Using Excel TimeTrack Client involves the following steps.
Step 1: Download Lookup Data From the Host System
The first step is to download lookup values from the host system, for example, pay codes, employee IDs, and so on. This ensures that you have the most up-to-date data (for example, a new batch that may have been created) to select from when entering your payroll transactions.
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Transactions cannot be validated or submitted until you have downloaded lookup data to the spreadsheet. You cannot enter values that do not already exist in the lookup data from the host TimeTrack system.
To avoid selecting old information, for example, batches that were posted the previous week and are no longer available, you should refresh lookup data every time you begin entering a new round of transactions.
Open your Excel TimeTrack Client spreadsheet and select the TimeTrack tab from the menu bar.
In the Lookups to Download section, mark the appropriate checkboxes to select the lookup information you want to download. The Employee ID, Pay Code, Service Call ID, Batch ID, and Job checkboxes default as marked the first time you open the spreadsheet after installation. In the future, your selection for each checkbox will be saved.
From the Server Operations section, choose Download Lookups.
You are prompted to provide your Microsoft Dynamics GP Username and Password. The Company field also appears after you enter your Username. Select the appropriate company from the drop-down list, and choose Login.
You receive a message telling you that lookup information was successfully retrieved from the TimeTrack host. Choose OK.
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Only "active" jobs and cost codes are pulled down from the host system.
Step 2: Enter Transaction Information
You are now ready to begin entering payroll transactions in the Excel TimeTrack Client spreadsheet. If you are not familiar with entering data into an Excel spreadsheet, see the tips below.
To enter data into a cell, click inside the cell and begin typing.
To move from cell to cell, use the Tab key.
Scroll to the right to see additional column fields.
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Salary pay codes will not display in the Lookup window. You can manually enter the Salary pay code and then successfully run the import.
To enter transaction information:
Begin entering transaction information on the SignatureTimeSheetImport worksheet. This is the worksheet that displays by default when you open the spreadsheet. Be sure to save your work periodically, especially if you are entering several transactions in one session. Where available, use the lookups to select valid values for the fields. Lookups appear to the right of the field/column names. The lookup value you select fills into the appropriate column of the transaction row that is currently selected; make sure the cursor is in the correct row before selecting a lookup value.
Note: Fixed Assets transactions are not supported.
If you have a lot of values in a lookup, you can type a partial entry to locate the appropriate value from the list. You must use the arrows on your keyboard to scroll through the partial list, then use the TAB key to select the highlighted value. You cannot select from the partial list using your mouse.
Note: You cannot open a lookup if a cell is in "edit mode," that is if you are entering or have just entered a value and have not yet tabbed off or clicked away from the field.
The same guidelines for entering transactions in the host TimeTrack system apply to using the client spreadsheet as well. For example, if left blank on the spreadsheet, the Rate Class, State, and SUTA State will fill into the transaction in the host TimeTrack system based on the default values assigned to the job record, or, if left blank for the job, from the employee record. However, if you enter values in these fields, the manual entry from the spreadsheet will overwrite the defaults. You receive a validation error if you do not enter a Union that is assigned to the Rate Class that you enter.When you are finished entering transactions, save your spreadsheet.
Step 3: Validate Transaction Information
Before you submit your transactions, you can check the information you have entered against any validations that exist locally.
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Choose Local Validations.
An error message displays if a cell is in "edit mode". (For example, if you are entering or have just entered a value and have not yet tabbed off or clicked away from the field.)
When validating your transactions, each cell will be filled with a color based on the validity of the value in the field. For example, fields that are required to be blank will be highlighted in blue if they are filled. Fields that are required to be filled will be highlighted in red if they are blank. You can view the meaning assigned to each color using the Legends drop-down button.Edit any fields that contain errors. Hovering the mouse over a field will display the error that needs to be corrected.
Once your errors have been corrected, you can check your changes by again choosing Local Validations. Repeat the process until your spreadsheet contains no errors.
If you want to clear the spreadsheet, choose Clear Validations.
Step 4: Submit Transactions to the Host TimeTrack System
The next step is to submit (copy) the transactions from your spreadsheet into the host TimeTrack system.
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We highly recommend that you choose to submit once a week. If you submit multiple times with the same transactions, multiple transactions will be created in TimeTrack.
Verify you are on the SignatureTimeSheetImport worksheet and choose Submit Transactions.
The import process may take a while, depending on the number of transactions and the speed of your system.
The TimeTrack Web service validates your transactions. You may receive a message telling you that errors occurred during the submission process. Choose OK to view the Status Sheet and the errors that prevented the transactions from being submitted.
The colors that display for each transaction, along with the Error Message, allow you to identify the transaction(s) containing errors. Refer to the Legends button for a color key.
After correcting any transactions that contain errors, choose Submit Transactions again.
When the process is complete and all transactions have been successfully submitted, the Status Sheet displays.
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Do not clear transactions from the spreadsheet until after they have been successfully submitted to the TimeTrack host.
Step 5: Clear Transactions and Lookup Data From the SignatureTimeSheetImport Worksheet
After transactions from the previous week or batch have been created and successfully imported into the host TimeTrack system, you can clear the transaction data from the spreadsheet and start over with the next week's transactions.
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