Time Entry Tool

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This article explains about the Time Entry Tool and how to use while working on legal matters.

The Time Entry Tool is like a time sheet organized by your company's billing time periods. You can enter time entry records using the Time Entry Tool. In addition, you can post or void time entries using the tool.

You can perform the following tasks using the Time Entry Tool:

Opening the Time Entry Tool
Adding a Time Entry
Posting a Task
Voiding a Time Entry

Opening the Time Entry Tool

You might be able to open the Time Entry Tool from one of the following locations:

From the My Pending Tasks portal pane on your homepage, click the Enter Time link.
From the All Services tab, under Tools, click the Time Entry Tool link.
From an open matter (for example, Transaction, Dispute, Project), select the Activities tab, and click the Time Entry Tool link.

Time Entry Tool Screen Field Descriptions

The table below contains the default field information for the Time Entry Tool. The fields that you see may vary based on your system settings and assigned rights.

Time Entry Tool Fields

Field or control	Description
Add	Click to add the time entry to the table.
Remove	Click to remove the selected time entries from the existing time entries table.
Show	Select one of the following: All—Displays posted and unposted time entries. Posted—Displays only posted time entries. Unposted—Displays only unposted time entries.
Tasks For	Click the icon next to the field to select a date within the desired time period.
Timekeeper	Select the Timekeeper for the time entry. By default, your name displays. If you have the rights to act as timekeeper for other timekeepers, their names also display in the drop-down list.
Available Hours	(read-only) Displays the total billable hours for this time period.
Total Hours	(read-only) Displays the current total number of hours for the time entries in this time period. This field displays in red while the Total Hours value is less than the Available Hours value.
Post All	Click to post all current time entries for this time period.
Void All	Click to void all current time entries for this time period.
Matter	Find and select the matter you want to associate with the time entry.
Description	Enter a description of the time entry.
Category	Select the appropriate category for the time entry.
Completed On	Enter a date or click the calendar icon next to the field to select the date when the time entry is completed.
Hours	Enter the number of hours spent for the time entry.
Posting Status	(read-only) Displays one of the following: Posted—The time entry has been submitted as a billable activity. Not Posted—The time entry has not been submitted as a billable activity.
Time Entry table	Displays the list of time entries. Select the corresponding check boxes on the left to edit, delete, post, or void the respective time entries.
Post	Click to post the selected time entries to their respective accounts.
Void	Click to void the selected time entries.

Adding a Time Entry

The following procedures describe the default Time Entry Tool fields. If your TeamConnect Legal Administrator has customized the Time Entry Tool, you may see different fields on your screen.

To add a time entry using the Time Entry Tool

From the All Services tab, under Tools, click the Time Entry Tool link.
From the Tasks For field, click the icon and select a date from the time period for which you will add time entries.
Select a name from the Timekeepers drop-down list. If you have been given the right to act as a designated timekeeper, you can add a time entry for another timekeeper.
For each time entry, complete the following:
- Enter a Description for the time entry.
- From the Completed On field, click the Calendar icon and select the date of task completion.
- Select a Matter to associate with the time entry.
- From the Category drop-down list, select a task category.
- Enter the Hours spent on the task. For example, 5.5.
After completing the time entry, click Add.
The time entries table should update and display the new time entry.

Possible Time Entry Tool Results Messages

Cannot add Time Entry because Time period is processed—The administrator who reviews time periods closed this period. Contact the administrator for more information.
Description in Task cannot be null or empty—You tried to add a time entry without typing a short description.

Time Entry Tool and Task Records

In addition to adding a time entry using the Time Entry Tool, you can create a task from a New Task screen or a matter's Activities page.

Note: The Time Entry Tool only displays these task records you created if you select a Category also in the drop-down list of the time entry tool settings.

The following table displays the relationship between Time Entry Tool fields, Task field names (Matter Management Object Model), and Task record field names.

Time Entry Tool and Task-related Fields

Time Entry Tool Label Names	Task Field Names (Object Model)	Task Record Field Labels
Description	shortDescription	Subject
Completed On	completedOn	Completed On
Matter	project	Dispute, Transaction, Project
Category	defaultCategory	Default Category
Hours	actualHours	Actual Work
Activity Item	activityItem	Activity

Posting a Task

You can either post all time entries for a time period at once or post time entries for that Time Period individually.

To post a time entry you enter using the time entry tool, you must update the billing information from the task record.

To update billing information for a task

Open the matter associated with the time entry.
Click the Activities link in the left pane.
Click the time entry link in the Tasks section. Find the Description entered with the Time Entry Tool in the subject column.
Click Edit.
Enter a Rate under Billing Information.
Save the record.

To post a task in the Time Entry Tool

From the All Services tab, under Tools, click the Time Entry Tool link.
From the Tasks For field, click the icon and select a date from the time period for which you will post time entries.
Select a name from the Timekeepers drop-down list. If you have been given the right to act as a designated timekeeper, you can add a time entry for another timekeeper.
Determine which time entries you want to post:
- To post all time entries simultaneously, click Post All.
- To post individual time entries, check the box(es) in the time entries table for the tasks to post, and click Post.

The time entry's Posting Status displays Posted for each posted time entry.

Troubleshooting

If you receive this post rejected message, perform the following actions:

Check the budget for the related matter to verify that the account has sufficient money.
Make sure the entry has enough billing information.

Voiding a Time Entry

For time entries that have been posted, you can reverse the action by voiding them. You can either void all time entries for a time period at once or void time entries individually.

To void a time entry from the Time Entry Tool

From the All Services tab, under Tools, click the Time Entry Tool link.
From the Tasks For field, click the icon and select a date from the time period for which you will void time entries.
Select a name from the Timekeepers drop-down list. If you have been given the right to act as a designated timekeeper, you can add a time entry for another timekeeper.
Determine which time entries you want to void:
- To void all time entries simultaneously, click Void All.
- To void time entries individually, check the box(es) in the time entries table for the time entries to void, and click Void.
The time entry's Posting Status should display Not Posted.