The Hidden Costs of Excel and Paper Timesheets

Relying on outdated methods like Microsoft Excel and paper timesheets for managing crews is no longer practical. While these approaches might appear cost-effective at first glance, they carry hidden costs that can negatively impact productivity, accuracy, and the success of your projects. Adopting a digital solution like ProjectContexts provides a more efficient and streamlined way to manage crew timesheets, helping to improve overall performance and outcomes. 

The Limitations of Excel and Paper Timesheets  

  1. Human Error and Inaccuracy 

Traditional timesheet management is highly prone to errors. Manual entry, whether through paper or Excel, can easily result in mistakes—illegible handwriting, calculation errors, or accidental omissions. These mistakes lead to payroll discrepancies, compliance issues, and a loss of time fixing errors that should have never occurred in the first place. Over time, even small errors in Excel formulas can accumulate, creating significant data inaccuracies that are costly to identify and correct. 

  1. Inefficiency and Time Consumption 

Handling timesheets manually is labor-intensive. Paper submissions need to be manually entered into Excel, doubling the workload and diverting resources from more strategic tasks. Furthermore, data from these methods is not accessible in real time, making it difficult to spot issues or adjust resources promptly. 

  1. Lack of Real-Time Insights 

Delayed access to timesheet data can hinder decision-making. Managers can’t act on outdated information, which affects project timelines and resource allocation. Additionally, creating meaningful reports using Excel or paper records is cumbersome and often lacks the depth needed for informed strategic planning. 

Why a Digital Solution Like ProjectContexts is Essential 

  1. Enhanced Accuracy and Efficiency 

ProjectContexts automates much of the timesheet process, reducing the chance for human error. While data entry may still be manual, the platform’s ability to standardize inputs and offer real-time insights ensures that any issues are caught and corrected promptly. With real-time data at their fingertips, managers can make faster and more informed decisions that improve overall project efficiency. 

  1. Streamlined Processes 

By digitizing crew management, ProjectContexts simplifies timesheet tracking and reduces the need for administrative overhead. Staff who previously spent hours entering and reconciling timesheets can now focus on higher-value tasks. The platform also makes information readily accessible, improving response times and resource allocation. 

  1. Comprehensive Reporting and Analytics 

One of ProjectContexts’ standout features is its robust reporting tools. Managers can access deep insights into crew performance, project progress, and resource utilization, enabling more data-driven decisions. With powerful analytics, trends can be identified, future needs forecasted, and strategic decisions made that help drive project success. 

  1. Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability 

Beyond improving efficiency and accuracy, ProjectContexts is a more economical alternative to traditional methods. The platform cuts down on the costs associated with manual data entry, error correction, and other administrative overheads. Furthermore, as organizations grow, ProjectContexts scales with them, ensuring that timesheet management remains smooth and efficient regardless of the project’s size. 

Conclusion 

 
Relying on Excel and paper for crew timesheet management is not just outdated—it’s a liability. These methods introduce errors, inefficiencies, and delays that can harm project success and your bottom line. By switching to a digital solution like ProjectContexts, you can transform your timesheet management process, improving accuracy, efficiency, and decision-making. Ready to elevate your crew management? Start your 30-day free trial of ProjectContexts today and experience the benefits firsthand. 

Experience the future of project management—sign up for ProjectContexts now! 

Crew Feature: On-Site Tracking Made Easy

Project managers often face the challenge of effectively tracking the progress of on-site teams. Unlike offsite teams who may routinely update their status on project management applications, on-site workers are less inclined to do so after a demanding day. The logistical and financial impracticality of procuring individual licenses for each member further complicates this issue. But what if there was a solution that could transform this tedious task into a streamlined process? 

The Problem with Conventional Tracking: 

Traditionally, on-site progress tracking falls on the shoulders of the supervisor, involving paper timesheets or Excel files. This method not only consumes valuable time but also introduces the risk of human error, particularly when transferring data to a master file—a painstaking process often riddled with complex formulas. 

