Time Ledger

Time Ledger

Overview

The Time Ledger is Octayne PSA's comprehensive time tracking module. It is where team members create timesheets, log time entries against projects and billing codes, submit timesheets for approval, and leverage AI-powered tools to streamline the time entry process.

The Time Ledger supports multiple input methods including manual entry, calendar-based views, AI-generated descriptions, note-to-entry conversion, and integrations with Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar.

[Screenshot: Time Ledger main page showing a list of timesheets with status indicators and date ranges]

Timesheets

A timesheet is a container for time entries over a specific date range (typically one week). Timesheets move through a lifecycle from creation to approval.

Creating a Timesheet

1. Click Time Ledger in the main navigation sidebar.
2. Click the + New Timesheet button in the top-right corner.
3. In the creation dialog:

• Date Range: Select the start and end dates for the timesheet. By default, this is set to the current work week (Monday through Sunday).
• You can adjust the range to cover a custom period if your organization allows flexible timesheet periods.

1. Click Create.
2. The new timesheet opens in edit mode, ready for time entries.

[Screenshot: New Timesheet dialog with date range picker showing a weekly range]

Note: Each user can have only one timesheet per date range. If a timesheet already exists for the selected dates, you will see a validation error and be directed to the existing timesheet.

Viewing Timesheets

1. Click Time Ledger in the main navigation sidebar.
2. The timesheet list shows all your timesheets sorted by date (most recent first).
3. Each timesheet displays its Date Range, Total Hours, and Status.
4. Use the Status Filter dropdown to filter by:

• Open: Timesheets that have not yet been submitted.
• In Review: Timesheets that have been submitted and are awaiting approval.
• Approved: Timesheets that have been approved by a reviewer.
• Rejected: Timesheets that have been sent back for corrections.

1. Click any timesheet row to open it.

[Screenshot: Timesheet list view with status filter dropdown showing Open, In Review, Approved, and Rejected options]

Tip: Use the date range picker above the list to narrow down timesheets to a specific period, especially useful when you need to find an older timesheet.

Duplicating a Timesheet

Duplicating copies the structure (projects, billing codes, and descriptions) of an existing timesheet into a new one, without copying the hour values.

1. In the timesheet list, locate the timesheet you want to duplicate.
2. Click the three-dot menu (more options) on the timesheet row.
3. Select Duplicate.
4. In the dialog, select the Date Range for the new timesheet.
5. Click Duplicate.
6. The new timesheet opens with the same rows pre-populated (projects, billing codes, descriptions) but with zero hours.

Tip: Duplicating is ideal for team members who work on the same projects week after week. It saves the effort of re-adding rows each week.

Auto-Timesheet Generation

If enabled by your organization administrator, timesheets can be automatically generated for all team members at the start of each timesheet period.

• Auto-generated timesheets are created in Open status.
• They include rows for all projects the team member is currently assigned to, with their most recently used billing codes pre-populated.
• Team members simply fill in hours and submit.

Note: Auto-timesheet generation is configured by administrators in Settings > Organization > Time Tracking > Auto-Generate Timesheets. If you do not see timesheets appearing automatically, this feature may not be enabled.

Timesheet Status Lifecycle

Open  -->  In Review  -->  Approved
                       -->  Rejected  -->  Open (resubmit)

Status	Description
Open	The timesheet is editable. Time entries can be added, modified, or deleted. The timesheet has not been submitted.
In Review	The timesheet has been submitted for approval. It is locked and cannot be edited by the team member.
Approved	A reviewer has approved the timesheet. Hours are finalized and flow into billing, invoicing, and reporting.
Rejected	A reviewer has rejected the timesheet with comments. The timesheet returns to Open status for corrections.

Warning: Once a timesheet is Approved, it cannot be edited by the team member. If corrections are needed after approval, an administrator must perform an Admin Override (see "Admin Override/Corrections" below).

Time Entries

Time entries are the individual records within a timesheet that capture the hours worked, the project and billing code, and a description of the work performed.

Creating a Time Entry

1. Open a timesheet in Open status.
2. Click + Add Row at the bottom of the timesheet grid.
3. In the new row:

a. Project: Select the project from the dropdown. Only projects you are a member of and that are in Active status will appear.

b. Billing Code: Select the billing code (task type) from the dropdown. Only billing codes defined for the selected project will appear.

1. Click on the cell for the day you want to log time against (e.g., Monday, Tuesday, etc.).
2. In the entry popover that appears:

• Time: Enter the number of hours worked (e.g., "4" or "4.5"). Supports decimal and quarter-hour increments.
• Description: Enter a detailed description of the work performed.

