timesheet management
TRANSCRIPT
Managing timesheets in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
Microsoft Corporation
Published: December 2008
Author: Office IT and Servers User Assistance ([email protected])
AbstractThe content in this guide is designed to provide instructions for managing the Timesheet
functionality features in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007. Timesheet functionality in Office
Project Server 2007 has many improvements from previous versions, including updates to
administrative time and timesheet approval, better integration with Microsoft Outlook, and
refinements to timesheet management pages. The audiences for this guide are business
application specialists, project managers, and IT administrators who want to better understand
how to manage this feature.
The content in this book is a copy of selected content in the Project Server technical library
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=84740) as of the date above. For the most current content,
see the technical library on the Web.
2
The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation
on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to
changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of
Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the
date of publication.
This White Paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT.
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The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their
respective owners.
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Contents
Getting Help............................................................................................................................ vii
Using the My Timesheets page................................................................................................1
Tracking time in Project Server 2007........................................................................................2
New time-tracking features in Project Server 2007............................................................2
Manage timesheet periods.......................................................................................................4
Define Bulk Period Parameters..........................................................................................4
Define Batch Naming Convention......................................................................................5
Create Periods...................................................................................................................5
Status Field.................................................................................................................6
Closing Timesheet Periods................................................................................................6
Timesheet classifications..........................................................................................................7
New Classification..............................................................................................................7
Editing Classifications........................................................................................................8
Add Administrative Time categories.........................................................................................9
New Category..................................................................................................................10
Sample Administrative Time categories............................................................................11
Configure the Timesheet Settings and Defaults page............................................................12
Outlook Display................................................................................................................13
Project Web Access display.............................................................................................13
Default Timesheet Creation Mode....................................................................................14
Timesheet Grid Column Units..........................................................................................14
Default Reporting Units....................................................................................................15
Hourly Reporting Limits....................................................................................................15
Timesheet Policies...........................................................................................................15
Auditing............................................................................................................................ 16
Approval Routing.............................................................................................................16
Timesheet list......................................................................................................................... 17
View Filters...................................................................................................................... 17
Creating Timesheets........................................................................................................18
Plan Administrative Time..................................................................................................18
Surrogate Timesheet........................................................................................................19
Creating a Timesheet Surrogate................................................................................19
Assignment Owner....................................................................................................20
iii
My Timesheet view and features............................................................................................21
My Timesheet view..........................................................................................................21
Timesheet Header Data...................................................................................................21
Add Lines......................................................................................................................... 22
Delete Lines..................................................................................................................... 23
Replace Actual with Planned............................................................................................23
Import Task Progress.......................................................................................................24
Toggle Overtime Work......................................................................................................24
Toggle Non-Billable..........................................................................................................25
Delete Timesheet.............................................................................................................25
Recall Timesheet.............................................................................................................26
Sync to Outlook................................................................................................................26
Print................................................................................................................................. 26
Export to Excel.................................................................................................................26
Timesheet List Page........................................................................................................26
Entering and submitting timesheets.......................................................................................27
Administrative Time..........................................................................................................27
Approval Status field..................................................................................................27
Timesheet Assignments...................................................................................................28
Unverified Line................................................................................................................. 28
Total utilization................................................................................................................. 29
Save and Submit..............................................................................................................29
Timesheet Tables.......................................................................................................29
Import Timesheet to the My Tasks page....................................................................30
Using timesheets with the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook....................................................31
Overview of the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook....................................................................32
Overview.......................................................................................................................... 32
Installing and configuring the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook...............................................33
Requirements...................................................................................................................33
Installing the add-in for Outlook.......................................................................................33
Configuring the add-in for Outlook...................................................................................33
Integrate with.............................................................................................................34
Assignment Import.....................................................................................................35
Assignment Update...................................................................................................35
Advanced Options.....................................................................................................36
iv
Configure time and task management for the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook......................37
Task Settings and Display–Tracking Method...................................................................37
Timesheet Settings and Defaults–Outlook Display..........................................................38
Timesheet Periods...........................................................................................................39
Closing tasks to update..........................................................................................................40
Configuring the Close Tasks to Update page...................................................................40
Importing assignments...........................................................................................................41
Opening Assignments in Outlook.....................................................................................41
Outlook Calendar.......................................................................................................41
Outlook Tasks............................................................................................................41
Entering work and saving to Project Web Access..................................................................43
Task Management............................................................................................................43
Percent of work complete method.............................................................................43
Actual work done and work remaining method..........................................................44
Hours of work done per time periods.........................................................................44
Timesheet........................................................................................................................ 45
Timesheet versus Task Management........................................................................45
Time entry by Timesheet Only...................................................................................45
PWA Import Timesheet..............................................................................................46
Approving administrative time................................................................................................47
Overview of administrative time approvals.............................................................................48
Administrative time approval configuration.............................................................................50
Timesheet Manager.........................................................................................................51
Global Permissions..........................................................................................................52
Administrative time requests..................................................................................................53
Submitting Timesheets.....................................................................................................53
Reviewing Administrative Time Requests........................................................................53
Calendar Exceptions........................................................................................................54
Summary Resource Assignment for My Timesheet.........................................................55
Approving timesheets.............................................................................................................56
Overview of timesheet approvals...........................................................................................57
v
Timesheet approval configuration...........................................................................................58
Timesheet Manager.........................................................................................................58
Global Permissions....................................................................................................59
Fixed Approval Routing.............................................................................................59
Multiple Approvers.....................................................................................................59
Timesheet Status.............................................................................................................60
Timesheet Approvals page features.......................................................................................61
Review and Adjustment Settings......................................................................................61
Date Filters....................................................................................................................... 62
Fiscal Periods............................................................................................................62
Custom Date Range..................................................................................................62
Resource Filter................................................................................................................. 62
Timesheet Name..............................................................................................................62
Approve and Reject.........................................................................................................63
Action Menu.....................................................................................................................63
Unverified Line Items.......................................................................................................63
Timesheet detail and final approval........................................................................................64
View and Settings............................................................................................................64
Timesheet Details features..............................................................................................64
Optional: Adjust Timesheet..............................................................................................65
Timesheet Functions.................................................................................................65
vi
Getting Help
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this book. This content is also available
online in the Office System TechNet Library, so if you run into problems you can check for
updates at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/office
If you do not find your answer in our online content, you can send an e-mail message to the
Microsoft Office System and Servers content team at:
If your question is about Microsoft Office products, and not about the content of this book, please
search the Microsoft Help and Support Center or the Microsoft Knowledge Base at:
http://support.microsoft.com
vii
Using the My Timesheets page
In this section:
Tracking time in Project Server 2007
Manage timesheet periods
Timesheet classifications
Add Administrative Time categories
Configure the Timesheet Settings and Defaults page
Timesheet list
My Timesheet view and features
Entering and submitting timesheets
The My Timesheets page is a new concept in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 that includes
an updated method and process to track Administrative time in addition to tracking work on
project tasks. The My Timesheets page is a redesign of Administrative Projects in Microsoft Office
Project Server 2003, a feature that tracks administrative time, and of "non-project time," the
equivalent feature in Microsoft Office Project Server 2002.
The My Timesheets page is designed to track all of a user's time. The timesheet is submitted and
is then approved by the Timesheet Manager. By default, the user is established as the Timesheet
Manager. In this scenario, the timesheet is automatically approved when it is submitted.
Organizations may want to have more control over time that is approved in the Project Server
system. A new Timesheet Manager can be set up by the administrator for each resource. When
the timesheet is submitted, the Timesheet Manager receives a notification and can then accept
the changes. Additional layers of management approval can be added to this process by
assigning a second-level Timesheet Manager to the first level manager, and so on.
Team members can choose to include task assignments, a single line item for the project, or new
line items not associated with any project work to the timesheet to expand its use. If task
assignments or projects are added to the timesheet and progress is reported, that progress must
be imported into the team member's My Tasks area before it can be submitted to the project
manager for updating into the project plan.
It is important that stakeholders review their processes and requirements and compare them to
the features that are available in the tool. The processes and requirements are configured to
meet the stakeholders' needs and then end users are educated regarding the new processes
they should follow.
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The objectives of this chapter are:
Discuss the concept and methodology for using Timesheets to report project and non-project
work.
Describe how the Timesheet Settings and Defaults configuration options affect the use of the
Timesheet feature.
Tracking time in Project Server 2007
This topic describes how time is tracked in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007.
New time-tracking features in Project Server 2007At the end of a day, week, or pre-determined time period, employees are responsible for
submitting their hours for approval. In addition to the work the employees are tasked to complete,
the hours that employees submit may include time the person did not work because of a sick day
or vacation. For employees, this comprehensive list of items equates to their time card on
projects, administrative items, and unclassified activities. For employers, the list shows how and
where employees are utilized in regard to responsibilities and labor.
In Microsoft Office Project Server 2003, the My Tasks page is also a timesheet. Time is entered
for Administrative Projects and Scheduled Projects; for example, actual work is entered for non-
working tasks, vacation, and scheduled tasks in the My Tasks page. During the lifecycle of a
project, tasks are updated to the project plan. The project plan also offers a potential for additional
scheduling, particularly for non-working tasks.
Timesheets in Office Project Server 2007 is a new way for Microsoft Office Project users to report
their progress and submit their hours for approval. The My Tasks page contains a list of
scheduled project task assignments, and employees can enter their progress. The Timesheets
can also contain assignments.
Timesheets in Office Project Server 2007 offers the following array of features that enable users
to record their productivity:
Four types of timesheets to track utilization.
Distinct list that shows Administrative Time and scheduled tasks. Administrative Time, such as
vacation or sick leave, is updated as a Calendar Exception. Scheduled Tasks are updated to
the project plan.
Billing classification for items in the timesheet.
Overtime and non-billable work entry.
Additional line items added to a timesheet.
Utilization status and total labor for each timesheet period.
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Each organization uses Office Project Server 2007 features to define its own process for tracking
labor. The organization decides how often progress is reported, what tasks are tracked, who
approves time entries, and other issues regarding updating project data. These tasks should be
completed during the Envisioning and Planning phases of the pilot deployment to enable the
Administrator to configure Project Server to meet these needs.
Before team members can track their utilization and submit their time for approval, the timesheet
feature must be configured with the following:
Timesheet periods.
Timesheet classifications.
Administrative Time categories.
Timesheet settings and defaults.
Timesheet creation in the Timesheet List.
Timesheet and Administrative Time submittal for approval.
The topics in this chapter discuss how these administrative tasks enable and affect the time
tracking progress, how to configure Office Project Server 2007 to support the organization’s
processes, and how the Timesheet List can be customized and modified by the end user.
3
Manage timesheet periods
Managed Time Periods was introduced in Microsoft Office Project Server 2003. Managed Time
Periods enables Project Managers to assign a timeframe when team members can enter time for
their assignments and administrative tasks. The organization can assign criteria; for example,
time periods can be weekly or monthly. When the time period passes, the Administrator can close
Managed Time Periods to prevent users from submitting additional time.
Managed Time Periods is called Timesheet Periods in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007.
Timesheet Periods are not applied to the My Tasks page as they were in previous versions of
Project Server. The My Tasks page displays tasks depending on the Define Current Tasks option
in Task Settings and Display. Timesheet Periods is part of the new Timesheet feature in Office
Project Server 2007.
The first purpose of the Timesheet Periods feature is to report non-project work or Administrative
time. This feature replaces the Administrative Projects feature in Project Server 2003. An
organization may decide to report additional task work on the Timesheet or to allow the team
member to decide what will be updated in the Timesheet. This is different than the process in the
My Tasks page. The Administrator must configure the server with various options and create the
Timesheet Periods to enable these actions.
