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This article applies to:

  • Product: Practice CS

Use timers

You can use the Time Entry Inline Timer or Desktop Timer to track the time you spend on a job or task.

Time entry inline timer

Use the Time Entry Inline Timer for activities not directly related to a project, task, or phone call. You can use use the Inline Timer for those activities, but the Desktop Timer may be more effective.
The Timer Entry Inline Timer
Start
 button appears in each time entry transaction. After you select the
Start
 button, it will change to a Timer Entry Inline Timer
Stop
 button. When you select
Stop
, the application enters the time elapsed time since you selected Start in the
Hours
 box.
You can start and stop the timer on the same transaction as many times as needed. Each time you start and stop the timer, Practice CS records the date, the start time, the end time, and the elapsed time for the timed segment. It also shows the total time accumulated by the timer.
note
  • The time entered into the
    Hours
     field by the timer may be rounded according to the following rounding settings in
    Time & Expense Entry User Preferences
    .
    • No rounding:
       The amount entered will be the exact amount accumulated by the timer.
    • Standard rounding:
       The amount entered will be rounded to the nearest amount according to the specified Rounding increment. For example, the amount entered will be rounded down to the nearest .25 hours if the partial increment is less than .125 hours and up to the nearest next increment of .25 hours if the partial increment is greater than or equal to .125 hours.
    • Always round up:
       The amount entered will always be rounded up to the next Rounding increment.
    • Round each elapsed time:
       Practice CS will apply the rounding option selected above to each segment. For example, if each of three segments was .1 hour in length, and
      Always round up
       to the nearest .25 hours was selected, the total time booked would be .75 hours because the application would round each segment up to .25 hours and add them together.
    • Round accumulated elapsed time:
       Practice CS will apply the rounding option selected above to the total accumulated time. For example, if each of three segments was .1 hour in length and always round up to the nearest .25 hours was selected, the total time booked would be .5 hours because the total actual time is .3 hours which gets rounded up to the next increment of .25 hours which is .5. This is the recommended setting as it produces the most accurate representation of the total time spent on the job or task.
  • You may have multiple concurrent timers running depending on the settings in
    Time & Expense Entry User Preferences
    .
    If the
    Allow simultaneous timers
     checkbox is cleared, you you can have only one active timer running. If you attempt to start another timer, you'll get receive the message: "The current user can only have one active timer".
    If the
    Allow simultaneous timers
     checkbox is marked, you can have an unlimited number of active timers running concurrently.
  • If you override the hours entered by the timer or start the timer on a transaction in which time was previously entered manually, the
    Hours
     is shown in red. This indicates that the hours may not foot to the number of hours accumulated by the timer.

Desktop Timer

Use the Desktop Timer to track time outside Practice CS. The timer remains in the foreground of your Windows desktop. You can minimized or maximize the Timer, and transfer the time you record directly to a Practice CS time transaction.
There are 3 methods for opening a desktop timer: Manually, by clicking the
Solution
 link in a project or task, and by starting a phone call.
  • Open and start the Desktop Timer Manually:
    • Right-click the Practice CS Icon in the Windows system tray, then select or double-click
      Desktop Timer
       from the context menu.
      note
      Use the Maximize or Minimize buttons to change your view of the Desktop Timer.
    • Use the Desktop Timer Start and Stop buttons to control the timer.
      note
      You can start and stop the timer as many times as needed. The total time accumulated is subject to the selected rounding options as described above.
  • Open and start the Desktop Timer from the Solution link on a project or task:
    • Go to
      User Preferences
      .
    • On the
      Time & Expense Entry
       tab, mark the
      Start Timer for Projects
       checkbox.
      note
      • When you select the
        Solution
         icon on a project or task record on the
        Staff Dashboard
        ,
        Client Dashboard
        , or
        Manage Projects
         screen, the corresponding application will open and the minimized Desktop Timer will open and start.
      • If the Solution is a CS application, including UltraTax CS, Creative Solutions Accounting, Financial Analysis CS, and Fixed Assets CS, the application will:
        • open the client specified in the project
        • enter the client on the timer.
        When the client or application is closed the timer automatically stops.
      • If the Solution is Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Word, selecting the icon opens the application to the document specified on the project or task and starts the timer in the minimized format. When the application is closed, the timer stops. 
      • If the Solution is any other application, clicking on the icon opens the application and starts the timer in its minimized format. The timer does not stop when the application is closed.
        tip
        To make sure that the timer stops when the client or CS application is closed:
        1. Go to
          Setup
          ,
          Firm
          , then
          Preferences
          .
        2. Mark the
          Integrate this Firm with other solutions
           checkbox.
  • Open and start the Desktop Timer For a Phone Call (applies to Client Management Module):
    • Go to
      User Preferences
      .
    • On the
      Time & Expense Entry
       tab, mark the
      Start Timer for Phone Calls
       checkbox.
    • To start a phone call, you can either:
      • Select
        Add
        , then
        Phone Call
         from the main tool bar.
      • Select 
        Call Now
         in a
        Scheduled Phone Call
        .
      • Select
        Return Call
         in a
        Phone message
        .
        note
        The timer opens in its minimized format and stops when you complete or cancel the call.
  • Post Time from the Desktop Timer to a Time & Expense Entry Time transaction
    • Stop the timer if it's running.
    • Make sure you have selected
      Maximize
      .
    • Select the Post button on the timer you wish to post.
      note
      The Practice CS Time & Expense Entry screen will open to the Sheet date specified on the timer. A new transaction will be started with the time accumulated by the timer already entered.
    • Complete the transaction.
      note
      • If the Client was entered on the timer or phone call, it will be entered on the transaction automatically.
      • If the timer was started from a project, the
        Client
        ,
        Engagement
        , and
        Project
         will be completed.
      • If the timer was started from a task, the
        Client
        ,
        Engagement
        ,
        Project
        , and
        Activity
         will be completed.

Monitor timers

You can monitor active
Time Entry Inline Timers
 and
Desktop Timers
 on the
Staff Dashboard
 and
Firm Dashboard
.
Staff can view their own active timers in the Daily Time section on their Staff Dashboard:.
Administrators can view the active timers for all staff in the Staff Active Timers section of the
Firm Dashboard
.

Stop and delete timers

  • Stop a timer:
    • Select the Stop button.
    • To stop active timers, go to the
      Firm Dashboard
      , then in the
      Staff Active Timers
       section right-click the timer and select
      Stop Timer
       from the context menu.
    • Select the timer to go to the
      Daily Time
       section of the Staff Dashboard. Select the
      Stop
       button .
      note
      If there are no timers running on the screen, the active timer is in the
      Desktop Timer
      . Double-click Practice CS in the Windows system tray, then select the
      Stop
       button on the active timer.
  • Deleting a timer
  • Open the
    Desktop Timer
     and
    Maximize
     it.
  • Right-click the timer entry and select
    Delete Timer
     from the context menu.

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