Curt Finch's Blog

In Part 1 of this blog post series, I talked about how we’re gearing up for the Texas Payroll Conference and the common questions we get asked at tradeshows. I explained how Journyx seamlessly integrates with various platforms, as well as other ways Journyx makes the user’s life easier, such as mobile solutions.

Other topics that often come up are about how we handle data:

Journyx allows for the validation of data entry for end users. This gives you full control abilities.

Automatically calculate overtime and accrual balances without any user error.

Multi-level approval paths make this process completely flexible to your company’s structure and needs.

Achieve simple time and expense entry with one solution - no more bouncing around multiple programs.

Decreased time to process payroll helps to get people paid more quickly and more efficiently.

Our flexible reporting feature allows you to pull the exact data you need - not too little and not too much.

Whatever your method of payroll, or if payroll automation is new to you, Journyx is the go-to time tracking and resource management tool for payroll professionals looking to supercharge their processes into one high-performance powerhouse. Also, if you’re going to the Texas Payroll Conference, you’ll have to stop by our booth! We’ll have a slot machine, lots of fun giveaways, and a chance to talk to us in person about how we can become your winning combination for time tracking and payroll.

Tags: payrollconferenceIntegrationTrade ShowMobile

To gear up for our next tradeshow/conference, the Texas Payroll Conference, I thought it would be beneficial to lay out the top features Journyx has that payroll professionals find attractive.

Questions often come up about Journyx ease of use, what integrations looks like, and the major ways in which Journyx can be used in the payroll space to make companies stronger, healthier and more efficient.

Great topic!

Our seamless integration to most of the familiar payroll and accounting systems such as ADP, SAP, Ceridian, and Paychex. We’ve made it as simple as possible to really maximize your existing solution’s value.

Payroll clients like the functionality around importing users and pay codes to avoid dual-entry issues.

Cutting down time spent on errors from manual data entry.

Bi-directional data flow to pass along information whether it’s via a local installation or cloud-based platform.

Convenient mobile capabilities though the mobile web browser or our free mobile app also add to the ease of use in updating information.

We’ve been around for over 16 years, so there isn’t anything we haven’t seen. With our long-standing expertise, we’ve made many sought-after improvements over the years to the Journyx platform.

I'll address some additional questions that often come up at tradeshows in Part 2 of this blog post. In it, you will learn more about the migration from Excel or paper time and expense sheets, as well as other features such as data validation and rules calculation.

Tags: payrollIntegrationMobileconferenceTrade Show

We've been making lots of new improvements to the Journyx Timesheet and ProjectXecute products. One of the biggest updates is a feature involving QuickBooks class grouping. With this new improvement to Timesheet, you can now include class information in the time and expense data that you transfer back to QuickBooks.

To further explain, in QuickBooks, you can create classes that can be assigned to transactions. This lets you track account balances by department, business, office or location, separate properties you own, or any other meaningful breakdown of your business. Many companies have certain aspects of their business that they want to keep a close eye on. By using the class tracking feature in QuickBooks, you can define these segments and track their associated account balances on invoices, bills, and other documents. Businesses with different departments or locations can use classes to report account balances for each department.

For example, if you had a restaurant with three locations, you might create an Uptown, a Midtown, and a Downtown class for tracking account balances by location. A farmer might create a class for each enterprise—for example, Corn, Hogs, and Soybeans. At the end of an accounting period, the restaurant could create separate reports for each location. Likewise, the farmer could create separate reports for each enterprise.

If you'd like more information about this update, feel free to contact us at 1 (800) 755-9878, or info@journyx.com.

Tags: projectxecuteQuickbooksTimesheetClass

Today we’re so pleased to release a major update to our time tracking software addressing role abilities and managing your people.