The creation of Timesheet Periods enables organizations to set the criteria for when utilization is
reported within the Timesheet feature. When users create a Timesheet to report their progress,
the Timesheet is based on the periods that are defined.
The Administrator performs the following steps to open the Timesheet Period page in which
Timesheets are created:
1. Log in to Project Web Access as Administrator.
2. Click Server Settings.
3. In the Time and Task Management section, click Timesheet Periods.
Define Bulk Period ParametersThe Administrator can click Insert Before or Insert After and set the calendar to create time
periods individually. This is the same as previous versions of Project Server. A new feature in
Office Project Server 2007 is used to define bulk periods.
The following fields are required if the Administrator chooses to create multiple periods through
the Define Bulk Period Parameters section:
1. Number of periods to be created. By default, this field is pre-populated with 52 to reflect 52
weeks in one year. The field can be modified; for example, 6 months = 26 weeks
2. Date the first period starts. The first period begins on the date that the user enters or
selects with the calendar icon.
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3. Type the standard period length (days). The length in days for each period where the user
enters progress. By default, this field is pre-populated with 7 days or weekly. The field can be
modified; for example, 15 (bi-monthly) or 30 (monthly).
Define Batch Naming ConventionIn conjunction with Define Bulk Period Parameters, the Define Batch Naming Convention feature
enables the Administrator to use a unique naming convention for each period that is created with
the Bulk Creating option.
The naming convention uses the following format: prefix, sequence number, and suffix.
1. Type a prefix. Added in the beginning of the naming convention; for example, a prefix can be
Fiscal Year (FY) or an abbreviation to represent a specific Project Server if more than one
Project Server is deployed in an organization. This is a text field with a limit of 15 characters.
2. Next Sequence Number. The sequence number the bulk periods starts from. This field is
required. The field is typically 1 for each year that is defined; however, an organization can
choose to begin where the last year ended.
3. Type a suffix. Added at the end of the naming convention. A suffix can be the year, such as
2007 or FY 2007. This is a text field with a limit of 15 characters.
After the parameters and naming convention are entered, the user clicks the Create Bulk button
to create multiple time periods. The timesheet periods are displayed in the Create Periods
section.
Create PeriodsThe Create Periods section displays the timesheet periods that are created automatically with the
Create Bulk option, Period Label, Start Date, End Date, and Status.
If timesheet periods are created manually, the Insert Before and Insert After buttons are used to
add the periods. The Administrator selects the following:
Start Date and End Date by clicking the cell, using the calendar date picker, and clicking
Insert Before or Insert After.
Enter a Period Label or accept the default value; for example New Period: 1/6/2008–
1/12/2008.
When timesheet periods are defined by any means, they cannot contain the following:
Duplicate Names for the Period Label.
Gaps between the timesheet periods; for example, 1/1/2007–1/5/2007 and 1/8/2007–
1/12/2007.
Overlap between timesheet periods; for example, 1/1/2007–1/5/2007 and 1/3/2007–1/7/2007.
If the timesheet periods contain the information above, a warning message appears below the
Timesheet Periods heading. The warning message asks the user to correct the mistake. This
functionality also appears in Project Server 2003.
5
Status FieldThe Status field shows whether the timesheet period is opened or closed. The Status must be
Open to allow users to enter values in their timesheet. By default, timesheet periods are Open
when they are first created, which allows the user to plan administrative time into future periods.
Closing Timesheet PeriodsIn accordance with the organization's financial reporting requirements, Timesheet Periods are
marked closed so that no further updates can be submitted for the specified time period. To close
a Timesheet Period, the Administrator selects the Status field for the timeframe and clicks the
drop-down menu to select Closed.
When Timesheet Periods are closed, users cannot create or submit their timesheet. The Status
field indicates if the timesheet is Not Yet Created, In Progress, or Closed Period on the user's
Timesheet List. If the Status field is marked Closed Period, the team member cannot enter values
for the closed timesheet.
6
Timesheet classifications
Timesheet classifications have a wide range of possible uses. Team members may need to add
additional items to their timesheet to reflect items that are not directly associated with a project.
However, these added items may fall into a standard classification of time allocated by your
organization, such as "Mentoring Activities." An organization's management may decide that it is
useful and required to associate the new line item to an attribute or category to track the resource
utilization. For example, the organization may want to understand how much time was spent in
meetings or to resolve issues, rather than how much time was spent on a specific project task.
These examples demonstrate just two of many possible uses for timesheet classifications.
New line items in the timesheets, when classified, may show a trend to Project Managers (or
other management personnel) and other decision makers. It can help them plan for the future by
better understanding the past. These new line items may also eventually be entered as
assignments in the project plan and can be published to record a more complete picture of the
plan history. This would avoid the need to enter time against an incorrect project task in order to
accurately record the user's utilization.
An Administrator establishes Timesheet Classification to categorize the utilization for new line
items in a timesheet, whether they be further clarification of project task work or totally unrelated
to a project.
Use the following steps to open the Edit or Create Line Classifications page in which you can
create a new timesheet classification:
1. Log in to Project Web Access with an Administrator account.
2. Click Server Settings.
3. In the Time and Task Management section, click Timesheet Classification.
The Standard classification is added by default. This classification is applied to the first instance
of published assignments or to new line items in a timesheet. It cannot be deleted or modified. If a
user attempts to delete or modify the classification, a message appears that warns the Project
Web Access (PWA) Administrator that the changes cannot be modified and saved.
New ClassificationStakeholders should create uniformity and standardization in an organization to facilitate the
determination of classifications. Classifications are items that best describe the function and
grouping for the line item. Examples of classifications include Research, Analysis, Conference,
and Travel Time.
When the utilization categories are determined, an Administrator adds a new classification by
clicking the New Classification feature. The Administrator enters the new Name and
Description classification within the grid.
7
Editing ClassificationsSome classifications become clearer or may no longer apply over a period of time. The following
editing function is used to administer classifications in those instances:
Renaming a classification. A user enters a new Name over the existing entry. Renaming does
not apply to the default Standard Classification.
Description. Optional text field for a description of the category
Changing the Status. A new classification is set to Active by default. To deactivate a
classification, a user selects the classification and clicks the Status drop down to change the
classification from Active to Inactive. Inactivating a classification does not delete it from the
database; however, team members do not see the classification when they add a new line
item in their timesheet. PWA Administrators can re-activate the classification at any time.
Delete Classification. In general, classifications cannot be deleted, as they may have been
used on a timesheet. However, before the administrator saves the classification to the Project
Server database, he or she may delete the classification.
8
Add Administrative Time categories
Project plans historically encompass assignments that include planned work. Team members
actively record the labor. There were also factors that affect the assignment, such as vacation,
meetings, or sick time. These factors must be tracked as part of the utilization.
In Microsoft Project Central 2000 and Microsoft Project Server 2002, the timesheet includes a
non-working section where users enter time for these types of tasks. While this information
affects the user’s ability to be assigned work during the identified time, it cannot be labeled or
reported on. Consequently, the history is lost for future planning.
Administrative Projects was introduced in Microsoft Office Project Professional 2003 and
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 as a dedicated plan to track tasks that have no end dates,
such as vacation, meetings, or sick time. Unlike enterprise projects, Administrative Projects do
not have planned work and are non-effort driven.
Project Server 2003 introduced the Administrative Time Template, which provides a list of tasks
such as Vacation, Sick Time, and so on. Though an administrative task such as vacation is not
considered to be a traditional task assignment, it allows Team Members to record their utilization
through actual work in Project Web Access (PWA). The hours are then updated in PWA to the
administrative plan in Project Professional. The history is saved. Users can also report on the
history.
"Non-project time" and "administrative tasks" (from Project Server 2002 and 2003, respectively)
are part of the new Timesheet feature in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 called
Administrative Time with non-working and working sub-types. Administrative Time is tracked in
the Timesheet as part of the utilization, in addition to published assignments and new line items.
Administrative Time is identified by the Project Name of Administrative. Visually there is a line
separator in the Timesheet to separate Administrative Time line items from other task line items.
According to the pre-defined timesheet period, users can record their Administrative Time on their
timesheet. For example, if a team member is on vacation or is sick, the hours are entered in the
Timesheet. The Timesheet Manager either approves or rejects the timesheet when it is submitted.
The Administrative "non-working" Time is updated to the project plan as a calendar exception
after the timesheet is approved. For "working time," the approved administrative task is updated
as actual work in the administrative plan (as in Office Project Professional 2003).
9
New CategoryPerform the following steps to open the Edit or Create Administrative Time pages in which you
can add additional Administrative Time categories:
1. Log in to Project Server with an Administrator account.
2. Click Server Settings.
3. In the Time and Task Management section, click Administrative Time.
4. Click New Category.
The following parameters within the Administrative Time grid are specified for the new category:
Categories. The name of the Administrative Time categories, such as Vacation, Jury Duty,
and Training.
Status. Two options: Open or Closed, can be applied to the category. The category is
available to users when they create their timesheet with an Open status. If a user chooses
Closed, the category is not available to add to the timesheet.
Work Type. Two options: Non Work and Working, can be applied to the category. There are
certain administrative categories where no work is involved, such as Jury Duty, Holiday,
Bereavement, Civic Duty, Military Duty, and Family Leave. These categories are considered
to be time off from productivity or non-work type. When utilization is recorded for these
administrative times, the hours that are not worked are recorded in the timesheet. Training
and Administrative is a special type of work productivity that is applied to the user's utilization.
These are considered to be work type administrative time categories.
Approve. With the option set to Yes, the Administrative Time requires approval before the
timesheet is submitted to the Timesheet Approver.
Always Display. When team members create their timesheets and use the default settings,
the categories that are marked Always Display are automatically included in the timesheet
and do not require preplanning.
When they are defined, Administrative Time categories are available for team members to add to
their timesheet and record their utilization for the timesheet period.
10
Sample Administrative Time categoriesBy default, Administrative Time categories include Sick time, Vacation, and Administrative.
However, each customer may have additional entries. For example:
Jury Duty
Holiday
Bereavement
Civic Duty (for example, Jury Duty)
Military Duty
Family Leave
Training
11
Configure the Timesheet Settings and Defaults page
Every organization has different criterion and standards to track utilization. For example, some
are governed by labor laws that mandate that a specific number of hours are worked per day.
This means that the organization must review the options for Timesheet Settings and Defaults
and choose the appropriate options.
Tasks Settings and Display dictate options for users within the My Tasks page. Timesheet
Settings and Defaults administer user options in the My Timesheets page. Timesheet Settings
and Defaults can be customized for an organization before the organization's team members
create timesheets.
Perform the following steps to access the Timesheet Settings and Defaults page:
1. Log in to Project Web Access as Administrator.
2. Click Server Settings.
3. In the Time and Task Management section, click Timesheet Settings and Defaults.
The Timesheet Settings and Defaults page contains the following sections:
Outlook Display. Options to display different types of work within the Outlook Timesheet
interface. The Outlook Add-in is downloaded on a per-user basis and must be installed to
provide access to the end user. The topic regarding My Tasks page contains more
information about these options.
Project Web Access Display. Options to display different types of work within the Project Web
Access (PWA) timesheet.
Default Timesheet Creation Mode. Options to display Projects, task assignments from
projects, or neither when a timesheet is created. The end-user can add additional line items
of either type.
