Approaches for maximizing the use of timesheet benefits

MI YOUNG SHIN, PMP - UAA MSPM

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• Acknowledgement- Dr. Jang Ra, PMP

- Mr. Young Min Park, MSPM, PMP

- Mr. Ki Pyung Kim, MSPM, PMP, PMI-SP

- MSPM Cohort Members

- Mr. Hyuck Chun Kwon, CPA, PMP

- Mr. Hyun Ki Lee, PMP

- Mr. Dong Han Hwan, PMP

and PMP Café

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• Literatures• [Main Sources – Google, UAA’s Consortium Library]1. Title: Timesheet discipline Source: http://www.wahby.com/articles/timesheet_discipline.htm2. Title: Time-sheet cheating creates unnecessary costs Source: http://gneil.blogspot.com/2009/06/time-sheet-cheating-creates-unnecessary.html3. Title: Change management is role for human resources professionals Source: http://

www.personneltoday.com/articles/2007/11/05/43111/change-management-is-role-for-human-resources-professionals.html

4. Title: Two Reasons to Use Timesheet Software Source:

http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/866/business_and_finance/two_reasons_to_use_timesheet_software.html

5. Title: No time to lose: timesheets are not the route to profitabilitySource: http://www.rjp.co.uk/No%20time%20to%20loose.pdf

6. Title: Earned Value Management - Why Am I Being Forced to Do It? Source:

http://proquest.umi.com.proxy.consortiumlibrary.org/pqdweb?index=3&did=1466802241&SrchMode=2&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1248272879&clientId=23364

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• Agenda- Background

- Timesheet Overview

- Analysis of Surveys

- Case Study (SWRRC)

- Timesheet in PMS

- Human Factors in Timesheet

- Recommended Template

- Conclusion

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• Importance of timesheet in Project Planning and Controlling

• Increasing needs for timesheet but not welcomed by the employees in general

• Most of the PMS has timesheet functionality embedded butnot used by the users

• Why they refuse to adopt timesheet in spite of its benefits

Background

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• Term definition: “Timesheet”, “timecard”, “time tracking” or “time keeping”

• Input method: By manual, electronic or web based time tracking software

• Used for: Tracking employee's time, project costs as well as the current state of progress on the project and finding out how much time and money spent on a project and furthermore to estimate similar projects in the future

Timesheet Overview

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• Objective: To collect and analyze the timesheet usage status and to find the best practices as an example

• Method: survey web site / man-to-man contact / mailing • 22 Respondents from each different organization

Analysis of surveys

Construction; 5

IT; 10

Engineering; 2

Others; 6

Respondents by industry

Yes; 17

No; 5

Working in project related department?

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• Comnex System• Continental Automotive

Electronics • Hana I&S • Hansol Inticube • Hanwha Engineering &

Construction • Hyundai Engineering • JINA Architects Co., Ltd • Jinmyung Friction Technologe• K-C PMC • KOPEC • Lotte Engineering &

Construction Co., Ltd.

Analysis of surveys – list of organizations

• LS Industrial Systems • Miraenet • NCsoft Corporation • Ntels • POSCO Engineering &

Construction Co., Ltd. • Posdata • Publicis Modem Korea • Samsung Electro-Mechanics • SK Infosec • SKC&C • Yooshin Architects & Engineers

(**list in alphabetical order)

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Analysis of surveys – Best Case (Publicis Modem Korea)

• Input cycle: Daily• Managed Data: WBS / Planned duration vs. Actual duration /

Actual hours (8-12 hours) / Operational work• Analyzed Data: Weekly & Yearly working hours by project Annual working days by project Individual’s total assigned hours• Used for: Progress Measurement

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Analysis of surveys – Worst Case

• Input cycle: Monthly• Managed Data: Working date/Actual hours/Requester/Re-

quest method/Request details/Degree of work difficulties • Analyzed Data: Checking for working hours for each employ-

ees• Used for: Project based company but no linkages between

project and timesheet

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• Unexpectedly, a half of the respondents replied ‘daily’ basis as input cycle

• About a quarter replied ‘monthly’ and this seems to be a formal act

Survey Results

50%

27%

23%

Timesheet Input Cycle

Daily Weekly Monthly

68%

32%

Input Method

Sytem Paper

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• Q: Why does your company make the employees to fill out timesheet? (Multi-selection)

Survey Results - continued

Check for working hours

Evaluation of project progress (Earned Value Managemenet)

Estimation of duration and planned hours for the future project

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

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• Q: Individual reason of using timesheet

- Progress Measurement (7)

- Time and Resource management (5)

- According to company’s regulations (3)

- Project planning (3)

- Checking for working hours (2)

- Report over-time hours (1)

- Cost Allocation (1)

Survey Results - continued

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• Q: Detailed contents of timesheet

(*Some respondents refused to provide the data due to organization’s security policy)

Survey Results - continued

Project data Project Name, Project Type, Project Description,

Work data WBS/Activity description, Operational work code, Activ-ity type

Time data Weekly real time, Overtime, Allocated time by WBS/ac-tivity, Total man-hours, working hours (from-to), planned vs. actual duration, Direct/Indirect man-hours

Other data Issue description, Operational work contents, Degree of work difficulty, Approvers

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• Q: Resistances or conflicts and the processes to overcome those situation. Yes (14) No (8)

Survey Results - continued

*Consistent Training

Links with career testimonial and got good responses, especially from new hired em-ployees.

