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TimeCost Manager User Manual

1. 14 r Preferences Local Global Security Online Timesheets C Restrict access to time sheet only Hide charge out rates and dollar amounts Default staff member for Accounts JDK CADelphi Files tcm prog TCMlocal gdb LAN Server Database Connection Change CATCM TCM GDB Web Server Database Connection Connection failed Reset Options amp Window Sizes J Timesheets JD Local Database Connection Current directory at program startup 4 2 Getting Started Initial Configuration Steps 4 2 1 Configure Application Lists TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Preferences File gt Preferences Select each Configuration Item and enter the appropriate default list information specific to your application This needs to be undertaken at the beginning of first starting the application During subsequent sessions additional items can be added but be aware of the impacts of deleting and or modifying list items on the application A screen capture of each configuration list form is shown below in menu order to enable the user to understand the type of information required to be entered for each case File Jobs Times Costs Accounts Lists Reports Feedback Help gr A mam ae manager View edit lists 7 Clients 7 Owners 22 Staff Reports Settings Show settings Analysis Show All Work codes
2. Job types Disciplines Offices Job sources TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Clients Configuration Form Consultants Configuration Form 16 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Staff Configuration Form Clem E Jones Surveyor Double 4 Knowledge Admin Ground Z Level Admin Got R Wheels Surveyor Great Surveyor In Kumming Field Assistant Just D Kidding Principal Kan Jump Admin Like Invoices Admin _ Rythm A Blues Surveyor Work Codes Configuration Form Comment for adadadadadad x lt i Application Budget E stimate Calculations Checking Espesporm nes Contd from old MIS Deliveries Erap Jx lt E xk LL IA Zz lt x lt lt gagi Email 17 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Job Types Configuration Form Build a Shed Building Location Building Set Out Building Units Subdi Community Title Computing Consent Contour amp Detail Conveyancing Report 18 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Offices Configuration Form T Offices G4 Find Offices AddRecord fl PrintList OFFICE se 1 _ Suburbia v pd l cde Delete a record Y OK X Ca
3. Y Submit X Cancel Press Get Next Job Number to get automatically assigned Job Number TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 3 2 Search Edit Jobs Function Search Edit Jobs Press Find or Search A Mbs eine Search Edit Jobs A enter in field a LL A played Job No Year Number 00047 2000 047 Job Name Name of Job 2000 047 Status Active Commissioned iv Location Location of Job 2000 047 Lot X on RAPYYYYYY City Street Suburbia y Find Jobs Near J Job Type Subdivision v Consultant EM PTY Office Suburbia v cir Client EMPTY 150 99 SaaS gt oo Edit Lat Long Project Manager z Cl Billing Details PO Box 00 Suburbia Proxi mity Contact Details Phone Fax Email VIOP search a0 gt an Inspecting Officer vc Comments _ _ File Locations Set Comments dd File Note Plans Sj Set Comments ksajf l kawjfhlwiufgh lwqriogu hlwiru qwpiu quoira powriu poqwriug gporiug gpriug gpriug qporig qpri JobNo Asc JobName Location Status JobType Consultant Client BillingDetails ContactD etails Office ProjectManager QO a 99771 Name of Job 199 Location of Job 1999 7 Inactive On Hold Contour amp PO Box 00 Subu Phone Fax Emai Maryville 00000 Non Chargeable Active Commissi Subdivision Maryville 00047 Name of Job 200 Location of Job 2000 0 Active Commissi Subdivision EM PTY EMPTY PO Box 00 Subu Phone Fax Emai Suburbia 00253 Name of Job 2
4. 12 13 14 15 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Enter the discipline by selecting from the drop down list or by typing the first letter of the discipline e g S for Survey Enter the work code in the next text box If you are unsure it is preferable to select the code from the pick list hit the small arrow on the right of the text box as this avoids typing errors You may use upper or lower case Do not use the reserved codes INV PAY MKD MKU DIS EST NOTE TLE Enter the number of hours for this activity in decimal hours i e Half an hour 0 5 hrs a quarter of an hour 0 25 hrs etc As you type the amount field is calculated automatically by multiplying the hours by the rate If you are not using your normal charge rate change the rate field and the amount will be re calculated Enter a comment for this activity It is important to leave comments so that the information is meaningful when viewed in future For instance if entering a field work activity and the code is simply FW field work there is no information regarding what type of field work or for which part of ajob A typical comment for a field work activity would be Peg lots 45 to 59 or Commence surround survey or Set out 56 points for level 3 etc Similarly if the code is ME for meeting the comment should indicate who with where and what it was about The more information is entered as a comment the easier it is to justi
5. from here http www firebirdsgl org index php op files amp id engine 250 Install Firebird 2 5 with all the default options Download the file security2 fdb from here http www timecostmanager com au download_security2 php Find the installed default version of Security2 gdb usually in C Program Files x86 Firebird Firebird_2_5 and replace it with the file downloaded in step 4 above Run TCM Installing Firebird 1 5 and TCM in Windows 7 and Vista These instructions only apply to older versions of TCM 2009 or earlier The current version includes Firebird 2 5 which can be installed using all the default settings as described above 1 If you are using and old version of the TCM Installation program you will not be able to use the Step 1 Install Firebird button as it will be necessary to install Firebird Manually After you have read and or printed these instructions hit the Cancel button Leave the TCM Installation program running as you will need to return to step 2 later Using Windows explorer right click windows start button navigate to the installation CD and locate the file Firebird Setup Right click on this file and select Run as administrator If you are not using the TCM Installation program you may need to download and run the Firebird 1 5 installation file Allow the install wizard to run read and accept the licence agreement and hit Next On the Select Destination Location page
6. 100 00 70 00 Unknown Job No ARACH 141 50 Unknown Job No ARCH Adjust column widths Y Date Picker EH Add X Cancel The Delete Copy and Edit buttons at the bottom left of the form can be used to make the necessary adjustments and corrections How to generate a suitable text file from your accounting system If your accounting software has the ability to export reports to a comma separated text file QuickBooks and MYOB both do you can generate text files suitable for importing into TimeCost Manager One way to generate a suitable text file is to export a detailed sales report which lists all invoices for a particular period of time The steps to follow in the accounting system are generally as follows 1 Reports gt Sales gt Sales by Item Detail 2 Set the From and To dates 3 For invoices Modify gt Accrual gt OK or for payments Modify gt Cash gt OK 4 Export gt Comma Separated Values CSV gt Enter file name eg MAY 09 INVOICES CSV 33 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 5 4 Mark ups The Accounts gt Mark Ups form provides the means to enter Mark up adjustments on the Job This information is included in reports and is linked directly by Job Number Mark ups can be added and deleted via this form E Mark Ups Add records then submit when complete 15 Mark Ups Use arrow keys to scroll JDK lu GI Survey y 0 co
7. Accounts Lists Reports Feedback Help me Cost manager Jobs Reports using single jobs Reports using all jobs Job statement Jobs in progress j Times E Job summary j E Production 3 Job overview i P Costs Staff times Multiple statements E Staff productivity Oe Lists 3 Multiple summaries BB Hitlist it lis 3 Multiple overviews Reports Analysis Show All NA File Jobs Times Costs Accounts Lists Reports Feedback Help me Cost manager Jobs Analyse ES Job types ES Offices Times ES Clients ES Project managers EB Job sources ES Work codes Costs ga Disciplines Lists Reports Hit list top 50 jobs in need of attention W Hit list Show All 36 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 6 2 Reports Type Explanations e Job Statement A report using Job Number as a means to retrieve all cost information about a single job Also date range configurable This report would normally be used when looking at a particular job in detail It includes all time cost entries for the job in chronological order and provides totals at the end of the report Grey background stripes are provided to assist reading across the page and time line events are shown in bold type Either portrait or landscape orientation can be chosen The landscape ori
8. Report txt near the bottom of the report configuration form prior to producing the report This will produce a text file of comma separated values in the current directory named report txt This file can then be used to load the data into Word Excel Access or any other software capable or reading a text file Similarly the job list can be exported to a text file by going to Jobs gt Print Export gt Export to text file Jobs txt e How can I import and export out of this application or shift to another application Importing and exporting of data can be carried out on request Please contact customer support by email software timecostmanager com au for further information and import export options The data can also be accessed by any software that is capable of accessing Interbase or Firebird databases such as Borland Paradox e How can I cross reference this system s data to my current accounting system Invoices and Payments can be imported from your accounting system Costs gt Import Invoices Payments Monthly reconciliation between TimeCost Manager and your accounting system is recommended The invoices sent and payments received for each month must be reconciled between the two systems to ensure the accuracy of both This will require printing a Production Report from TimeCost Manager Reports gt Production then printing a sales report or equivalent from your accounting system and cross checking each to ensure that