1. Click Save (or press Enter).
2. The hours appear in the cell and the row total updates automatically.

[Screenshot: Timesheet grid showing a row with Project and Billing Code selected, with a day cell open showing Time and Description fields]

Note: You can add multiple rows for the same project with different billing codes, or multiple rows with the same billing code for different descriptions. The timesheet accommodates any combination.

Editing a Time Entry

1. Open the timesheet.
2. Click the day cell containing the time entry you want to edit.
3. Modify the Time and/or Description fields.
4. Click Save.

Note: Only timesheets in Open or Rejected status can be edited. If the timesheet is In Review or Approved, you cannot make changes.

Deleting a Time Entry

1. Open the timesheet.
2. Click the day cell containing the time entry you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete button (trash icon) in the entry popover.
4. Confirm the deletion.

To delete an entire row (project + billing code combination):

1. Hover over the row in the timesheet grid.
2. Click the Delete Row (X icon) that appears at the end of the row.
3. Confirm the deletion. All time entries in that row across all days are removed.

Warning: Deleted time entries cannot be recovered. Double-check before confirming.

Board Fields in Time Entries

If the project has board fields configured (see Projects > Board Fields), those fields appear as additional columns on the timesheet row.

1. When adding or editing a time entry, you will see the custom field columns next to the standard columns.
2. Fill in the board field values (e.g., Sprint, Priority, Ticket Number) as appropriate.
3. Board field values are saved with the time entry and are available in reports and project board views.

[Screenshot: Timesheet row showing custom board field columns (Sprint, Ticket Number) alongside standard project and billing code columns]

Tip: Board fields help connect time entries to specific tasks, sprints, or tickets in external project management tools. They enable more granular reporting and cross-referencing.

Submitting a Timesheet

Once all time entries are complete, submit the timesheet for review.

1. Open the timesheet you want to submit.
2. Review all entries for accuracy -- check hours, descriptions, and billing codes.
3. Click the Submit icon (paper airplane or upload icon) in the top-right corner of the timesheet.
4. A dropdown appears with submission options:

• Submit: Submit to the default reviewer(s) assigned to the projects on this timesheet.
• Submit to Specific Reviewer: Select a reviewer from a dropdown if you need to direct it to a specific person.

1. Click Submit.
2. The timesheet status changes to In Review and becomes read-only.

[Screenshot: Submit button dropdown showing Submit and Submit to Specific Reviewer options]

Note: If the timesheet contains entries for multiple projects, it is routed to the designated reviewer(s) for each project. All reviewers must approve before the entire timesheet is marked Approved. If any reviewer rejects, the entire timesheet is returned.

Tip: Before submitting, use the Total Hours row at the bottom of the timesheet to verify your weekly total matches your expected hours (e.g., 40 hours).

Calendar View

The Time Ledger includes a calendar view that displays your time entries on a visual calendar alongside any connected calendar events.

Accessing Calendar View

1. Open the Time Ledger.
2. In the top-right corner, click the Calendar toggle icon (next to the list/grid toggle).
3. The view switches to a weekly or monthly calendar layout.

Using Calendar View

• Each day shows colored blocks representing your time entries, sized proportionally to the hours logged.
• Click any day to see the detailed entries or to add new ones.
• Click a time entry block to edit it.
• Navigate between weeks/months using the arrow buttons or the date picker.
• If you have connected Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar (see below), calendar events appear as semi-transparent blocks alongside your time entries.

[Screenshot: Calendar View showing colored time entry blocks and semi-transparent Outlook calendar events on a weekly layout]

Tip: The Calendar View is especially helpful for identifying gaps in your time tracking. If a day shows calendar events but no time entries, you may have forgotten to log time for those meetings or activities.

AI Features

Octayne PSA includes AI-powered tools to streamline time entry creation and improve description quality.

Ask AI

The Ask AI feature generates a comprehensive, professional description for a time entry based on a brief input.

Step-by-Step

1. Open a timesheet and click a day cell to create or edit a time entry.
2. In the Description field, type a brief summary of your work (e.g., "fixed login bug").
3. Click the Ask AI button next to the description field.
4. The AI processes your input and generates a detailed, well-structured description (e.g., "Investigated and resolved a critical authentication bug affecting the user login flow. Identified the root cause as an expired session token not being properly refreshed. Implemented a fix in the token refresh middleware and added unit tests to prevent regression.").
5. Review the generated description. Edit if needed.
6. Click Save to save the time entry with the AI-generated description.

[Screenshot: Time entry form with brief description typed, Ask AI button highlighted, and AI-generated expanded description shown below]

Tip: Ask AI works best when you provide specific keywords about what you did. The more context you give, the better the generated description. Include project-specific terms, technologies, and outcomes.

Note: AI-generated descriptions are suggestions. Always review and adjust them for accuracy before saving.

Note AI

Note AI converts freeform notes (e.g., from a daily standup or work journal) into structured time entries across multiple projects and billing codes.