Timesheet Grid Column Units. Option that controls whether cells in the grid represent one
day or one week.
Default Reporting. Option to report actual work in hours or days. Also defines how many
hours equal one day or one week.
Hourly Reporting Limits. Parameter to limit the minimum and maximum number of hours that
can be reported per timesheet or day. The maximum number 999 represents "unlimited" to
the timesheet system.
Timesheet Policies. Two options, one to report time in the future and one to allow users to
add line items that are not associated with a project server item that is already defined. If you
are required to support DCAA regulations, these options should be disabled.
12
Auditing. Creates a log file where each saved timesheet transaction is recorded for auditing.
Approval Routing. When it is enabled, this option prevents the end user from selecting a
different Timesheet Approver when timesheets are submitted.
Outlook DisplayPrevious versions of Project Server contain an Outlook Integration feature that enables team
members to review and report on their project task assignments from within Outlook. In Microsoft
Office Project Server 2007, progress can still be entered on assignments.
The inclusion of timesheets to the Outlook Integration feature is a new feature in Office Project
Server 2007. Users can record and update to their PWA timesheet.
The following options define the information that displays on timesheets in Outlook, depending on
the business need:
Actual Hours and Scheduled Hours
Actual, Overtime, and Scheduled Hours
Billable, Non Billable, Overtime, and Scheduled Hours. This option is enabled by default.
The third option enables users to capture the actual hours that are billable and non-billable for the
line item. Billable is the amount of hours that are charged for the work that is performed. Non-
billable is the amount of hours that are not charged.
Project Web Access displayThere is an option to display and enter Overtime and Non-billable hours when utilization is
tracked in a Timesheet. Team members select Show/Hide Overtime Work or Show/Hide Non-
Billable Work from the Actions menu in the Timesheet.
With the Project Web Access Display option enabled, the Timesheet uses standard Overtime and
Non-Billable Time tracking and the toggle command on the Actions menu is available. The toggle
command is enabled by default in Server Settings.
When the Project Web Access Display option is not enabled, the toggle actions to display and
enter Overtime Hours and Non-Billable Hours are not available. If your organization tracks
overtime or billing status at a greater granularity than what is provided, we recommend that you
substitute the Administrative Classifications for the default Overtime and Non-Billable
classifications.
13
Default Timesheet Creation ModeThe Default Timesheet Creation Mode option defines the information that the timesheet contains
by default when it is created. In the Timesheet List, team members can choose from four types of
Timesheets to track their utilization.
Create with Default Settings. This Timesheet displays the Administrative Time categories that
are marked Always Display and the option that is selected for Default Timesheet Creation
Mode.
Create with Tasks. This Timesheet displays the assignments where progress has been
entered or where work has been scheduled but not yet performed.
Create with Projects. This timesheet displays current active project names where the user is
a project team member. Progress is entered in this case at the upper-most project level.
Do not Autopopulate. This timesheet is blank.
The timesheet automatically populates with the Administrative Time categories that are marked
Always Display and the setting for Default Timesheet Creation Mode, unless the user selects one
of the other options above.
The Timesheet Settings and Defaults page defines how Timesheets are prepopulated for the
organization. Users still have the ability to override the defaults.
Users can choose from the following options on the Timesheet Setting and Defaults page:
Current task assignments. This option is enabled by default. The timesheet contains
Administrative tasks and the resource’s current task assignments from all projects to which
they are assigned.
Current Projects. The Timesheet contains Administrative time and a list of projects to which
the resource is assigned. No individual tasks display.
No prepopulation. This timesheet only contains Administrative time.
Timesheet Grid Column UnitsTimesheet Grid Column Units determines which units track utilization, Days or Weeks, for all
Timesheet types. The default timesheet tracking units show in days.
If Weeks is specified when the Timesheet is created, each column in the Timesheet represents
seven days. If the Timesheet Period is greater than seven days, the Timesheet displays the next
seven days. For example, if the period is 15 days, there are three columns.
How the dates for the time period headings are calculated and displayed is a factor of which
timesheet the user is working with currently, how the time periods were defined originally, and the
standard period length setting. The Administrator uses Timesheet Period to set the last two
factors.
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Default Reporting UnitsUtilization is tracked either in Hours or Days. By default, the timesheet units are set to hours.
If the timesheet units are changed to Days when the timesheet is created, the planned work is
viewed in days. When the resource enters a number value, the value is interpreted as days. For
example, 0.5 equals one-half of one day’s work.
Another option in the Default Reporting Units is the number of hours in a standard timesheet day
and the number of hours in a standard timesheet work week. Globally, each company has
different standardizations. Some are governed by labor laws, and these options must be set
accordingly. Override is possible by adding the unit designator to numeric time value; for
example, 8h = 8 hours and 8d = 8 days, regardless of the system setting.
Hourly Reporting LimitsThe Hourly Reporting Limits feature enables Project Web Access administrators to place
restrictions on valid values that can be entered for time tracking. Zero is the minimum and 998 is
the maximum value that is possible. “999” is specially treated by the system as an unlimited
maximum. The Administrator can further restrict the values to the following:
Maximum Hours per Timesheet. This value is set to 999 by default.
Minimum Hours per Timesheet. This value is set to 0 by default.
Maximum Hours per Day. This value is set to 999 by default.
If an invalid value is entered, an error message displays. The timesheet cannot be saved or
submitted until a valid value is entered.
Timesheet PoliciesTwo timesheet policies apply to users to comply with an organization's accounting and regulatory
requirements. Both are enabled by default in Timesheet Settings and Display and should be
disabled for organizations that have requirements to support DCAA time tracking procedures.
Allow future time reporting. With this option enabled, team members can create timesheets
that extend beyond the current timesheet period.
Allow unverified timesheets line items. With this option enabled, team members are enabled
to add new line items. Within the timesheet, the line item shows Unverified for the Project
Name. This signifies that the line item is not associated with a project plan or an assignment.
If this option is disabled, the Type a name for the new timesheet line item is removed from the
Add Lines dialog box. Team Members can only select from existing assignments.
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AuditingIn Office Project Server 2007, Timesheets is used to track utilization and is required to be
compliant with the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), which is run by the U.S. Depart of
Defense. The DCAA is an organization that oversees budget and finance matters for the United
States government. This organization's policies determine procedures for billing and contracting,
including the ability to audit labor entries on government projects.
Organizations can enable Timesheet Auditing to record changes that are saved to timesheets
during creation, approval, and adjustments. This is accomplished by enabling the Enabled
Timesheet Auditing option.
When Timesheet Auditing is enabled, transactions in the Timesheet are stored to the
MSP_Timesheet_Actual_Audit table in the ProjectServer_Published database, where the data is
retrieved for an audit review. If this option is enabled during the project life cycle, records
accumulate in the table. The Purge Log button enables PWA Administrators to drop the records
from the MSP_Timesheet_Actual_Audit table. This action does not remove project actuals in the
timesheet. Project actuals are stored in the MSP_Timesheet_Actuals table.
Approval RoutingAfter team members enter progress or changes on their assignments via the Tasks page in
Microsoft Office Project Server 2003, those changes are submitted for approval to the last person
that published the assignments. In Office Project Server 2007, the process to update
assignments is similar if only the Task Center is used to update assignment progress. However, if
progress is entered for assignments in the timesheets (because timesheets are used primarily to
update non-project work), that assignment progress must be imported into the My Tasks page
before the progress can be submitted to the Project Manager for update into the project.
Approving Timesheets in Office Project Server 2007 follows a different process than the process
that is used for task or assignment updates. When team members submit timesheets, they can
be the approver or the team member can choose an approver from a drop-down menu. An
approver can also be assigned to the team member via Manage Users. The approver can
designate a second-level Timesheet Manager to approve the timesheet. Depending on an
organization’s timesheet approval requirements, Timesheets can be accepted multiple times
before they reach the final approver.
There is an option to have a Fixed Approval Routing. This option is selected in the Timesheet
Settings and Defaults page in the Approval Routing section.
When Fixed Approval Routing is enabled, users can submit their Timesheet to their designated
Timesheet Manager directly (no drop-down menu option to select an approver) for final approval
or for alternate routing.
This option is disabled by default. Team Members who submit their Timesheet can send the
Timesheet to their Timesheet Manager or select from a list of alternate Timesheet Acceptors. This
list contains the approvers who have the Accept Timesheets user global permission enabled.
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Timesheet list
Team members can create their timesheet and report utilization when requirements for
Timesheet Periods, Timesheet Classifications, Administrative Time, and Timesheet
Settings and Defaults are defined by stakeholders and are configured in the project server by
the Administrator.
Users click the My Timesheet page to display their Timesheet List and perform the following
actions:
Create and access timesheets to track Administrative, Project, and Non-project work.
Add more Administrative Time categories to the timesheet.
Add task assignments, projects, or ad-hoc line items to record additional utilization.
Plan Administrative Time to schedule time away from work.
Create Surrogate Timesheets to report utilization on behalf of other users.
View the overall status of their timesheets.
This article discusses these features and the display and viewing options that are available with
Timesheets.
View FiltersAfter the Administrator creates the Timesheet Periods, users can create Timesheets for all open
periods. Users can utilize the DHTML Grid to view a list of Timesheets that are based on the
following filters that are available from the view drop-down menu. The view drop-down menu is
located on the right side of the page.
Current & Last 3 Months
Next 6 Months & Last 3 Months
Last 6 Months
Last 12 Months
All Timesheets
Created and in progress
These default filters cannot be customized in Manage Views.
When Timesheets are created, in progress, or complete, users can view their overall status in the
Timesheet List. The Timesheet List displays the Timesheet Name, Period, Total Hours, Next
Approver, and Transaction Comment.
Depending on the organization's requirements and practices, users may or may not have access
to future periods. If a filter is selected, users see only those Timesheets that meet the filter
criteria. If no Timesheet fits the criteria, no Timesheet displays. If no Timesheet Periods are
defined in the system, the user receives an error that explains that the Administrator has not yet
created a Timesheet Period.
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Creating TimesheetsThere are four types of Timesheets that track utilization. Each of these Timesheets offers
versatility to meet an organization's specific requirements.
A Timesheet with default settings is automatically created when users click the link Click to
Create in the Timesheet Name column. Depending on the Default Timesheet Creation Mode in
Timesheet Settings and Defaults, the Timesheet displays Current task assignments, Current
projects, or No prepopulation. Users see Administrative time that is always displayed each
time, because the primary purpose of a Timesheet is to track Administrative time.
Users can also hover over the Click to Create link for the time period and click the drop-down
menu to create a Timesheet. The user can then select one of the four types of Timesheets to
create:
Create with Default Setting. The Timesheet is automatically populated with the information
that the Administrator configures as the default.
Create with Tasks. Lists the current assignments for the Timesheet Period and
Administrative Time.
Create with Projects. For a Timesheet where utilization is reported per project, team
members report the total hours they spend on all current tasks for their assigned projects.
Do Not Auto-populate. Users can select this option to yield a Timesheet with Administrative
Time categories that are marked Always Display.
When a Timesheet is created, it is automatically populated with the following Administrative
Time Categories that are marked Always Display. These additional timesheet options add
additional line items to the Timesheet.
Plan Administrative TimeSome Administrative Time Categories may not be marked Always Display. The Plan
Administrative Time feature enables users to add these other categories to their Timesheet.
After a user clicks Plan Administrative Time, the Administrative Time dialog box displays and
the user can add the category to the Timesheet for the selected period. The user sees the
following parameters in the Administrative Time dialog box:
Category. The categories that are defined in the drop-down list correspond to the
Administrative Time Categories that the Administrator configures.
