TimePoint
Web based project cost control
TimePoint from Eclipse delivers project management tools to run projects, manage time, equipment and employees within the Microsoft Dynamics AX application.
100% Microsoft technology, TimePoint is built on the Microsoft Dynamics AX platform and offers tight integration with Microsoft Office Project Server for project planning and other familiar productivity software including Microsoft Office Excel, Microsoft Office Word and Microsoft Outlook.
Embedded Microsoft Windows Workflow throughout enables electronic processes and approvals and ensures you are alerted to issues as they arise. In conjunction with SharePoint Windows Workflow you can also access a full range of project information, documents and externals systems, for example your payroll application.
Features
TimePoint will hand you back the project control you need with high visibility over billing, resource scheduling, contract management, time & expense sheet entry and a range of reporting options.
Project and team leaders can access web-based project control tools to forecast and manage resources; viewing actuals, updating forecasts and feeding this information directly against projects in the core application.
Time and expense entry are also entered directly over the web, eliminating collection issues and the need to rekey data.
Below: KPI screenshot from TimePoint
TimePoint functionality includes:
| Web-based interface for full project control |
- Project Summary
- Revenue and Programs
- Resources and expense management
- Live profit updates
- Disbursements
- Charting
- Project variations
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| Project management & analysis |
- Integrate financial, resource, task, and intellectual capital information
- Track to budget and task with two-way matching and KPI reporting
- Define project structure with associated tasks and allocate resources
- Configure work breakdown structures (WBS) at many levels
- Define matrix tables for costs and rates
- Establish billing rules and revenue recognition methods
- Analyse costs and projects (transactions) at any level of detail
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| Process management |
- Consolidated client and project information
- Custom Microsoft Windows Workflows for compliance
- Centralise the management of and access to critical company information
- Define accounting structures
- Drill down to any level of detail
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| Financial management |
- View client, contract, budget, and project management details
- Automate approval processes for documents and line items
- Manage cash advances, travel advances, and credit card reconciliation
- Track estimated versus actual costs.
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| Document and intellectual capital management |
- Reduce the loss of valuable intellectual capital due to employee attrition
- Provide team with access to capital and consolidated project information.
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| Project billing, Time & Expense Entry |
- Web based time and expense entry directly against project/s
- Manage supplier and client agreements
- Define recognition at the company, client, or project level
- Pre-configure rules for percent complete, time & materials, fixed fee
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| Multi-company, multi-currency, multi-lingual support |
- Operate across countries, languages, and currencies
- Track financial transactions throughout your business.
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| Additional capability |
- HR management with skills and competencies, tickets, recruitment, induction, training, performance appraisals, HR self service.
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Technology
Microsoft Dynamics AX helps organisations leverage their existing investments in Microsoft technology with services and functionality provided by the Microsoft platform, including Windows, the .NET Framework, Microsoft SQL Server®, Microsoft SharePoint® Server and Microsoft Office. Choosing the Microsoft based TimePoint solution; you also have the ability to leverage technologies such as RFID (radio-frequency identification).
| Architecture development |
The architecture of Microsoft Dynamics AX is developed in parallel with the Microsoft platform. This provides:
- Provides a roadmap for customers to upgrade and stay current
- Delivers enhanced value from new capabilities enabled in the platform
- Positions customers to take advantage of technology architecture changes such as Cloud computing.
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| User interface |
TimePoint built on Microsoft Dynamics AX delivers a user interface that is natural and practical for both users and IT administrators (looks like, and integrates with the familiar Microsoft Office and Microsoft Outlook tools) making accessing information easier than ever before.
- Client access is based on user roles and the work they perform in the business application.
- Heavy data entry users need access to a flexible, personalised Windows client that can keep pace with their needs.
- For the casual user, Microsoft Dynamics AX portals, based on SharePoint technology, combine and complement basic SharePoint capabilities with ERP capabilities.
- The IT department has the flexibility to choose how clients are deployed without being locked into one implementation.
- It also minimises training requirements and speeds the adoption of the system. That means less training and development time and a quicker return on your investment.
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| 64-bit computing |
- Microsoft Dynamics AX enables organisations to run in a 64-bit environment and take advantage of the processing and storage capabilities of these new machines.
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| Flexibility |
- Microsoft Dynamics AX will give business the ability to make changes to core procedures plus perform other adjustments on the fly, helping business to be more agile and opportunistic in the fast moving economic climate. In an operation when not all processes are known, the powerful development environment of Microsoft Dynamics AX, allows for customisations to be made to suit that unique site.
- Microsoft Dynamics AX is built with a layered architecture so you can customise one layer without affecting the functionality on other layers. This secure development architecture therefore allows for site based customisations and modifications without affecting the integrity of the underlying Microsoft Dynamics AX solution. This means that you can adapt and upgrade your solution over time with less risk and expense.
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| Simple access to information |
- Microsoft Dynamics AX uses a single database to store all your information. This simplifies information handling; data is only entered once and also provides a range of reporting options.
- TimePoint leverages the BI capabilities in Microsoft SQL Server. You can optimise your investment in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft SharePoint Server and put analytics tools into the hands of a broader range of end users, whether they are direct users of Microsoft Dynamics AX or not.
- For retail or remote sites, the Enterprise Portal provides a Web-based application framework that allows for users to interact with data through a Web browser.
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| Available anywhere & anytime |
TimePoint offers a range of deployment options depending on your site requirements and available communications infrastructure. Other deployments can be rolled out at a range of options:
- Client level – remote users log into a Microsoft Windows-based client or via Enterprise Portal through a Web browser.
- Decentralised server level – additional companies can be setup in different States.
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