Timesheets
Package: SERVICE PROJECTS
1. General
The Timesheets module enables the recording of working hours and project times as well as time spent on services rendered.
The documented times can be assigned to customers, projects and other modules and billed as needed.
A technician performs maintenance at a customer's site and afterwards enters a timesheet with start and end time and the associated organization. The timesheet is assigned to the corresponding service and, upon completion, transferred directly as a line item via the Bill Timesheets action.
A project team member records their hours for an ongoing project daily. The timesheets are assigned to the project and billed collectively at the end of the month — brainX automatically transfers the title and total time of each timesheet as a line item into a new invoice.
This section only describes special fields or functionalities of the module, as all general brainX functionalities are described elsewhere in the manual.
1.1. Basic Settings
In My Settings – Additional Settings, a user can select and save a Service.
This service is used as the default for billing timesheets if no service has been assigned to the timesheet.
The service saved in "My Settings" of the responsible user of the timesheet is used — not the service of the logged-in user who triggers the "Bill Timesheets" action!
The service record defined as the default cannot be deleted in the Services module!
2. List View
The list view in the Timesheets module has the usual functionalities of a list view. For more detailed information, see the section Structure/Layout – List View.
2.1. Actions
In the list view, general actions are available depending on the module. An overview and description of all general actions can be found in the section Actions (List View).
The following module-specific actions are also available:
| Action | Prerequisite | Functionality |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Timesheets | none | Transfers the times recorded in the selected timesheets as line items into a new invoice. The title of the timesheet is taken as the position title, the total time in hours as the quantity. Timesheets with the Goodwill option enabled are automatically filtered out from the selection; if such timesheets are included in the selection, a warning is displayed. For detailed information, see the section Bill Timesheets. |
3. Detail View
3.1. Fields
The following table describes required fields and fields with non-obvious functions. All other fields are self-explanatory.
Basic Data Block
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title * | Name of the timesheet |
| Status |
|
| Related To | |
| Service | Linked service for billing. If no service is stored, the default service defined in My Settings of the responsible user is used. |
| Timesheet Billed | Marks the timesheet as billed. Is set automatically when the timesheet is transferred to an invoice via the Bill Timesheets action. |
| Start Date/Time * | Start date and time of the timesheet |
| End Date/Time * | End date and time of the timesheet |
| Total Time | Calculated total duration in hours (difference between end and start time). Only visible in the detail view, not in the edit view. |
| Goodwill | If this checkbox is enabled, the timesheet is treated as a goodwill service: it is not counted against the linked contingent and is not included in billing when using the Bill Timesheets action. |
*Required field
3.2. Actions
The following actions are available in the detail view:
3.2.1. General Actions
- PDF Export
- Recommend
- Copy
- Delete
- Change Tracking
For detailed information on the actions, see the section Actions (Detail View).
3.2.2. Module-Specific Actions
| Action | Prerequisite | Functionality |
|---|---|---|
| New Task | – | Creates a new task and links it to the current timesheet. |
| New Appointment | – | Creates a new appointment and links it to the current timesheet. |
| New Email | – | Opens the form for composing a new email and links it to the current timesheet. |
3.2.3. Bill Timesheets
Using the Bill Timesheets action, times recorded in timesheets can be transferred directly as line items into a new invoice.
The Bill Timesheets action is only available if the Contingents module or the Time Tracking integration is active!
3.2.4. Bill Timesheets Action
The Bill Timesheets action is available — depending on the module — in the list view or detail view:
- List view in the Timesheets module
- Detail view in all modules that have a reference to the Timesheets module
3.2.4.1. Bill Timesheets Action in the List View of the Timesheets Module
In the first step, select the timesheets to be billed using the checkbox in the list view of the Timesheets module and click the Bill Timesheets action:
Timesheets module – Bill Timesheets action
Timesheets module – Bill Timesheets action
Timesheets module – Bill Timesheets action
After clicking the Bill Timesheets action, the times recorded in the timesheets are transferred directly as line items into a new invoice.