Approval required. The individual Administrative Time Category is marked for approval
that is required in the Administrative Time settings. This requirement dictates that the
Timesheet must be routed to the Timesheet Manager for approval.
Work Type. This designation is assigned to the Administrative Time category. Sick Time, Jury
Duty, and Family Leave are examples of Non-Work types. Training is an example of Working.
The person is out of the office but is still contributing to their overall time utilization.
Description. Users can add comments regarding why this category is added to the
Timesheet.
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Period. The Timesheet Period where the Administrative Time category is applied. The Save
button is not available if the user tries to add this category to an approved Timesheet.
Committed. The hours that are applied to the Administrative Time category. These can
be hours that the user is out sick or is in training.
Planned. The hours in the future when the individual is not available. Examples are
Training, Military Leave, Family Leave, and Vacation.
A line item for the category is viewable in the Timesheet when the line item is saved.
Surrogate TimesheetSometimes unexpected events require a user to be out of the office without planning time to
transition details or responsibilities. Under those circumstances, an e-mail or voicemail are the
likely method of communication. If a team member is unable to create and submit their own
Timesheet, a lead or a Manager with the "Create Surrogate Timesheet" category permission can
create, complete, or submit a Timesheet on the team member’s behalf. This is called a Surrogate
Timesheet. The hours can be recorded if details about the work for an assignment are known.
However, when the user returns, the Timesheet should be imported in the My Tasks page to
accurately update the same assignment progress to the Project Manager for inclusion in the
project plan.
Creating a Timesheet SurrogateThe following permissions must be enabled for the person who enters the time utilization on
behalf of the user:
Security Categories: Create Surrogate Timesheets
Global Permission: View Surrogate Timesheet
These permissions are not provided by default for users other than the Administrator. A Surrogate
Timesheet can be created when these permissions are provided.
You must enter the following information in the Create Surrogate Timesheet page:
Timesheet Owner. Click Browse to select the team member’s name.
Timesheet Type. Select the type to determine how the Timesheet is pre-populated.
Timesheet Period. Select the Timesheet Period that applies to your reported hours.
The Create Timesheet button is available when all information is selected. The Surrogate
Timesheet then displays for the surrogate to update.
If the surrogate selects the criteria and clicks Create Timesheet and a Timesheet has already
been generated by the originator, a message displays that states that another Timesheet is in
progress.
The surrogate timesheet owner clicks Yes to create the Timesheet and to continue to report on
behalf of the originator. If the surrogate originator saves the Timesheet, the originator’s Timesheet
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List shows the status of Surrogate in place of In Progress. If the surrogate performs a Save and
Submit action, the status changes to Submitted.
When the originator returns to work and sees a Status of Surrogate for the Timesheet Period
indicator, the originator clicks the Timesheet to view and a message returns. The message states
that a surrogate was created. The originator then clicks Yes to delete the message or No to
cancel.
The warning does not appear if the Surrogate submitted the Timesheet for approval. With a status
of Submitted, the originator can use Import Timesheet to update task assignment progress that
was entered to the My Tasks page.
Assignment OwnerThe Assignment Owner feature can be used to reassign resource tasks if a user will be away for
an extended amount of time. The assignment owner is specified in the Manage User
information properties under Server Settings. Plans that the resource is assigned to are
published for the changes to take effect. The assignments are visible in the Assignment Owners
My Tasks page, where the task is worked or it is reassigned to other resources. However, the
assignment owner has no effect upon the timesheet feature.
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My Timesheet view and features
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 viewAfter 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 DataUsers 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.
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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 LinesTimesheets 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.
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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 LinesThe 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 PlannedFor 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:
1. Click Add Lines to include the task assignment in the Timesheet.
2. Click the check box on the left to select the task assignment row.
3. 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.
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Import Task ProgressFor 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.
1. Select the task assignment row by clicking the check box on the left.
2. 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 WorkCapturing 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.
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Toggle Non-BillableThe 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 TimesheetA 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.
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Recall TimesheetThe 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 OutlookSync 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.
PrintUsers 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 ExcelUsers 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 PageA 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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Entering and submitting timesheets
The events and number of hours in a Timesheet are a culmination of how an individual’s time was
spent for a period. For organizations, this time is a representation of where the resource is
allocated and how much effort is given to the project.
After planning, understanding, and configuring the various Timesheet properties, team members
are equipped with the administrative time categories, classifications, and settings to document
their utilization and submit the utilization for approval.
Depending on the type of Timesheet that the user selects, the entries that are listed and the
tracking and reporting units vary. However, most Timesheets are comprised of hours for the
following utilization.
Administrative Time
Assignments or Projects
Unverified Line Items
In addition to the actual hours for the items that are listed above, a work day may entail recording
the following utilization.
Overtime
Non-Billable
Overtime Non-Billable
Administrative TimeWhether Administrative Time is auto-generated or is manually added through Plan
Administrative Time, Administrative Time is recorded in the bottom half of a Timesheet. The
Project Name field distinguishes Administrative Time from assignments with the
Administrative value. Task name/Description, Comment and Billing Category provide a
further description of the specific Administrative Time entry.
Approval Status fieldThe Approval Status field is composed of status indicators for Administrative Time categories
that have been set by the system administrator to require approval by the Timesheet Manager
(for example, vacations), when planned in advance. After the user enters hours and clicks
Recalculate, Save, or Save and Submit, the Approval Status changes to one of the following
colors.
Green. Indicates that the Administrative Time category has been approved. By default, the
approval status is initially viewed in green.
Yellow. Indicates that the Administrative Time category is pending approval.
Red. Indicates that the Administrative Time category has been rejected.
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The Approval Status field in the Timesheet is updated after the Timesheet Manager approves or
rejects the Administrative Time. If the Administrative time request is approved, the Approval
Status returns to Green. If the Administrative time request is rejected, the Approval Status is
Red and the lines can be removed so that utilization can be submitted.
Timesheet AssignmentsIf a Timesheet that uses Current with Tasks is created, the current assignments with reported
actual hours and planned work are auto-inserted into the timesheet. If a Timesheet is created with
No prepopulation, assignments must be added by using the Add Lines feature.
A list of the tasks that are assigned to a resource is visible through Add Lines. This list does not
adhere to the Current Tasks filter. The assignments are viewed by Project Name and are
inserted into the Timesheet.
For assignments, Billing Category corresponds to the pre-defined Timesheet Classifications.
Timesheets that are created with Current Tasks automatically have a Billing Category of
Standard; otherwise, the category was added through Add Lines where the user must select
another Billing Category.
In the time-phased data, the team member can elect to manually enter the hours that are worked
on a task. Other options to automatically populate actual time that is spent on an assignment
include Replace Actual with Planned if the hours are the same as the plan or Import Task
Progress from the My Tasks page. If the My Tasks page is used to enter progress for
assignments, a Timesheet automatically populates the actual time when it is created.
Unverified LineUnverified Line items are the least likely to be used and thus the last items that are tracked. New
entries may be required to report work on a recent assignment or an unplanned job. In those
instances, unverified line items are added through Add Lines. The entries are unverified because
they are not part of an existing project plan or a predefined Administrative Time Category. The
Project Name shows as Unverified on the Timesheet.
Unverified Line items in a Timesheet are not updated to a project plan, because no project plan
is associated with the unverified line item. However, the line item is recorded as part of a team
member's utilization and is viewed by the Timesheet Manager as part of the timesheet approval
process. The Timesheet Manager can monitor unverified line items and can consider the items'
involvement for future project plans. This information is also available in the Reporting Database.
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Total utilizationRecalculate is used to obtain a Total for the time that is entered during the timesheet period. The
total that is entered per day or week is a sum of the following time: Administrative Time,
Unverified Lines, Task Assignments or Project assignments, Overtime, Non-Billable, and
Overtime Non-Billable.
Team members can view the Total Hours for the period on the Timesheet List.
Save and SubmitTeam members can track hours daily and can save changes each day without submitting the
hours to the Timesheet Manager. Team members submit the Timesheet for approval by clicking
Save and Submit at the end of the timesheet period, start of the next timesheet period, or
arranged deadline.
After team members click Save and Submit, a Submit Timesheet dialog appears. The Submit
Timesheet dialog automatically populates who receives the Timesheet for approval. The
Timesheet Manager who is designated for the user is listed.
The approver is the team member by default, unless another approver is assigned. The team
member can select a new approver unless the organization selects the option for Fixed Approval
Routing. This dialog can also display with only the Comment field, if Fixed Approval Routing is
in force. The Administrator sets this option in Server Settings Timesheet Settings and
Defaults.
Multiple Timesheet Managers can review the Timesheet before it reaches a final approver. The
Next Approver field on the Timesheet List or in the Timesheet Header Data shows who the
Timesheet has been submitted to. The team member can click Browse to select the Timesheet
Manager. If a Timesheet Manager is out of the office, another manager can approve the
Timesheet in the interim.
The Status field in the Timesheet Header shows Submitted if the Timesheet is pending
approval. A status of Acceptable appears when the Timesheet has been accepted by a user
without approval authority and Approved appears when the timesheet has been approved.
Timesheet TablesThe Timesheet is saved to the MSP_Timesheet_Actuals table in the ProjectServer_Published
database as team members enter utilization. The Timesheet is also converted to the
MSP_Timesheet -Actuals table in the ProjectServer_Reporting database for use in reporting
features such as Data Analysis, Enterprise Reports, or third party.
The data is entered is in a proposed state until the Timesheet is approved. The time that is
entered can still be modified. For example, a user with Adjust Timesheet permissions or a team
member who makes corrections after the Timesheet was rejected can continue to make changes
to the Timesheet.
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Import Timesheet to the My Tasks pageThe progress that is entered for assignments must be updated in the My Tasks page. This is
accomplished with the Import Timesheet feature on the Actions menu for the My Tasks page.
The Import Timesheet feature ensures that progress is entered in the My Tasks page. Progress
is reflected in the project plan when the team member submits the assignment to the Project
Manager for a Task Update.
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Using timesheets with the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook
In this section:
Overview of the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook
Installing and configuring the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook
Configure time and task management for the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook
Closing tasks to update
Importing assignments
Entering work and saving to Project Web Access
This section discusses another method to track progress on task assignments and non-project
work. Some users would like to have one place to enter their progress on all types of work. If
those users are also Microsoft Outlook 2003 (or newer) client users, those users have the ability
to download the Microsoft Office Project 2007 Add-in for Outlook as an interface to enable them
to update their work.
The objective of this chapter is:
Describe how the Outlook add-in can be used to update task assignments and non-project
work.
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Overview of the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook
This article provides an overview of the Microsoft Office Project 2007 Add-in for Outlook.
OverviewMicrosoft Office Project Server 2007 re-introduces a feature that enables team members to track
progress for assignments within Outlook Calendar and reminders. The feature provides an
alternative for users who work primarily in Outlook instead of Project Web Access to enter and
update their hours back to the Project Manager.
In Office Project Server 2007, assignment progress continues to be reported based on the
selected tracking method. The add-in for Outlook has been enhanced with the following features:
A choice to integrate with Outlook Tasks or Calendars.
The option to add information about timesheet utilization for assignments by using the
following fields: Billable, Non-Billable, Overtime, and Overtime Non-Billable.
In addition to the My Tasks and My Timesheets pages, the Outlook integration add-in presents
another method for team members to report progress and record utilization for their assignments.
