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Software for Electronic Timesheet Entry

Q. We are a general contractor (building) and we self-perform a substantial portion of our work. We currently use MS Access/Excel-based time sheets on laptops at jobsites for entry of labor hours worked.

We’re looking for a software product where our jobsite superintendents can use an iOS or Android-based tablet device, teamed with software which will allow them to select the job code, cost code and employee name from drop-down boxes, enter the start time and end time of the employee’s work day, save the inputs, and have those inputs upload electronically to our Sage Timberline payroll system, either directly or via a bridge software product. Features that would a) allow the trade employees to sign off on the hours worked, and b) provide the ability to enter job log info (weather, subs on site, deliveries, inspections, etc.) would also be helpful.

Does anyone have experience with a software product which would accommodate this type of data entry and upload, or at least most of it?
Terry Wooding
Petra Construction Corporation

A. HCSS Heavyjob\Field currently has a tablet app in beta and should be up and running before summer.
Jim Gaba
Sierra Nevada Construction

A. We are currently testing the HH2 software and will hopefully be rolling it out in the next couple weeks. The site has integration with Timberline and once you are ready you can export then import into Timberline. It is web based: http://www.hh2.com/.
CJ Rainer
Doster Construction Company, Inc.

A. The IT Forum Steering Committee will be presenting our Annual Technology Showcase at the upcoming AGC Convention. I believe our Showcase timeslot is on Thursday afternoon.

The Showcase will be all about AGC contractors using mobile apps on iPads, Tablets, and iPhones, and there will be at least a couple of our presenters who will be showing how their apps collect timesheets from the field. These presenters will also be showing the apps directly from their devices, similar to way we projected the iPhone in our Building Division presentation. If you can hold off on your decision-making process until after the Convention in Palm Springs, I am sure these live demonstrations will help you in your evaluations.

Just another example of this group's constant pursuit of our mission statement to help fellow contractors leverage technology for the benefit of their businesses.
Gary Newell
Collins & Company

A. We too are a Timberline Shop. We use Heavy Job by HCSS as a Remote Time/Project Management tool. It is primarily laptop based right now, but they are close to releasing their IOS/Android Client.
Greg Smolens
Sunland Asphalt

A. So far the solutions seem to be "in the works" for enterprise system sized contractors. I contend that the vast majority (in number) of AGC members GCs and subs that would be satisfied (for now) to be able to have their foremen and superindents able to key in their daily report/payroll using their smartphone... and receiving it in ANY digital form even comma delimited. Does anyone else agree?
Walt Gamble
W.R. Gamble Engineering

A. I agree Walt... any output is fine... BUT the key for us is getting the list of cost codes out TO the foreman has been the struggle.... making sure they have the proper codes to select when filling out their timecards.
Greg Smolens
Sunland Asphalt

A. Seriously though... "there must be an app for that" – we saw one demonstrated within a BITS competition two years ago – it dried up like some vaporware does – looking for others.
Walt Gamble
W.R. Gamble Engineering

A. Sage’s Construction Anywhere product doesn’t currently have this functionality but they are working on it and it is supposed to be released early this year. They showed demonstrations of it during their convention last summer. It looked very promising.
Mark Kutchen
Story Construction

A. HH2 software handles this. It pulls from Timberline.
CJ Rainer
Doster Construction Company, Inc.

A. We use the Remote Time module with Timberline and I think it does most if not all of what you want. We access it via a terminal services session that is restricted to Remote Time only and logs off when you quit remote time. Not hard to do.

It is cumbersome to use with a phone but it works fine on a tablet. There are several apps that enable a TS connection. I like iTeleport the best but WinAdmin and Pocket Cloud work OK too. All free.

Remote time doesn't input directly to the PR module so your data isn't exposed. The data in Remote Time is imported into Timberline at your office.

Sage Remote Time enables you to specify which cost codes are available to each job separately.
Bill Cobb
Haverstick