9. all invoices and payments are accounted for e What is the Cross Ref job number tick box actually do on some forms This cross reference allows the user to check that the information to be entered matches the job number that has been given For example when entering a mark down if the cross ref box is ticked when the user move out of the job number box TimeCost Manager will calculate the actual amount of unbilled work for that job as a guide to the value to be entered Use this feature sparingly as the extra calculations take time e Ijust want to know how we went on a job Did the job come in at more or less than the quote To find out how you went on a job print a statement Reports gt Statement then go to the bottom line which gives a comparison of the amount of work done with the amount of payments received It will tell you whether the job is ahead or behind and give a percentage If your quote has been entered into the system the Fee Budget Remaining figure at the end of the report will indicate if the amount of work done is more or less than the quote A positive amount means that the quote is more than the amount of work A negative amount means that the quote is less than the amount of work e How can I see a comparison between the amount of work done and the amount of invoices sent over a period of a month or a year Print a Production Report Reports gt Production for the specific period required and compare the totals at t
10. and deleting costs records in an easy central location i E Browse Edit Costs Y View Edit Costs A Find Search for Timesheet C Search 99771 Survey Y JDK y 06 10 199 5 ADAT 1 80 Job Number Asc Discipline Staff Date Wik Code Hrs Rate Amount Comments 1199771 Suey DK 06 10 99 RDATE 1 80 00 80 00 99771 Survey JDK 09 11 99 PH 1 80 00 80 00 PhCCC Fax Cli 99771 Survey CEJ 15 11 99 CA 0 5 80 00 40 00 99771 Survey CEJ 15 11 99 Ca 1 5 80 00 120 00 99771 Survey JDK 16 11 99 Fw 1 5 80 00 120 00 99771 Survey CEJ 16 11 99 Fw 3 120 00 360 00 99771 Survey CEJ 17 11 99 FW 4 120 00 480 00 99771 Survey CEJ 18 11 99 Fw 1 120 00 120 00 99771 Survey DAK 22 11 99 INY 640 00 ACCOUNT SENT 99771 Survey DAK 14 12 99 PAY 640 00 99771 Survey CEJ 18 01 00 Puy 2 120 00 240 00 set out building 99771 Survey DAK 20 01 00 INV 250 00 ACCOUNT SENT 99771 Survey CEJ 20 01 00 RDATE 0 5 80 00 40 00 99771 Survey DAK 03 02 00 PAY 250 00 PAYMENT RECE 99771 Survey JDK 02 03 00 FAX 1 80 00 80 00 ccc GW amp Co 99771 Survey CEJ 06 03 00 AD 025 80 00 20 00 discuss job 99771 Survey CEJ 07 03 00 Fw 35 120 00 420 00 b X Cancel Adjust column widths Print Statement Delete a record Record Press to set a filter Navigation on the list of cost bar for records The entry moving fields will turn between the yellow and filter records entries can be input to filter
11. initials in the left hand text box If you are unsure it is preferable to select your initials from the pick list hit the small arrow on the right of the text box as this avoids typing errors You may use upper or lower case 5 Hit the Tab key on the keyboard to move to the next field date Do not use the enter key as this will post add the data Using the tab key is the best way to move between fields you can use shift tab to move backwards You can also use the mouse to move to a field On exiting the Staff field your normal charge rate is automatically entered into the Rate field This can be changed if necessary 6 Dates can be entered using almost any type of separator e g dd mm yy dd mm yy dd mm yy dd mm yy etc It may be easier to use the up or down arrow keys to scroll to the required date Hit tab when done 7 Enter the job number then hit tab Important On exiting the job number text box TimeCost Manager checks to ensure that the job exists If not you will be prompted to re enter it If the job does exist the job name will appear above the job number text box It is important to check that the job name corresponds with the job you have worked on This is the only verification that you have entered the correct job number It is possible to correct job numbers if entered incorrectly however it is time consuming and your access rights may not allow you to edit the data after it has been committed 24 10 11
12. is completed on the server client computers can access the data through the network The program files need to be installed on each computer using the installation CD but the database file TCM GDB should be installed on only one computer the server After installation on the server and at least one client computer the database connection across the network can be tested as follows Windows XP assumed e Run TCM on the server and when asked locate and select the TCM GDB file on that computer This TCM GDB file contains the databases required and this file is accessed by all TCM users on the network If TCM does not start successfully you may need to re install the software in accordance with the instructions Support for installation of the software is available at no cost at software timecostmanager com au e After ensuring that TCM runs correctly on the server start TCM on the client machine When asked indicate that the database file TCM GDB is located on another computer You will then be asked to enter a connection string or network path in the form Admin c timecost manager tcm gdb Admin represents the name of the computer acting as the server This can be checked by going to that computer click start right click My Computer select properties select the Computer Name tab and make a note of the Full Computer Name without the full stop The path c timecost manger tcm gdb is the path to the database on the server
13. on the application icon will result in the following start up screen being generated Tony would it be better for the diagram to look more like the default toolbar size This start up window forms the central driving form of the TimeCost Manager application A quick guide to Getting Started is available under the Help selection of the Main Menu Essentially the user will need to set Preferences under the File Menu and optionally Open the TimeCost Manager Application database as well as setting application security alias information and window setup defaults if required After setting File gt Preferences and performing an File gt Open of the required database the user then needs to move on to set up user configuration Lists before entering Jobs Costs or Accounts information into the application To see what configuration Lists need to be entered go to Section 4 2 of this manual 5 AA 5 T TimeCost Manager C TCM TCM GDB LS e x PS File Jobs Times Costs Accounts Lists Reports Feedback Help Cost manager New job Repa Main Menu Create a new job Item A Bar ME Mmary Existing jobs 3 Job overview Q View edit jobs Jobs in progress 52 Find by NUMBER ius roduction p lt Find by NAME Reports File note Q Search on KEY WORD Add a file note to ajob Q Search by PROXIMITY g j Analysis Show All
14. practices and is not designed to take over your business Existing commonly available account software is excellent for accounting but the time costing functions cannot match those offered by TimeCost Manager Accounting functions are best left for accounting software systems TimeCost Manager caters for advanced time costing functions and can also import Invoices and Payments from your accounting system This means you not only get to keep your accounting software but will have an additional means of ensuring its accuracy Ease of use simplicity and accessibility have been the driving forces behind development of the interface for the software These qualities have ensured the success of the software in the past and will continue to be the foremost considerations in the on going improvement and development of the system The software incorporates varying levels of security ensuring that this sensitive data cannot be easily accessed without proper authority All enterprises create a large amount of information in day to day operations This software enables the capture and analysis of this data and is capable of providing invaluable information about overall business performance Not only does installation of the software have immediate benefits but over time the information gathered by the software increases and becomes more and more valuable as an analysis tool It is our goal to assist businesses to become more profitable and more efficient by enab
15. remove the reference to Program Files so that the destination will be C Firebird Firebird_1_5 or similar Take note of the location chosen as it will be necessary to navigate to this location later Hit Next On the Select Components page leave settings as they are and hit Next Accept the suggested start menu folder name by hitting Next IMPORTANT On the Select Additional Tasks page make sure that Use the Guardian is checked select Run as Application instead of Run as Service select Start Firebird Automatically uncheck Install Control Panel Applet and hit Next Review the information on the Ready to Install page hit the Install button then when done hit Next Uncheck Start Firebird Now and hit Finish Using Windows explorer right click windows start button navigate to the destination location directory selected in step 3 above open the bin directory and right click on the fbguard file Select properties 12 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 10 11 12 13 14 15 select the compatibility tab and hit the Change settings for all users button Check Run this program in compatibility mode select Windows XP Service Pack 3 check Run this program as administrator then hit OK and OK again Repeat step 9 but with the fbserver file Click the windows start button and the new Firebird Guardian shortcut should appear Right click it and
