Timesheets

Sensei IQ now includes Timesheets capabilities which will further enhance your current Sensei IQ solution. Instructions on activating and using Timesheets are below.

Depending on the security group you are in, you will have access to different sections of the timesheet functionality. There are four main roles within the Timesheet system:

  • Timesheet User: these users complete timesheets. They can only see the timesheet items available within the Work section
  • Resource Manager: these users assist with managing timesheets. They can see the timesheet items available within the Resources section, as well as the Work Section. Resource Managers can approve/reject timesheets if needed.
  • Timesheet Manager: Manage timesheet approval and rejection. By default, they can only see timesheets they are managers for.
  • System Administrator: Can see all timesheet items in the Work and Resources section, as well as the Settings section.

Delegation

Timesheet Delegation is not needed in this system.

The Timesheet Approval views are filtered so that users can initially see only the timesheets that they are set as the Timesheet Manager for. But any Timesheet Manager, Resource Manager or System Administrator can review, Approve or Reject any timesheets, all they need to do is remove this filter from their view. If you remove the filter, it will only stay removed for this session. When you refresh the page, the filter will be reinstated.

Timesheet Managers, Resource Managers and System Administrators can also create and submit timesheets on behalf of users.

Settings

Within the timesheetConfiguration you can fine tune the timesheet settings for your organization.

  • Timesheet Mode: this selection allows you to set whether you would like your organization to work in Project Tasks or Projects mode.
    • Project Tasks mode uses the Task list with a project. Resources can record time to project tasks they are assigned to.
    • Projects mode uses Resource allocations and does not use the Tasks section of a project. This can be used when your organization isn’t scheduling through the Tasks area of the projects. As long as Resource has been requested and the Resource has access to the project group they will see these projects in their timesheet. NOTE: the user only sees the Project Name in their timesheet in this mode, not tasks.
  • Precision: this is where you set up how many decimal places you will allow users to enter their time into their timesheet.
  • Auto Populate Timesheets: this setting allows newly created timesheets to be populated with all task/project detail that is available when the timesheet was created.
  • Disable Timesheet Manager Override: this setting will override the ability for any Timesheet Manager to create or complete a timesheet on another user’s behalf.
  • Disable Line Manager Override: this setting will override the ability for any Resource Manager to create or complete a timesheet on another user’s behalf.
  • Disable Admin Role Override: this setting will override the ability for any Admin user to create or complete a timesheet on another user’s behalf.
  • Timesheet Period Name Template: this setting sets the format that timesheet period names will take.
  • Timesheet Admin Security Roles: this setting allows you to set up additional security roles that will have the Timesheet Admin functionality for your organization.
  • Project Tasks Mode – Active Task Filter: this determines the settings of tasks that will show on your timesheet by default. The base setting is that the task is less than 100% complete.
  • Project Mode – Active Project Filter: this determines the setting of projects that will show by default. The base setting is that the project status is Active.
  • Non Project Time – Default Filter: this determines the setting of Non Project Time that will show by default. The base setting is that the Non Project Time status is Open.

The following new timesheet menu items are available:

Work

  • Timesheets: this is where Timesheet users can see a list view of all their time sheets
  • My Timesheet: this is where users can access their timesheet detail and complete their timesheet. This view defaults to open the current week.

Resources

  • Timesheet Approvals: this is where you can view the full list of timesheets for your team.
    This view is set up with different views and filtering so make sure you have these options selected correctly for the action you would like to perform.

Settings

  • Timesheet Periods: This is where you can set up the timesheet periods so that users can complete timesheets for those periods. This is also where you can close timesheet periods so that no changes can be made for that period anymore.
  • Non Project Times: this is where you can set up all system wide Non Project Times, these are tasks like: Leave, Training, etc.

Preparing your environment for Timesheets

For timesheets to work in your environment you need to set up the following items:

Resources

Resources should be set up with a Timesheet Manager value.

If the Resource has a blank Timesheet Manager field they are not expected to complete a timesheet and will not receive any notifications from the system. They can however still complete a timesheet if needed that can be approved by a Resource Manager or System Administrator.

NOTE: if the Resource is set up with their own name in the Timesheet Manager field they will auto approve their own timesheet on submission.

The user’s Start Date and End Date will determine how the reports display this timesheet user’s data, as they will not be expected to complete a timesheet before their Start Date or after their End Date.