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Time Ledger.
2. Click the Integration icon (puzzle piece or plug icon) in the toolbar.
3. Select Note AI from the dropdown.
4. In the Note AI panel:

a. Select Project: Choose the project (or leave blank for cross-project notes).

b. Enter Notes: Type or paste your freeform notes into the text area. For example:

```

Morning: 2 hours working on API endpoint for user profiles.

Afternoon: 1.5 hours in sprint planning meeting.

Late afternoon: 3 hours fixing database migration scripts.

```

c. Click Generate.

1. The AI parses your notes and generates structured time entries with:

• Project (auto-detected or as selected)
• Billing Code (inferred from the description)
• Hours (extracted from the notes)
• Description (cleaned up and formatted)

1. Review the generated entries in the preview table.
2. Click Add to Timesheet to insert all entries into your current timesheet.

[Screenshot: Note AI panel with freeform notes entered, and a preview table showing generated structured time entries]

Warning: Note AI makes its best effort to infer billing codes and hours from your notes. Always review the generated entries carefully, especially the billing code assignments and hour values, before adding them to your timesheet.

Microsoft Outlook Integration

Connect your Microsoft Outlook calendar to view your calendar events directly within the Time Ledger and create time entries from them.

Connecting Microsoft Outlook

1. Open the Time Ledger.
2. Click the Integration icon in the toolbar.
3. Select Microsoft Outlook from the dropdown.
4. Click Connect.
5. You will be redirected to the Microsoft sign-in page.
6. Sign in with your Microsoft account and grant Octayne permission to read your calendar.
7. You will be redirected back to Octayne. A confirmation message will indicate the connection was successful.

[Screenshot: Integration menu showing Microsoft Outlook option with Connect button]

Viewing Calendar Events Alongside Time Entries

• Once connected, your Outlook calendar events appear in the Calendar View as semi-transparent blocks.
• Events show the meeting title, time, and duration.
• Hover over an event to see attendees and location.

Creating Entries from Calendar Events

1. Switch to Calendar View in the Time Ledger.
2. Click an Outlook calendar event block.
3. A popover appears with the event details and a Create Time Entry button.
4. Click Create Time Entry.
5. A pre-filled time entry form opens with:

• Time: Set to the event duration.
• Description: Pre-filled with the event title.

1. Select the Project and Billing Code.
2. Edit the description if needed.
3. Click Save.

[Screenshot: Calendar View with an Outlook event clicked, showing the Create Time Entry popover]

Tip: This feature is invaluable for tracking meeting time. At the end of each day, review your calendar events and create time entries for all meetings and calls with a few clicks.

Google Calendar Integration

Google Calendar integration works identically to the Microsoft Outlook integration, using Google as the calendar source.

Connecting Google Calendar

1. Open the Time Ledger.
2. Click the Integration icon in the toolbar.
3. Select Google Calendar from the dropdown.
4. Click Connect.
5. Sign in with your Google account and authorize Octayne to access your calendar.
6. You will be redirected back to Octayne upon successful connection.

Using Google Calendar Events

• Google Calendar events appear in Calendar View just like Outlook events.
• You can create time entries from Google Calendar events using the same workflow described above.

Note: You can connect both Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar simultaneously. Events from both calendars will appear in Calendar View, color-coded by source.

Sharing Time Entries

You can share a summary of your time entries with colleagues, managers, or clients.

1. Open the timesheet you want to share.
2. Click the Share button (link icon) in the toolbar.
3. Choose the sharing method:

• Copy Link: Generates a read-only link to the timesheet. Anyone with the link and appropriate organization access can view it.
• Export PDF: Generates a PDF report of the timesheet and downloads it.
• Export CSV: Generates a CSV file of the timesheet data.
• Email: Opens a dialog to enter recipient email addresses and send a summary directly.

1. Click the chosen option and follow the prompts.

[Screenshot: Share menu showing Copy Link, Export PDF, Export CSV, and Email options]

Note: Shared links respect organization permissions. Recipients must be members of the organization and have view access to the relevant projects to see the timesheet data.

Admin Override/Corrections

After a timesheet has been Approved, only administrators can make corrections.

Performing an Admin Override

1. Navigate to Time Ledger > Admin (available only to users with the timesheets:admin_override permission).
2. Search for the team member and select the approved timesheet that needs correction.
3. Click Override to unlock the timesheet for editing.
4. Make the necessary changes to time entries (add, edit, or delete).
5. Add an Override Reason in the required text field (this is logged for audit purposes).
6. Click Save and Re-Approve.
7. The timesheet is re-approved with the corrections, and the override is recorded in the audit log.

[Screenshot: Admin Override form showing the timesheet in edit mode with the Override Reason text field]

Warning: Admin overrides are logged and auditable. Use this feature only when genuine corrections are needed. The override reason is visible to the team member and in compliance reports.