Details on the new and improved role abilities include:

·         User interface improvements to make it easier to see what abilities are available and what abilities are included in existing custom roles

·         Copy settings feature to copy all of the abilities/selections from a default or custom role when creating new roles

·         Abilities to manage the Groups and items in the Groups a manager belongs to

·         Manager abilities to customize Entry Screen layouts and options for employees

·         More granular manager abilities to create and customize their groups’ Period Approval plans

·         Manager abilities to change entry Time Periods for employees in their groups

·         Abilities to control values in the Entry Column select lists for a manager’s groups

·         Manager abilities to set up and/or edit Custom Fields

·         Abilities to create and manage Holiday Schedules for the groups managed

·         Option to add or remove access to Records Management

·         Abilities to import Rate Rule and Policy details from files and third party systems

·         Abilities to protect the User Login field from undesired changes

 

Details on the new and improved manager information include:

·         System report on the last login time/date of employees currently logged into the system

·         System report of login failures for employees currently locked out

·         Option to run the system report for login information in Journyx Reportlink

·         Email reminders for managers when they are late approving their timesheets and expenses

 

Our clients who are larger organizations love this upgrade and are already getting prepared. Interested in learning more about how to get this update for your company or want to know how it will benefit you and your team? Let us know by shooting us an email at sales@journyx.com or giving us call at (512) 225-3913.

Tags: approvalstime periodsrate rulerecords managementreporttimesheetsexpenses

Today's post is from guest blogger, Howard Swerdloff, a Microsoft Dynamics consultant and GPUG All-Star. Follow Howard at http://erp4finance.com, http://alldynamicsgp.com, http://linkedin/in/hswerdloff or twitter @hcswerdloff.

In Part 1 of this blog post, I talked about the Microsoft Dynamics GP functionality in providing business tools for managing the enterprise. If you missed it and want to check it out, click here.

If Microsoft Dynamics GP falls short of your needs, this is where I would use tools such as Microsoft Project or Project Server to manage those projects and resources. You can distribute project plans, request status reports from your project resources, and summarize a status report for your stakeholders and sponsors. What this means to a project manager utilizing Dynamics GP is that a detailed project plan is developed in Microsoft project and shared with resources and stakeholders. The project is then summarized into higher level milestones and entered in GP Project Accounting for billing and cost analysis. Now there are 2 different versions of the project. If a change order is requested, there are two places to update. Project resources update their time and expense through Business Portal’s Project Time and Expense, which in turn updates the project accounting and drives payroll and billing, but what happens to the detail? This is where a project manager starts to reenter timesheets into Microsoft Project. The timesheet also has been entered with less detail than the project plan has, so you need to go back and ask for further breakdown. Status on budget vs. actual ends up happening way too infrequently and too late to really manage the project and the client.

This is where the Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) step in and work well.  ISVs like Journyx have products that allow users to do even more, like enter time and expense either via the web or on tables / smart phones, in turn updating either GP or Microsoft Project server through a bi-directional integration. With the ability and bandwidth to cater to very specific needs, an ISVs can make a slew of popular customizations. The results are features that make the user’s life much easier with even more powerful capabilities like accrual calculations, data validation, flexible approval levels and automatic notifications in the software. With GP and the ISVs together, projects can be run very smoothly and efficiently. (Learn more about using Journyx Project Time Tracking to get the most out of Microsoft Dynamics.)

Tags: Microsoft ProjectMicrosoft Dynamics GPMicrosoft DynamicsISV

Today's post comes from guest blogger, Howard Swerdloff, a Microsoft Dynamics consultant and GPUG All-Star. Follow Howard at http://erp4finance.com, http://alldynamicsgp.com, http://linkedin/in/hswerdloff or Twitter @hcswerdloff.

Microsoft Dynamics GP is a provider of business tools (modules) for managing the enterprise. For those that have been involved in implementing GP, you surely discovered along the way that the system is only as good as the people and process that support it. With that being said, I started thinking about how Dynamics modules work together and make “processes” easier for “people” and still provide the reporting needed by various departments. What I realized is GP provides some great tools with excellent integration, but there is still a lot of space where ISVs can and do make it better.