16. 00 Location of Job 2000 2 Active Commissi Subdivision EM PTY EMPTY PO Box 00 Subu Phone Fax Emai Suburbia 00261 Name of Job 200 Location of Job 2000 2 Active Commissi Identificati PO Box 00 Subu Phone Fax Emai Suburbia 00381 Name of Job 200 Location of Job 2000 3 Active Commissi Subdivision PO Box 00 Subu Phone Fax Emai Suburbia 00391 Name of Job 200 Location of Job 2000 3 Active Commissi Report for PO Box 00 Subu Phone Fax Emai Suburbia 00458 Name of Job 200 Location of Job 2000 4 Active Commissi Building Se PO Box 00 Subu Phone Fax Emai Suburbia ha 4 gt met a gt EA Print Statement Delete Job OK X Cancel Use Search Edit Jobs to find a particular job or to change the job information Hit the find button to find a job by job number or name Use the search button if you are not sure of the job number or name Enter some text or numbers in the edit box and hit Go The search function looks in every field of every job and retrieves a list of jobs with contain the letters or numbers entered in the text box regardless of whether they are upper or lower case This is very useful for finding jobs by street names or if you are not sure of the spelling of names Just a part of a word is all that is required The field names in blue are customisable and can be changed to something more appropriate for your business For example a
17. A ay a benbenin TI Type Date Num Hemo Name Item Qty Sales Price Amount Balance 02 Declara Total 61246 Orchard 996 66 966 66 681493 Butterworth 5555555 3 Check Settings for Data Import QuickBooks style OR MYOB style Import as Invoice OR Payment Row is the first data row Each data row starts with Tax Invoice Staff value JDK X Date value Import from field number 2 Date Format dd mm pppy JobNo value Import from field number 5 Start at character number 1 and use the next 5 characters Discipline value Setallto Construction Y OR Import from field number 1 Default v Amount value Import from field 8 V Comments value Set all to Invoice Sent OR Import from field 4 Extract and Preview gt 9 Preview 16 records extracted STAFF WEEKENDING JOBNO DISCIPLINE AMOUNT COMMENTS a JDK 03 03 09 OOUNKNOWN JOB NO Construction 900 00 Unknown Job No 01240 JDK 24 03 09 OOUNKNOWN JOB NO Construction 1 000 00 Unknown Job No 01493 JDK 10 03 09 OOUNKNOWN JOB NO Construction 1 300 00 Unknown Job No 01604 4 gt 5 Import gt gt Y Import All X Cancel After the Import All button is clicked the integrity of the data is checked and a message similar to the one below will appear 32 TimeCo r Information ae ae 14 ds ready f b i O records ready for submission 2 records with UNKNOWN JOB NU
18. ARTED WITH TIMECOST MANAGER ccccoconnnoncconnnnnnnnncrnnnnn rra 8 1 7 GETTING THE MOST FROM TIMECOST MANAGER ccccconnnoncconnnnnnnnnrrnnnnn rra 9 2 TIMECOST MANAGER HISTORY c cocccoconococoncnncnnnnncnnanncnnnnncnnanncnnnnncnnanncnnanncnna nana LO 3 TIMECOST MANAGER INSTALLATION o o0cccccocooconconcnncannancancancannancnncancannancnnnannsa LL 4 USING TIMECOST MANAGER o ooccococcooconcnnrancnncancnnrancnarancnncancancancnncancnncancnncancnans 14 4 1 START UP INTRODUCTION so aii 14 4 2 GETTING STARTED INITIAL CONFIGURATION STEPS scccscccnncccceecennnnsceeeeeennneeeeeeeeenneeenennns 15 4 2 1 Configure Application LisES iii AAA siento reeves 15 4 3 MANAGING JOBS siciccicsciiccccivccasccsvevdeatasautdeucsciessutssveectauctcetudctiascusseterdnnvevesstarsdcecuseswaes 19 4 3 1 Creating a NEW JODA AAA AA 19 4 3 2 S arch Edit J bs FUNCION a A DIA 21 AI PIDE TODOS O PON ii A A A A A a ai 22 4 3 4 Fil NOLES ito ia A A a ARI iaa 22 4 3 5 TIMELINE Events irana A DA A AI a AAA 23 4 4 ENTERING COSTS sisisicscccttctnccccuacncteedccsscuenccscdnasncnccsssaceaevevuesscseuadvascdennsnetdnaencecdsceneesacds 24 4 4 1 Entering THIMESH COES ii A vo Van See hb ba bed eb te ued suede dp ua ene ods 24 4 4 2 DISDUPSEMENES siria ia il A Aa AAEE AAA daa oes a a E DA A 26 4 4 3 Fee Budgets crsgecccscisiucesceeceescanstecuienseesveeusue AAA AAA A AAA AAA AAA RARA AAA 27 4 4 4 Browse Edit COStS vivi ii A A A ADA AAA 28 445 Archive COSES ii ii ii ii E ii aid
19. MBERS need attention Amendments can be made at the next step st Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 The Invoices form will then appear if Import as Invoice has been selected in step 3 above to allow for final adjustments corrections and submission to the database see screen shot below If Import as Payment has been selected the Payments form will appear JDK Staff JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK JDK Delete E Invoices Sent Date 03 03 09 24 03 09 10 03 09 03 03 09 04 03 09 26 03 09 24 03 09 10 03 09 02 03 09 06 03 09 13 03 09 30 03 09 24 03 09 05 03 09 04 03 09 26 03 09 Copy A Survey Add records then submit when complete Use arrow keys to scroll 21 17 2011 Job No Auto compl Discipline 01240 01493 01604 01630 01633 01634 21252 21278 21673 22169 22252 22262 22268 22301 OOUNKNOWN JOB NO OOUNKNOWN JOB NO Edit Cross Ref Job No lt TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager TimeCost Manager v amp Invoices 0 Amount Comments 900 00 1 000 00 1 300 00 2 100 00 900 00 1 000 00 2 060 00 200 00 5 600 00 270 00 900 00 900 00 1 800 00 1
20. The recovery rate is the total amount of payments received represented as a percentage of the total work and disbursements These reports are useful for strategic planning and management of the efficiencies of the business Job types clients disciplines offices or project managers with particularly high or low recovery rates can be singled out for further investigation A graphical display of the information is also available by selecting the Chart option when producing the report e Hit List A hit list is a report containing the top 50 jobs requiring attention in the categories of receivable unbilled and dollars to estimate amounts The receivable amount for a job is the total amount of invoices sent less the total amount of payments received The unbilled amount for a job is the total amount of work and disbursements less the total amount of invoices sent The dollars to estimate amount for a job is the total amount estimated to complete the job less the total amount of work and disbursements entered to date This report is useful for tracking down work that has not yet been invoiced unbilled work determining which invoices are outstanding for reconciliation with the accounting system or for follow up and for determining which jobs are nearing or have overtaken the estimated total cost for a job e Batch Statements Summaries and Overviews Batch reports provide the ability to print or view a number of reports at one time i
21. are to provide accurate and timely information for business use TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 1 6 Getting Started with TimeCost Manager Before entering job and time cost information it is necessary to setup the lists which are required for the creation of new jobs and the entering of costs These lists consist of Clients Consultants Staff Work codes Job types Disciplines Offices and Sources The Client and Consultant lists are optional however the other lists are required for the software to operate correctly Setting up Associated Consultants The name of the Consultant list can be changed to something more appropriate for your business For example a construction business may wish to substitute the word Consultant with Architect or similar See section 4 3 2 for more details regarding changing of field names For detailed information regarding the entry of data into the lists go to section 4 2 Setting up Staff Lists The staff list is to allow quick access to staff name through the use of initials Each staff member should be assigned a normal charge out rate dollars per hour as a default All charge out rates can be amended at the time of item entry if necessary New staff can be added at any time Staff details would normally never be deleted as older time cost records will reference staff members even if they no longer work in the business Setting up Work Codes Work codes are useful for dis
22. cde bins ned Desdeveneds 29 4 4 6 Retrieve COSES ii A a ii 29 4 5 DOING ACCOUNTS iississ cccssasaccccscasscccsaasscecscscsccscancecebscacccsesdecacacudececssctecccesededecsssessseseess 30 4 5 1 Entering INVOICE Simin oui A AAA tals hae AAA AAA A a 30 4 5 20 Entering Payments ii A a id rana 31 4 5 3 Importing INVOICES ANA Payments id 32 BUSA A tines a ae ta ave bes eds ca gat one nee AR NO 34 4 5 5 MArKGOWNS coito arra dd sna nee ives a ENNI TIGNE TR IA AA AAA AT eevee 35 4 6 AVAILABLE REPORTING FUNCTIONS cocccooconnnonncoonnnnnnnnnrnn nan 36 4 6 1 Report TYDES isevococionssanadidn iaa iine teaved ieabane dudes dude deg NETE Ni A NAi EDEN AAA AAA ieee sane Eai teat ie 36 40 2 Reports FY PC Expl ati N Siir isei irena riana E EEEE UAA EATA vdncas ds cieas dbvetanagenenensidvensereys el 37 4 6 3 Report Example Job Source ANAlYSIS ooocccccccocnoncncococonenonenonenanncnn enn rn nen anna n a rarrnn ranas 39 4 7 GETTING HELP AND MANUALS cooconnccccccnnnnnnnn nen 40 5 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE 0 lt 0c0ociosicnaiccaras cir carac AL 5 1 TIMECOST FEATURE LIST ii 42 6 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FAQ coonoccconcncnanonannncnnnanancncnnnananancnnancananca FO TimeCost Manager User Manual 1 TimeCost Manager User Manual 1 1 Customer Support Customer support is available by email software timecostmanager com au 1 2 Version Control HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Version Author Release Date Chang
23. ck Tour Web Browse the PDF Manual Web Frequently Asked Questions Web Ask a question Web www timecostmanager com au Clients ES Job sources ES Disciplines Reports Hit list top 50 jobs in need of attention ES Hit list Analysis Show All 40 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 5 Quick Reference Guide e Configure File gt Preferences e Open your File gt Database e Enter all Configuration File gt Lists data e Enter Jobs gt New Jobs and File Notes etc e Enter File gt Costs inclusive of Timesheets Disbursements Fee Budgets e Enter File gt Accounts such as Invoices Payments and Mark ups Downs e Run Appropriate Reports useful to your business needs e Archive and or Retrieve your Archived Costs 41 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 5 1 TimeCost Feature List Multi user system Developed using Delphi Fast access to time costing data Powerful data analysis with graphical representations Handles very large data sets with ease Easy backing up all data stored in just one file Job database included Advanced searching capabilities search every field of every record and more Straight forward user interface Multiple offices and disciplines supported Powerful reporting tools Know what makes the practice tick Simple time sheet and disbursement entry Client amp Consultant databases included use is op
