How do I Import Time to Payroll?
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Caution: When you Import Time entries that include Job Cost information such as: Jobs, Extras, Cost Codes, and/or Categories, those items must already exist in Job Cost before you can import time to them. Import Time does not create Jobs, Extras, Cost Codes, and/or Categories. Time entry lines will reject for Job, Extra, Cost Code, and/or Category combinations that do not exist.

  1. In Payroll, select Tools, Import Time...
  2. If using named files, you will be asked for the Master Payroll file and the New Payroll transaction file.
  3. In the Import file field, select List to browse to the import file you have saved and click Open.
  4. In the Error file field, type the file name for any rejected records. (Note: these locations will remember what location you used the last time)
  5. Press the TAB key on your keyboard to move to the next field.
  6. Click List, then select the time entry view for the import records. The time entry view must correspond with the layout of the import file.
    • If you select a time entry view that includes Equipment Cost information (equipment, EQ cost code, or revenue code), the Invalid Time Entry View selected message may appear, and you are prompted to enter a different time entry view. You can import equipment-specific entries directly into Equipment Cost (Equipment Cost, Tools, Import Entries). Review the notes below for the specific requirements to import time that creates Equipment Cost revenue entries.
    • If you need to process a certified payroll, refer to the Payroll Help topic, "About using import time to process a certified payroll", for additional information.
    • If you need a new time entry view go to Tools, Customize Time Entry and enter the name of the new view to create. See How do I modify my time entry view? for additional information.
  7. Enter the Period Begin Date (PBD), if desired.
  8. Enter the Period End Date (PED) for the imported earnings in one of the following formats:
    • mm/dd/yyyy - used only for fields that include the century
    • mm/dd/yy - the typical Payroll date format
  9. Make any necessary print selections for the import time journal.
  10. Click Start. The import time journal prints automatically.
  11. After you successfully import earnings to the New.prt file, delete the import file to ensure that earnings are not imported more than once.

 

Notes:

  • Information regarding the import file fields and layout is available in Payroll by going to Help, Help Topics, click the Index tab and search for "Import Time".
  • You can import a .CSV file.
  • If you import time for an employee with the same PED as a check that is already in the new file with a status of New or Processed it will add the time to that check. If the existing check in the new file has a status of Printed or Manual it will create a Second Sequence check for this time entry.
  • If you are importing time which contains a Reimbursement pay, the amount is not retrieved from the Employee Pay record or from the Pay setup record. Your Import file must contain the rate for the Reimbursement. If there is no rate for a Reimbursement on the import grid, no rate will retrieve. Units will import and you will need to use Enter Checks or Change Time Entries to enter the rate for Reimbursements.
  • To automatically add Job Cost Standard Cost Codes and Standard Categories to a job when you import time, select the Allow addition of cost codes and categories during Import Time check box File, Company Settings, PR Settings, Job Cost Entry Settings.
  • Looking at PR, Inquiry, Check info, Check activity after importing time you will notice that the columns are blank for Gross Pay, Regular Hours or Net Pay. This is because Import Time does not create the PR check Pay record which is what updates the check. You will have to process to create the additional records. You can view the Hours, Rate and Amount in Inquiry, Check info, Check time, NEW.

Notes regarding Equipment Cost entries:

You can import time in Payroll to create Equipment Cost revenue entries when you meet these criteria:

  • On the EQ Settings/Entry Settings, the Rate Table Search Order must not be Display Selection List.  Choose either use Use higest rate or Use Lowest Rate.
  • The import file does not include EQ Cost Codes.
  • In Equipment Cost, an hourly revenue code exists (EQ: Setup, Standard Revenue Codes).
  • In Equipment Cost, an hourly revenue rate table exists. The table must include a rate for the equipment and an EQ Revenue Code (EQ: Setup, Rate Tables, Revenue Rates, [Table]).
  • The Equipment setup includes a default revenue code (EQ: Setup, Equipment, Defaults, Revenue code). If this is not set, revenue entries will still import and post properly as long as there is a default revenue code in EQ Settings.
  • The Equipment revenue table setup includes an hourly revenue code (EQ: Setup, Equipment, [Revenue Codes]). If this is not set, revenue entries will still import and post properly as long as there is a default revenue code in EQ Settings.
  • In Payroll, the Auto bill EQ revenue check box (PR: Setup, Employees, Misc. Info) is selected before you import the time.
  • You can see the detail in the EQ Detail inquiry prior to processing the check. The EQ detail is created when you process the imported time. When you post the checks, the revenue information posts to Equipment Cost.
  • If time imported to Payroll has a job number and cost code as well as an equipment ID it will also send the revenue entries to Job Cost as EQ cost transactions.
  • A sample import file is attached which contains both JC and EQ entries. These entries will produce revenue for Equipment and Costs to JC for those Equipment entries.
    Attachment: JCEQImport.txt
  • The Equipment Revenue entry is for the Equipment ID listed on the line of time on the import.

Tip: Make double entry a thing of the past! Sage Field Operations connects your field employees to your back office. Expediting the time it takes to get labor costs and hours back into your Sage 300 CRE database. Harnessing the power of mobile devices in the field, Sage Field Operations has the ability to submit time from the field directly to your Payroll system. Contact our Sales team at 1-800-858-7095 or by email at [email protected] for more information.

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