TeemWork

 Executive Summary

 

Click here to download a Microsoft Word version of this Executive Summary.

 

1 – What is TeemWork?

 

TeemWork is business management software, an ERP-like database-driven application. The purpose of TeemWork is to help you do more, faster, with less effort.

 

The main functions of TeemWork are:  

 

TeemWork users share a network and a common database in real-time. TeemWork can use either a local network or the Internet to connect users to their database. 

 

When TeemWork is originally installed, it is configured to connect to our online TeemWork.Net server via the Internet. You can use TeemWork and our TeemWork.Net server FREE while you evaluate TeemWork. 

 

If you find that you like TeemWork, you can install Microsoft's SQL Server Data Engine (MSDE 2000) on you computer and use TeemWork locally, all for FREE. Your data will then be stored in your own SQL Server MSDE database on your computer.  

 

You can use TeemWork FREE in single-user mode with your own MSDE database on your computer for as long as you wish.  We hope that you will eventually want to order and activate TeemWork's multi-user option. You will then be able to share TeemWork and your database with others on your network.

 

2 – User Management.

 

Every TeemWork user must LOGIN at the beginning of each work session.  TeemWork then validates the user's identity and password. TeemWork can also ensure that the user is personally authorized to LOGIN with the computer that he is then using.

 

Each TeemWork user has his own access rights. The TeemWork application automatically configures itself according to these rights after each LOGIN.

 

 

At least one user is a TeemWork Team Administrator. An Administrator can add and remove other users. He can also grant and remove user rights. An Administrator can delegate all or parts of his Administrative rights to other users.

 

In addition to this, the Administrator also determines for each user:

 

 

3 – Contact Types.

 

Contacts are individuals and organizations that matter to you. These contacts are subdivided into ‘contact types’. For example, ‘clients’, ‘suppliers’, ‘employees’ and ‘candidates’ are all ‘contact types’.

 

Each contact has his own contact card (see figure below).

 

 

Contact cards are subdivided into categories, or ‘contact types’. An Administrator can specify the names of these ‘contact types’.

 

For example, a company that only does business with people from three clients could use contact types ‘Avantis’, ‘Rona’ and ‘SAQ’.

 

You can use dozens of different ‘contact types’ names.  Administrators can specify what each user can see, and what he can do.

 

More precisely, the Administrator specifies what ‘contact types’ each user can ‘view’, ‘modify’ and ‘add’. This access control mechanism is also used to manage access to data about checks, invoices and follow-ups.

 

For example, an Administrator can specify that a particular user can view information on ‘clients’ and their invoices, but that he is not allowed to modify this information.

 

Another user’s access could be restricted to viewing and modifying ‘supplier’ data. The Administrator could also prevent this user from adding ‘suppliers’ while allowing him to view the list of checks that were issued to them.

 

4 – Contact Cards.  

 

As previously indicated, there is a contact card for each user.  Each contact card contains basic information about the contact, such as his name, address and phone number. Each contact card also includes the contact's complete accounting history.

 

In addition each contact has a ‘Profile’. The ‘Profile’ can be used to store additional information about contacts. This additional information is subdivided into categories. These categories are listed on the left in the figure below.  

 

 

In this example, the ‘Experience‘ category has been selected. As you can see, most of the categories have to do with hierarchy and human resources management.  

 

5 – Follow-Ups.

 

A follow-up is a reminder that something needs to be done by someone at some point in time. The task may need to be done now, or it may need to be done later. One may remind himself or someone else that something needs to be done.

 

For example, a user could refer a Follow-Up to the Accountant to verify next Wednesday that Mister X’s payment has been received as promised during a telephone conversation.

 

A Follow-Up could also be used to register a distress call from a client. The follow-up could be referred to someone in ‘technical support’ for resolution.

 

 

A Follow-Up can be about a contact. TeemWork can display the Follow-Ups about a specific contact (as shown here), or a complete list of all the Follow-Ups.

 

When you are on the phone you can instantly see all the current and closed Follow-Ups topics about your caller. To view the details about a Follow-Up topic, simply click on its row. The following image shows the details about a Follow-Up topic.

 

 

The white area is used to enter a new reminder. You can specify to whom it is referred and when it needs to be done.

 

The gray portion of the image shows the details of previous reminders, along with their authors and the entry date/time. 

 

The vertical scroll bar is used to view the complete history of a Follow-Up topic, up to the very first reminder if desired. 

 

A user can configure TeemWork to receive an e-mail copy of his Follow-Ups that require immediate attention. One could specify the e-mail address of his cell phone.