Introducing the Crew Feature: 

ProjectContexts introduces the Crew feature, designed to revolutionize on-site team progress tracking. Imagine the foreman logging into the ProjectContexts app, entering the day’s work for each crew member, and submitting it for approval—all within minutes. The project manager then reviews and approves these digital timesheets, with the approved hours automatically updating the project’s progress. 

Crew Timesheet Feature

Key Advantages: 

  • Efficiency: Eliminates the need for redundant data entry, freeing up your team to focus on more productive work. 
  • Accuracy: Reduces the likelihood of errors associated with manual transcription, ensuring more reliable project metrics. 
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Saves on the cost of individual licenses with a centralized system designed for ease of use and maximum benefit. 
  • Real-Time Updates: Provides up-to-date project progress metrics, updates of time to completion, tracking overtime, per-diems, etc 
  • Team member performance allows performance review of non-employee team members that can be used for follow-up projects with those team members. 

Conclusion: 

The Crew feature in the ProjectContexts app presents a practical and efficient solution for project managers. Simplifying the time tracking process allows teams to devote their energy to where it truly matters—getting the job done on the ground. Embrace a new era of project management with ProjectContexts, where innovation meets the real-world needs of project teams. 

Ready to streamline your project tracking and boost on-site efficiency? Discover how the Crew feature of ProjectContexts can transform your approach to progress updates. Sign up for a free trial now or Book a call with one of our professionals to discuss how ProjectContexts can work for you! 

Approving Time Sheets: The Dynamics of Streamlined Workflow

Organizations are turning to streamlined processes for timesheet approvals in pursuing employee empowerment and reducing micro-management by project managers. This article explores the intricacies of the timesheet approval process, emphasizing the importance of compliance and introducing an automated approval system that aligns with the principles of ProjectContexts.

Timesheet Compliance

The foundation of the timesheet approval process lies in adhering to corporate compliance requirements. These requirements often include specifics like the latest weekday for submitting a timesheet and the minimum number of hours required. The compliance administrator, designated through administrative role permissions, plays a crucial role in certifying the timesheet or sending it back to the user for corrections.

In essence, a well-defined compliance framework ensures that timesheets are submitted in a timely and accurate manner, contributing to a more efficient project management ecosystem.

Approval Process Flowchart

The approval process itself is visualized by a flowchart (See Figure 1) depicting the sequential steps that a timesheet undergoes from submission to final approval. This systematic approach ensures clarity and transparency, reducing the likelihood of errors and delays. You can learn more by reviewing our previous blog post on employees and employee classification here

Figure 1: Approval process for submitting timesheets through ProjectContexts

Approvers and Dynamic Hierarchy

One of the key components of the approval process is the involvement of approvers. These team members are determined by the associated dynamic hierarchy (which is discussed in detail in our blog post on Ownership which you can read here), where an issue owner may approve on an action item, a task can be approved by the task owner, or a higher-up system owner or project manager may have the authority to give the final nod.

What sets this process apart is its automation – an approver can edit “remaining hours” seamlessly, and the entire workflow is managed without manual interventions. This not only saves time but also minimizes the risk of human errors.

Tying in ProjectContexts

Now, imagine taking this efficient timesheet approval process to the next level with ProjectContexts. ProjectContexts is an innovative platform that integrates seamlessly with existing project management systems, providing a comprehensive solution for teams to collaborate, communicate, and manage tasks more effectively.

With ProjectContexts, you can enhance your time sheet approval process by leveraging its advanced features:

  • Real-time collaboration: Foster better communication among team members, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
  • Centralized task management: Streamline tasks and approvals in one centralized location, reducing the need for constant back-and-forth communication.
  • Customizable workflows: Tailor workflows to suit your organization’s unique needs, ensuring a perfect fit for your timesheet approval process.

Sign Up for a Free Trial Today!