24. construction company may wish to change the name of the Consultant field above Client to Architect or something similar Or one of the Comments fields could be renamed to Local Authority if that is appropriate for your business To change the name of the field click on the name and enter the new name in the text box that appears and hit OK These names would normally be set up once only 21i TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 3 3 Print Jobs Options E TimeCost Manager CADelphi Files tcm demo TCM GDB CTO hs File Jobs Times Costs Accounts Lists Reports Feedback Help l New Job Search Edit Radial Job Search Print Export Job Cover Sheet Reports Job Details Sheet File Note c Job List by Number Job statement Job List by Na Job List by e Job summary Job List by Client Job List by Office Job overview Select Job List to Export to text file Jobs txt Print Out Jobs in progress Job List by Job Type 52 Find by NUMBER Production F Find by NAME File note Q Search on KEY WORD A Add a file note to a job Q Search by PROXIMITY Analysis Show All 4 3 4 File Notes The Jobs gt File Notes form provides the means to enter file note records related to the Job Number you are working with This aids in tracking additional information on jobs This information is included in reports and is link
25. cts and services It normally involves the recording of staff timesheets firstly as a means of keeping track of times and costs for specific products and services and secondly as a means of implementing staff accountability for time spent during working hours A time costing system enables the recording of time sheets allocation of costs to those times through charge rates and recording of additional expenses associated with a product or service to allow for the total cost of the product or service to be determined For any business to be successful the costs of products and services jobs must be known This is the primary and most basic function of a time costing system Having gathered the time and cost information it is then possible to analyse this data in meaningful ways to give insight into the workings and efficiencies of a business A time costing system can analyse the data in different ways to provide invaluable information to the business manager Reports can be produced which give information on the overall production of the business the jobs in progress at a particular time and staff productivity Different types of jobs can also be compared to assist with planning at a strategic level TimeCost Manager is a time costing system which combines ease of use with powerful analysis and reporting tools It consists more or less of a set of secure related databases and the information in these databases is accessed and analysed by the softw
26. e Copy Edit Y Date Picker X Cancel 23 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 4 Entering Costs 4 4 1 Entering Timesheets Enter Time Sheet Information 2 EnterTimesheets View PreviousTimesheets Add records then submit when complete Time Sheet Mode Use arrow keys to scroll gt Disbursement Mode LAY JDK y LO Survey v fo 120 Jo Add Staff Date Job No Auto compl Discipline Code Hours Rate Amount Comments Adjust column widths gt Delete Copy Edit V Date Picker Save for later x Cancel 1 Once you have started TimeCost Manager see Starting TimeCost Manager if necessary select Costs Time Sheets or click the Enter Time Sheets speed button The names of the speed buttons are displayed if you leave the cursor on them for a second 2 If nothing happens when Time Sheets is selected it is most likely that the timesheet windows is already opened and is minimized Check the bottom left hand corner of the screen and activate the window 3 On opening if there are entries pending in the lower part of the window the entries must be completed and committed before you can continue You will need to contact the person whose initials appear in the left hand column Either complete the entries and hit OK or hit cancel and abort the entries 4 Ensure that Time Sheet Mode is selected at the top of the form and start entering a time sheet by entering your
27. e Description v1 00 D1 AGA 20 September 2006 Draft Document V2 00 AGA 30 November 2006 Released V1 00 document V3 00 JDK 9 August 2007 Released V3 00 document V3 01 JDK 8 May 2008 Released V3 01 document V3 02 JDK 22 January 2009 Released V3 02 document V3 03 JDK 19 June 2009 Released V3 03 document V4 01 JDK 1 December 2011 Released V4 01 document 1 3 Audience Audience 1 Managers of business entities that provide services to clients on an hourly time charge basis 2 General User Understanding the TimeCost system TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 1 4 Glossary Term Descriptions Chargeable If work done for a client is able to be charged to the client that work is considered to be chargeable Work not able to be charged such as general administration or repairs is non chargeable Each work code is defined as either chargeable or not chargeable Information on staff productivity is available through a staff productivity report Charge Out Rate The amount that a client is charged for work done by staff expressed as dollars per hour Disbursement Money spent in relation to a job which can be charged directly to the client Discipline Disciplines are useful for distinguishing major areas of operation within the business For example a consulting engineering firm may work in the area of civil engineering and in the area of structural engineering It is
28. e staff members name the date the jobs worked on the times spent on those jobs with relevant work codes and any disbursements or costs associated with jobs Including charge out rate information on a timesheet is optional but it can help staff members appreciate the value of their time from a client s perspective Timesheets also provide a means of implementing staff accountability for time spent during working hours Time Line Event A significant event which is recorded against a job for inclusion in statements and overview reports A time line event does not have a cost associated with it but is useful for tracking jobs An example of a time line event would be a record of the date on which a council approval was granted Unbilled or Jobs in Unbilled work or Jobs in Progress WIP is work that has been Progress WIP done that has not yet been invoiced Keeping track of WIP within a business is very important and has proven to be a problem area for many businesses A report on unbilled work can be generated from Reports gt Jobs In Progress Jobs in progress report generated in unbilled order will give a list of jobs along with the unbilled amount Jobs with the most amount of unbilled work will be at the start of the report and those with the least will be at the end If the unbilled amount for a job is negative this means that the total amount of invoices sent is greater that the total amount of work and disbursements When j
29. e the DIS work code When DIS is selected the Hours field becomes Quantity For example to record the purchase of 5 plans for a job each costing 20 you would enter 5 as the quantity and 20 as the rate The amount is calculated automatically If the disbursement is a simple amount and does not have a quantity or rate you can enter the amount directly For example if you have spent 100 on plans you could simply enter 100 in the amount field To enter a group of disbursements select Disbursement Mode at the top of the Time Sheets form or select Disbursements from the Costs Menu The above example uses the Disbursements form 26 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 4 3 Fee Budgets The Costs gt Fee Budget form provides the means to enter Fee Budget records This information is included in reports and is linked directly by Job Number Fees can be added and deleted via this form E Fee Budgets Add records then submit when complete amp Fee Budgets Use arrow keys to scroll JDK fy 99771 ES Survey vy 0 t Add Staff Date JobNo Auto compl Discipline Amount Comments 4 gt lt Adjust column widths gt Delete Copy Edit C Cross Ref JobNo Date Picker Y Submit X Cancel 27 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 4 4 Browse Edit Costs Use this form via Costs gt Browse Edit Costs in the Main Menu It can be used for finding filtering
30. ed directly by Job Number File Note events can be added and deleted and modified via this form E File Notes Add records then submit when complete File Notes Use arrow keys to scroll JDK 21 11 2011 15 99771 PO Survey 10 Add Staff Date JobNo l Auto compl Discipline mount Comments Highligh Enter record ighlight a details in fields record in the and then press saved record set Post Add button to and press copy post record to to edit box to record set below edit in entry Post Add saves to fields above temporary database 4 b J lt Adjust column widths gt Delete Copy Edit J Date Picker X Cancel 22 4 3 5 The Jobs TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Timeline Events gt Timeline Events form provides the means to enter timeline records related to the Job Number you are working with This aids in tracking job timelines and project manager tasks completed etc This information is included in reports and is linked directly by Job Number Timeline events can be added via this form E fi Time Line Events Add records then submit when complete E Time Line Events Use arrow keys to scroll i JDK AB fF ZO Survey yo Staff Date Job No Auto compl Discipline mount Comments Press Add after filling in fields to enter the timeline Use arrow record below buttons to into the list adjust columns l N l lt Adjust column widths Delet
