Use Time Sheets

You can use time sheets in Business Central to track absence, and to track time and resources that are spent on a project. With time management, you can identify issues early, and avoid delays or cost overruns. With time sheets, a resource can easily report time usage for an individual or a machine, and a manager can easily review the usage and its allocation. This article describes how to create a time sheet, define work types, fill in the time sheet, and submit it for approval.

You can copy and use your job planning lines in a time sheet. In that way, you must only enter the information in one place and the line information is always correct.

After you have approved time sheet entries for a job, you can post them to the relevant job journal or resource journal.

Before you can use time sheets, you must set up general information and specify an administrator and one or more approvers of time sheets. For more information, see Set Up Time Sheets.

[!TIP] Starting in 2021 release wave 2, you can manage assigned time sheets on a mobile device. However, your administrator may have to enable the Feature Update: New time sheet experience feature in the Feature Management page to use this capability. For more information, see Set Up Time Sheets.

To create time sheets

You can use the Create Time Sheets batch job to set up time sheets for a specified number of time periods or weeks. Then, the time sheet owner can open it and record time that has been spent on a task. You can also schedule the batch job to run automatically.

[!IMPORTANT] You must have permissions to be able to create time sheets. For more information, see Set Up Time Sheets.

Choose the icon, enter Time Sheets, and then choose the related link.
On the Time Sheets page, choose the Create Time Sheets action.
Fill in the fields as necessary. Hover over a field to read a short description.

[!NOTE]
The Use Time Sheet and Time Sheet Owner User ID fields must be filled in on the card for the resource of the time sheet.

Optionally, choose the Schedule action to specify how often you want the task to run automatically. For example, to configure the task to run weekly for four weeks, in the Schedule a Report - Create Time Sheets page, set the Next Run Date Formula field to 4W. For more information, see Scheduling a Report to Run.
Choose the OK button.

You can view the time sheets that you have created on the Time Sheets page. Each time sheet consists of one or more lines that define the time that you want to submit for approval. The following table describes the types of lines that you can add to the time sheet.

Field	Description
	Use to add a note or marker in the Description field of the time sheet line. For example, you can use this field to categorize time sheet entries. If you leave the Type field empty for a time sheet line, you cannot enter time values in the weekday fields for that line.
Absence	Use to register the time you are absent during a work week. To complete the information for the line, specify the type of absence in the Cause of Absence Code field.
Assembly Order	Used to register time for assembly orders. A time sheet line of this type is created during the posting of assembly order lines for which the resource is set up to use time sheets. You cannot manually select a line of this type.
Job	Use to register time usage for a project. To complete the information for the line, specify the job number and the job task number for which you want to register time. You can register time for lines that you have not scheduled.
Resource	Use to register time usage for a resource. To complete the information for the line, provide a description of the work.
Service	Use to register time usage for a service order or service credit memo.

For example, to submit a time sheet for a work week where you worked on cleaning tasks most days but had one day off due to medical appointments, you would add lines as illustrated in the following table.

Type	Description	Work Type Code	Absence Type Code
Resource	Work hours	Cleaning
Absence	Time off		Health
	I had to take Tuesday off due to a medical appointment.

In this hypothetical example, you would then register the relevant hours across the relevant days in the fields for each weekday.

[!TIP] In most cases, your company will have predefined work types for the various types of lines. In those cases, you just choose the relevant work type from the list, and then you add your own description.

Choose the work type by choosing the :image type="icon" source="media/assist-edit-icon.png" border="false": button in the Description field, by choosing the Activity Details action and then specifying it in the page that opens, or by choosing it in the Work Type Code field or the Absence Type Code field, respectively. In this case, you can ignore the To define work types and add one to a time sheet section.

To reuse time sheet lines in other time sheets

If your time sheet information remains the same from time period to time period, you can save time by copying the lines from the previous time period. Then, you just enter your time usage for the new period.

Choose the icon, enter Time Sheets, and then choose the related link.
Open the time sheet for a period later than the period for an existing time sheet with lines.
Choose the Copy Lines from Previous Time Sheet action.

The lines are copied, including details such as type and description. For example, if the line is related to a job, the Job No. is copied. All copied lines have the status Open. You can now modify the lines as needed.

To copy job planning lines to a time sheet

The following procedure describes how to quickly add job planning lines to a time sheet.

Choose the icon, enter Time Sheets, and then choose the related link.
On the Time Sheets page, select a time sheet for the relevant time period.
Choose the Create lines from job planning action. Any job planning lines in the time sheet time period are copied to the time sheet for the person or machine in the Resource No. field on the time sheet.

To define work types and add one to a time sheet

You can define the work type for all time sheet lines for service orders, job orders, and resources. In this way, you can add information that you need to bill the customer for different types of work.

In the Time Sheets page, choose the relevant time sheet.
On the first of the lines in the Lines section, choose the Type field, and then choose the relevant type, such as Resource.
Choose the Description field, and then, in the Time Sheet Line Resource Detail page, fill in the fields. Hover over a field to read a short description.
1. If no work types exist, chose the New action.
2. On the Work Types page, fill in the fields as necessary, and then return to the time sheet.
Fill in the rest of the time sheet. For more information, see the To fill in time sheet lines and submit for approval section.

[!TIP] Similar steps apply to defining absence codes.

To fill in time sheet lines and submit for approval

Time sheet registration is tracked in hours, the standard base unit of measure for resources. By default, a time sheet shows the common work days of Monday through Friday.

Choose the icon, enter Time Sheets, and then choose the related link.
Select a time sheet for the relevant period.
Fill in the fields on a line as necessary. Enter the number of hours used by the resource on each day of the week.

In most cases, to track work, you add a line of type Resource, and then you register hours spent each day. If you want to register absence, you add a line of type Absence.