Ready to revolutionize your time sheet approval process? Sign up for a free trial of ProjectContexts powerful project management platform today! Experience firsthand how our platform can elevate your project management efficiency, enhance collaboration, and bring a new level of automation to your workflow. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to streamline your processes and empower your team. Sign up now and take the first step towards a more productive and empowered workforce!

Intuitive Project Management: Avoid the Schedule-Centric Approach for Better Results

Intuitive Project Management focuses on Scope before Scheduling to ensure that all captured data is used to benefit the projects success.

Project Portfolio Management: Enhanced Vision Across Teams

ProjectContexts stands out by placing a strategic emphasis beyond mere scheduling. As explained in great detail in our most recent blog post on Intuitive Project Management, The ProjectContexts platform distinguishes itself from other project management software by not relying on a schedule-centric approach. The Portfolio menu, a key highlight, empowers users to not only visualize schedules across various projects but also delve into a comprehensive comparison of diverse project management elements.

1. Portfolio Overview:

Upon selecting the ‘Portfolio’ option from the upper menu users are presented with a detailed sub-menu. This feature serves as a pivotal hub for holistic project management insights.

2. Portfolio Documents:

The Portfolio Documents menu is the corporate PMO library, representing a wealth of invaluable resources. While documents are non-editable within the portfolio menu, users can seamlessly manage them by editing, adding, or deleting them within the document section of the respective projects.

3. Resource Usage Table:

Delving into resource management, ProjectContexts introduces the Resource Usage Table. This feature offers a comprehensive breakdown of scheduled and unscheduled estimates. Scheduled estimates pertain to elements in the Gantt chart, while unscheduled estimates, reflecting “remaining hours,” are associated with contexts, issues, and action items. Importantly, all estimates are presented “as of today”.

4. Portfolio Schedules:

The Portfolio Schedules feature enables users to filter displayed projects based on criteria such as activity status. This ensures a focused, tailored view of the project landscape.

5. Portfolio Contexts:

An integral aspect of ProjectContexts is the ability to search for contexts across all projects. This achievement is materialized in the Portfolio Contexts section. With the appropriate license, users can seamlessly search for Lessons Learned, Risks, Quality Issues, Safety Issues, and more across historical and current projects.

Summary

ProjectContexts Portfolio features transcend traditional project management boundaries, offering a holistic view of project elements. From the comprehensive document library to resource usage insights and context-based searches, ProjectContexts empowers users with a versatile project management experience.

Ready to explore ProjectContexts Portfolio features? Sign up for our free trial today.

Micromanagement: The Curse of the Project Manager

Micromanagement has long been perceived as the curse of project managers, impeding their productivity and diverting their focus from strategic planning to the nitty-gritty details. Despite the advent of contemporary project management platforms like Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, and Monday.com, micromanagement remains an enduring challenge for senior project managers. These platforms, designed to streamline project processes, often inadvertently foster micromanagement, gripping project managers in the labyrinth of complex algorithms and restrictive policies.

Challenges with Micromanagement in Contemporary Platforms:

1. Complicated Schedule Updates: Updating schedules, a fundamental aspect of project management, becomes a tedious and time-consuming task. Contemporary platforms, with their intricate algorithms, demand a deep understanding, restricting read/write access to team members. This often results in project managers shouldering the entire burden of schedule updates, exacerbating micromanagement tendencies.

2. Approval Bottlenecks for Timesheets: Approval processes for timesheets, crucial for payroll and project management, often encounter bottlenecks. While the accounting department holds authority over payroll matters, it lacks project-specific insights. This void leaves the project manager as the default approver, adding another layer to micromanagement.

3. Task Neglect towards Project End: As projects near completion, the motivation to update tasks diminishes, leading to incomplete and inaccurate project templates. This reluctance stems from the perception that late-stage task updates might not significantly impact the project’s overall outcome. Unfortunately, this practice can result in incorrect durations becoming ingrained in future project templates.

ProjectContexts: A Micromanagement Solution:

In response to these challenges, ProjectContexts emerges as a beacon of relief for project managers striving to break free from micromanagement shackles.