Users can simplify their time tracking by importing assignments from Project Server and entering
hours from Outlook.
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Installing and configuring the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook
Users can select the Set Up Outlook Sync link on the Actions menu of the My Tasks page to
provide a downloadable executable file to install the Microsoft Office Project 2007 Add-in for
Outlook. The global permission Download Project Web Access Outlook Add-In is enabled by
default for all users. The add-in is available from the menu for all users, unless the permission is
explicitly denied.
RequirementsThe Project 2007 add-in for Outlook requires the following:
Valid Project Web Access account.
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or greater.
Installing the add-in for OutlookUsers can click Download Now and choose Run to install the add-in for Outlook now or Save to
save the file (PsOlkAddin.exe) locally to install later. The Installation Wizard guides the user
through the installation of the add-in.
At the next launch of Outlook, the following components are configured to complete the
installation:
Import New Assignments and Update Project Web Access are added on the Outlook
Toolbar.
Users select the Tools menu, and then click Project Web Access to see the configuration
items for the add-in for Outlook.
The Project Web Access account and URL that are used to connect to and download the add-in
from the Actions menu are automatically configured in Microsoft Outlook during Outlook start up.
Configuring the add-in for OutlookAfter the components are installed to Outlook, users can configure the add-in through the Project
Web Access properties page that is added to Microsoft Outlook. Users perform the following
steps to go to the Project Web Access properties page.
1. Launch Microsoft Outlook.
2. From the Tools menu, select Options.
3. Click the Project Web Access tab.
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The Project Web Access tab contains the following sections:
Integrate with
Assignment Import
Assignment Update
Advanced Options
Integrate withIn Microsoft Office Project Server 2003, importing assignments added the Integrate with option
to the Outlook Calendar and generated reminders. For Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, the
Integrate with option in the Project Web Access properties page is used to integrate with
Outlook Tasks or Outlook Calendar. Outlook Tasks is enabled for the Integrate with option by
default. Both options give users time management capabilities with the use of Outlook features to
manage their work and schedule.
Outlook Tasks
Users can select Outlook Tasks in the Integrate with section of the Project Web Access
properties page to place the imported assignments beside tasks that were originally created in
Outlook.
Users can achieve the following benefits from Outlook Tasks.
See a list of assignments per day, week, or month.
Monitor multiple assignments.
Use the flag feature to show that a task is complete or as a reminder to work on the task on a
specific date.
Report progress and utilization.
Outlook Calendar
The second option in the Integrate with section of the Project Web Access properties page is to
integrate with Outlook Calendar. Users can add imported assignments to the calendar and
report progress and utilization.
Users can achieve the following benefits in Outlook Calendar.
View assignments with other appointments for the day, week, or month.
See specific times when no other appointments are scheduled. Users can reserve the open
timeslot in the schedule to concentrate on the assignment
Configure reminders to notify when they are starting or overdue
Report progress and utilization.
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Assignment ImportUsers can determine the criterion for an import to administer the Date Range and whether
assignments are received manually or automatically. The following configuration options are
available in the Assignment Import section of the Project Web Access properties page.
Date Range. Enables users to specify the date range for assignments that are imported.
When the Project Web Access Date Range option is selected, all of the assignments for the
user are added to either the Outlook Task or Calendar. The Date Range option enables
users to select assignments that are due in a specific number of days, weeks, or months.
Import from Project Web Access. Users specify Manual or Automatic Import.
The Manually Only option is selected by default.
Every (X) for a specified time period (days, weeks, or months) and Next Update specify
the automatic import of task assignments from Project Web Access into Outlook.
Show confirmation dialog box before importing. Enabled by default when users click
Import New Assignments. A confirmation shows which assignments will be added.
Assignment UpdateAfter progress and utilization are entered for an imported assignment in Outlook, the utilization
must be updated to PWA My Tasks and My Timesheets page. There are two methods to update
the hours entered manually.
1. In the Outlook assignment detail, users click Save to Project Web Access to update the
individual assignment.
2. On the Outlook toolbar, users click Update to Project Server to update all assignments
where change is detected.
Users configure the process to automatically update for all utilization in the Assignment Update
section.
The update process can either be manual or automatic. Users specify a timeframe, hourly, daily,
weekly, monthly, or a specific date. By default, the update is set to manual. The user is
responsible for clicking Update to Project Server.
Update from Outlook to Project Web Access specifies Manual or Automatic Import.
The Manually Only option is selected by default.
Every (X) for a specific time period (days, weeks, or months) and Next Update specify
the automatic import of task assignments from PWA into Outlook.
An option to Show confirmation dialog before updating is also enabled by default. This option
provides a preview before the user proceeds to update Project Web Access. Automating the
update to a specified frequency also sends a confirmation after the update is complete. An e-mail
will be sent. The user can choose not to receive the confirmation by disabling the option.
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Advanced OptionsWhen the add-in for Outlook is downloaded and installed, the login information is automatically
configured with the user account that was used to log in to Project Web Access to obtain the
executable. The team member can click the Enter Login Information button in Advanced
Options to change the login information to another account or to a different Project Server URL
than the original.
Advanced Options also includes the following settings.
Show availability for project assignment appointment as. When users set their
assignment availability, the time that is allotted for the assignment displays with the following
selected status when meetings are scheduled:
Free
Tentative
Busy
Out of Office
When importing from Project Web Access to Outlook. This section governs how
reminders display for assignments in Outlook. There are three options to select from:
Follow Outlook's default setting for reminders
Never create reminders
Always create reminders
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Configure time and task management for the Project 2007 add-in for Outlook
Time and Task Management configurations are applied to the My Tasks page and Timesheet
features in the Project Web Access Server Settings page. Time and Task management
configurations affect how users interact with the features provided by the Microsoft Office Project
2007 Add-in for Outlook.
The way progress is entered in the My Tasks page depends on the Tracking Method that is
selected in Task Settings and Display. Task Updates can be closed by locking assignments to
prevent team members from entering progress.
In the Project Web Access timesheets, options in the Timesheet Settings and Defaults determine
how the amount of effort in work is tracked. The creation and opening of the Timesheet Period
controls whether or not time can be recorded.
While there are options to configure in Outlook after the add-in is installed, the following Project
Web Access settings influence the add-in for Outlook:
Task Settings and Display: Tracking Method
Timesheet Setting and Defaults: Outlook Display
Timesheet Period
Close Tasks to Update
These settings are applied in Project Web Access and must also be considered while the user
works within the add-in for Outlook.
Task Settings and Display–Tracking MethodThe Tracking Method that is selected for the My Tasks page is also applied to the add-in for
Outlook.
Tracking methods are selected through the Task Settings and Display page in the Project Web
Access Server Settings page.
Open the Task Settings and Display page
1. On the Project Web Access home page, in Quick Launch, click Server Settings.
2. On the Server Settings page, in the Time and Task Management section, click Task
Setting and Display.
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On the Task Settings and Display page, Administrators can choose from three Tracking Methods:
Percent of work complete. Resources report the percent of work they have completed, from
0 through 100%.
Actual work done and work remaining. Resources report the actual work done and the
work remaining to be done on each task.
Hours of work done per day. Resources report their hours worked on each task per period.
The first two methods listed above display a Task Management tab in the Outlook assignment
detail. Task Management is equivalent to the Project Web Access Tasks Center, where
progress is entered and submitted to Project Web Access.
A separate tab is available for Timesheets where tracking utilization may include Actual Work,
Overtime, Billable, or Non-billable hours. The time type used depends on the Outlook Display
that is selected in the Timesheet Settings and Default.
Hours of work done per day does not have separate sections for Task Management and
Timesheet, despite the selected Outlook Display criteria. The sections are combined because the
Hours of work done per day method records actual work daily, as does the Timesheet. There is
no need for two different tabs.
Timesheet Settings and Defaults–Outlook DisplayThe Timesheet Settings and Defaults page is accessible through the Project Web Access Server
Settings page.
Open the Timesheet Settings and Defaults page
1. On the Project Web Access home page, in Quick Launch, click Server Settings.
2. On the Server Settings page, in the Time and Task Management section, click Timesheet
Setting and Defaults.
In Timesheet Settings and Defaults, the selected Outlook Display option determines how
Timesheets are viewed in Outlook for assignments on the Timesheet tab. The options Billable,
Non Billable, Overtime, and Scheduled Hours are enabled by default. This gives users the
option to enter Non Billable and Overtime hours in Outlook, which is consistent with the Project
Web Access Timesheet.
The following alternatives provide a more traditional way to track hours in the Timesheet in the
Outlook Display setting:
Actual Hours and Scheduled Hours. The effort in hours is entered in the Actual Work field.
Actual, Overtime, and Scheduled Hours. The effort in hours is entered in the Actual Work
field and the Overtime Work field.
Note
For more information about the Timesheet Settings and Defaults page, see Configure
the Timesheet Settings and Defaults page.
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Timesheet PeriodsTimesheet Periods are created in Project Web Access to enable team members to track their
labor for a designated timeframe. Each organization can have a deadline of when the Timesheet
can be submitted before the period is closed. Once the period is closed, utilization cannot be
entered.
The same rules apply to imported assignments that use the add-in for Outlook. If no Timesheet
Periods are created or there are no open periods, hours cannot be entered in the Outlook
Timesheet section.
Note
For more information about creating Timesheet Periods, see Manage timesheet periods.
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Closing tasks to update
A new feature in Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 enables administrators to close out tasks to
future updates. In scenarios where users must see and report on projects and their task details,
users might also want to ensure that no future modifications are made to that plan. The Close
Tasks to Update feature enables an administrator to select one or all tasks for closure.
Configuring the Close Tasks to Update pageThe Close Tasks to Update page is accessible through the Project Web Access Server Settings
page.
Open the Close Tasks to Update page
1. On the Project Web Access home page, in Quick Launch, click Server Settings.
2. On the Server Settings page, in the Time and Task Management section, click Close
Tasks to Update.
The following options are configured on the Close Tasks to Updates page:
Project. This is a drop-down list box of projects in the server. After a project is selected, all
tasks in the plan appear in the Select Tasks section.
Select Tasks. Tasks that are selected should not accept updates after the file is published.
An icon appears next to the task. The task cannot be modified when it is viewed in the My
Tasks page nor can the line be added to an existing or newly created timesheet.
When tasks are closed to update, no icon appears in the Microsoft Office Project 2007 Add-in for
Outlook. When the user attempts to enter updates, the fields and buttons to update progress are
unavailable.
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Importing assignments
When the Microsoft Office Project 2007 Add-in for Outlook is configured, users can import new
assignments from Project Web Access to track progress and timesheet utilization in Outlook.
Users click Importing New Assignments on the toolbar to add assignments to Outlook. A
preview of the assignments that will be imported displays prior to completion.
Opening Assignments in OutlookTeam members can begin to enter time when assignments are imported. The assignments can
be accessed in Outlook Tasks or Outlook Calendar.
Outlook CalendarUsers can select Outlook Calendar as the integration criteria for the add-in to view assignments
next to appointments for the day, week, or month. When team members schedule meetings, the
time can appear as Free, Tentative, Busy, or Out of Office to show availability for an
appointment.
The assignment is listed in Outlook Calendar as an appointment. The steps to open an
assignment in Outlook Calendar depend on the version of Office Outlook that is used. Office
Outlook 2007 incorporates the Office 2007 toolbar to navigate applications.
