Import hours of employees via csv

afkiwers
afkiwers Member Posts: 5
edited August 2019 in Payroll Premier
Hey There,

We would like to import the hours collected by our timesheet software into reckon. Is there a format we can use (that reckon accepts) to import those hours for multiple employees at once?

Would be grateful for any help

Kind regards,
Andre

Comments

  • Rav
    Rav Administrator, Reckon Staff Posts: 15,305 Community Manager Community Manager
    edited August 2019
    Hi Andre,
    When you're in the in-product help menu, choose the Index tab and type in Timesheet, and you will see an entry called Timesheet Data File Format. This has the information on the columns needed, what is mandatory or not, and what the rules for each column is.

    Hope that helps


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  • afkiwers
    afkiwers Member Posts: 5
    edited February 2019
    Hey Rav,

    We use the following software: Reckon Accounts Premier – Accountant Edition 2018

    do I find this in-product help menu within the program or somewhere online? I haven't really used the program yet. Anyway, I will get back to the office tomorrow; then I will have a play with it.

    Kevin mentioned help files? Where would I find those?

    Thank you very much for your help.




  • cosmic
    cosmic Reckon Developer Partner Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭
    edited February 2019
    If you still have issues importing hours with suggested method call me we have tool that can import hours of say 500 employees in say 20 minutes

    Cosmic Accounting Group

    Accountants and Tax Agents 22397009

  • afkiwers
    afkiwers Member Posts: 5
    edited February 2019
    I just opened the help dialog and tried to search for 'Timesheet'.

    Well, this is all I get. There is no information about Timesheet Data File Format.



  • Graham Boast
    Graham Boast Accredited Partner Posts: 331 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited August 2019
    HI Andre

    You won't find the help files very useful on this topic. Here is some information that I prepared for another client's developer trying to do the same thing as you.



    I cant upload it, but can send you a sample file if you email me.

    The file you will need is an *.iif file, which is just a CSV file with the extension renamed.

    Any of the list items you are trying to import must be in Reckon and match EXACTLY.   If you want payroll only, you don't need the Job and Item columns.  If you want invoicing only, you won't need PItem column.  Proj (Class) and Note are optional.

    The other key piece of information you will need is the COMPANYCREATETIME value.  You can get this from the file created by Reckon via File>Timer>Export Lists for Timer.

    Graham 0409317366
    graham@reckonhelp.com.au



    Graham Boast | 0409 317366 | graham@reckonhelp.com.au

  • cosmic
    cosmic Reckon Developer Partner Posts: 1,073 ✭✭✭
    edited March 2019
    Great work Graham, you have done lots of work on this iif ,  I have stopped using this tool for very long time  , which was a great invention by Intuit Inc.
    once this configuration is done which is  messy , then import should be easy , with what you suggested.
    I have tried with importing 500 employees with one client it  was not stable , so we had to build SDK Code to get this going and we did it in say 15 mins import for 500 employees
    What you did is good  Graham . Love to get the feedback from the user once they have implemented this

    Cosmic Accounting Group

    Accountants and Tax Agents 22397009

  • Graham Boast
    Graham Boast Accredited Partner Posts: 331 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited February 2019
    Yes - very useful except for this gem.

    PITEM  - Leave blank. This field is not used in Reckon Accounts. 

    The old timer program never had Payroll items, so that was about as useful as the help file.

    Graham

    Graham Boast | 0409 317366 | graham@reckonhelp.com.au

  • afkiwers
    afkiwers Member Posts: 5
    edited March 2019

    I managed to import our timesheets into Reckon. One thing I wanted to mention is that not only the first and last name was necessary; you will also need the initials. Example: Flinders, Karen M P. If you would ignore them, Reckon will add new employees with blank first and last names (every blank employee corresponds to an unknown name).

    However, I hit another wall. We would like to use those hours to create paycheques, but I couldn’t really find an option to do so. Anyone a suggestion?

    Another desirable way would be to use the imported information to directly create paycheques without adding them to the timesheet at all. For example: 76 Normal Hours, 3 hrs x1.5, 8 hrs x2.0. Is there an option for that?

    Kind regards

  • Graham Boast
    Graham Boast Accredited Partner Posts: 331 Accredited Partner Accredited Partner
    edited March 2019
    Hi Andre

    With the name, the crucial thing is that it has to agree with the Employee Name.  


    With using timesheets to create payroll is also straightforward.  First, set the timesheet to start on the correct day - this is a Monday which covers a Monday - Sunday payweek or fortnight.  If your payweek is Thursday to Wednesday, adjust this.



    Secondly, for each employee, this option needs to be selected.  That will transfer the hours to the payrun.



    I would love to be able to write directly to the payrun, but unfortunately, it can only be done via the timesheet.

    Graham 0409317366
    graham@reckonhelp.com.au



    Graham Boast | 0409 317366 | graham@reckonhelp.com.au

  • afkiwers
    afkiwers Member Posts: 5
    edited March 2019
    Thank you very much Graham!

    I will test that as soon as our accountants are done with their fortnightly activities.

    I don't mind using the timesheet as 'handler'. My main goal is to streamline our current process which keeps to people busy for almost an entire day. That includes checking every single timesheet, and to make sure that the penalties rates are applied correctly.

    Kind regards,
    Andre
  • Gemma
    Gemma Member Posts: 60

    Hi there

    We are about to test the import of timesheets based on the above advice.

    I was wondering if it is possible to also import allowances as I understand this is a separate part of the payroll function to timesheet entry?

    Does anyone have any advice?

    Kind regards,

    Gemma