1. Ownership Concept: ProjectContexts introduces the innovative concept of “Ownership,” allowing project managers to delegate detailed management tasks to designated team members. This not only boosts employee satisfaction and empowerment but also leverages specialized knowledge within the team. The Ownership permissions utility, editable by the project manager, ensures seamless collaboration and distributed responsibility.

2. Streamlined Schedule Updates: Recognizing that not every team member may possess an intimate knowledge of the platform, ProjectContexts simplifies the process of updating schedules. With user-friendly interfaces and simplified permissions, designated Owners can effortlessly contribute to schedule updates without grappling with intricate platform algorithms.

3. Accessibility Beyond the Schedule: Breaking free from the conventional schedule-centric approach, ProjectContexts allows task updates from outside the schedule. Team members, even without direct access, can easily report on the status of their tasks, fostering a collaborative and transparent environment.

4. Auto-duration Facility: ProjectContexts incorporates an auto-duration facility, streamlining the process of batch auto-task duration updates. This feature enhances accuracy and reduces the manual effort required for repetitive tasks, freeing project managers from mundane micromanagement responsibilities.

5. Simplicity in Updates: The simplicity in updating functions such as “Start” and “Finish” with ProjectContexts empowers users with simple keystrokes. The ease of redoing tasks and recalculating durations ensures accuracy, especially when utilizing follow-on templates.

6. Comprehensive Reporting: Acknowledging the significant time spent on generating reports, ProjectContexts provides on-demand, up-to-date schedule overviews, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), and contract status reports. These reports are easily accessible online, eliminating the need for unnecessary manual reporting efforts.

Conclusion and Call to Action:

Project managers, burdened with the weight of micromanagement, can now embrace ProjectContexts as a liberating solution. By fostering a culture of Ownership, simplifying updates, and providing comprehensive reporting features, ProjectContexts alleviates micromanagement challenges and propels projects toward success. To experience the transformative power of ProjectContexts, sign up for our free trial today and revolutionize your project management experience. Break free from micromanagement and embrace efficient, collaborative project management with ProjectContexts.

Time and Cost Baselines: How To Interpret Progress Data

Effective control over time and costs is paramount. ProjectContexts, our advanced project management platform, empowers you to establish and manage both Time and Cost Baselines seamlessly.

Schedule / Time Baselines

A project baseline is a crucial tool that can be incorporated at any stage, with the flexibility of creating an unlimited number of baseline schedules. Once selected, the baseline is intricately integrated into the current schedule, providing a graphical representation. However, graphical displays have limitations. To overcome this, ProjectContexts offers a robust reporting utility. This utility (See Figure 1) facilitates a comprehensive table-based comparison between the current schedule and the baseline schedule, including actual hours, remaining hours, and the estimate for total hours at completion.

Figure 1: Baseline Selection

The simplicity of a single keystroke activates the Baseline utility, as shown in Figure 1. On the schedule, the selected baseline is graphically overlaid, as illustrated in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Baseline Overlayed on Current Schedule

To delve deeper, a baseline report provides insights into differences between baselines and disparities between a baseline and the current schedule, as seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Differences Between 2 Baselines

Creating, Viewing, and Selecting Baseline

Progress tracking reports for individual project elements, such as overall project, systems, and tasks, also display the baseline graphically. In Figure 4, the baseline is instrumental in interpreting progress reports. For instance, “scope 2” could explain a slight uptick in the estimated remaining hours around September 2022.

Figure 4: Baselines Used for Interpretation of Progress Reports

Cost Baselines

Parallel to time baselines, cost baselines play a vital role, focusing on total costs, including labor costs based on standard skill classifications. Figure 5 exemplifies the creation of a cost baseline, mirroring the process for a time baseline.

Figure 5: Cost Baseline Created

To gain insights into cost-related metrics, ProjectContexts offers a dedicated Cost Baseline report, illustrated in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Cost Baseline Report

In conclusion, ProjectContexts provides an integrated solution for project managers to manage time and cost baselines effectively, enhancing project control and decision-making. To experience the full potential of ProjectContexts, sign up for our free trial today and elevate your project management capabilities.

