correspondence, and work with contracts and projects on whatever level I need. I can keep in touch with deliverables and reports as required, and I can manage my time more effectively.

Now, I can hardly remember the big green timesheet. It seems like so long ago – an unwanted relic, full of inaccuracies and wasted time. The old green paper timesheet was my master, but no longer. Thanks to xpdOffice, my timesheet gives me more time to actually work – less time spent fixing mistakes. My new xpdOffice timesheet improves my productivity and give me the flexibility to concentrate on what is truly important – the needs of my clients.

xpdTime™ – The leading time and attendance solution for enterprises of all sizes

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