31. entation significantly enlarges the area available for printing of comments Very large jobs can be printed in sections using the date range capability When the report is limited by a date range an appropriate note appears on the report as a reminder e Job Summary A report using Job Number as a means to retrieve cost information about a single job summarized by work codes for each person involved in the job This report would normally be used when looking at a summary of the type and amount of work that has been done for a job Totals are provided at the end of the report Very large jobs can be printed in sections using the date range capability When the report is limited by a date range an appropriate note appears on the report as a reminder e Job Overview A report using Job Number as a means to retrieve cost information about a single job as an overview showing only the first and last time cost entries invoices payments and time line events This report would normally be used when looking at an overview of a job including the bottom line figures Totals are provided at the end of the report e Jobs in Progress Jobs in progress reports analyse all time cost data for all jobs in the system up to the specified cut off date This report is very useful for managing work flow and end of month invoicing of jobs When the report is ordered by unbilled amount it is very effective for the recovery of work that has been done but has not yet been i
32. fy and confirm the time spent on the job to your supervisor and client When an activity is completed it can be posted added to the form below Hit enter or click the Post Add button to post the record If there is a problem with the any of the fields you will be asked to re enter it Repeat steps 4 to 14 for each activity Note that the total hours are displayed at the bottom of the form When all activities have been entered click OK Submit to commit this data to the main database As stated earlier it is better to ensure that the information is correct before entering it than to find and edit the data later After clicking OK the form will close It is preferable to enter activities one day at a time That is enter details for one day hit OK Submit to commit and close Then re open the time sheet form and enter the activities for the next day Similarly time sheets for different people should be entered separately 25 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 4 2 Disbursements r Disbursements Add records then submit when complete g Busty y Disbursements Use arrow keys to scroll 0 Rate JOK AE 5 ZO Survey Y 0 Add Staff Date Job No Auto compl Discipline Amount Comments Adjust column widths 2 Delete Copy Edit y Date Picker X Cancel Disbursements can be entered as a time sheet entry or as a group of disbursements for various jobs If entering as a time sheet entry us
33. h Add Staff Date JobNo Auto compl Discipline Amount Comments 4 gt lt Adjust column widths gt Delete Copy Edit F Cross Ref JobNo Date Picker X Cancel 34 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 5 5 Markdowns The Accounts gt Mark Downs form provides the means to enter Mark down adjustments on the Job This information is included in reports and is linked directly by Job Number Mark downs can be added via this form E Mark Downs Add records then submit when complete Y Mark Downs Use arrow keys to scroll JDK y leal J Survey gt lo mth Add Staff Date JobNo Auto compl Discipline Amount Comments 4 gt lt Adjust column widths Delete Copy Edt 5 Cross Ref JobNo Date Picker Y Submit X Cancel 35 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 6 Available Reporting Functions 4 6 1 Report Types The TimeCost Manager provides a huge variety of prefab reports within the system which is one of its key strengths as a business tool The Report Types provide concise detailed and summary information and are customisable by data range job number chart and printable report as well as many other functions depending on the type of report selected These can all be accessed via the Reports gt Report Name Listings in the Main Menu or by selecting the Reports tab or Analysis tab on the main screen File Jobs Times Costs
34. he end of report e How can I correct a mistake that has been entered If it is a mistake regarding the job information go to Jobs gt Search Edit find the job by hitting the Find button and entering the job number or the name scroll to the correct job in the lower part of the screen if necessary then edit the details in the upper part of the screen As soon as you hit OK or move to another record the new data will be saved to the database If the mistake relates to cost data entered timesheets accounts mark downs etc go to Costs gt Search Edit find the job by hitting the Find button and entering the job number scroll to the correct recood in the lower part of the screen then edit the details in the relevant text box at the top of the column As soon as you hit OK or move to another record the new data will be saved to the database 43 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 If there are too many records to scroll through to find the right one you can narrow the search options by using a filter Hit the filter buttons then enter as much information as necessary into the yellow text boxes and then hit the Apply Filter button What does archiving costs do and when should 1 do it Archiving costs takes old unnecessary cost information and puts it in an archive database It does not affect the job information and any archived costs can be retrieved at any time The benefit of archiving is that is reduces the numbe
35. ic or third level of enquiry and use is to allow for a higher level of analysis regarding productivity efficiency and cost recovery and to allow for analysis of the varying types of work carried on by a business for the purpose of strategic planning Examples of the operational managerial and strategic levels of use are as follows Operational use e Recording of daily time sheets and retrieval in the form of individual statements for each job e Recording and searching of job records to find specific job information e Searching of cost records to find past activities on a particular day Managerial use e Tracking work flow and billing using jobs in progress reports e Entering and tracking time line events for job scheduling purposes e Reconciliation of quotes and actual costs prior to invoicing Strategic use e Analysis of staff and job productivity in varying disciplines e Analysis and comparison of job types regarding cost recovery e Analysis and comparison of clients job sources and offices TimeCost Manager is designed to have minimal impact on your existing procedures and practices and is not designed to take over your business Existing commonly available account software is excellent for accounting but the time costing functions cannot match those offered by TimeCost Manager Accounting functions are best left for accounting software systems TimeCost Manager caters for advanced time costing functions and can also im
36. invoices or accounts receivable in your accounting system in any way It is simply a means of acknowledging that a job went over budget and marking down by the required amount ensures that the job total unbilled amount can return to zero Returning jobs to zero is important as this helps to limit the size of jobs in progress reports Typically marking down jobs would occur on a monthly basis Mark Up When a client can be billed more for work than been recorded it is necessary to mark the job up so that the job totals can be returned to zero A mark up does not affect invoices or accounts receivable in your accounting system in any way It is simply a means of acknowledging that a job came in under budget and marking up by the required amount ensures that the job total unbilled amount can return to zero Returning jobs to zero is important as this helps to limit the size of jobs in progress reports Typically marking up jobs would occur on a monthly basis Overview An overview or job overview is a report which is a summarised version of a statement It includes the same totals for a job but only includes details of important items such as the first and last cost records time line events invoices and payments Production Production is the amount of work or products produced by a business within a certain time period Production information is available through a production report For more information on production reports g
37. ling accurate analysis of job and time costing data New types of analyses continue to be developed and we welcome and value user feedback and suggestions for inclusion in future versions of the software 10 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 3 TimeCost Manager Installation TimeCost Manager is developed with the following application tools Database Server gt Firebird SQL Database V2 5 Open source User Interface Client gt TimeCost Manager gt Developed using Delphi The software is designed for Windows Operating Systems TimeCost Manager will operate at any screen resolution however a resolution of 1024 by 768 or higher is recommended Support for installation of the software is available at no cost at software timecostmanager com au Installation of the software is a 2 step process 3 steps for a network TimeCost Manager has been designed for use with either Firebird version 1 5 or version 2 5 32 bit Generally software shipped prior to 2010 includes Firebird 1 5 and software shipped during or after 2010 includes Firebird 2 5 Version 2 5 with a default installation runs well on Window XP Vista and Windows 7 Firebird 1 5 runs well on Windows XP and it will run on Vista and Windows 7 however the installation procedure is much more complex and the default settings cannot be used The following table has been provided for quick reference to the preferred installation Firebird 1 5 Firebird 2 5 32 bit Wi