It is also best practice to have the following fields configured for timesheet users:

  • Enterprise Calendar
  • Target Utilization
  • Cost Rate
  • Sell Rate

User Roles

  • Timesheet Managers should be put into the Sensei IQ - Timesheet Manager role
  • Resources Managers should be put into the Sensei IQ - Resource Manager role

Security Groups

If a user is in the Sensei IQ Admin User or Sensei IQ Resource Manager roles they will be classified as a Resource Manager. Additionally, organizations can add their own custom role ids to timesheetConfiguration to cater for custom scenarios.

Timesheet Periods

Setting up Timesheet Periods is a System Administrator task available from the Timesheet Periods page on the Settings menu. Timesheet periods must be configured for that timesheet period to be available to users to complete a timesheet for that period.

System Administrators can either configure an individual Timesheet Period by clicking the New button or can set up bulk create periods by clicking the Generate button.

New

The new button allows you to create a single timesheet period. Clicking the New button opens the following page:

The New Timesheet Period screen contains the following fields:

  • Name: this is the name of the new timesheet period. NOTE: you should follow your organization’s naming conventions for Timesheet Periods.
  • Start Date: this is the start date of the timesheet period.
  • Finish Date: this is the finish date of the timesheet period.
  • Timesheet Period Status: this is where you can set whether this timesheet period is available for users to timesheet against. If this field is set to Closed no changes can be made to timesheets in this period.

Generate

The Generate button allows you to create multiple timesheet periods at once. Clicking the Generate button opens the following page:

The Generate Timesheet Periods screen contains the following fields:

  • Start date: this is the start date of the timesheet periods.
  • Period duration: this is how long you’d like each timesheet duration to be, for most organizations Week(s) should be selected.
  • Number of periods: the is the number of timesheet periods you would like to create from the Start date.
  • Sequence seed: this number can form part of the template name as {sequence}. This should be the first number in the range, the system will automatically increment it as it creates the Number of Periods you have selected.
  • Name template: this is the name of the new timesheet periods. NOTE: you should follow your organization’s naming conventions for Timesheet Periods.

Non Project Time

Setting up Non Project Time is a System Administrator task available from the Non Project Times page on the Settings menu To create a new item click the New button, to modify an existing item by select the item from the list.

The Non Project Time screen contains the following fields:

  • Name: this is the name of the field and what is displayed on timesheets
  • Status: this is where you can set whether this item is available to be selected. If the Status = Open this task will show on the users timesheets, if it = Closed users will no longer see this item in their timesheet.
  • Department: this field can show if this Non Project Time task has been requested by a specific Department.
  • Always Display: this is where you can set whether users always see this Non Project Time item or if they need to add it to their timesheet. You should set items that users will use often to Yes, with items that they only occasionally need to access as No, this will help with keeping the default timesheet view uncluttered.
  • Work Type: this is where you can set whether this item is a Working or Non Woking task. The Timesheet reports display this data separately, so this can be used to help determine the user’s Working hours per week. NOTE: this field must be filled in so that this data will show on the Non Project Time tab in the Insights report.

Project Tasks Mode

For users to see items within their timesheet they need to be assigned tasks in the project Tasks schedule for that period. If you have an externally linked schedule any tasks assigned to resources linked to a Bookable Resource for that period will display in the Timesheet.

Project Mode

For users to see items within their timesheet a named Resource Request or commitment needs to be made for that resource for that period.

Notifications

Notifications can be configured for Timesheets. Full details on how to set them up are found here.

Using Timesheets

Status

Timesheets can have the following statuses:

  • Draft: the timesheet has not yet been submitted
  • Submitted: the timesheet has been submitted but it hasn’t been reviewed yet. notification?
  • Approved: the timesheet has been approved. You will see a comment at the top of this timesheet that shows when the timesheet was approved.
  • Rejected: the timesheet has been rejected. When a timesheet is rejected, the user is prompted to enter a comment regarding why this decision was made. You will see a comment at the top of this timesheet that shows when the timesheet was rejected and the rejection comments that were entered.

You can also Recall your timesheet if you need to make changes to it after it has been submitted.

NOTE: If a timesheet period is closed you cannot change the status of a timesheet in that period.

NOTE: notifications can be activated in your system so that the user and Timesheet manager are notified when timesheets are submitted and responded to.

Timesheet Periods

By default the current week/period will display in the timesheet when you open it. You can navigate to different periods within the timesheet by using the < and > buttons.

You can also jump to a specific date by using the calendar button.

Tasks

Tasks that the user can timesheet to will show automatically for the period selected. If any new tasks have been added since the timesheet period was created users can use the refresh button to resync their timesheet and pick up any new tasks.