Timesheet Reminders

Automated reminders help ensure team members submit their timesheets on time.

How Reminders Work

• Administrators configure reminder rules in Settings > Organization > Time Tracking > Reminders.
• Reminders are sent via email and/or in-app notification at the configured times.
• Typical configuration: A reminder on Friday afternoon for weekly timesheets due on Friday, and a follow-up on Monday morning for any timesheets not yet submitted.

Reminder Settings (Admin)

Setting	Description
Enable Reminders	Toggle on to activate automated reminders.
Reminder Schedule	Set the day and time for the reminder (e.g., Friday at 3:00 PM).
Follow-Up Schedule	Set the day and time for a follow-up reminder for unsubmitted timesheets.
Notification Channel	Choose Email, In-App, or Both.
Custom Message	Optional custom text included in the reminder notification.

[Screenshot: Timesheet Reminders configuration page in organization settings]

Tip: As an administrator, review the Submission Report in Reports > Timesheet Compliance to see which team members consistently submit late and may need additional reminders or coaching.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
No projects appearing in the Project dropdown	You are not a member of any active projects	Ask your project lead or administrator to add you to relevant projects. Verify projects are in Active status.
Billing codes missing from the dropdown	No billing codes defined for the selected project	Ask the project lead to add billing codes in Project Settings > Task Type Definition.
Cannot submit timesheet	Total hours are zero or required fields are incomplete	Ensure at least one time entry with hours > 0 exists. Fill in all required description fields.
Timesheet stuck in "In Review"	Reviewer has not yet acted on the submission	Contact the designated reviewer. Reviewers are notified upon submission but may need a reminder.
Rejected timesheet with no comments	Reviewer rejected without providing a reason	Contact the reviewer directly for clarification. Administrators can require rejection comments in settings.
Outlook/Google Calendar events not showing	Integration not connected or token expired	Reconnect the integration via the Integration icon in the toolbar.
Ask AI button not appearing	AI features not enabled for your organization	Contact your administrator to enable AI features in Settings > Organization > Features > AI Tools.
Note AI generates incorrect billing codes	Notes did not contain enough context for accurate inference	Edit the generated entries before adding them. Use explicit billing code names in your notes for better results.
Duplicate timesheet error	A timesheet already exists for the selected date range	Navigate to the existing timesheet from the list view instead of creating a new one.
Time entry not saving	Network interruption or session timeout	Check your internet connection. Refresh the page and log in again if prompted. Re-enter the time entry.
Admin Override option not available	Missing timesheets:admin_override permission	Contact your organization administrator to grant the permission.

FAQ

Q: Can I log time for past dates?

A: Yes. Create a timesheet for the date range in the past and add entries as normal. Some organizations may configure a cutoff policy that prevents logging time more than a certain number of weeks in the past. Check with your administrator.

Q: What is the maximum number of hours I can log in a day?

A: The system allows up to 24 hours per day. However, your organization may configure a daily hour cap (e.g., 12 hours) that triggers a warning or prevents submission.

Q: Can I log time in increments smaller than 0.25 hours (15 minutes)?

A: The minimum increment is configurable by your organization. The default is 0.25 hours (15 minutes). Some organizations allow 0.1-hour (6-minute) increments.

Q: What happens to my time entries if I am removed from a project?

A: Your existing time entries on that project are preserved. However, you will no longer be able to add new entries for that project.

Q: Can I see my team's timesheets?

A: If you are a designated reviewer, you can see timesheets submitted to you in the Review Queue under Time Ledger > Reviews. Managers with appropriate permissions can view all timesheets in Time Ledger > Admin.

Q: How does the AI know which billing code to assign in Note AI?

A: Note AI uses natural language processing to match your note descriptions against the billing code names defined for each project. It considers keywords, context, and your historical patterns. The more descriptive your notes, the more accurate the assignment.

Q: Can I use the Time Ledger on mobile?

A: Octayne PSA is responsive and works in mobile browsers. The time entry form is optimized for smaller screens. A dedicated mobile app is planned for a future release.

Q: Are time entries synced to QuickBooks?

A: Approved time entries can be synced to QuickBooks as part of the invoicing process. This is configured in Settings > Integrations > QuickBooks > Time Entry Sync. Time entries are exported alongside invoices.

Q: Can I add attachments to time entries?

A: Attachments are not supported on individual time entries. However, you can add links to external documents (e.g., Jira tickets, Google Docs) in the description field.

Q: What is the difference between Calendar View and the standard timesheet grid?

A: The timesheet grid is a structured table optimized for data entry -- rows are projects/billing codes and columns are days. Calendar View displays the same data visually on a calendar and is better for reviewing your time against scheduled events. Both views edit the same underlying data.