The following field values from the Timesheets module are transferred:
- Timesheet Title → position title
- Total time of the timesheet in hours → Quantity field in the line item
One line item per timesheet is displayed in the line item group of the new invoice:
Invoices module – Line items from timesheets
If timesheets are selected that have already been billed, a corresponding notification message is displayed. The popup shows the record number and name of the timesheet (as a clickable link to the record).
If a timesheet has no service referenced and no default service has been stored in My Settings – Additional Settings, this is also indicated by a corresponding notification message. The popup shows the record number and name of the timesheet (as a clickable link to the record).
3.2.4.2. Bill Timesheets Action in the Detail View of Modules
In all modules that have a reference to timesheets and invoices, the Bill Timesheets action is displayed in the detail view actions.
The Bill Timesheets action is available in the detail view of the following modules:
- Sales Orders
- Deals
- Purchase Orders
- Campaigns
- Contacts
- Contingents
- Leads
- Vendors
- Organizations
- Products
- Projects
- Invoices
- Tickets
3.2.4.3. Notes
The Bill Timesheets action is only available as long as referenced timesheets exist for which no invoice has yet been created.
If an invoice for a timesheet is cancelled, the associated timesheet is considered unbilled again and the Bill Timesheets action becomes automatically available again.
4. Practical Examples
1 – Recording and Billing a Technician's Maintenance Visit
A technician performs maintenance at a customer's site. Afterwards, a new record is created in the Timesheets module with the start and end time of the deployment. The corresponding organization is linked and the timesheet is referenced with the associated service Maintenance and the related ticket. The status is set to completed.
At the end of the month, all timesheets to be billed are selected via checkbox in the list view and transferred directly as line items into a new invoice via the Bill Timesheets action. The timesheet title is taken as the position title, the total time in hours as the quantity. The Timesheet Billed field is automatically set to active.
2 – Recording Daily Project Hours and Billing Collectively
A project team member records their daily hours for an ongoing customer project. For each working day, a timesheet is created with a descriptive title, start and end time, and a link to the project. The assigned service determines the later billing price per hour.
At the end of the month, the project manager opens the Projects module, navigates to the detail view of the project and calls up all unbilled timesheets via the Bill Timesheets action. The times are transferred directly as line items into a new invoice — brainX sums up the total times per timesheet and passes them as hours quantity to the invoice line item.
3 – Billing Timesheets Without a Service via Default Service
An employee records timesheets without explicitly specifying a service for each entry. Since a default service is stored in their personal settings under My Settings – Additional Settings, this is automatically used for billing.
When using the Bill Timesheets action, brainX checks for each timesheet whether a service is stored. If none is found, the default service of the timesheet's responsible user is used — not the one of the logged-in user triggering the billing. If neither a service on the timesheet nor a default service in the settings is stored, a corresponding notification is displayed.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
In which packages is the Timesheets module available?
The Timesheets module is available in brainX CRM in the Service and Projects packages. In brainX APP, the module is available by default.
How is the total time of a timesheet calculated?
The Total Time is automatically calculated as the difference between End Date/Time and Start Date/Time and displayed in hours. The field is only visible in the detail view, not in the edit view.
What is the prerequisite for using the "Bill Timesheets" action?
The Bill Timesheets action is only available if the Contingents module or the Time Tracking integration is active. In addition, for each timesheet to be billed, either a service must be stored directly on the record or a default service must be defined in the personal settings of the responsible user.
Which fields of a timesheet are transferred to the invoice when billing?
When billing, the Timesheet Title is taken as the position title and the Total Time in Hours as the quantity in the line item. One separate line item per timesheet is created in the line item group of the new invoice.
What happens if a timesheet has already been billed and is selected again?
If an already-billed timesheet is selected during the Bill Timesheets action, a notification popup appears with the record number and name of the timesheet. This prevents double billing. If an invoice for a timesheet is cancelled, the timesheet is considered unbilled again and the action is available once more.
Can I enter a group in the "Responsible" field of a timesheet?
No. A group cannot be selected in the Responsible field of a timesheet — an individual user must always be entered. If groups are still stored as responsible users in master data, this cannot be changed when editing; in this case, a corresponding notification message appears during billing.