Users perform the following steps to use Office Outlook 2007:
1. Click Calendar.
2. Double-click the assignment in the calendar.
3. On the Outlook toolbar, locate Show.
4. Click Project Web Access.
Users perform the following steps to use Office Outlook 2003:
1. Click Calendar.
2. Double-click the assignment in the calendar.
3. Click the Project Web Access tab.
Outlook TasksThe second option for working with the add-in for Outlook is Outlook Tasks. Being able to work
with Outlook Tasks is a new feature for Microsoft Office Project Server 2007. It enables users to
display imported assignments next to tasks that are created directly in Outlook. Imported
assignments can be displayed on the selected Current View.
Users open imported assignments by double-clicking the assignment in the tasks view.
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When they open, Project Web Access (PWA) task assignments that are located in Outlook Tasks
include the Task Management and the Timesheet template as part of the add-in for Outlook.
These assignments have a pre-determined schedule from PWA. Tasks that are created in
Outlook have a Task tab where the task is scheduled and a Details section where the amount of
work is entered.
Managing Tasks
While users work in Outlook Tasks, the imported assignments may use features for tasks that are
created in Outlook, specifically in Manage Tasks. The following options are available through the
Manage Tasks features on the Outlooks Tasks toolbar:
Assign Task
Send Status Report
Mark Complete
With the exception of Mark Complete, these Outlook capabilities do not apply to the imported
assignments. If a user marks the imported assignment as complete, the assignment does not
display in the user's assignment list. Instead, the assignment moves to the Completed Tasks
view. These completed tasks are included when a user sends an update to Project Web Access.
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Entering work and saving to Project Web Access
Organizations have their own set of requirements and processes to track time in the My Tasks
page, Timesheets, and the Microsoft Office Project 2007 Add-in for Outlook.
Team members can enter time after configuration of the add-in for Outlook is determined and
assignments are imported. Assignments can be accessed in either Outlook Tasks or Outlook
Calendar.
After the assignment opens, a detailed description of the schedule can be viewed with the
following fields:
Task Name
Project Name
Task Hierarchy
A description of the task details section is standard when imported assignments open in Outlook.
However, the Project Web Access (PWA) Time and Task Management settings influence how
assignments in Outlook are viewed, how work is entered, and how work is saved to PWA. These
settings specifically affect the following options:
Task Management
Timesheet
Hours of work done per day
Task ManagementTask Management is equivalent to the Project Web Access My Tasks page, where users enter
their assignment progress. The task is eventually submitted to the Project Manager to perform a
Task Update, which is reflected in the project plan.
If users select the Tracking Method in the add-in for Outlook for Percent of work complete or
Actual work done and work remaining, then both the Task Management tab and the
Timesheet tab can be viewed.
Percent of work complete methodThe fields that comprise this tracking method are Task Health, Percent of work complete,
Remaining work, Total Work, and Actual Work. Users enter the percentage of work that is
complete.
On a five-day task (Total Work = 5d), if half of the assignment is worked and 50% percent of the
assignment is entered, the Remaining Work automatically recalculates to 2.5d.
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Actual work done and work remaining methodThe fields that comprise this tracking method are Task Health, Actual Work, Remaining Work,
Total Work, and Percent of Work Complete. The amount of work for the assignment is entered
into the Actual Work field. The remaining work recalculates, but it can be modified.
On a 2-day task (Total Work = 2d), if 1 day of work is performed and entered in the Actual Work
field, then Remaining Work automatically recalculates to 1 day and the Percent of Work
Complete is 50%.
Hours of work done per time periodsHours of Work Done Per Day is the third option in the add-in for Outlook for tracking task
assignment progress and utilization for administrative time. Users can select this tracking method
and any of the Outlook Display options in Timesheet Settings and Defaults to combine Task
Management and Timesheet in the add-in for Outlook into one option.
The fields that comprise this tracking method are Health, Percent of work complete,
Remaining Work, and Total Work. Users enter the amount of work in hours into the appropriate
time period. The other fields can be modified.
The following options are also available when the Hours of Work Done Per Day option is used:
Copy from Planned. –If work is completed according to the project plan schedule, users can
select this option to populate the dates. This results in less manual data entry for users.
Save to Project Web Access. Users can commit the time that is entered to Project Web
Access in the following ways:
A bulk update is performed after progress is entered, saved, and closed in Outlook. Users
can click Update to Project Web Access on the Outlook toolbar to perform a bulk
update. Assignments that contain uncommitted changes to Project Web Access are
updated on the Outlook toolbar.
Users can click Save to Project Web Access to enter time for an individual assignment.
And submit to Project Manager. When a Task Update is saved, the user can specify that
the entry is submitted automatically to the Project Manager. The user chooses the And
submit to Project Manager option to automatically submit the entry. The option is enabled
by default. If the option is disabled, it is the team member’s responsibility to submit an update
to the Project Manager by using the My Tasks page.
This dialog box also contains the following options:
Options. Opens the Outlook Options page.
Go to Project Workspace. Opens the Project Workspace WSS site to enable users to link
documents, issues, and risks.
Go to Web Timesheet.
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Go to My Work. The assignment is accessible for review in PWA before the user enters
progress or after the user commits to a task. The user clicks Go to My Work to access the
assignment. An Internet Explorer window connects to the Project Server URL that is specified
in the add-in for Outlook PWA properties.
Help. Outlook Help.
TimesheetThe new Timesheet feature in PWA enables users to track their labor for a time period. The same
feature is available with the add-in for Outlook to record non-project work hours for assignments.
Users enter the effort in hours on the Timesheet tab of the add-in for Outlook. Depending on the
Outlook Display criteria in PWA Timesheet Settings and Defaults, an organization can specify that
users enter time in the following ways:
Actual Hours and Scheduled Hours
Actual, Overtime, and Scheduled Hours
Billable, Non Billable, Overtime, and Scheduled Hours. These are enabled by default.
Hours that are entered in Outlook for task assignments, Administrative Time (non-working or
working), and New Line Items in the PWA Timesheet equal the total utilization for the designated
period. New Line Items cannot be created in the add-in for Outlook.
Timesheet versus Task ManagementTime that is entered in Task Management records the effort in hours for task assignments. Hours
that are entered in the Timesheet can include Administrative Time that will contribute to the
overall utilization for the resource for a specific time period. An organization can also consider
additional options to assist team members when they update to the PWA Timesheet.
Time entry by Timesheet OnlyHours that are entered for a task assignment in Task Management and the same task
assignment that is added to the Timesheet may vary. For example, during an assignment, a team
member may enter eight hours in the Timesheet and six hours in Task Management. The eight
hours include six hours to complete the work and two hours of pre-work, organization, and
thinking.
The Time entry by Timesheet only option in Task Settings and Display ensures that users
always report the same timesheet hours as task progress. Users synchronize to update tasks
when this option is enabled.
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PWA Import TimesheetHours that are entered in the Timesheet for Outlook task assignments do not automatically
update to the project plan. After a user saves or updates modifications to a task assignment to the
PWA Timesheet from Outlook, the Timesheet must be imported to the My Tasks page and
submitted to the Project Manager for a Task Update.
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Approving administrative time
In this section:
Overview of administrative time approvals
Administrative time approval configuration
Administrative time requests
This section describes Timesheet approval. There are two steps to the process. The first step is
for Administrative Time. The second step is for the entire Timesheet. This can include additional
Administrative Time that does not require approval, task assignments, and unverified line items.
Non-working Administrative Time categories are automatically approved by default. Organizations
may want more control over the non-working time that resources schedule in the system. We will
discuss the features and configuration that are required to set up a structured approval process.
The objectives of this chapter are:
Define the steps for Administrative Time and Timesheet approval.
Describe the configuration settings to implement a structured approval process.
Describe how to view the changes that are affected by Timesheet approvals and
submissions.
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Overview of administrative time approvals
In Microsoft Office Project Server 2003, Project Managers follow the same process to review and
approve administrative tasks as they do for regular assignments via Task Updates. The hours that
are entered for an administrative task are updated into a project plan. For example, a resource
enters 8 hours for an administrative task called Vacation, which the Project Manager accepts.
In Project Professional, the actual work field displays 8 hours and 8 hours of scheduled work for
the day that the resource is on vacation. The process captures the non-project work and affects
the resource's availability. This affects the schedule of all plans that the resource is assigned to.
Administrative Time in Project Server 2003 appeared the same as a regular project; however, the
time was calculated differently. If Administrative projects are used incorrectly, they can affect a
resource’s availability far into the future. This issue is very difficult for Project Managers to notice
until the problem becomes difficult to reverse or correct.
Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 replaces Administrative Time projects with Administrative
Time categories. Administrative Time categories consist of two types: Non-Working, such as
Vacation, Sick Time, and Jury Duty; and Working, such as Training and Conference. Together
with new line items and scheduled tasks from a project plan, activity plan, or proposal,
Administrative Time categories count toward utilization for a specified period.
When the hours for Non-Working types of administrative time categories are processed, they are
added as Calendar Exceptions to the resource’s calendar. A Calendar Exception represents the
hours that the resource is not available to work. When they are processed, Working type
categories such as training, self-study, or administrative time generate a Summary Resource
Assignment in Project Professional.
Administrative Time is recorded as part of the Timesheet in Office Project Server 2007, not as a
project plan. Timesheets are submitted to the Timesheet Manager for approval according to the
deadlines that are defined by an organization.
Approving Timesheets can encompass the following components:
1. Reviewing Administrative Time categories that first require a Timesheet Manager’s approval.
2. Approving the entire Timesheet (such as added line items) that require a Timesheet
Manager’s approval.
The following must be configured to approve Administrative Time requests:
The Administrative Time category marked to require approval. Those that require approval
are sent to the Timesheet Manager.
A Timesheet Manager designated for each resource.
The security permission Approve Admin Time Requests. The permission is granted to the
Timesheet Manager.
Administrative Time categories are reviewed and approved separately from other items that are
recorded in a Timesheet. Timesheet Managers click Administrative Time in the Project Web
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Access Approval section to approve or reject requests. This action contributes to the resource’s
overall utilization.
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Administrative time approval configuration
Unlike Task Updates, Administrative Time and Timesheets in Project Web Access are not always
reviewed and approved by the owner or Project Manager of the project plan, activity plan, or
proposal. The organization can set up a process in which some, all, or none of the Timesheet
entries require approval.
If a formal approval process is established, the organization must plan the process with
contingencies and direct the Project Server Administrator to configure the tool to administer the
process. These activities include but are not limited to defining criteria for Administrative Time
categories, Timesheet creation mode, the time frame for submissions, and the closure of
Timesheet periods.
One of the first steps in configuration is to designate a Timesheet Manager for each resource.
The Timesheet Manager is responsible for reviewing Admin Time and other Timesheet
submissions. By default, the Timesheet Manager is the same as the user. This enables the
Timesheet to be approved automatically.
The following must be considered before the Timesheet Manager is designated and approved for
each person in Project Web Access:
Determining who and how many levels of Timesheet Managers are required.
Assigning a Timesheet Manager to each resource.
Fixed Approval Routing: This option establishes the next Timesheet Manager. The Timesheet
originator cannot select a new Timesheet Manager. Second-level Timesheet Managers do not
have this restriction.
Project Managers and Resources Managers can be designated as Timesheet Managers for
resources. They can also provide the function for a dedicated individual. The decision depends on
the criteria that are set by the organization.
For example, an IT Department is comprised of IT Administration and IT Programming divisions.
