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Approving Time Cards

 
ShopPAK separates the function of entering job cost actuals from the function of approving job  cost actuals.  Notice the two tabs that run along the bottom of the “Job Cost” grid break these functions apart.
 
    
 
Each action requires its own level of security, and thus, you can assign responsibility for entering job cost transactions to one person, and assign responsibility of approving job cost transactions to someone else.
 
The person responsible for approving job cost transactions needs an intimate understanding of the work being performed on the shop floor.  Although job cost transaction information can be corrected at any time, it’s best to get it right the first time.  The person responsible for approving actuals needs to make sure:
 
  • Time has been posted to the correct work order
 
  • The correct operation was chosen (if capturing at the operation level)
 
  • A reasonable amount of time is being reported
 
  • The correct rate is being used (straight, O/T - 1, or O/T - 2)
 
Approve Card Form
 
Before approving a timecard, make sure the correct ‘Card Date’ is picked and the correct employee is selected.  Click the “Approve Card” tab to see the transactions for that employee for that day.  If you don’t have security clearance, you’ll receive an error message that prevents you from going to the tab.
 
 
The “Approve Card” tab contains more job identification information than found on the “Manual Entry” tab.  Whereas the “Manual Entry” tab contains just the transaction information, the “Approve Card” tab displays ‘Work Order Number’, ‘Work Order Description’, ‘Job Item Number’, ‘Job Item Description’, ‘Job Id’, and the ‘Job Description’.  Use the additional “job” information to make sure the transaction is being posted to the right Job, Job Item, and Work Order.
 
If you need to change a transaction, select the transaction and right-mouse click the grid.  Choose ‘Modify’ or ‘Delete’.  These operations work the same as they did on the “Manual Entry” tab. 
 
When you’re satisfied with the timecard entries, click the “Approve Current Employee Card” button.  When ShopPAK is finished updating the database, it places a check in the employee’s ‘Approved’ checkbox in the Employee List, it updates the aggregate ‘Approved Cards’ totals at the top of the form, and places a check in all of the individual job cost entries that make up the timecard.
 
At this point, the new job cost labor transactions have been added into the overall job cost actuals and can be reviewed on any of the job cost and job tracking reports and/or forms.
 
Note: If you have a lot of employee job cost cards to approve, it is usually faster to check each employee’s job card and then click the “Approve All Cards” button at the end.