Format changing from paper into system

Set as a company’s policy

Mandatory item for project management

Directed by CEO

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• Q: Any suggestions to improve timesheets?

Survey Results - continued

Timesheet System Adoption

Resource allocation leveling should be considered for ideal timesheet culture

Establishment of input process to be ruled and followed

Compensation and recognition for over time work

Timesheet template by period and by size

Consistent training about why need timesheets rather than timesheet improvement

Verification and validation process for timesheets

Detailed administrative activities need to be added

Not only working hours but also detailed description are needed

The key is to input timesheet correctly and this is only possible with daily timesheet

Consistent, compulsory control and success story will be helpful

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• About SWRRC

- Sustainable Water Resources Research Center (www.water21.re.kr)

: A non-profit organization which has been performing 23 projects for 10 years (2001 – 2010)

: A representative need to report to government about the project performance and cost

Case Study - SWRRC

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• The Challenge

- SWRRC need to control research costs of more than 1,000 project members for 196 organizations (research institutes, universities, firms)

-Due to the characteristics of government-driven projects, costs & deliverables are supposed to be strictly controlled.

- Under the virtual team environments, there raised the needs for work visibility of each members.

Case Study - SWRRC

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• The Solution

- Detailed scheduling of each research work- Resource assignments for each activity- Email notifications to be sent on criteria:

*when timesheets are due and overdue*- Actual hours Input using timesheets- Submitted for approvals (3 steps)- Billing based on entered timesheets- Progress Calculation through collecting timesheets

Case Study - SWRRC

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• The Results

- Project progress calculated via following criteria: deliverables + timesheet completion

(estimate to completion = 0)

- Project billing via timesheets

- Getting visibility of project status

Case Study - SWRRC

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Timesheet in PMS

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Timesheet in PMS

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Timesheet in PMS

• Managing time spent on projects is one of the fundamentals of project management

• All the PMS with integrated timesheet are working in the fol-lowing way:

- Timesheet display based on allotted planned hours - Resources enter the actual time spent and comments on

each activity - ETC can be utilized to estimate the remaining work amounts - Submit for approvals - Progress updates with ETC or Percent Complete by manual - Earned Value for performance and efficiency

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• Timesheet should be considered as one of the “change initia-tives” and needs several steps for successful adoption.

• Some people tends to stand the current position and others are easily adapt to changes.

• There are 9 types of human being characters according to Dr. Tae Ik Yoon, an expert in the area of characters management.

Each types of people see the same subject in the different point of view, so the adequate approaches according to the types of human being characters for adopting timesheet are needed. (www.yoontaeik.com/)

Human Factors in Timesheet

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Human Factors in Timesheet

Boss(Frank and strong self-

assertion

Reconciliationist(Good relationship

with others)

Reformer(Continuous

improvement)

Achiever(Goals oriented)

Artist(Try to be a

differentiated)

Cooperator(lovely, amorous and

emotional)

Researcher(Preferences on intellectual and

pragmatic discussions)

Model Student(Consider confidence

and politeness)

Adventurer(Preferences on new

attempt)

[9 types of human being’s characters]

(http://taxiyoon.com/new/jieun_taxi/www/Research/Research_Ennea03.php?menuid=menu4,tmenu1)

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Essential points for change initiatives • The changes being implemented are those that support your goals. • The process for implementing the changes are communicated to the orga-

nization • The stakeholders who will experience and be impacted by the changes are

involved in the implementation process • There is a clear understanding of the process for managing the changes,

expectations, awareness and resistance associated with the change • The nature of the changes are communicated in language that makes

sense to the front line worker • Strategies are designed to increase the successful implementation of the

change • Individuals understand the mental models, mind sets, and perceptions

that inhibit or enhance change efforts [Source: www.lynco.com/managing_change.html]

Human Factors in Timesheet

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7 Keys To A Change Deployment Process

1. The House (Of Quality) Needs Foundations -> Are we ready to have timesheet benefits? What is the gap between the current state and future state?

2. Speed Can Be An Illusion-> Entering timesheet is simple and easy habit but few successful cases…why??

3. Sustaining A Shared Vision-> Are we have common sense of using timesheets?

4. New Vision, Old Constraints-> Any reward system for employees?

Human Factors in Timesheet

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• Daily input and Weekly collect• Operation work as a project• Approval Process

Recommended template

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7 Keys To A Change Deployment Process- continued

5. Show Me The Money-> What is the financial effect of using timesheet?

6. Success Breeds Success-> Short term wins

7. Leaders Wanted -> Good leaders as champion rather than managers for every change ini-

tiatives

[Source: www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c020826a.asp ]

Human Factors in Timesheet

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Recommended template

• Daily input and Weekly collect• Operation work as a project• Approval Process

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• Timesheet is a basic and fundamental tool for project management

• Timesheet is an easy and simple habit but need to be considered as a change initiative for successful adoption

• Change management should be lead by a champion and understanding each human resources will make easier to get their involvement.

• A good timesheet template + high priority for timesheet + pragmatic reward will be the 3 key elements for successfultimesheet.

Conclusion