Business Portal provides a few self-serve functions in different areas of an enterprise, including:

·         Human Resources

·         Order Management for Customers

·         Requisition Management for internal purchasing

·         Project Time and Expense

·         Field Service

·         Electronic Document Delivery

I began thinking about Project Time and Expense in particular. GP has a good, although complex, Project Accounting module but it is geared more towards construction type projects. I personally work on a lot of software projects, whether implementing new systems, upgrading systems or developing new software. It is difficult to break these type of projects into the standard project structure maintained within GP. Additionally, GP is typically on a server somewhere and while easily accessible, does not provide the means to share project plans with resources outside of the organization.

In Part 2 of this blog, I’ll bring Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Project or Project Server into the picture and discuss how they can really help to better manage resources. Next week, I’ll also share ways ISVs step in and provide robust features that can really find ways to accommodate your needs via customization.

To learn more about how Journyx integrates with Microsoft Dynamics, click here.

 

Tags: Microsoft ProjectMicrosoft Dynamics GPMicrosoft DynamicsISV

Join fellow Dynamics GP users and subject matter experts at GPUG Summit 2013, October 22-25, in Tampa, Florida! Offering a wealth of practical ideas, collaborative learning, in-depth knowledge and unsurpassed networking, GPUG Summit is THE event for Dynamics GP users. What you can expect:

More than 150 interactive breakout sessions, most led by fellow Dynamics GP users, which provide many opportunities for group discussion… Arrive with questions and leave with answers and solutions!

Distinct learning tracks—ranging from Financial and HR/Payroll to Strategic and New to Dynamics GP—so you can focus on what’s most important to you.

Plentiful opportunities to network, interact with and learn from others who, like you, use Dynamics GP every day.

Stirring keynote presentations that will inspire you to accomplish great things.

Optional activities, such as pre-conference training through GPUG Academy, to get the most from your GPUG Summit experience.

Journyx will have a booth at the GPUG Summit - stay tuned for more information!

This is a guest post by Kim Peterson, Program Director of Dynamics Communities. To learn more about other reason to attend the GPUG Summit visit: http://www.gpug.com/about/

Tags: Microsoft Dynamics GPMicrosoft DynamicsGPUG

Congratulations to Sesame Workshop for being May Customer of the Month!

Sesame Workhop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street and so much more. Their projects bring critical lessons in literacy & numeracy, emotional wellbeing, health & wellness and respect & understanding to children in 150+ countries.

Sesame Workshop is making a difference - one child at a time, millions of children across the world.

Learn more about Sesame Workshop.

Tags: customernews

Journyx has had much success with customers in the field of energy, such as Kissimmee Utility Authority. But what if your company's goal is to go "off the grid"?

Following is a guest post from Brent Hardy to give you tips on a more energy-efficient office.

 

Five Steps to Take Your Office Off The Grid

Anyone in business knows how to make money: increase revenue and decrease expenses. But doing the latter by eliminating the electricity bill? Yes, it seems like a dream, but with developments in technology coupled with growing concerns about the depletion of our natural resources and climate change, going completely off the grid may soon become a reality for many forward thinking companies. It is called net-zero energy consumption.

Office buildings in developed countries consume approximately 40% of the world's energy. This is a staggering number, and one that business leaders are looking to change with net-zero energy consumption in both new and existing buildings. A perfect example of this movement is La Jolla Commons in San Diego, California, which will be completed in 2014 and will be the United States' largest net-zero office building to date.

Interested in moving your office toward a net-zero energy model? To do so, you must combine energy-conscious employees, innovative technology, and a combination of intelligent design and construction. Following are five steps to take your office off of the grid.

1. Create an Energy-Conscious Team: Any office can become greener with energy-conscious employees. It is important that they:

Turn off appliances when not in use

Turn off computers and other technical equipment rather than allowing them to "sleep"

Make sure that the windows and doors are fully shut

Turn off the lights when not in the room

Recycle whenever possible

While this won't eliminate the office's energy consumption, it is the simplest means to reduce the impact on the environment and a necessary step on the path to becoming a net-zero energy office.

2. Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances and Equipment: Even with energy-conscious employees, it is nearly impossible for a functional office to shut down each appliance or piece of equipment when it isn't in use. With that being said, it is possible to reduce the amount of energy that is needed by purchasing energy-efficient appliances. Purchase refrigerators, dish washers, microwaves, copiers, and other equipment that meet stringent energy consumption guidelines. Increased sharing of office equipment, such as printers, further decreases the amount of energy required to keep an office operating at full-tilt.

3. Recycle Water: Most offices have secondary water needs (apart from bathrooms and drinking), whether to keep the lawns green or to add charm in decorative fountains. Recycling gray water and rainwater is yet another step toward creating a net-zero office building.

4. Fuel the Office with Solar Energy: The first three steps can reduce consumption in the office, but creating energy is an essential step in taking your office off of the grid. Solar photovoltaic systems provide energy that fuels net-zero buildings and everything in them. These can be constructed on a rooftop or in a field, and the array can generate massive amounts of energy.

If the building uses more energy than it makes, it can tap into traditional energy sources, albeit with a lower impact, particularly if using a "smart" electrical system. But if a building uses less energy than it generates, it can send excess back to the grid, essentially "paying back" any electricity that it has used. Additional solar equipment can further decrease energy use, like solar water heaters. Solar thermal panels create heat that warms the water in a water heater's reservoir and fills the tank to replenish water used for sinks or baths.

5. Invest in Smart Design and Construction: The most intensive part of creating a net-zero office building is in its design and construction. Designing and building an office – or remodeling an existing office – using the net-zero energy model begins with a more efficient and sometimes unique layout, including an open floor plan to prevent hot and cold pockets. These buildings boast thicker walls, more insulation, and low-emittance window coatings that reduce energy used to heat and cool the inside. They also include more windows than standard buildings to reduce the need for artificial lighting. Advanced technologies, like geothermal systems and radiant heating, reduce the building's need for energy to facilitate heating and cooling.

Net-zero office buildings are still on the rise, but advances in technology and growing environmental consciousness is making green living and working easier and more affordable. And this concept doesn't apply only to commercial spaces. Net-zero energy homes are becoming more prevalent, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD, has even built the Net-Zero Residential Test Facility that will help determine if net-zero technologies are ready for mainstream neighborhoods.

With momentum growing in the net-zero movement, it is only a matter of time before business and residences are able to affordably go "off-the-grid."

About the Author:

Brent Hardy implements sustainability programs for www.extraspace.com. The Extra Space self storage facility in Fontana is reducing its energy consumption by adopting sustainability practices like those described in this article.

Tags: energyKUAKissimmee Utility Authority

If you've been thinking of trying Journyx Timesheet free for 30 days, there's never been a better time than now!

Journyx announced today upgrades to Journyx Timesheet with the launch of its newest version, 8.9. New features focus on time/expense/mileage entry improvements, reporting functionality, and data import tools. 

Specific new features include:

Time/Expense/Mileage Entry Improvements and New Features

Document upload for all records - All time, expense and mileage entries can have documents attached to/associated with them.

Master time/expense/mileage keeper - Provides an interface for entering time, etc. for multiple users on a single screen.

Direct tab navigation on all entry screens - Using the tab button to move from field to field while creating new time/expense/mileage entries follows the logical flow required to complete a full entry.

New Reporting Options & Management Features

Administrator management for all saved reports in the system - Administrators can set limits on saved reports (e.g. standard report expiration periods), clean up other users’ saved reports, etc.

Start date features for floating date reports - The start date for reports where the date is entered at run time defaults to the first day of the previous month.

Group field displayed in standard reports - In the time fields for display in a time report, Group and Group Description have been added.

New Tools For Importing Data Into Timesheet

Group membership import now includes holiday schedule field

New import tool for importing holiday schedules

User import now includes policy assignment, time/expense/mileage period fields

See complete feature lists for Journyx Timesheet.

Click here to try Timesheet free for 30 days!

Tags: free trialTimesheetprojectxecute