Better Timesheets for Microsoft Dynamics

If there is one thing both employees and AP professionals dread, it’s timesheets. 

Time tracking has historically been an incredibly messy process. Not only is it difficult for well-intentioned employees to remember specific hours they worked, but businesses also suffer from buddy punching and time theft. 

To make matters worse, 50% of businesses in 2019 admitted to using manual, rather than automated, time tracking tools. And the 80% of organizations using paper systems reported they had to correct 8 out of 10 timesheets.

But, to be fair to the old-fashioned pen and paper, ERP systems aren’t much better. No matter how robust the software, it’s still a digital version of the manual process. As a result, project timesheets can easily become complicated and wrought with errors.

The problem with the manual timesheet

The main issues with manual timesheets stem from the high potential for human error.

For example, when an employee goes to add time through Microsoft Dynamics, they need to add lines and include specific information regarding the project, project ID, activity number, activity, and minutes worked. Depending on the workflow, they may also need to add internal and external comments.

With each additional touchpoint, it’s possible that the simple slip of a finger might create a costly typo. And even if the employee inputs everything correctly from memory, they are still relying on their recollection rather than tracking their hours in real-time. They may forget which time they started or refuse to account for the several breaks they took while working on the activity. 

At the same time, the lack of easy-to-use time tracking mobile apps for employees working remotely is another limitation of most ERP or homegrown systems. 

Given the limited nature of an ERP’s timesheet functionality, approving the logged hours is also a tedious task. The time spent on data entry could be better used on high-value assignments, rather than messily recounting the workday’s events.

But that is why Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central also has an extensive integration library—to further enhance the process.

Creating a seamless time tracking experience

Creating and managing timesheet entries should be easy, configurable, and as automated as possible. These three characteristics not only ensure that everyone will use the application, but also that the timesheet will complement the billing process.

But before we get into the best features for timesheet functionality, let’s talk technicals. 

Ideally, the time tracking solution will be online, in the cloud, with a mobile-app version available for workers on the go. There should also be an option for offline timesheets if employees have a weak internet connection.

Next, what exactly do we mean by automation? 

In the case of timesheets, it’s more efficient to have a clock in/clock out mechanism that employees can stop and start themselves. Combined with hourly limitations per worker, this is ideal for cutting down on unproductive hours. And it is far more accurate than memory.

There are even more features that benefit the AP team and project manager, such as instantly syncing projects created in Microsoft Dynamics with the timesheet application. End-to-end time tracking translates into transparent timesheet reporting. This, in turn, can help an organization to make more informed decisions about tasks, project management, and billing costs. 

Furthermore, the right timesheets integration can also use geolocation to verify timesheet entries for compliance requirements. A sound timesheet application also allows routing the individual sheets for approval at multiple levels.

But the real way to distinguish a best-in-class solution is how configurable the integration is. Every company has a slightly different setup for its project timesheet. For an accurate time entry, the timesheet integration should be able to map an organization’s customized fields to every sheet so that timesheet entries are properly generated in the ERP. 

Transparent Timesheets for Microsoft Dynamics

Whether you use Gorilla Dynamics 365 Business Central, GP, SL, or NAV, Gorilla Expense makes it a cinch to streamline your timesheets process. Employees, AP professionals, and project managers can leverage the easy-to-use interface and online application for accurate and transparent reporting.

See how our timesheets integration works in action and book a demo with our experts today.

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