Ready to optimize your projects? Reach out to speak to a ProjectContexts professional today OR Sign up for a free trial here of ProjectContexts now!

Cost Resources: Estimate and Track Your Project Costs Efficiently

In our latest newsletter, we explored the intricacies of supplier contracts, delving into specifications, general conditions, and payment terms. Today, let’s expand on this and discuss the multifaceted realm of supplier costs, how they are categorized, quoted, tracked, and ultimately reported within ProjectContexts.

1. Cost Types (Corporate Admin): In ProjectContexts, we adhere to a standardized procedure of categorizing costs as much as possible. This not only facilitates easy identification but also empowers users to search and filter for the same type across various projects, past and present. Figure 1 illustrates this process within the Admin/Project Settings Menu, showcasing the importance of predefined corporate types for efficient project management.

Figure 1: Cost Types (Admin / Project Settings Menu)

2. Project-specific Cost Quotes: Within the project domain, the identification of actual quotes is paramount. Figure 2 provides a snapshot of this phase, emphasizing the flexibility to use a dummy supplier during the planning stage until the actual supplier is determined.

Figure 2: Cost Quotes

3. Cost Tracking: ProjectContexts goes a step further by meticulously tracking total costs for specific supplier costs. Figures 3 and 4 showcase the dynamic nature of cost tracking, allowing users to focus on a particular activity through the [Filter Activities] drop-down box. Moreover, a detailed breakdown is available in Figure 5, offering transparency into the intricacies of each activity’s cost structure.

Figure 3:  Supplier Cost Tracking for the Project
Figure 4: Supplier Cost Tracking for the Project-2
Figure 5: Activity Cost Breakdown

4. Cost Breakdown for Specific Activities: For a granular view, ProjectContexts enables users to drill down into the cost breakdown of specific activities. Figures 6 and 7 showcase the costs associated with the task [drum preliminary analysis], providing valuable insights for efficient project management.

Figure 6: Cost Breakdown for a specific Activity -1
Figure 7: Cost Breakdown for a specific Activity -2

5. Cost Baselines Report: All these costs culminate in the Cost Baselines report, offering a comprehensive summary. Figure 8 exemplifies this by providing a high-level overview of the project’s financial landscape.

Figure 8: Cost Baselines Report

Conclusion: Efficient project management demands a robust system for handling supplier costs. ProjectContexts not only simplifies this process but also ensures transparency and accountability at every stage. To experience the full capabilities of ProjectContexts, sign up for our free trial today and revolutionize the way you manage project costs.

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Currencies: When Do You Need to Use a Multicurrency Platform

As a seasoned Project Manager, I understand the challenges that come with handling multiple currencies within a single project. In today’s global business landscape, it’s not uncommon for a US-based engineering company to secure contracts overseas, adding layers of complexity to financial management.

The Currency Conundrum

Let’s consider a scenario: You’re managing a significant project for a German client, with the contract denominated in Euros. The catch? Your labor resources are based in the US, and certain services are subcontracted to a Canadian engineering firm, invoiced in Canadian Dollars (CAD). Juggling these diverse currencies can quickly become a headache if not managed effectively.

The Currencies in Play:

  1. Accounting Currency (USD):
    • This is the company’s standard currency, including labor costs, making it easier to track and manage.
  2. Project Currency (USD or Euro):
    • A crucial decision for Project Managers. In ProjectContexts, the default is set to the Customer contract’s currency, streamlining the project’s financial overview.
  3. Supplier Contract Currency (Any):
    • Recognizing that supplier contracts may vary, ProjectContexts allows flexibility in choosing any currency as per the contractual agreement.

The ProjectContexts Advantage

In addressing these challenges, ProjectContexts offers a powerful solution, ensuring transparency and efficiency in managing currencies. Here’s how:

Currency Exchange Utility (See Figure 1)

ProjectContexts includes a transparent currency exchange utility that automatically updates exchange rates every 24 hours. This feature simplifies the currency conversion process, seamlessly integrating it into the report generation.