38. manager TimeCost Manager User Manual Document Identifier eCost User Manual Version Number Release Date COPYRIGHT NOTICE 2011 Kenny Family Projects Pty Ltd ACN 109 755 740 This work is copyright Permission is granted to download copy and distribute this document without modification Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act no part may be modified by any process without the written permission of the owner Contact Address Email software timecostmanager com au Ph 07 5494 3800 Fax 07 5494 3811 P O Box 693 Maleny QLD 4552 5 17 Maple Street Maleny QLD 4552 Contact Address Email software timecostmanager com au TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 1 TIMECOST MANAGER USER MANUAL ooooccococcooconcnorancnnrancnnrancnnranennrnncnnrnncnnrnnannrnna O 1d CUSTOMER SUPPORT cnccciccccncdsckcuacascceccscutacuncssscdcecavseesecadcceuesesndduedascceucnausGaucceaccaccuass anes 3 1 2 VERSION CONTRO Livisedcccetecccnsccccsewssnsaenesnesceesacueseesdeesaeusaesntusanesasenaeeeanancuessseeaanccensenweas 3 1 37 AUDIENCE wssceitscscastcecscenstcnedseeacusacruacesdesuccvnassndscncetedsesauvccsedansdavsaccedncndagudeswaassaecnassedans 3 PA EGUOSSARYVccakscecctagsdcesccdeccccsetacaceteccuaccsccacessasssnescuacsdesuzasececeusdadaaudaseaeacnaascaseseheeacenetecanne 4 1 5 OVERVIEW OF TIME COSTING scisntvsccvscsvecctaccvenstmentenevessecnsdcanusssnuacunsatecntnsnteasesneinacusnsvenans 7 1 6 GETTING ST
39. ncel Sources Configuration Form Sources L5 Find Sources AddRecord fe PrintList SOURCE a a __ Acquaintance H Apex Architect _ Builder Church H City Search H Council _ DCP Drafter Engineer v is Delete a record Y OK X Cancel 4 3 Managing Jobs 4 3 1 Creating a New Job To enter a new job select from the Main Menu Jobs gt New Jobs The following form will be generated Press Get Job Number to get new automatically system assigned Year and Number 19 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 Fill in the required fields Your configuration data will appear as selectable items in the relevant drop boxes for each field The Clr buttons are clear buttons to clear the drop field in preparation for selecting a new value Geo X Y co ordinates can be entered in your own standard format It is recommended you keep this consistent for standardisation and reporting query use g Add a New Job Year Job Name Location Consultant Client Billing Details Contact Details Comments Comments Comments Number Get Next Job No Recommend Geocoding be used to allow job searching by proximity 20 Clr Cin 2 New Job Status Active Commissioned v Job Type v Office 7 ci Source v Cin Project Manager v cin Qo y Cir Inspecting Officer Y cl EN File Locations Plans Required fields
40. ndows XP Default Installation Default Installation Vista Manual Installation Default Installation Windows 7 Manual Installation Default Installation Installing TCM with a default installation of Firebird 1 Install Firebird SQL Database 1 5 or 2 5 both work fine if you do not have it installed on your computer already It is important to install Firebird first as the TimeCost Manager installation in step 2 automatically configures firebird file SECURITY GDB SECURITY2 GDB for Firebird 2 5 e After this you can install the TimeCost Manager application which calls a default database file TCM GDB where information is stored The software can be installed on a stand alone PC ona network server or on a network client For multi user mode Firebird must be installed on the network server and network clients the database files must be installed on the network server For a network server installation of both the program files and the database file TCM GDB is recommended This will facilitate initial testing and allow for client computers to run one centralised version of the program files To avoid installation of multiple versions of the database file TCM GDB and to ensure precious data is not automatically overwritten the database file TCM GDB is not automatically installed This file is to be installed manually by copying it from the root directory of the installation CD 3 Timecost Manager is a multi user system After installation
41. not from the client machine Mapped 11 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 network drives do not work The actual path on the server computer must be used Also note than a colon must be used to separate the computer name and the path So if the name of the server computer is Admin and the path of the TCM GDB file on the server is c timecost manager tcm gdb then the connection string will be Admin c timecost manager tcm gdb e If a connection cannot be established after carefully following the above instructions make sure Firebird is running on both machines go to Control Panel and double click Firebird If Firebird is not listed it may not be installed e Ifa connection cannot be established after carefully following the above instructions you may need to change the firewall settings on each computer For Windows Firewall click Start Control Panel Windows Firewall Exceptions tab Add Program button Browse button Then select c program files firebird firebird_ 1_5 bin fbguard exe and click Open Then click Browse and select c program files firebird firebird_ 1_5 bin fbserver exe and click Open then select both files and click OK Make sure fbguard exe and fbserver exe are checked then click OK Do this on both computers and try again Note that Firebird 2 5 uses a directory named firebird_2_5 Upgrading from Firebird 1 5 to 2 5 1 2 Uninstall Firebird 1 5 Download Firebird 2 5 Win 32
42. nstead of printing or viewing the reports one at a time as is normally required 38 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 6 3 Report Example Job Source Analysis Clicking on the Job Source Analysis Report like most reports will produce a form such as the following From this you select report or chart options and configure required dates and press OK The chart below is produced It too is configurable via the drop box data field on the bottom left Pressing Goto Report produces the analysis report an example of which is shown on the following page Both report and chart can be printed r Job Types Analysis Job Types Analysis Dates From 1 07 2000 y 30 06 2001 y Inclusive Custom a Google charts Return to this form Save report data as file Report bd AL X Cancel Your logo here Cost Job Type Analysis manager From 01 08 00 to 31 07 01 Show recovery rates Explain this report Job Type Analysis using invoices Job Type Analysis using payments E Subdivision E Subdivision Ml Boundary Realignment E Identification Surve E Contour amp Detail W Material Change of U Subdivision E Boundary Realignment 11791 09 24 B Identification Surve _ lt E Contour amp Detail MM Material Change of U 39 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 An example of the Printable Preview Report Listing with its standard windows
43. nvoiced The jobs are listed in the chosen order by job number unbilled amount fee budget remaining or receivable amount For each job the report includes the job number name and totals for work disbursements invoices payments mark ups mark downs unbilled and receivable amounts A job in progress report ordered by job number tends to be very long as every job with current time cost records is included Reports ordered by unbilled amount fee budget remaining or receivable amount are much shorter as jobs that return zero in the field of interest are not included The jobs in progress report can be grouped by project manager to enable different sections of the report to be delivered to the relevant managers At the end of each month the jobs in progress report ordered by receivable amount should be reconciled with the accounting system to ensure that no invoices or payments have been omitted from either system e Production A Report totalling for all jobs that have time cost data within the specified date range This report is useful for an overview of the volume and efficiency of work done over a period of time The jobs are listed in job number order and include a job name and totals for work disbursements invoices payments mark ups and mark downs Total are proved at the end of the report which can be used to calculate recovery rate actual payments received as a percentage of value of work done for a particular period Longer period
44. o to section 4 6 2 Productivity Staff Staff productivity is a representation for a staff member of the amount of time spent doing chargeable work as a percentage of the total amount of time spent at work Information on staff productivity is available through a staff productivity report For more information on staff productivity reports go to section 4 6 2 Rate Charge Out The amount that a client is charged for work done by staff Rate expressed as dollars per hour Receivable If an invoice has been sent and it has not yet been paid this amount is said to be receivable Commonly available accounting packages do a very good job of keeping track of accounts receivable However reconciling TimeCost Manager with your accounting system is very important and keeping track of receivable amounts is a good way to ensure that all invoices and payments are accounted for both in TimeCost Manager and in your accounting system A report on receivable amounts can be generated under Reports gt Jobs in Progress Invoice and payment records can be imported from your accounting package to reduce the amount of manual input Costs gt Import Payments Invoices Recovery Rate The recovery rate is the total amount of payments received represented as a percentage of the total work and disbursements for ajob The aim is always to recover 100 of the costs for a job but this does not always occur By comparing the recovery rate for different ty
45. obs are completed unbilled amounts should be reset to zero using either mark down or mark up The unbilled report excludes all jobs with a zero unbilled amount in order to keep the report as short as possible Unbilled work should be investigated at least monthly to ensure that all work is being billed and to do the necessary marking down or up Work Code Work code is a code allocated to different types of work The user defined list of work codes contains information about each work code including whether it is chargeable to the client or not Breaking jobs down into work codes is useful for determining which parts of the jobs are taking the longest or for analysing the types of work that staff are doing Jobs In Progress Jobs in Progress is a general term relating to any jobs that are currently in progress Jobs in progress reports analyse all time cost data for all jobs in the system up to the specified cut off date This information is very useful for managing work flow and end of month invoicing of jobs When the report is ordered by 6 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 unbilled amount or WIP it is very effective for the recovery of work that has been done but has not yet been invoiced 1 5 Overview of Time Costing Time costing is the recording retrieval and analysis of time and cost information within a business to allow for accurate tracking of the resources used for produ