There are individual areas of expertise and responsibilities within each division. The head of the
department is the Director, Eva Corets. Peter J. Krebbs manages the administration area and
Brad Sutton is his counterpart in programming and development. Peter and Brad report to Eva
and have about 30 individuals on each of their teams in various roles and functions. Peter and
Brad are designated as the Timesheet Managers for each team. Eva is the Timesheet Manager
for Peter and Brad, and she approves the Admin Time that is submitted by Peter and Brad. She
can also approve Timesheets that are submitted from Peter and Brad's teams; however, a
majority of the approvals are performed by Peter and Brad, based on the guidelines they have
established.
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After the Admin Time and Timesheet Approval process are planned, security permissions are
granted to the Timesheet Managers. The Timesheet Manager designation is applied for each
resource. The required permissions are View Approvals, View Timesheet Approval, and
Accept Timesheets. The Resource Manager security template and the Administrator template
contain these permissions by default. Additionally, a Timesheet Manager must have the resource
category permission of Approve Timesheets in order to be the final approver of a specific user's
timesheet.
Timesheet ManagerA Timesheet Manager is designated in the Enterprise Resource Pool, Resource Center, or
Manage Users. If Timesheet Managers are applied to Generic or Team Resources, the
Enterprise Resource Pool or Resource Center are options to view a list of all users in Project
Web Access. Manage Users displays accounts that log in to Project Web Access only. The
Resource Center is also where the Administrator has the option to Bulk Edit resources, which
make data entry and organizational realignment much more efficient for the Timesheet Manager
field.
The Timesheet Manager is entered in the Assignment Attributes section of the user properties
for each resource.
The other option is to click Browse to select from a list of users in Project Web Access with the
Accept Timesheets global permission. A list of Timesheet Managers for each resource displays in
the Resource Center or Enterprise Resource Pool after a user's Timesheet Manager is
configured in the Assignment Attributes.
If an individual's own account is listed as the Timesheet Manager, administrative time categories
which require approval and the overall timesheet are automatically approved. A status of
Approved is designated on the user's Timesheet List with a Transaction Comment of System
generated automatic approval.
The Timesheet Manager field in the Assignment Attributes section may also be left blank. In this
case, users must specify a timesheet manager when they submit a timesheet. If the Project
Server instance is set to use Fixed Approval Routing (configured in the Timesheet Settings and
Defaults page), users without a specified timesheet manager cannot submit timesheets. If the
Fixed Approval Routing option is enabled under Timesheet Settings and Defaults and the
Timesheet Manager is different from the Team Member who submits the time, the Timesheet is
automatically sent to the designated Timesheet Manager for approval.
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Global PermissionsUsers who have Administrator permissions to Project Web Access automatically have
permissions to review and approve Administrative Time and Timesheets. Users who are
responsible for reviewing and approving Administrative Time require a minimum Global
Permission of Accept Timesheets and Approve Timesheets.
While the permissions to approve Administrative Time requests for Timesheet Managers are
configured, the following permissions should be considered for processing Timesheet Requests:
View Timesheet Approval
Accept Timesheets
Approve Timesheets
View Surrogate Timesheets
In addition to approving Administrative Time, Timesheet Managers review and approve other
Timesheet requests. The requirements for approving Timesheets are discussed in the next topic.
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Administrative time requests
In a Timesheet period, team members enter the hours they work on assignments and
Administrative Time such as vacation or training. Depending on how the organization defines
the Timesheet approval process, there may be both Administrative Time-off requests and the
full Timesheet that require a Timesheet Manager’s approval.
If there are Administrative Time and other line items when the Timesheet is submitted, then the
first item that Timesheet Managers approve is the Administrative Time-off request. Use the
Plan Administrative Time dialog box from the toolbar on the Timesheet list page to request
approval for any administrative time categories. Administrative time requests will be forwarded to
the appropriate Timesheet Manager for approval. The Timesheet itself can then be submitted.
When Administrative Time-off requests are pending, the Timesheet Manager sees a highlighted
link in the Approvals area of the Home page. When a Timesheet is pending approval, a link to
Timesheets is highlighted on the Home page.
Submitting TimesheetsAfter team members create their Timesheet and enter hours for an Administrative Time
category such as Vacation, they click Save and Submit and the approval process begins. A
Project Server Queue Job called Timesheet Update is created to process this request. The
Timesheet Update is sent to the Timesheet Manager for review. By using the Project Server
Queue infrastructure, team members are not required to wait for the timesheet submission to be
processed; instead, they can submit their timesheets and immediately proceed with other work.
After the team member submits the Timesheet, the following message may appear in red text at
the bottom of the page: The submitted timesheet contains lines which are either pending
approval or have been rejected. You must either delete these lines from your timesheet or
obtain approvals and resubmit. This message appears if the Timesheet contains
Administrative Time categories still pending approval or which have been rejected. After the
Administrative Time is approved or the item is deleted from the timesheet, the message no
longer appears, and the user can submit the Timesheet for final approval.
Reviewing Administrative Time RequestsAfter the Administrative Time categories that require approval are submitted, the Timesheet
Manager can review the requests and decide to accept or reject them. The team member can
navigate to the My Schedule Web Part located under the My Work link to display a list of
Administrative Time Requests together with all other assigned tasks known to Project Server.
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The name of the user who submitted the request, Description, Category Title, Hours, and
Period Start and Period End date are listed in the view for each request. The list can contain
Work and Non-Work categories. The Timesheet Manager selects the item and accepts or rejects
it.
Reject. Rejecting an Administrative Time category updates the user's Timesheet Approval
Status field from a yellow stop light, which signifies that the request is pending, to a red stop
light, which signifies that the request is rejected. This action notifies the user that the
Administrative Time Request is not approved.
The user either deletes the line item or attempts to submit the item a second time. The
Timesheet Manager and user may reach a compromise for the requested time and agree to
resubmit the request.
Accept. The Approval Status icon changes to green when the item is accepted. Depending
on the Work Type, one of the following actions occurs:
Non-Work. A calendar exception is created for Non-Work type categories, such as
Vacation and Jury Duty.
Work. A Summary Resource Assignment is created for Work type categories, such as
Administrative Time and Training.
The user can then submit the Timesheet to the Timesheet Manager for final review.
Calendar ExceptionsIn Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, the resource calendar displays the hours the Timesheet
Manager approves for Administrative Time Non-Working Time categories, called Calendar
Exceptions. The Calendar Exception takes effect immediately. When this action is performed,
any Project Manager can see the Calendar Exception for the team member in their respective
plans.
A user performs the following steps to open a resource to complete the creation of a Calendar
Exception for Administrative Time-off requests:
1. Log in to Project Web Access with permissions to View Resource Center.
2. Select the My Timesheet link.
3. From the toolbar, click Plan Administrative time.
4. These steps initiate the Plan Time Off dialog box. From there the user selects the timesheet
period for which the time off is being planned. Then the user selects the administrative time
category which, when configured as non-working time, creates a resource calendar exception
once it has been submitted (and approved, if necessary).
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Calendar Exceptions are the hours that the user is not available to work.
Calendar Exceptions may cause the scheduling of an assignment to adjust. For example, a 5-
day task that is assigned to a user originally had a schedule of May 8 to May 12. After the user
submits a Timesheet which includes a non-work day for May 9, a Calendar Exception for May 9
is added to the calendar. The task duration remains at 5 days. May 9 is a non-working day and
the finish date is May 15.
Summary Resource Assignment for My TimesheetA Summary Resource Assignment is created for a resource when its Administrative Time
request is accepted and the time category has been configured as working time (for example,
training and Administrative Time). A Summary Resource Assignment displays the total work
hours for a resource at a project level. A Summary Resource Assignment record is created and
associated with a virtual project, which uses the timesheet label as the project name.
In resource views, such as Resource Graph or Resource Availability, managers should see an
entry for My Timesheet with Project names that display task assignments and Administrative
Time work items.
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Approving timesheets
In this section:
Overview of timesheet approvals
Timesheet approval configuration
Timesheet Approvals page features
Timesheet detail and final approval
This chapter describes how the Timesheet Manager approves the Timesheet, the actions that can
be taken on a Timesheet, and the options for viewing and managing Timesheets.
Objectives:
Describe the process of approving the Timesheet
Discuss the options for viewing and managing Timesheets
Discuss options that affect the Timesheet approval process
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Overview of timesheet approvals
The Timesheet represents labor that is tracked by users for the Timesheet Period, such as
assignments, new line items, and Administrative Time categories. The Timesheet's primary
function is for reporting actual hours worked.
Assignments originate from a project plan, activity plan, or proposal. Line items can be any
unplanned task that the user performs and must report to management. Administrative Time is
exception time or non-project work that affects utilization. Each item contributes to the overall
utilization of the resource. Labor that is tracked for a Timesheet Period is used by organizations
to analyze the amount of work and Administrative Time trends, and to determine the team
member's paid hours.
Capturing labor involves defining Timesheet Periods, Administrative Time, and Timesheet
Settings. The functionality to review and approve Timesheets encompasses the following:
Designating and determining an approval structure for Timesheet Managers.
Configuring approval permissions for the Timesheet Manager.
Approving Administrative Time requests prior to a user's submittal of a Timesheet for
review.
Reviewing a Timesheet and making a decision to accept or reject the Timesheet.
The Timesheet is submitted for review after the required Administrative Time items are
approved. Timesheets can be automatically approved, or the organization can create a more
structured approval process.
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Timesheet approval configuration
Project Managers and Resources Managers can be designated as the Timesheet Manager. A
dedicated individual can also serve this function. There can be multiple hierarchical Timesheet
Managers or a single hierarchy per Project Server instance. The decision depends on the criteria
that are set by the organization.
For example, an IT Department is comprised of two divisions: IT Administration and IT
Programming. There are individual areas of expertise and responsibilities within each division.
For example, the head of the department is the Director, Eva Corets. Peter J. Krebbs manages
the administration area and Brad Sutton is his counterpart in programming and development.
Peter and Brad report to Brian. There are 30 individuals on their teams who serve various roles
and functions. Peter and Brad are designated as the Timesheet Manager for each of their teams.
Eva approves the Timesheets that are submitted by Peter and Brad. The majority of the
approvals are performed by Peter and Brad, based on the guidelines that are set by the
organization.
After the Administrative Time and Timesheet Approval process are planned, security permissions
are defined for users who are Timesheet Managers. A Timesheet Manager designation is applied
for each user.
Timesheet ManagerA Timesheet Manager is designated in the Enterprise Resource Pool, Resource Center, or
Manage Users. The Enterprise Resource Pool and Resource Center are options where users
can see a list of all users in Project Web Access (PWA).
Manage Users displays accounts that log in to Project Web Access. This is also the place where
the administrator has the option to bulk-edit resources, which makes data entry much more
efficient. The Timesheet Manager is entered in the Assignment Attributes section of the user
properties for each resource.
Another way to designate a Timesheet Manager is to click Browse to select from a list of users in
Project Web Access that have the Accept Timesheets global permission. After a user's Timesheet
Manager is configured in the Assignment Attributes, a list of Timesheet Managers for each
resource appears in the Resource Center or Enterprise Resource Pool.
If an individual's own account is listed as the Timesheet Manager, administrative time categories
that require approval are automatically approved, as is the overall timesheet. A status of
Approved is designated on the user's Timesheet List with a Transaction Comment of System
generated automatic approval.
The Timesheet Manager field may also be left blank. In this case, the timesheet manager must
be specified whenever a timesheet is submitted.
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Timesheets require an approver if the Fixed Approval Routing option is enabled under
Timesheet Settings and Defaults. The Timesheet is automatically sent to the designated
Timesheet Manager for approval when the user clicks Save and Submit and OK in the
Comments dialog box.