[!TIP]
You can review the sum of time sheet hours that you have entered in the Actual/Budgeted Summary FactBox.
Repeat step 3 for other work types that the resource performs.

Next, you must decide if you want to submit all lines on the time sheet, or if you want to submit individual lines.
- To submit the time sheet for one or more lines, choose the relevant line, and then choose the Submit action.
  
  In the submission page, choose the Selected lines only option. The line changes state from Open to Submitted.
- To submit the time sheet for all open lines, choose the Submit action at the top of the Time Sheet page.
  
  You'll be asked to confirm that you want to submit all open lines on the current time sheet.
[!NOTE]
You can only submit time sheet lines for which you have entered time.
To modify information on a line that has been set to Submitted, select the line, and then choose the Reopen action.

[!NOTE]
A manager may reject a time sheet line that is submitted for approval. If a line has the status Rejected, you can make changes to the line, and then choose Submit again.
Choose the OK button.

To approve or reject a time sheet

A time sheet must be submitted for approval before it can be used. You can approve and reject individual lines on a time sheet or send them back to the submitter for additional action. A time sheet can be approved in two ways:

A time sheet administrator can approve any time sheet.
The person who is specified in the Time Sheet Approver User ID field on a resource card can approve that resource's time sheets. For more information, see Set Up Time Sheets.

Choose the icon, enter Manager Time Sheets, and then choose the related link.
Select a time sheet from the list.
On the Time Sheet page,
1. Choose the Process action, then choose the Approve action.
2. Choose the All submitted lines action to approve all lines or the Selected lines only action to approve only the lines that are selected on the Time Sheet page.
Choose the OK button.
Alternatively, choose the Reject action and follow steps 4 through 5.

[!TIP]
Use the Time Sheet Status and Actual/Budgeted Summary FactBoxes to get an overview of time sheet information.

After you have approved or rejected a time sheet, it cannot be modified unless it is first reopened. The following procedure explains how to reopen an approved or rejected time sheet.

To reopen a time sheet

Choose the icon, enter Manager Time Sheets or Time Sheets, and then choose the related link.
Open a time sheet from the list.

[!NOTE]
You can only reopen lines that have the status Approved. You cannot reopen lines that have the status Rejected. You cannot reopen a time sheet if it has been posted.
On the Time Sheet page, choose the Reopen action, and then choose the All submitted lines action to reopen all lines or the Selected lines only action to reopen only the lines that are selected on the Time Sheet page.
Choose the OK button. The status of the time sheets line or lines is changes to Submitted.

To view and approve time sheets by job

On a job, you can specify a person who is responsible for the job. That information is linked to time sheet lines, and can be used to provide a list of the time sheets that a project manager is required to review and approve. For example, the team project manager may be responsible for certain jobs in your company. In that case, the manager should be designated as the Person Responsible on the job card. In this view of time sheet information, you can see the job tasks associated with a job and the quantity of hours used.

[!NOTE] To be able to approve time sheets in the Manager Time Sheet by Job window, you must first select a Time Sheet by Job Approval option in the Resources Setup page. For more information, see Set Up Resources.

To approve or reject a time sheet by job

In the Search box, enter Manager Time Sheet by Job, and then choose the related link. Business Central displays a list of time sheet lines associated with the jobs for which you have responsibility.
Choose the Approve action, and then choose the All submitted lines action to approve all lines or the Selected lines only action to approve only the lines that are selected on the Time Sheet page.

[!NOTE] You can only approve time sheets that have the status of Submitted.
To provide additional information about the approval or rejection, select the Related action, then select Comments and then Line Comments and enter comments.
Choose the OK button.

[!NOTE] After you have approved or rejected a time sheet line by job, it cannot be reopened or modified in the Time Sheet window.

To post time sheet lines in a resource journal

After you have approved time sheet entries for a resource, you can post them to the relevant resource journal.

Choose the icon, enter Resource Journals, and then choose the related link.
Choose the Suggest Lines from Time Sheets action.
On the Suggest Res Jnl. Lines page, in the fields as necessary.
Choose the OK button. Entries for usage are created in the resource journal, where you can modify the information as needed.
Choose the Post action.
To verify the posting, choose the Ledger Entries action. The Resource Ledger Entries page opens showing the result of posting the resource journal.

To post time sheet lines in a job journal

After you have approved time sheet entries for a job, you can post them to the relevant job journal.

Choose the icon, enter Job Journals, and then choose the related link.
Choose the Suggest Lines from Time Sheets action.
On the Suggest Job Jnl. Lines page, fill in the fields as necessary.
Choose the OK button. Entries for usage are created in the job journal, where you can modify the information as needed.

[!NOTE]
Information about work type and whether the work is chargeable is copied from the time sheet line. If needed, you can reduce the quantity of hours and do a partial posting. If you reduce the quantity, then the next time that you choose the Suggest Lines From Time Sheets action, the line that is created will contain the remaining quantity of hours.
Choose the Post action.
To verify the posting, choose the Ledger Entries action. The Job Ledger Entries page opens showing the result of posting the resource journal.

To archive time sheets

After you have posted time sheets, you can archive them for future reference. All time sheets lines must be posted before a time sheet can be archived.

[!NOTE]
When you archive a time sheet, it is removed from the lists in both the Time Sheets page and the Manager Time Sheets page.

Choose the icon, enter Time Sheets, and then choose the related link.
Select the Move Time Sheets to Archive action.
On the Move Time Sheets to Archive page, fill in the fields as necessary, and then choose the OK button.
To review archived time sheets, choose the icon, enter Time Sheet Archives or Manager Time Sheet Archives, and then choose the related link.

ms.topic: include ms.date: 12/20/2021 ms.author: edupont

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