 

6 – Time Management.

 

TeemWork can be used to keep track of time spent by TeemWork users. TeemWork users can enter their time themselves, or authorized others may enter it on their behalf.

 

The team Administrator manages the list of  TeemWork ‘users’. Each person whose time will be managed by TeemWork needs to be entered as a TeemWork ‘user’. 

 

 

When authorized ‘users’ enter time on behalf of ‘other users’, the ‘other users’ need not be real true TeemWork ‘users’.  They could be ‘users’ that do not really use TeemWork because they are unaware of their LOGIN password.

 

TeemWork keeps track of time spent by Activity for each user.  The team Administrator manages the list Activities for your organization.  He may delegate this task to others.

 

The Activity list determines how time will be measured. If the Activity list is very detailed, you will get very detailed Time Management reports. However, the effort needed to report how time is spent will be minimized when the list is only as detailed as is necessary.

 

The Administrator specifies which ‘users’ may enter time against each Activity. The Administrator can also specify that an Activity can involve reimbursable expenses. He does this by entering the corresponding expense GL account for that Activity.

 

Once the ‘users’ and the Activities have been setup, authorized users can enter work schedules and time sheets can be entered.  The use of work schedules is optional.  Work Schedules can be used compare the real time worked to time as planned in the schedule.

 

 

The work schedule is used to enter what each ‘user’ should be working on at specific dates and times.  This is done with the ‘Schedule Management’ window.

 

 

This windows makes it very easy  to detect time conflicts, and to insure that at least one person is ‘on the job’ during business hours.

The Time Sheet window is used to enter the time for a specific user. A user can enter his own time or another authorized user can do so on his behalf.   

 

In TeemWork, a Time Sheet can be an can be considered to be an Activity Report and/or an Expense Statement.  Hence, it can be used to enter either time or expenses, or both.  

 

 

At the end of each week, the week’s Time Sheet is checked for accuracy and ‘signed’ with a  click on a button.

 

TeemWork then logs the identity of computer that was used to ‘sign’ as well as the date/time. 'Signed' Time Sheets can only be viewed. No changes are allowed.

 

 

 

The Time Management tab in the User Management window is used to manage the Time Management parameters for each user. Some ‘users’ can be authorized to ‘view only’ or ‘view and approve (or reject)’  the Time Sheets of other specific users.

 

·         Time sheets can be approved individually or in batches, with or without exceptions.

 

·         A rejected Time Sheet is deemed to be ‘unsigned’. The ‘user’ can then correct and again ‘sign’ his Time Sheet. It then becomes eligible for approval again.

 

Other Time Management parameters are used to specify if TeemWork must plan for the reimbursement of each user’s expenses. When reimbursement is specified for a ‘user’, a ‘ToBeIssued’ check is generated when his time sheets are approved.

 

6.1 – Every minute counts.

 

Every minute entered on a Time Sheet is about an Activity and a TeemWork user.

 

Given that billing and pay rates as well as GL accounts can be specified for each Activity and ‘user’, it follows that TeemWork logs all pertinent information about all time worked.

 

This information can then be used to print numerous reports and summaries such as totals by activity, activity type and/or client, for any time period if desired.

 

For those who bill time: Each unit of worked time can be ‘stamped’ with an Invoice number.  This makes it easy to view what work has been done, but hasn’t been billed yet.

 

6.2 – Vacation time, Sick time, Training time and Overtime.

 

TeemWork can be used to manage vacation time, sick days and training time, It also includes advanced functions to manage overtime and overtime ‘reclaimed time’.

 

Statements are used to display this information. They look like regular bank statements except that the deposits and the withdrawals are expressed in hours rather than dollars.

 

A ‘Vacation Statement’ shows when vacation time was spent as well as when vacation time deposits were made by the employer. The statement balance is the number of remaining vacation days.  TeemWork works similarly for sick time, training and overtime.  

 

Some employers do not pay for overtime. Employees get paid time-off rather than money.  If this applies to your organization, you can use TeemWork to keep track of Overtime as well as paid time off for overtime.  We say that this is ‘overtime reclaimed’ time.  A statement of overtime shows how much paid time-off is due to someone and why.

 

6.3 – Interfaces to other programs.

 

The use of TeemWork involves the capture of a lot of valuable information.  This information can be made even more valuable to your organization. This is so because TeemWork data can be exported in file formats that are suitable for direct input into other programs such as Ms-Excel, Ms-Access, Ms-Project and Ceridian's payroll program.