Time posting

Use this function to post approved employee time entry records as a cost against projects.

You can post an individual time entry record or a range of time entry records for 1 company or all companies. You can post all time entry records on a single journal or on separate, individual journals and for 1 time category such as overtime, double time or travel time, or all time categories. Only time entry records that meet the entered criteria will generate a general or analytical ledger journal and be posted.

Time management stages

Entry, approval, and posting labor time against projects occurs in separate individual stages. An optional stage is available to your organization if they require it. This additional stage is called a "control" phase. It’s essentially the opportunity for one time entry record administrator to review a validated time entry record before a different time entry record administrator approves it. With a control phase in place, a time entry record is processed as follows:

  • Entry: Labor time is entered, then validated.
    Entry and validation take place in the Time entry function (PJMTE) or in the Weekly timesheet function (PJMTEW). Time can be entered in both functions. The Weekly timesheet function simply provides a quicker way to enter and validate time across a working week.
    Entry and validation that the time entered is correct is usually made by the employee themselves, by the user that entered the time entry record, or by a time entry administrator.
    Each new time entry record is created at Validated status if the PJMTIMAUTO—Time entry auto. validation parameter (TC chapter, PJM group) is set to Yes.
  • Control: All validated time entry records need to be "controlled" before they can be approved if the PJMTIMENT—Time entry control phase parameter (TC chapter, PJM group) is set to Mandatory.
    The "control" phase takes place in the Time approval function (PTEVAL).
    Time entry record control is usually carried out by a project manager or a project administrator. Whatever the role of the manager or administrator they need to be authorized as such in their function profile, as defined in their user record.

  • Approval: Validated and controlled (optional phase) time entry records are approved or rejected.
    Approval or rejection of a validated and controlled time entry record takes place in the Time approval function (PTEVAL), again usually by a project manager or a project administrator.

    • Time entry records need to be approved before they can be posted.
    • A time entry record cannot be changed after it has been controlled.
    • Rejected time entry records are redisplayed in the Time entry and Weekly timesheet functions for correction.
  • Posting: When a time entry record is posted, it’s included as a cost against a project in the accounting module.
    Approved time entry records are posted in this function (PTELABPOS).

All time entry records need to be validated first, then controlled if the PJMTIMENT parameter is set, before they can be approved, then posted.

Prerequisites

See also Refer to documentation Implementation

Screen management

The Time posting function comprises a single screen into which you enter your filtering criteria and journal generation information.

Entry screen

Use the Criteria block to filter or select employee time records.

Use the Generation block to specify the journal generation requirements.

The generated journal amounts are calculated using the following formulas:

  • Time spent (PTEQTY field) x Project labor rate (PJMCST field) x Rate multiplier (PTETYPRAT field)
  • Time spent (PTEQTY field) x Employee labor rate (CLBCST field) x Rate multiplier (PTETYPRAT field)

A time category that equates to a zero rate multiplier will result in a journal value of zero.​

An Automatic journal entry code provides the default journal structure. Journal entry code PTE is supplied with your system and defined as the default journal in the GAUPTE—Time entry automatic journal parameter (TC chapter, PJM group).

The default journal contra account postings are to the "Labor expense account" (debit) and the "Payroll clearing account" (credit). These accounts are obtained from the Accounting code defined in the Cost type function (GESPJCC) for the cost type assigned to the Project cost type field (PJMPCC) on a time entry line.

Automatic journal variable AMTPJMTIME is supplied with your system. This variable forces posted values to use the currency rates defined on a time entry line instead of the default rates.

Criteria

All companies (field ALLCPY)

Select this checkbox to post employee time entry records for all companies. To post employee time entry records for a single company, leave blank.
Company (field CPY)

The legal company. You need to select the company code if you are posting employee time records for a single company or you run a multi-legislation system.
Legislation (field LEG)

The country legislation code. For example, FRA for French legislation. You need to enter a legislation code if you are posting employee time records for all companies.

This code is attached to a company and assigns predetermined rules and parameters necessary to fulfill country-specific legal requirements. It can include calculation rules, legal reports, legal declarations, tax management, and so on.

Legislations are defined in Miscellaneous table 909. General parameters can also be defined at the legislation level.
All sites (field ALLFCY)

Select this checkbox to include all sites. To post for a single site, leave clear.
Site (field FCY)

Filter for employee time records at a specific site.
From project (field PJTDEB)

Filter for a range of project codes. For a single project, enter the same project code in the From project and To project fields. The content can be one of the following:

  • A project code
  • A project code and a project budget code
  • A project code and a project task code, that is a labor task code, or a combined (mixed) labor and material task code

If the value of this field includes a character such as an exclamation mark "!", this field links to the structure of the project. The character is the separator between a project code and the structure, either the project budget structure or the project operational (task) structure. For example, if a material task code is "USA-P3" and a project code is "USA12345678", this field displays a link to the project operational structure as "USA12345678!USA-P3".

