Integrating TimeControl and Microsoft Project Online
The relationship between TimeControl and Microsoft Project stretches back to 1995 when TimeControl released its first link to the popular project management system. When Microsoft Project Server was first released in 2002, TimeControl was there, being one of the first products in the world to integrate with Project Server. There has been a continuous link to every version of Microsoft Project and Project Server since. HMS is one of the Microsoft Project team’s longest standing partners.
This continues with Project Online.
Integrated within Office 365, Project Online provides the same browser-based experience for project management as its on-premise version. TimeControl links with Project Online using the tools provided by Microsoft to effect a bi-directional integration between the products.
TimeControl integration with Project Server can be configured in several ways. Data is integrated bidirectionally. Projet, task information, assignment and resource information is sent to TimeControl. Hours, costs, expenses, task and assignment progress and estimate to complete is returned to Project Server. When users log in to TimeControl they can optionally see any tasks to which they were assigned and add hours to those tasks and any other project or non-project tasks to which they have been given access.
The TimeControl interface can be optionally integrated directly into SharePoint's Project Web Access interface allowing the TimeControl timesheet to be completed within an uninterrupted user experience.
Project Users can see all their tasks in TimeControl, update their timesheets and progress and TimeControl will update Project Online automatically with the task progress. The link from TimeControl to or from Project Online can be initiated on demand or on a schedule.
This allows TimeControl to be used as a single source timesheet for updating project progress as well as any auditable functions such as payroll, job costing, billing, research tax credits, DCAA compliance. Only one timesheet becomes the single source for any combination of these functions. This improves data quality, time in reconciling one timesheet against another and auditability of the timesheet data.
TimeControl can also link simultaneously with projects located in Microsoft Project Professional or Project Server on premise or SharePoint.
Integrating TimeControl with Project Online extends functionality in many ways including the following:
Business Validation Rules
You can create an unlimited number of validations rules to test timesheet data integrity before it is ever released for approval. Rules for hours per day or week, overtime, sick leave, appropriate rates and more can be established for selected users or all.
Auditable Accrual Rules
Payroll and Human Resources may have numerous accrual rules that need to be applied to timesheet data. This can include rules for overtime management, banked overtime, vacation accrual and others.
Multiple Rates
TimeControl includes extensive Rate Table functionality with an unlimited number of rates and rate values per person. Need to charge a different rate for one project vs. another? TimeControl does that easily.
Matrix Approvals
TimeControl includes both supervisor and line item approvals in a unique trademarked process called the Matrix Approval Process for Labor Actuals.
Manage banks of personal time.
TimeControl allows you to track vacation time, sick leave, personal time and other banks of time including banked overtime.
Vacation Approvals
TimeControl's TimeRequest™ function allows the request for future time off to be approved, tracked and put right into the timesheet.
And much, much more...
As a Microsoft certified partner with the Project and Portfolio Management competency, HMS carries the skills to know what Microsoft Project Online requires when integrating with an auditable financial timesheet. TimeControl is the timesheet system that fills that need.
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