Entering Transactions

You can enter daily time and expense transactions in the Daily Entry view. This view contains a grid listing all time and expense transactions for the selected staff and the selected date. Your user preferences and permissions determine which items in this window are available.

When you enter transactions, you can also enter banked hours.

If your firm uses CCH AxcessWorkstream, when you enter a time or expense transaction, the following information in the associated project and workstep is updated as well:

  • Actual hours
  • Amount
  • Actual start date
  • Actual finish date
  • Completion status

Note: When you enter time for a project that does not already have an actual start date, you are prompted to record the project's actual start date.

To add a time transaction, do the following:

  1. Open Dashboard, click Application Links on the navigation panel, and then click Time transactions under Time Capture.
  2. Enter information in the various boxes. ClosedExplain the various options.
    3. Component Description
    Staff

    Displays your name. You can change the staff listed here only if you have appropriate permissions. Enter text in the box. As you type, matching results display. If there is an exact match, it is highlighted in the grid. For more information, see Using Advanced Lookups.

    Once the transaction is saved, the staff cannot be changed in the entry window. To change the staff for a saved transaction, click Change Staff in the Edit group on the ribbon.
    Date

    Displays today's date. If you change the date, the grid at the bottom of the window will update to display transactions for that date.

    Once the transaction is saved, the date cannot be changed in the entry window. To change the date for a saved transaction, click Change Date in the Edit group on the ribbon.
    Client

    Enter text in the box. As you type, matching results display. If there is an exact match, it is highlighted in the grid. For more information, see Using Advanced Lookups.

    Note: You can select inactive, on hold, on litigation hold, prospect, provisional, or terminated clients only if you selected Ignore or Warning in Dashboard > Application Links > Firm > Settings and defaults > Practice > Time Capture Error Conditions. See Managing Error Conditions for Time Capture for more information.
    Project*

    Enter text in the box. As you type, matching results display. If there is an exact match, it is highlighted in the grid. For more information, see Using Advanced Lookups. Click the Lookup Filter button to select to Exclude completed projects.

    Notes:

    • If you are entering multiple transactions, this field will be prepopulated for a different client only if the new client also has a project with the same name.
    • This field only displays if you have Workstream licensed and your firm has not hidden it.
    Workstep*

    Enter text in the box. As you type, matching results display. If there is an exact match, it is highlighted in the grid. For more information, see Using Advanced Lookups.

    This option is only available if Workstream Premier is licensed. The list includes all worksteps for the selected project.

    Note: If you are entering multiple transactions, this field will be prepopulated for a different client only if the new client also has a workstep with the same name.
    Service code

    Enter text in the box. As you type, matching results display. If there is an exact match, it is highlighted in the grid. For more information, see Using Advanced Lookups.
    Hours/Units Enter the hours or units for the transaction. Hours will change to Units for certain expense-type service codes.
    Rate

    Displays the rate for the transaction. The rate is calculated from the workstep, project, client, or service code. You can enter an override rate, if you have permissions. Rate overrides display in red text. The amount will be recalculated once you click away from the field.

    Tip: If you cannot view the rate and must change it, after you enter the transaction, select it from the grid at the bottom of the window and click in the Edit group on the ribbon, or by right-clicking and selecting Change Rate from the menu. The Change Rate option is only available if you have permission to edit rates.

    Recalculate rate and amount

    		 Click to update the rate and amount for the transactions based on your changes to the rate, staff, date, client, project, workstep, or service code. If the rate was an override, the text will revert to black. You must have edit rate functional rights to use this option.
    Amount

    Displays the amount for the transaction. If you have not entered an override, the system recalculates the amount based on your changes to the transaction.

    If you enter an override amount, the system recalculates the rate after you enter the amount. If you enter an override rate, the amount is recalculated after you enter the rate.
    Work location

    Select the location you were working in while completing this transaction. The list includes all locations set up as firm preferences in Lists. Work location is used for tax calculations in some municipalities.

    Note: firm settings determine whether this option will display.
    Custom field If your firm has defined a custom field for Time Entry, see your administrator for additional information on its requirements.
    Invoice description

    Enter the description to appear on invoices for the resulting WIP transaction

    Note: If your user option is set to use the Enter key as the Tab key, press the Enter key or Alt + V to save the text in the field, collapse the control, and move to the next field. If your user option is not set to use the Enter key as the Tab key, the focus remains on the Invoice description field.
    Internal note

    Enter a note associated with the transaction. The note is for internal use only and does not appear on invoices or other external documents. Start and stop times and elapsed time are added to the end of the internal notes when they are provided by clocks.

    Note: If your user option is set to use the Enter key as the Tab key, press the Enter key or Alt + V to save the text in the field, collapse the control, and move to the next field. If your user option is not set to use the Enter key as the Tab key, the focus remains on the Internal note field.
    Reason for rate override If you entered a rate override, select the reason the rate required an override. This option only displays if it is selected in firm setup.
    Project status*

    Select a status for the project, if necessary. You can only update project status if you have permission to edit projects. If you are moving the project to completed and there are open forms or worksteps, you will be prompted to close the open items.

    Mark workstep complete*

    Select this box to mark the associated workstep complete after the transaction is entered. You can only mark the workstep complete if you have permission to edit worksteps.

    If you select this box, you will be prompted to enter the completion date.

    Note: To edit this option, you must have either permission to edit the workstep, or you must have permission to manage your own worksteps and be assigned to the workstep selected in the Workstep field above.

    Estimate to complete*

    Enter your estimated remaining hours, or leave this field blank and the values entered in Workstream from the scheduling summary information will display.

    Note: To edit this option, you must have either permission to edit the workstep, or you must have permission to manage your own worksteps and be assigned to the workstep selected in the Workstep field above.

    As of date*

    		Enter the date your estimated remaining hours applies to, or leave this field blank and the values entered in Workstream from the scheduling summary information will display.

    * Requires a Workstream license

    Note: You can press the Tab key to move between fields, or you can use the Enter key on your keyboard to move to the next field if configured in your user options on the Practice > Time Capture > Data Entry section. See Setting Your Time Capture Options for more information.

  3. Click Save.

Working With the Transaction Grid

You can perform tasks on entries in the grid using ribbon commands or right-clicking the grid to use the menu.

Selecting one row in the grid refreshes the information displayed in the entry form and allows you to edit the transaction. When more than one row in the grid is selected, the data entry area is deactivated. Multiple selections in the grid are useful for Home tab or menu functions such as Release and Post.

Note: The internal notes and invoice descriptions appear in a column in the grid. You can hover over the note or description to display the full text or expand the column width to view the entire note or invoice description.

ClosedExplain the functions on the ribbon and menu.

Viewing Totals

At the bottom of the Daily Entry window, you will be able to view the following information:

  • Total transactions. Displays the staff's total number of transactions for the selected date.
  • Transactions selected. Displays the total number of transactions you have selected in the grid.
  • Billable. Displays the staff's total amount of time entered for billable service codes the selected date.
  • Non-billable. Displays the staff's total amount of time entered for non-billable service codes for the selected date.
  • Total hours. Displays the staff's total number of hours entered for the selected date.
  • Expense. Displays the total amount of expenses entered for the selected date.