Figure 1: Currency conversions for cashflow report

Streamlining Financial Oversight

With ProjectContexts, Project Managers gain the ability to:

  • Choose Relevant Currencies:
    • Select the accounting, project, and supplier contract currencies that best suit the project’s needs.
  • Real-Time Exchange Rates:
    • Enjoy the convenience of up-to-date exchange rates, ensuring accurate and timely currency conversions.
  • Effortless Cashflow Reports:
    • Generate comprehensive reports with transparent currency conversions, providing a holistic view of project finances.

Your Next Step: ProjectContexts Free Trial

Ready to simplify your project management experience? Sign up for ProjectContexts’ free trial today. Experience firsthand how our innovative approach to currency management can transform the way you handle global projects. Embrace efficiency, transparency, and control – all in one comprehensive project management solution.

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What are the Contexts in a Project?

From its inception, ProjectContexts recognized the pivotal role of defining contexts in successful project execution. Drawing inspiration from the familiar concept of To-Do lists, the founders transformed issues and action items into the foundation for necessary changes. By introducing “Context Lists” and categorizing them into various types such as Customer Complaints, Quality Issues, Safety, and more, ProjectContexts set a new standard for comprehensive project management. (See Figure 1)

Figure 1: Context Types and sub-types

1. Context Types: A Comprehensive Approach

The concept of Contexts ensures that all team members engaging in change understand the full background or context. From Customer Complaints to strategic requirements like “lessons learned” and “risks,” ProjectContexts allows companies to define an infinite number of Context Types.

2. Contexts, Issues, and Action Items: Driving Collaboration

Any team member can initiate a Context, be it a customer complaint, safety concern, or marketing input. The Context Owner can define associated issues, action items, due dates, and even link them to specific systems. This collaborative approach ensures a holistic understanding of the change process. (See Figure 2)

Figure 2: Progress Tracking for Issues and Action items

Issues are defined in detail and viewed in a list for each context, such as shown below. (Figure 3 & 3a)

Figure 3a: List of Action Items belonging to an Issue.

2.1 Tracking Time and Progress: Empowering Project Managers

Issues and action items in ProjectContexts enable the logging of assignees’ time and Estimated Time to Completion (ETC). While not scheduled, this data provides project managers with a comprehensive view of allocated time across systems, tasks, issues, and action items.

3. Kanban Board for Enhanced Visibility

For a broader perspective on change management, ProjectContexts offers a Kanban view, providing an overarching visualization of issues and associated action items. (See Figure 4)

Figure 4: Kanban board associated with Issues.

3. Integration with Systems, Tasks, and Schedules: Seamlessness Redefined Tasks in a schedule should only appear when details are clear. ProjectContexts allows the seamless transition of action items into the schedule’s Gantt chart, marking them as A-Tasks and maintaining all background information (See Figure 5)

Figure 5: Create a Task in  a Schedule from and Action Item in a Context

3.1 Conflict Resolution and Notifications: Ensuring Precision

As relationships with other tasks are introduced, ProjectContexts automatically correlates due dates with associated A-Tasks, notifying of conflicts if any.(See Figure 6)

Figure 6: Transfer of Action Item properties to a Task in a Gantt schedule.

After introducing relationships with other tasks, ProjectContexts automatically correlates the Due Date of the action item with the early finish of the associated A-Task and notifies of a conflict if there is any. (See Figure 7)

Figure 7: The Action Task inside a System inside the Schedule.

Ready to Transform Your Project Management Experience?

ProjectContexts goes beyond traditional project management software, making change management an integral part of your project’s DNA. Now, you have the opportunity to experience this revolutionary tool yourself. Sign up for a free trial of ProjectContexts today and elevate your project management game!

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Embrace change, empower your team, and propel your projects to new heights with ProjectContexts!