This page is for adding and editing the main elements of time. The page is divided into two steps. If the master template is pre-selected (or passed in through a link) or you are doing an edit, step one may be skipped. The purpose of step one is the "choose a template or type of time". The templates or types of time are a list that gets created by your company's administrator. Step two is where you actually enter the data and record the event that will be shown in the system.

As a review, the master templates of time contain the type, name, assigned functions, and settings for time elements. The (template) is compared to a cookie cutter for time elements. This page (the actual add/edit main elements of time) is where a template (cookie cutter) gets used over and over to create the actual items or events (cookies). When this process is all done, we call it an "element of time".

This page is very dynamic and is controlled by the master time templates. For more information on some of the master settings, see the help file for that section. You must have the admin permission to add or edit master time templates. Basically, every feature may be turned on/off and sometimes even setup with pre-filled default values. The defaults are only present in the add mode and may be modified if needed. They are kinda like a jump off place or starting point.

This page will be used for both adds and edits. There are two ways to tell what mode the page is in. One is by looking at the top field called "Time Id". In add mode, it will say "new". In edit mode, it will have a numeric time id number. The other way to tell is by looking at the bottom of the page for the main submit button. It will either have the word "add" or "edit" as part of the button text.

Here are all of the fields and some special instructions for each field. Note: The master template that you are currently using may not contain all of these fields. They are listed here so that you will know what they do if used.

1. Time Id - Required. This is the main element of time id number and is controlled behind the scenes. In add mode, it will be "new". In edit mode, it will be the actual time id number (control or reference number).

2. Template Name - Required. This is the name of the master time template that is being used. As a reminder, the templates control the type, name, assigned functions, and settings for the elements of time. Templates are setup and maintained by persons with the admin permission over time. This value is passed from step one of this page.

3. Title or Caption - Required. This is where you briefly explain what the element of time is about. Examples might be: Lunch with Johnny, Service call, Conference call with Tim, etc. This field has a max of 100 characters and a minimum of 1 character. Each element of time has a general notes section if more explanation is needed (unlimited size). Back to the titles or captions... As a special feature, your administrator may also preset common values (list of defaults) for this title/caption field. That is done on the master template page and helps speed up the input of data. More help is available from that page. All defaults may be overwritten and/or added to. This is just to help get you started.

4. Start Date or Start Date/Time - Required. This is the main date or main date/time for the element of time. This date is what is used to help make the element show up for roll call. As noted, there are two setting here. Every element of time requires at least a start date. If turned on, you may also be required to give a start time. All dates should use the m/d/yy format and all time items should use the h:mm am/pm format. If a date or time needs to change (up, down, back, or forward), go ahead and put the new values in the system. The system will respond accordingly.

5. End Date or End Date/Time - Optional. There are two possible settings here. They are end date and end time. They may be used together or separately depending on the template settings. If displayed, the system will show a number of options for the end date/time. They are: Unknown (still open or blank - this is ok to use), Known Date/Time (you enter the actual values), or Use The System to help calculate end date/time. This last option, if selected, will submit a value (actual number like 5 or 30) and a time frequency (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, etc.) to the server. The server will then add that many units to the start date/time and will calculate the end date/time on the fly. That value will then be entered as if you did the math yourself. This is a great way to quickly enter a block of time. Example: Start = 5/28 12:00 pm... Add 2.5 hours... End = 5/28 2:30 pm

6. Total Time - Optional. This setting is used to help show the total time for the current element. Think of this setting as the "end all total value" of what was done or how much time to charge for. This setting has a small dependence on the end date/time values. If the end date/time is set to unknown or open, a total time may not be set. Once closed (the end date/time) the total time value will work fine. Two calculation options are provided. One is to "Auto Calculate Total" and the other is a "Custom Total". The auto calculate is very precise and just deals with what it sees (end date/time minus start date/time). The custom total is more flexible and allows you as a user to enter whatever values you wish. For example, say the total time was 3.75 hours. Using the custom total you could put any of the following values and the system would take it: 3 hours, 4 hours, 1 day, etc. Basically, once the end date/time are closed, this total time can hold whatever value you wish. This helps with minimum time periods, small discounts, or general ball park numbers. This total time value is also used if your template is setup to include invoice and quote options. This value (total time) will be used as a general reference number when adding elements of time to the shopping cart.

