Posting Unbilled Amounts
There are two ways to input unbilled amounts in Tracker. You can:
- Manually enter amounts individually per matter using the accrual worksheet.
- Upload a flat file of accrual data with SpeedPost.
You can post unbilled amounts only during an accrual input period designated by your client. It is generally advisable to first post your invoices, then post any unbilled time. If you post unbilled amounts before posting invoices, Tracker displays a message asking you if the unbilled amounts that have been previously entered should be reduced because of the invoices you are posting.
note
You can generate a standard file of unbilled amounts for all clients. One of the reasons accruals can be burdensome for firms is because clients impose a multitude of accruals processes and data requirements. Consequently, Tracker designed the accrual feature to enable firms to generate a standard file of unbilled amounts for all clients regardless of how the client set up their Tracker system.
Manually Enter Unbilled Amounts
- ClickBillingin the left navigation.
- Make sureManual Input (enter unbilled amounts for individual matters using an input form)is selected in theSelect Posting Methodfield at the top of the page.
- For the applicable matter, click any of theEditlinks. AllEditlinks open the same dialog window.
- Enter the amounts required. In some situations, all you need to enter is the unbilled amounts for the prior months. In other situations, you must enter the estimated billing for the current month. The instructions on the Post Unbilled page indicate the amounts that must be entered.
- ClickSavein the toolbar.
Tip | After you enter the unbilled amount for a matter, the matter is removed from your list of incomplete unbilled amounts. If you want to view the unbilled amounts you already posted, change the view selector to
Completed & Incomplete Unbilled Amounts
then select Change View
.Upload a File of Unbilled Amounts with SpeedPost
A file cannot be uploaded if there are any errors in the file. If there are any problems with the file (for example, an improper header row or a missing client number in one of the rows), you will not be able to upload the file. You must correct all errors in the file or remove the row(s) of data that are causing the issue for the file to be uploaded successfully.
You can upload multiple files can be uploaded during the unbilled amount input period. However, once data is entered for a field for a specific matter, you can no longer upload a new amount for that matter. You can, however, manually edit the unbilled amount at any time during the input period.
note
- Before using SpeedPost, review the file format specifications.
- You cannot post Microsoft Excel spreadsheets in .xls format directly. You must first save the spreadsheet as a .csv file.
- ClickBillingin the left navigation.
- SelectAccruals.
- SelectSpeedPost (upload unbilled amounts for multiple matters using a flat file)in theSelect Posting Methodfield at the top of the page.
- Next toUnbilled Amounts File, clickBrowseand follow the instructions for attaching the file.
- ClickSave & close.
- Repeat steps 3 through 5 if you have multiple files to upload.
- To find out if you have uploaded all unbilled amounts, clickPost Unbilled. If any matters still appear, you have not completed all unbilled amounts with SpeedPost.
Troubleshooting File Upload
If you have trouble importing your unbilled amounts file into Tracker, do the following:
- Review the error message instructions carefully. They can help you resolve any problems.
- Check the field delimiters in your file and make sure they match the file extension and the file type you selected.
- Review the sample files to be sure your file matches the samples.
Example
Assume that you upload a file containing data only for the prior month's unbilled amount. The file contained an amount of $23,834 for matter XYZ but no amount for matter UVW. You later upload another file that contains data for both the prior month's unbilled amount and the current month estimate. The second file contains the following amounts:
Matter | Prior Months Unbilled Amount | Current Month Estimate |
|---|---|---|
Matter XYZ | $35,384 | $20,000 |
Matter UVW | $3,384 | $10,000 |
The system does not save the amount of $35,384 (in other words, the prior amount of $23,834 is not replaced with $35,384) because the prior months unbilled amount was already entered. However, the other amounts are saved because no amount was previously entered.
If an amount could not be saved because a prior amount was already entered, the file upload results page will show you that the amount could not be saved.
In some situations, you may have multiple matters in your time and billing system that correspond to one matter in Tracker. You must be sure that all of your matters relating to that one matter are in the same unbilled amounts file that you upload. You do not have to consolidate these matters into a single row in your unbilled amounts file, because Tracker automatically totals the amounts for you. For example, assume your client set up one matter called Acme Trademark but you set up the following three matters in your time and billing system:
- Acme Trademark-US (Unbilled amount $10,000)
- Acme Trademark-Canada (Unbilled amount $5,000)
- Acme Trademark-Japan (Unbilled amount $7,000)
You can include a row for each of these matters in a single file and Tracker will automatically total the unbilled amounts from these three rows and post a single amount. In the example above, an amount of $22,000 would be posted.
However, note that once you posted an unbilled amount to a matter in Tracker, you can no longer upload a new amount to the same matter.
In the example above, assume that you upload a file with the unbilled amounts only for Acme Trademark-US and Acme Trademark-Canada. In this case, an amount of $15,000 was saved in Tracker. Later, you try to upload a file with an unbilled amount for Acme Trademark-Japan. Because an amount was already saved, the system will reject the amount you have for Japan. Consequently, only $15,000 is entered for the Acme Trademark matter when the true unbilled amount is $22,000.