Pacific Timesheet Blog

R&D Engineering Percent Time Allocation Timesheets and The Failed Experiment of “The Data Hat”

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:13:00 GMT

As a visiting scholar at Pacific Timesheet, I recently completed a research study: “Whacky Technology Ideas That Cannot Even Be Called Silly.” Though it was not my intention, it has become a tribute to how great Steve Jobs really was, by surveying the thousands of bad ideas and new product road kill created by other lesser brains during the Age of Steve (1979 – 2011). The study included a way to watch TV with an inhaler (don’t ask), a new kind of ethanol you could manufacture from old bed sheets, and force-field furniture for people who move a lot and have no friends. However, my favorite example of a failed technology product was “The Data Hat.”

The Declaration of Time Tracking Independence

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:48:00 GMT

Back in 1776, with no junk mail, law firms, investment bankers, or computer viruses, life was simpler, probably better.

Automating Crew Timesheets

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:45:00 GMT

Previously we discussed how data entry must be made easier when automating crew timesheets.

Automating Crew Timesheets and Data Validation

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 01:14:00 GMT

In a previous post, we discussed that replacing paper crew timeheets through automation needs to be easier, more efficient and accurate than writing it in on a paper crew timesheet.

Crew Timesheet Software Easier, Faster and More Accurate

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:21:00 GMT

Crew timesheets are traditionally paper-based, and are a convenient way to track the work being done by a crew at remote locations such as construction or job sites. In general, the data is entered at the end of the day and often must be rekeyed into a back-end system at a later date. This obviously can introduce a new set of errors due to double entry, as well reducing real-time visibility into the work being done in the field.

Due to these and other limitations, replacing paper crew timesheets is essential. However, replacing paper crew time sheets through automation is easier said than done. It probably goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway. Entering jobs, phases, cost codes, pay classes, billing codes and other key information in a crew timesheet absolutely needs to be easier, more efficient and accurate than writing it in on a paper crew timesheet. Any software-based crew timesheet system must make data entry in the field easier than the paper system it is replacing...