TimeControl Workflow

TimeControl's Workflow functionality allows you to generate a range of actions upon release of a timesheet. This is one of the most flexible and powerful aspects of TimeControl.

Introduced with version 6.7 of TimeControl, Workflow uses the timesheet release as a "workflow trigger event" and then allows you to create a wide range of effects based on data conditions in the timesheet or elsewhere in TimeControl.

TimeControl WorkFlow Diagram
TimeControl WorkFlow Diagram

Need to send an email when a project is over budget? Want only certain timesheets to require manual review? Want to have certain kinds of timesheets post their data instantly?

Want to transform some element of TimeControl data based on the timesheet information?

TimeControl Workflow is the way to do this and so much more.

Workflow uses the same powerful Filter capabilities that are used in automated TimeControl Validation Rules to identify timesheet conditions that may be of interest. Then TimeControl will perform the actions you define. When that action is complete, TimeControl will conditionally move on to the next Workflow step you've defined.

Each Workflow step has a filter and then actions based on "If this condition is true, perform this action" or "If this conditions is false, perform another action". Using this structure, a Workflow definition could be a couple of steps or as detailed as you can imagine.

TimeControl Workflow Diagram
TimeControl's Workflow capabilities

Workflow is initialized right after all the validation rules have been tested, so if a timesheet has problems, that is managed by TimeControl first using Validation Rules.

For each timesheet data condition, the Workflow can perform these possible actions for either the "This condition is true" or "This condition is false" situations:

  • Change Timesheet Ownership by:

    • Releasing the timesheet to the next user

    • Skipping the next user

    • Releasing the timesheet to Posting

    • Releasing the timesheet to Posting and posting it immediately

    • Releasing the timesheet to Posting, posting it immediately and then automatically approving all the timesheet line items in Project Manager Validation

  • Send an email:

    • To the Source

    • To the Owner

    • To the referenced Project Managers

    • To specific recipients

  • Reject the timesheet and optionally send a message to the source.

  • Execute a SQL Statement.

  • Go to another specific Workflow element

TimeControl Workflow may be one of the most powerful aspects of TimeControl we've ever released. It is included as part of TimeControl, TimeControl Industrial and TimeControlOnline. If you'd like to see TimeControl Workflow in action, you can watch the TimeControl Workflow OnDemand Webcast.