Global PermissionsUsers who have Administrator permissions to PWA automatically have permissions to review and
approve Timesheets. Users who are responsible for reviewing and approving Timesheets require
a minimum Global Permission of Approve Timesheets.
The following permissions should be considered for Timesheet Request processing before the
permissions are configured to approve Administrative Time requests for Timesheet Managers:
View Timesheet Approval
Accept Timesheets
Approve Timesheets
View Surrogate Timesheets
Fixed Approval RoutingThere is an option for Fixed Approval Routing in Timesheet Settings and Defaults. If this
option is enabled, the team member is not allowed to change the next approver during the initial
Timesheet submission.
Multiple ApproversA hierarchy can be created in the approval process after Timesheet Managers are entered. A
team member can submit the Timesheet to their Timesheet Manager. The first-level Timesheet
Manager can seek the approval of their Timesheet Manager, and so on, until there is a final
approver and the Timesheet status displays Approved.
If a user's Timesheet Manager is not available or the Timesheet requires the approval of a
manager two levels higher, the Timesheet can be sent to another approver for review. An option
to Set Next Approver appears at each level. Timesheet Managers who are granted the
permissions to review, approve, and accept Timesheets are listed when the user clicks Browse to
select the next approver. This gives users an opportunity to select a temporary approver or to
bypass the default approver (whichever process your organization supports).
The team member does not have the option to Set Next Approver if the option for Fixed
Approval Routing is enabled. Subsequent Timesheet Managers in the hierarchy have the option
to Set Next Approver. The organization must consider this scenario when a decision is made
regarding the use of Fixed Approval Routing.
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Timesheet StatusWith the potential of multiple approvers, the Timesheet Status field identifies a Timesheet phase
during the approval process.
Users can see Timesheets on their Timesheet List that have a status of In Progress, Rejected,
Submitted, Acceptable, and Approved. Timesheet Managers see the status field in their
Approvals/Timesheet page with possible values of Rejected, Submitted, Approved,
Acceptable, and Error.
The following Status Definitions are available:
In Progress. The Timesheet is built by the team member. Data may be saved. Nothing is
submitted.
Rejected. The Timesheet is rejected by a Timesheet Manager.
Submitted. The Timesheet is sent to the first-level Timesheet Manager for review.
Acceptable. The Timesheet is accepted by a Timesheet Manager and is sent to the next
approver.
Approved. The Timesheet is approved by a Timesheet Manager at any level.
Error. An error occurred when the Timesheet was processed.
The Submitted status and the Acceptable status show that the Timesheet is still in a transitional
phase. The Approved status shows that the approval process is final.
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Timesheet Approvals page features
Users can access Timesheet approval through the Home page link or by clicking Timesheets
under the Approvals heading after permissions are granted and Timesheets are submitted.
Timesheet Managers see a list of submitted requests on the Timesheets page with Resource
name, Timesheet name, Period, Status, Previous Approver, Transaction Comment, Total,
Actual Total, Overtime Total, Non-Billable Total, and Non-Billable Overtime Total.
Timesheet Managers use this page to see a list of Timesheets that are pending the level of
approval and to Set the Next Approver, if applicable. If a user clicks Approve on this page, the
Timesheet may not be approved if a multi-level approval process is established and the user does
not have the resource category permission of Approve Timesheets for the timesheet owner. In
this scenario, the Timesheet is marked Acceptable and then sent to the next approver.
Review and Adjustment SettingsThe Timesheet Approvals page may be temporarily inundated with requests from resources and
can be difficult to manage during the life cycle of projects and submission deadlines. Or the user
may be designated as a Timesheet Adjuster who can be presented with hundreds or thousands of
timesheets. Timesheet Managers can click the Settings drop-down menu to provide Filter options
to assist in locating and organizing Timesheets to approve or adjust.
The Filters are composed of the following options:
Pending My Approval. List of Timesheets with a Status of Submitted that are pending
review.
Approved By Me. List of Timesheets that are reviewed. The Timesheets receive a status of
Approved or Acceptable. An Acceptable status displays when multiple approvers are
reviewing the Timesheet. When the Timesheet reaches a final approver, the status field
changes to Approved.
This filter option also enables a Timesheet Manager to Recall a Timesheet that was
approved. Recalling a Timesheet enables the Timesheet Manager and the user to correct
discrepancies that arise after the Timesheet is approved.
Available Timesheets to Adjust. List of Timesheets that the Timesheet Manager can modify.
If a Timesheet is approved but the values that were approved were incorrect, a Timesheet
Manager can click the Timesheet Name to access the approved Timesheet and make
changes. Timesheets from a Closed time period can also be modified.
My Resources Unsubmitted Timesheets. List of Timesheets that have not been submitted
to the Timesheet Manager. The list includes Timesheets that have a Timesheet List Status
of Not Yet Created, In Progress, or Submitted.
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Date FiltersDate Filters are comprised of a Fiscal Period or a Custom Date Range. Users apply a Date
Filter by enabling the Date and the selection criteria for Fiscal Period or Custom Date Range.
Fiscal PeriodsUsers can create Financial Periods for Task Management and Time Management in Project
Web Access (PWA) Administration. Fiscal Periods represent accounting practice time periods
that are used to group and report financial data for these pre-defined time periods.
Users can use Financial Periods to filter Timesheets for review. Users select the Fiscal Period
and then apply the Time Period. A list of Timesheets for the Fiscal Period displays for review.
Custom Date RangeTimesheet Managers can specify a date range to filter Timesheets to review in the applied time
frame.
Resource FilterResource filters pertain to filtering Timesheets based on the Cost Center or the Resource
Name. The Cost Center number is initially applied to resources through user properties in the
Resource Center, Enterprise Resource Pool, or Manage Users. The same Cost Center is
applied as a filter option. A list of users who belong to the Cost Center is displayed. Users select
the second resource filter from a Resource Name drop-down list.
Timesheet NameThe Timesheet Name field contains a live link to the Timesheet details, where Timesheet
Managers are able to:
1. Review the details of the labor that was submitted.
2. Adjust or reconcile the hours that were submitted, if the Timesheet Manager has the
permissions for Adjust Timesheets.
3. Perform a final approval of the Timesheet.
The Timesheet Details page shows additional information about the Timesheet. Users click the
Timesheet Name to access this page.
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Approve and RejectAfter the Timesheet Manager reviews the details and reconciles the hours that are submitted on
the Timesheet Approvals page, the Timesheet Manager can:
Approve the Timesheet. The Timesheet Status is set to Approved or Acceptable.
Reject the Timesheet. The Timesheet returns to the team member to make corrections. The
Status is set to In Progress.
If the Timesheet does not conform with established corporate standards or is missing information,
the Timesheet Manager can make corrections before the Timesheet is approved. The Timesheet
returns to the team member if the Timesheet Manager clicks Reject on either page.
Action MenuThe following features are available from the Action menu:
Print Grid
Export Grid to Excel
Unverified Line ItemsUnverified line items are not task assignments or administrative time. Unverified line items are
unplanned items that the team member must report to show total utilization for the Time Period.
Unverified line items are approved when the Timesheet is submitted and in the same way as
Task Updates or Administrative Time. We do not know where this data is stored in the backend
database or how users can report against the data. The data from unverified timesheet lines can
be found in the reporting database along with all other timesheet lines
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Timesheet detail and final approval
Timesheet Managers go to the Timesheet Approval page to see a list of Timesheets that are
pending approval, to Set Next Approver, and to view previously approved requests. Users click
Timesheet Name to display the Timesheet Details page.
Timesheet Managers can perform the following actions on the Timesheet Approval page:
Review detailed labor entries
Give final approval to Timesheet requests
Adjust or reconcile labor hours (optional)
The Timesheet Details page displays the same menu options, Timesheet header information,
and detailed assignment data that are available to users when they create and track their
Timesheets.
View and SettingsThe Review Timesheet Details page utilizes the same My Timesheet view that users see on
their Timesheet page. Users can use Manage Views to modify the My Timesheet view and add
available assignment custom fields.
Users can click the Settings drop-down menu to select Timesheet Header Data and display the
following Timesheet properties: Title, Period, Status, Owner, Creator, and Year to Date Total
for Vacation and Sick Time.
Timesheet Details featuresThe following features are available from the New, Actions, and Go To menus:
New menu
Add Lines. New line items can be added when a Timesheet is reviewed and reconciled.
This enables the Timesheet Manager to capture new and existing line items that the team
member may have overlooked when the hours were reported.
Actions menu
Show/Hide Overtime Work. The Timesheet Manager can show or not show Overtime
Work in the Timesheet Field.
Show/Hide Non-Billable Work. The Timesheet Manager can show or not show Non-
Billable Work in the Timesheet Field.
Approve. The Timesheet Manager can set the Status of the Timesheet to Approved or
Acceptable.
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Reject. The Timesheet Manager can set the Status of Rejected on the Timesheet. The
team member can make changes to the Timesheet and re-submit the Timesheet for
review.
Recall. The Timesheet Manager can change the Status from Approved to Submitted
and perform actions to correct or reject the Timesheet. Recall is only blocked if customers
use the Project Server Interface (PSI) to set the Processed field to true. This block is
designed to indicate when a timesheet has been transferred to a third-party system.
Customers may also use this field to block the timesheet from being recalled.
Go To menu
Timesheet Approval Summary. Users can click this link to return to the Timesheet
Approvals page.
Optional: Adjust TimesheetTimesheet Managers can adjust or reconcile Timesheet entries in the Timesheet Details page.
This is dependent on the Timesheet criteria that are set by an organization and on granting the
global permission Adjust Timesheet to the Timesheet Manager’s user properties.
The ability to Adjust Timesheets should be discussed in the initial planning process. The core
discussion is whether the labor hours are tracked by users or the Timesheet Manager. The
answer depends on the organization’s needs. Otherwise, the timesheet should only be adjusted
by an authorized project accounting individual.
If the Timesheet Manager has permission to Adjust Timesheets and the option in Tasks
Settings and Display for Time entry by Timesheet only. Users will sync to update tasks is
enabled, changes that the Timesheet Manager makes to the Timesheet during the approval
process may cause Progress in the Tasks Center to be out of synchronization with data in the
Timesheet for the same task assignments. If this scenario occurs, the team member can choose
Import Timesheet to update the My Tasks page with the new task assignment data.
Timesheet FunctionsThe Timesheets life cycle encompasses the following stages and actions by users and Timesheet
Managers:
Approve Admin Time. If the Timesheet includes Administrative Time that requires
approval, that time is approved first.
Submit Timesheet. The team member submits their Timesheet for review.
Submit Timesheet. After Admin Time is accepted by the Timesheet Manager, the Team
Member submits the Timesheet for approval.
Reject. The Timesheet Manager can reject the Timesheet.
Delete Line Items. The Timesheet Manager can remove line items that do not need to be
reported.
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Adjust or Reconcile. The Timesheet Manager can view the Timesheet Details to determine
where the user's time is applied.
Recalling. A Timesheet can be recalled if it is approved or rejected in error. Corrections can
be made and the Timesheet can be re-submitted.
Re-Submitting. The Timesheet Manager can re-submit a Timesheet after it is recalled.
Set Next Approver. The Timesheet Manager can select or change the next approver.
Approve. The Timesheet Manager can accept the data as correct and complete.
The Timesheet Manager clicks Approve on the Timesheet Details page to approve the
Timesheet. The labor that is tracked for the submitted period is accepted as valid and correct.
The user views a status of Approved on their Timesheet List.
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