7. General Amount - Optional. This is a general dollar figure or value for the element to time. If used with the invoice and quote settings, this value will be displayed as a reference number when adding an element of time to the shopping cart. Use numbers and decimals only. They may be positive or negative. Ex: 65 or 150.95 or -37.5

8. Invoice/Quote Status - Optional. This is where you set the invoice/quote status. This field helps you keep track of the billing process and allows for values like needs to be invoice, no charge, quoted, invoices, etc. This feature (ability to invoice and quote) is tied to a number of other pieces on this add/edit page. There are a total of three fields that are shown if you have this setting turned on as part of your master time template. The fields are the invoice/quote status, the quote number, and the invoice number. All elements of time that have this feature turned on will show up for roll call on a grouped customer report as well. A number of special pages and features have been built in to the system to help with converting elements of time into quotes and invoices. Other recommended settings are use total time, use general amount, and the customer assignment settings. Without getting too technical, if an element of time is assigned to a customer, it will show up in a number of places for that customer. It will be grouped by this value (invoice/quote status). There are also buttons and features that allow for one or more elements of time to be added to a shopping cart. There are three basic places to look for these features. One is on the working with time page (edit line items page for time), the actual customer log page (customer details), and the grouped customer report.

9. Quote Number - Optional. This is where the actual quote number is entered if applicable. The value of 0 means no tie-in to a system quote exists. This field is part of the "use invoice/quote" template setting. If a valid number is entered, an active relationship is built between the quote and the element of time. Links on both sections will help users jump between the different application types (quotes and time). As a note, the quotes have a show/hide option to help with showing and printing elements of time that are assigned.

10. Invoice Number - Optional. This is where the actual invoice number is entered if applicable. The value of 0 means no tie-in to a system invoice exists. This field is part of the "use invoice/quote" template setting. If a valid number is entered, an active relationship is built between the invoice and the element of time. Links on both sections will help users jump between the different application types (invoices and time). As a note, the printable invoices have a show/hide option to help with showing and printing elements of time that are assigned.

11. Target/Due Date or Target/Due Date/Time - Optional. This setting helps to set a target or due date/time. There are two settings in play here. One is the target date and the other is the target time. Depending on the template settings, both, one, or neither will be shown. There is also a manual "skip" option on a per element of time basis. If used (the date and time), the values will show up for roll call and are searchable by target or due date range. All dates should use the m/d/yy format and all times should use the h:mm am/pm format.

12. Assigned To - Optional. This is a basic single user assignment field. Choose a user from the list provided. The primary reason for this field is to help in searching and filtering data. If more than one user is needed on a single element of time, you will want to use the additional tie-in's sub section. Back on this single user assignment list... There is also a user value of "Unassigned" that may be applied to individual elements of time. If unassigned is used, the individual elements virtually go in to a pool that may be assigned later on.

13. Priority - Optional. If your template uses a priority setting, this is where you enter the number or give the element of time a ranking or a priority. The value must be 0 (zero) or above. The top end is quite high and reaches well over 100,000+. Most people will be in the 0 to 20 range but higher values are allowed if needed. Onced set, these values may be searched using the advanced time search. This is great for tasks or future things to do lists.

14. Action Status - Optional. This setting helps show basic actions that where taken on the element of time. Choose a value from the list provided. These are things like: started, stopped, in progress, canceled, checked in, checked out, pending, etc. Without getting too technical, there is more going on here than is shown by the simple drop-down menu that is shown. This is actually a sub section or semi-dynamic piece that gets recorded on a per element basis. The section is called "Action Status Logs & Changes" and it records a new action log every time the action status changes. This means that a new mini or sub record is added to the main element of time every time something changes. For example, say someone calls and sets up an appointment. This will add a small record that will start tracking time lapsed since originally created. When they (your customer or patient) get to your location, you could switch it to checked in or started. That would close the first record and start a new section or detail log. When everything is done, you could change it to some other value or status if needed. The action status log is unlimited as to how many changes may be monitored. Each time you changed it, the system would catch who, what status was used, and when the action took place. This is great for clocking in/out for customer time clocks or work that is done for a specific client. If more details and notes are required for each status change, we would recommend that you look at the additional date/times subs (add-on feature or function). That feature has more options for details to be recorded and may do a similar function to the action status logs. See the help file for the additional subs, add-on's, or functions of time.

15. Finished/Done - Optional. This is how you check off or mark an item as finished or done. The value shown is a simple checkbox. Checked means done and unchecked or left blank means not done. Once checked, the system will record a number of pieces behind the scenes. It will record who and when the checkbox was clicked. This is great for to do lists or tasks that need a firm closer or "yes, I did do it" button.

16. Budgeted/Estimated Value - Optional. This is where you enter the budgeted or estimated value of what you are working on. This field is tied to two other fields on this page. They are the actual/real value and the budget frequency type fields. All of these fields are controlled by the template setting called "use budget setting". This budgeted value is where you enter a budget value (numbers and decimals). You then use the budget frequency type to tell others what you are budgeting. It could be time, money, widgets, people, or other values. This setting is great for production runs, estimating jobs, setting class size capacities, trip minimums, etc.

17. Actual/Real Value - Optional. This is part two of the budget settings. Use this field to enter the actual or real values that took place. This value needs to be numeric value (positive or negative). See the budgeted/estimated value description above for more information.