46. pes of work valuable information can be gathered about efficiencies within the business Staff Productivity Staff productivity is a representation for a staff member of the amount of time spent doing chargeable work as a percentage of 5 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 the total amount of time spent at work Information on staff productivity is available through a staff productivity report For more information on staff productivity reports go to section 4 6 2 Statement A statement or job statement is a report using Job Number as a means to retrieve all cost information about a single job Also date range configurable This report would normally be used when looking at a particular job in detail It includes all time cost entries for the job in chronological order and provides totals at the end of the report For more information on job statements go to section 4 6 2 Summary A summary or job summary is a report using Job Number as a means to retrieve cost information about a single job summarized by work codes for each person involved in the job This report would normally be used when looking at a summary of the type and amount of work that has been done for ajob For more information on job summaries go to section 4 6 2 Timesheet A timesheet is a record of times and costs for a staff member Staff members would normally complete timesheets on a daily basis A timesheet needs to record th
47. plete Payments Use arrow keys to scroll JDK E ES Survey Y 0 Add Staff Date Job No Auto compl Discipline Amount Comments 4 gt lt Adjust column widths gt Delete Copy Edt Cross Ref JobNo Date Picker Y Submit X Cancel J 31 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 5 3 Importing Invoices and Payments The Accounts gt Import Invoices Payments form provides the means to import invoices and payments from your accounting system A text file generated by the accounting system is used to extract the invoice or payment details to be imported into TimeCost Manager See below for further information on how to generate a suitable text file from your accounting system As indicated by the screen shot below follow these steps 1 Open the text file for viewing 2 View the raw data and determine field numbers based on that data 3 Complete the settings for data import This includes choosing between Invoice or Payment specifying which rows and which fields within those rows contain the data to be extracted Where the information needed is not contained in the text file fixed and default values can be inserted 4 Click the Preview button the data to be imported can be view prior to import 5 Click Import All r E Import Invoices Payments 1 Select File gt Open Text File to be Imported Clear Import Invoices Payments 2 View Raw Data and Field Numbers ii A A
48. port Invoices and Payments from your accounting system This means you not only get to keep your accounting software but will have an additional means of ensuring its accuracy For best results and accuracy monthly reconciliation of all invoices sent and all payments received is highly recommended TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 2 TimeCost Manager History The software was developed and is copyrighted by Kenny Family Projects Pty Ltd Development of the software began in 1993 to satisfy the unmet need for a simple low cost reliable system for the recording and analysis of time costing data and job information This need remains largely unmet to this day The original version was designed to operate in a single user environment The software has now been upgraded to a multi user access to cater for larger businesses This included migration to the open source free SQL based database management system known as Firebird Since 1993 the software has been operational within the consulting surveying firm Hinterland Surveys Through this business Kenny Family Projects Pty Ltd has developed and installed the software in many other sites within a range of industries All software development and on going support is carried out through this business A foundational feature of the software is its independence from existing accounting software systems TimeCost Manager is designed to have minimal impact on your existing procedures and
49. productivity rates 80 or more would normally be achieved by those working solely at an operational level A manager would normally have a slightly lower productivity rate due to tasks such as quoting which cannot be charged to a client Staff working at an administrative level only would normally have quite a low productivity rate 20 or less The productivity rate is only an indication of the amount of time spent doing chargeable work It is not an indication of the value of staff or the work they do Monthly staff productivity reports can be useful for comparison with earlier months as a means of detecting subtle changes in the working patterns of a particular staff member Comparison between staff members is of little meaning but comparison of different time frames for a particular employee may help in the fine tuning of work practices and job descriptions e Analysis Reports Job Type Client Discipline Office Project Manager Work Code Analysis reports examine all cost data between the specified dates and summarise the information based on the user defined items within the category of the report For example a job type report will summarise the information for each item existing in the list of job types For each item total amounts of work disbursements invoices payments mark ups mark downs are represented A percentage of the total is also shown for each item The report also includes a recovery rate for each item in the list
50. r of cost records in the active database which helps to speed up searches and reports Generally archiving is not necessary unless searching and reports have become very slow 44
51. report button functionality Post Job Type Analysis Your here manager From 01 08 00 to 31 07 01 im oe a econo Number a 3 A PENS a Recovery A Discipline OF jobs Work of Tot Disbursement of Tot Invoice of Tot Payment of Tot pate Mark Up of Tot Mark Down of Tot Boundary Realignment Survey 7 9 460 00 15 7 896 60 66 6 8645 91 18 7 10 805 91 22 0 104 2 313 00 18 6 Community Title Survey 1 880 00 1 5 Contour 8 Detail Survey 7 11 780 00 19 5 75 00 5 6 8 204 00 17 7 13 554 00 27 5 114 294 00 34 6 3 458 80 27 9 Identification Surve Survey 7 11 280 00 18 7 222 10 16 5 8 615 00 18 6 7 935 00 16 1 69 225 00 26 5 3 222 10 26 0 Material Change of U Survey 4 4 900 00 8 1 30 00 2 2 3 670 00 7 9 5 115 45 10 4 104 1 397 05 11 3 Subdivision Survey 13 22 050 00 36 5 123 00 9 1 17 111 09 37 0 11 791 09 24 0 53 331 09 38 9 2 020 00 16 3 ec Number a R i soy A Recovery a Discipline of Jobs Work of Tot Disbursement of Tot Invoice of Tot Payment of Tot Rate Mark Up of Tot Mark Down of Tot Totals 39 00 60 350 00 100 1 346 70 100 46 246 00 100 49 201 45 100 80 850 09 100 12 410 95 100 4 7 Getting Help and Manuals Help for this application is available under the Main Menu Help Function It provides a quick guide to start using this application Getting Started Take a Qui
52. rmation for these disciplines separate even though civil and structural work will often be done on the same job Many businesses will only have one discipline eg a business which makes or sells only one product or service Some businesses may have several disciplines but more than five or six would be unusual and could make reports very cluttered Setting up Offices or Branches Offices are a list of the locations of the different branches of the business and allows for analysis and comparison in that regard Setting up Sources Sources are a list of options for the source of a job or client and would normally correlate to the types of promotion undertaken by the business This list would normally include items such as Yellow Pages Existing Client or Radio Ad 2006 Analysis of the source of jobs provides a means of determining the most effective promotions and provides useful information on where work is coming from TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 1 7 Getting the most from TimeCost Manager The software has been designed to cater for three levels of enquiry and use The first level being for the day to day use of the system to keep accurate records of job and cost data and to retrieve this information for operational purposes The second level of enquiry and use is to provide managers with accurate and timely information to allow for appropriate decision making involving work flow and billing The strateg
53. s give a more accurate indication of recovery rates At the end of each month the total invoices and total payments received for the previous month should be reconciled with the accounting system to ensure that no invoices or payments have been omitted from either system 37 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 e Staff Productivity This reports details for all staff that have worked within the specified date range This report summarises the total amount of chargeable and non chargeable times recorded for each staff member grouped by work code This report is very much a guide only and does not give an accurate indication of staff performance The total amount of time recorded as chargeable is calculated as a percentage of the total amount of time at work Careful configuration of work codes gives better results see configuring lists The staff productivity report will only be useful if time sheet data is recorded for non chargeable time as well as chargeable time Recording of chargeable time only reduces the complexity of time sheets and negates the need for non chargeable work codes but the staff productivity report will show 100 productivity for each staff member For best results time sheets should record all at work for each employee This also encourages staff members to be accountable for all their time each day This report gives a general guide regarding the type of work being done by each person The highest