To provide a quick and easy visual reference, the link to the project or project structure is distinguishable by the number of separator characters used. If there's no separator, the link is made to the project. A single separator character such as an exclamation mark after the project code (the first code) indicates that the link type is a task (the link is to the project operational structure). 2 separators placed after the project code mean that the link corresponds to a budget code (link to the project budget structure).
To project (field PJTFIN)
Whole project (field PJTDSPALL)

Select this checkbox to post all records linked to the selected projects. To only post records linked to the selected structure of the projects, leave this checkbox clear.

If the content of the From project / To project field includes a character such as an exclamation mark "!", the reference includes the structure of the project. The character is the separator between a project code and the structure, either the project budget structure or the project operational (task) structure. For example, if a material task code is "USA-P3" and a project code is "USA12345678", this field displays a link to the project operational structure as "USA12345678!USA-P3".
All employees (field ALLCLB)

Select this checkbox to include all employees. To run this process for a single or a range of employees, leave clear.
From employee (field CLBSTR)

Filter for a range of employees. For a single employee, enter the same employee code in the From employee and To employee fields. The default From / To employee is the current user.

To employee (field CLBEND)
All currencies (field ALLCUR)

Select this checkbox to include all currencies. To post employee time records for a single currency or currency group, leave clear.
Currency group (field GRPCUR)

A currency group is a set, or a group, of currencies.

Currency groups are used in selection criteria for filtering currencies.
Currency (field CUR)

Filter for a specific currency code.
Time entry start date (field DATSTR)

Filter for time entry records for a specific period of time. For a single day, enter the same date in the Time entry start date and Time entry end date fields. The default Time entry start date is the first date of the month 2 months before the current month but can be amended.

Time entry end date (field DATEND)

The default Time entry end date is today's date but can be amended.

Generation

One time entry/journal (field TIMCLB)

Indicates if the employee time entry records are to be consolidated.

Leave this checkbox clear to post all employee time entry records that meet the defined criteria on a single journal entry.

Select this checkbox to post the time entry records as separate, individual journal entries.
Generate entries (field GENECR)

Select this checkbox to generate journal entries. If you leave this checkbox blank, the process runs in simulation mode. All time entry records that meet the defined selection criteria are detailed in the Log file with the accounting entries that will be generated.
Generation type (field CAT)

The accounting journal category. The category is set up in the journal type.

Actual:
The actual journal can be viewed and printed. The document is integrated into the balance when the document is saved.

Active simulation / Inactive simulation:
When activated, the simulation journal is integrated to the inquiries and printouts. It can be converted into an actual journal or deactivated to become an inactive simulation journal. When inactive, it is not visible in inquiries and prints such as in the stock count postings.

A period of a ledger type cannot be closed until the simulation postings have been either converted to actual postings or canceled. The change of status of the simulation journals is made using the processes in the accounting functionality.
Entry status (field STA)

The journal status: Temporary or Final.

When set to Final, the only modifications you can make to a journal are for information purposes or if they concern the analytical postings. The date, amounts, accounts, VAT code, and other accounting details can no longer be modified.
Entry type (field TYPPCE)

Each accounting journal entered is linked to a given type. The journal type corresponds to the nature of the entered posting: customer invoice, miscellaneous operations, cash receipt, etc.

This information comes with management rules relating to VAT, reminders, and so on. It’s one of the key elements of the journal entry.

The setup of the selected journal type determines if you can open or close the update to the manual ledgers.

The journal type persists and interrupts the update to the other company ledgers for the site.
Journal (field JOU)

The journal code.

The journal can be initialized by default based on the selected journal type. It corresponds to the accounting journal that records the entry.

Journal codes can apply to a specific company, a specific site, or a specific group. This information is defined when the journal code is created but the selection window for this field does not take this into account. These controls are applied when you select or confirm the journal code. You can amend the journal code if an error message warns that it's not valid.

For Time entry record postings, the Automatic journal entry code defined in the GAUPTE—Time entry automatic journal parameter (TC chapter, PJM group) provides the default journal structure. Journal entry code PTE is supplied with your system and defined as the default journal.
Journal date (field ACCDAT)

Corresponds to the date of the generated accounting postings. It needs to belong to a fiscal year or period that's open for all the ledger types.
It’s the reference date, by default.
Log file (field LOGFILE)

Select this checkbox to generate a detailed log file of these journal postings. If you do not need a log file, leave blank.

Specific actions

Select the Memo action to save your selection criteria in a memo code.

If the memo code STD is associated with this screen, it’s loaded automatically.

For further information on the advanced use of the Memo action, refer to the documentation on the General ergonomics of SAFE X3 software.

Select the Recall action to recall previous search criteria saved in a memo code.

Select the Del memo action to delete a memo code.

Error messages

The only error messages are the generic ones.

Tables used

See also Refer to documentation Implementation