18. Budget Frequency Type - Optional. Choose from the list provided or create your own. This is where you set what the budget values relate to. This could be time, money, widgets, persons, seats, tables, rooms, production levels, or whatever. If you want to use a custom setting (create your own), simply select "N/A - Other" and then type in the value that you wish. This field is tied to the budgeted/estimated value and the actual/real values on this same page. The custom field does has a max of 25 characters so you can't go too wild... :)

19. Customer Assignment - Optional. If this setting is used, this is one of the ways you can assign a person to the elements of time. The word customer is a corp-wide setting and is customizable to different values such as customer, client, patient, patron, etc. If assigned to a real customer, the system is setup to help track those relationships and perform special internal functions and relationships. There is also some special code and pages that help keep track of who was where and what has been billed and what still needs to be invoiced. This customer assignment setting is a recommended setting if using the invoice and quote settings. This setting has three basic parts or options for tying to a customer. They are: Known Customer Id (direct tie-in but you must know the numeric customer id number or use the search option below), General Person (this is an open entry field - not tied to a real customer in the database - great for "one timers" or temporary stuff - max of 100 chars), and a Help Me Do A Search option (this is a live system search for the customer name you enter). If the help me do a search option is used, the system tries to find the customer according to what is entered. We recommend that you just do a few letters of the last name or something simple for the search phrase. Once the results are shown, you will have the option to "assign to time" which will then enter the actual customer id number for you. Basically, the search makes it so that you don't physically have to know the customer id numbers (much easier). Once assigned, all of the built-in customer features will become available.

20. Vendor/Payee Assignment - Optional. This setting is another way to tie-in to a person or thing. The words "vendor" and "payee" allow for a real vendor (person or business) or an employee/user (an internal vendor or system user). Most people will use time for customer related tie-ins (see section above). This vendor/payee assignment section allows for a different type of person or thing to be tied-in. If tied to a real vendor/payee, the system will do similar functions (minus the shopping cart functions) as the customer assignment option above. If used, the system will show three options for this setting. They are Vendor/Payee Id (a known vendor or user id number - or use the search option), General Person (this is an open entry field and allows for a vendor/payee that is not in the system - great for "one timers" or temporary needs - max of 100 chars), and a Help Me Do A Search option (this is a live vendor/payee/user search). If the search option is used, you will be able to select a "assign to time" link from the search results. We recommend that you keep the search very basic and just enter part of a last name or part of a business name. Once connected, the system will help with other vendor/payee related links and options.

21. Location/Place Assignment - Optional. This setting deals with the "where" or "place" of the elements of time. The setting includes two different choices for the place or location. One is the system defined locations for your corporation (dynamic list). The word location is a corp-wide setting and may be changed to values like location, store, job site, room, clinic, building, warehouse, etc. This drop-down list also has an "Unassigned" value to put the element of time in to a general unassigned pool. The other option is called "General Place" and is an open entry field. This could be a sub location of the main, a temporary spot or local, or whatever... The general place field does have a max of 100 characters but it can accept almost anything that you need to record as far as the place where the item or event takes place.

22. Choose Color - Optional. If used, this setting allows you to choose a color for the element of time. Most corporations setup their own "key" or "color map" as to what color means what. This setting also has the ability to have a default color set by the master time template. The actual color may be changed as often as needed. The elements of time history section (recorded behind the scenes) will even track all of the color changes with a date/time stamp and who made the change.

23. General Notes - Optional. This is where you can put any of the details, comments, or notes about the element of time. This field is capable of holding an unlimited amount of characters and is also basic HTML compatible (see the html help file for more info). That means that you may add text formatting like line breaks, bold, italics, bulleted lists, etc. If that is not enough... There is also an add-on function called additional comments/notes - sub. This add-on function allows you to add any number of date specific notes, comments, follow-up notes, updates, instructions, and additional details with the same unlimited size and HTML compatible options as the main general notes field. You could even turn your elements of time into a newsletter, idea or task sharing, a small forum, or mini blog of sorts. Very flexible. Not to mention that the notes are searchable...

24. Make Private - Optional. This setting helps to hide the element of time from other general people using the system. The only persons who will be able to see the time details are: you (who created it), the person it is assigned to (single user assignment), and anybody who has the admin time permission (nothing is hidden from them). This setting is available on every element of time.

25. Admin Only - Optional. If this checkbox is clicked, only persons with the admin time permission will be able to see the details. This is great for sensitive information or notes.

26. Element Of Time Status - Required. This setting will only show up in the edit mode. This is how you virtually turn on/off an element of time. Active means use or show and inactive means hide or don't use.

There are two other main help files that deal with elements of time that you may find useful. They are: Add/Edit Master Time Template and Add/Edit Subs Or Functions Of Time

« Back . [contact Adilas support - email form]