Users can also add tasks to their timesheet via the Add button. Users will only see project tasks that they have been assigned to.

Comments

Users can make comments into every cell in their timesheets. These comments can be edited until the timesheet is submitted.

NOTE: use the tick and cross buttons to save or cancel your comments.

Approvals

Timesheets can be approved from the Timesheet Approvals table view or individually. From the Timesheet Approvals page, multiple timesheets can be approved at once by selecting multiple records in the Submitted status and clicking the Approve button. You can also Reject multiple records following the same process, but it will not give you an opportunity to add a comment for each of the rejected records, so this is not recommended.

NOTE: if you select multiple timesheets from the list and not all of them are in the Submitted status and click the Approve button only Submitted timesheets will be affected by the action. If you select a timesheet by clicking the timesheet Name, this will open the detail page for this timesheet. From the detail page you can Approve or Reject the timesheet you are viewing.

Reports

Three new tabs have been added to the Resources Assignments Insights report:

  • Timesheet Compliance: this tab shows the list of users and their timesheets by period. This page is colour coded to show the different status’ the timesheets are in, and the number of hours in each of the timesheets. If you hover over a timesheet in the “Timesheet Compliance by Week” section, you can see the breakdown of the timesheet you hover over
  • Non Project Time: this tab shows the details of timesheets that have been assigning time to Non Project Tasks. NOTE: make sure the Work Type field contains data on your Non Working Time items for this tab to show data.
  • Actuals Variance: this tab shows the variance between the hours a resource has been committed to for a week versus what they submitted in their timesheet.

NOTE: if you would like these tabs filtered so that only resources who need to complete a timesheet show, use the Timesheet Manager filter, and deselect the (blank) option.

FAQ

Users:

What tasks can I see in my timesheet?

You will only see organization wide, Open, Non Project Tasks and tasks that have been assigned to you in a project Task list in your timesheet.

In Project Mode:

  • The project is Active
  • The user has access to the project:
  • The user is a member of the dynamics team that owns the project OR The user has resource plan requests for any days in the timesheet period

In Task Mode:

  • The task is Active
  • The project is Active
  • The user has access to the project and task

NOTE: the exact conditions of project tasks that are visible to your organization is configurable.

I cannot see a task in my timesheet that I’ve been assigned to?

Use the refresh button or Add button in your timesheet to add any tasks that aren’t visible to your timesheet.

I do not have a timesheet manager, can I still submit a timesheet?

Even without a timesheet manager field set you can still complete a timesheet if needed. Any Timesheet Manager or Resource Manager can approve the timesheet.

Timesheet/Resource Managers:

I am a Resource Manager, not a Timesheet Manager, why can I see and approve timesheets?

The Resource Manager security group role allows Resource Managers to see and approve timesheets by default. This is a configuration setting that can be modified by System Administrators if needed.

My organization allows users to approve their own timesheets. How do I set this up within the system?

Set up the Resource with their own name in the Timesheet Manager field and the user will be able to automatically complete their own timesheet.

My organization manages Agile projects outside of Sensei IQ, is there an easy way to allow users to timesheet without using a task schedule?

Yes, if you select Projects from the Timesheet Mode setting your organization can timesheet from Resource Allocations rather than a task schedule.

Can I create a Non Project Time task and only send it to a specific user or group of users?

No, Non Project Time is available organization wide.

Another Timesheet Manager is going on leave, do I need to delegate their work to another Manager to access their timesheets for approval?

No, any Timesheet/Resource Manager or System Administrator can approve timesheets. To see this manager’s timesheet approvals, change the filter on the Timesheet Approvals page so that their timesheet approvals show in your view. This feature is configurable through the timesheet configuration settings.

A staff member who needed to submit a timesheet did not, can another user submit their timesheets for approval?

Yes, any Timesheet/Resource Manager or System Administrator can create and submit a timesheet on behalf of a user. This feature is configurable through the timesheet configuration settings.

My Timesheet system sends Actual data into my LOB Finance system, how do I make sure users don’t change their timesheets for periods that are closed?

You can close timesheet periods in the system, when you do this any timesheets in these closed periods cannot be modified or deleted. By changing the Timesheet Period Status field to Closed you will lock this timesheet period.

Do Actuals from timesheets update Actuals in my Tasks or Financials tabs?

No, currently the Actuals from the timesheets do not feed into any of the other sections of Sensei IQ.

Software Boundaries and Limits

Detail Limit
Expected Dataverse quota consumed per timesheet with 100 rows fully populated 375 kb / Timesheet
Supported number of rows per Timesheet 100 rows