54. select properties Select the compatibility tab and adjust settings for all users as per above and hit OK and OK Run the Firebird Guardian by clicking the windows start button and left clicking the Firebird Guardian shortcut Firebird should now be running and an icon will appear on the right hand side of the task bar If no icon appears it may not be running and you may need to uninstall and start again To uninstall Firebird go to Control Panel Programs or navigate to C Firebird Firebird_1_5 and run the Unins000 file from windows explorer Now return to the TCM Install program and hit the Step2 Install TimeCost Manager button When installation is complete do not allow the application to start just yet Hit Finish and then Exit from the TCM installation program Hit the windows start button right click the TCM shortcut you may need to navigate to it and select properties Adjust the compatibility settings for all users as per above then hit OK and OK Left click the TCM shortcut to run TimeCost Manager The typical setup for TimeCost Manager accesses the database on the local computer If you wish to establish a connection to a database across a network see step 3 of Installing Firebird and TCM in Windows XP above 13 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 Using TimeCost Manager 4 1 Start Up Introduction Once the TimeCost Manager installation program is completed double clicking
55. the saved record set 28 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 4 5 Archive Costs In the Main Menu press Costs gt Archive Costs to generate the following form Enter the Job Number to be archived All its associated information will be retrieved and displayed Then press OK to archive the information out of the database to save space and clear the database for more relevant job information Archive Costs Archive Costs Job Number for Archiving Archiving costs for a job will transfer all cost data to the archive database COSTARCH Only cost data are transferred The job data remain to enable searching of old jobs Archiving data will improve the performance of the timcost database Once transferred the data is not accessible unless it is transferred back into the current databases using the Retrieve command Archive old jobs to prevent them from being included in reports Typically jobs should not be archived until after the end of the following financial year This will enable accurate end of year reporting AUTO ARCHIVE allows automated archiving for old jobs with no records after a specified cut off date Cost data for jobs with ANY item after that date will not be archived Y Archive Costs Set Job Status to Inactive Auto Archive Y Submit X Cancel 4 4 6 Retrieve Costs Retrieving archived Job Cost Information can be done by Costs gt Retrieve Costs Enter the rele
56. tinguishing different types of work Providing a lot of codes enables more detailed analysis of jobs and staff productivity Too many codes will make time sheet entry very onerous The Chargeable field should be Y if that type of work is chargeable to the client or N if not e g general administration or maintenance Codes can be entered for sick leave or annual leave but it is important to enter N in the At Work field i e not at work for these types of codes to ensure that staff productivity reports will be accurate New work codes can be added at any time but they would normally never be deleted as older time cost records will reference work codes even if they are no longer used Setting up Job Types Job types are useful for distinguishing different types of jobs Providing a lot of job types enables more detailed analysis of jobs Too many job types may make them a little meaningless One of the main reasons for the job type field is to allow for analysis of the different types of jobs to compare profitability New job types can be added at any time but they would normally never be deleted as older time cost records will reference job types even if they are no longer used Setting up Disciplines Disciplines are useful for distinguished major areas of operation within the business For example a consulting engineering firm may work in the area of civil engineering and in the area of structural engineering It is very useful to keep the info
57. tional Geographically referenced for integration with GIS Invoice wizard to track every item to an invoice optional module Customised work codes and comments for every cost item Three levels of password security for different users Detailed job statements Job summaries Job type analysis and resource recovery by job type know which jobs are worth doing Production analysis Staff productivity analysis Jobs in progress analyses Estimate comparisons and early warning system Hit list of the top 50 jobs requiring attention in unbilled receivable and estimate comparison amounts Speed buttons for fast access to common tasks Job name number verification and cross referencing at point of entry Account information cross referencing at point of entry Archive old cost records to optimise speed and report length Scalable screens to maximise the field of view Easy mark up mark down any time Y2K OK Year based job numbers Search Edit existing records any time Preview reports before printing Customise reports for each project manager Disbursement rate calculations on the fly Print statement summaries in batches 42 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 6 Frequently Asked Questions FAQ e Who can I contact to get help Contact customer support by email software timecostmanager com au e How can I get my report data into Microsoft Excel When running the report check the box labelled Save report as file
58. vant Job Number to display the archived file and pull it back into the main database for editing or further entry work Retrieve Costs Retrieve Costs Job Number for Retrieval Retrieving costs for a job will transfer all cost data from the archive database COSTARCH to the current database TIMECOST RETRIEVE ALL retrieves ALL cost data from the archive database View Archives Retrieve All oo Retrieve X Cancel 29 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 5 Doing Accounts 4 5 1 Entering Invoices The Accounts gt Invoice form provides the means to enter Job Invoices to clients This information is included in reports and is linked directly by Job Number Invoices can be added and deleted via this form r E Invoices Sent Add records then submit when complete amp Invoices Use arrow keys to scroll JDK v fa Fa Survey 110 Add Staff Date JobNo l Auto compl Discipline Amount Comments 4 gt lt Adjust column widths gt Delete Copy Edit O CrossRef JobNo W Date Picker Y Submit X Cancel J 30 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 4 5 2 Entering Payments The Accounts gt Payments form provides the means to enter Job Payments from clients This information is included in reports and is linked directly by Job Number Payments can be added and deleted via this form r E Payments Received te Add records then submit when com
59. very useful to keep the information for these disciplines separate even though civil and structural work will often be done on the same job Many businesses will only have one discipline eg a business which makes or sells only one product or service Some businesses may have several disciplines but more than five or six would be unusual and could make reports very cluttered Fee Budget Estimate or quote for a job Fee Budget Remaining The fee budget for a job less the amount of work already done File Note A dated note added to the records which will appear on statements Job Instruction received from a client to provide a product or service A client may have many jobs but a job normally has only one client Job Number A number allocated to a job for quick reference A job number may include letters at the end The last two digits of the job year become the first two digits of the job number For example job number 123 of the year 1999 would have a job year of 1999 and a number of 123 TimeCost Manager then uses this information to create the job number which would be 99123 Job Source Source of a job or client which normally correlates to the types of promotion undertaken by the business Job sources would normally include items such as Yellow Pages Existing Client or Radio Ad 2006 Analysis of the source of jobs provides a means of determining the most effective promotions and pro
60. vides useful information on where work is coming from Job Type The type of each job is an important factor in allowing for meaningful analysis of work being done Each job must have a job type when it is created and it must be chosen from the user defined lists of valid job types Analysis of the types of jobs provides a means of determining the types of jobs that make up most of the work and which types are the most profitable Job Year Normally the job year is the year the job was created The last two digits of the year become the first two digits of the job number For example job number 123 of the year 1999 would have a job year of 1999 and a number of 123 TimeCost Manager then uses this information to create the job number which would be 99123 4 TimeCost Manager User Manual HINT TIMC 001 V4 03 This ensures that 1999 jobs appear before 2000 jobs in reports ordered by job number If the job numbering system does not require a year prefix a job year such as 2000 can be used at the beginning and then incremented as necessary Mark Down When more work has been done on a job than the client can be billed for it is necessary to mark the job down so that the job totals can be returned to zero Marking down is a normal part of most businesses A mark down is different to a write off A write off or bad debt occurs when a client does not pay an invoice that has been sent A mark down does not affect

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