The use of surrogate timesheets (PS 2007)

[Solveig]

Hi,

I have a question regarding the surrogate timesheet functionality. As a
Resource Manager I am able to create and submit a surrogate timesheet on
behalf of my resources in PWA. As I've been told the Surrogate Timesheet
functionality is useful when someone is sick, etc, and can't fill in their
timesheet by themselves. So far the Surrogate Timesheet functionality sounds
great.

My concern (and question) then is: Is there anyway that the person that has
created the surrogate timesheet can import the timesheet to the resource's
task(s)? As I can see the only possibility the Surrogate Timesheet
functionality offer is that the RM (or someone else with permissions to
submit surrogate timesheet) can submit a surrogate timesheet which the
timesheet manager can either accept or reject. But the information will not
be visible in the project before the resource him/herself import the
surrogate timesheet to his/her tasks. Am I correct or is there a way for the
RM to import the surrogate timesheet instead of the actual resource ...

Brgds

Solveig

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Solveig --

Yes, you are correct. There is no way to import the time from the surrogate
Timesheet to the My Tasks page for the user. He/she must import the time to
the My Tasks page, since you are not allowed to do so. Hope this helps.

 

[Solveig]

Thanks Dale!

Solveig

Solveig --

Yes, you are correct. There is no way to import the time from the surrogate
Timesheet to the My Tasks page for the user. He/she must import the time to
the My Tasks page, since you are not allowed to do so. Hope this helps.

 

[Michael Brown]

We ran into the same situation and it's a bit of a pain! Another similar
scenario: User enters his/her timesheet but does not submit it (so it is in
a state of 'processing'). Both user AND his/her timesheet manager are out on
vacation. Now we have a timesheet in limbo - we can't get it submitted,
approved or imported

 

[Dale Howard [MVP]]

Michael --

Ouch! On the positive side, I discovered in class yestereday that if a
resource creates his/her timesheet, enters and saves time for a couple of
days, and then is out for the rest of the week, the timesheet manager can
create a surrogate timesheet for that resource and actually take over the
currently-created timesheet. Thus, the timesheet manager can complete the
remainder of the week's work with Sick time or whatever, and submit it. I
was surprised that this actually WORKED RIGHT! Hope this helps.

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Michael:

In that very unusual situation, I think you'd simply need to temporarily
change the timesheet manager for the resource to someone appropriate.

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[hinrgsunshine2]

Ah, but that doesn't work unless you change the Timesheet Manager before the
timesheet is submitted!

I found that if a team member submits a timesheet and the Timesheet Manager
is on vacation, you're stuck. Even if you then change timesheet manager to a
backup timesheet, the pending approvals do not get re-assigned to the backup,
they're stuck in limbo until the original timesheet manager returns.
In 2003 you could get around this by republishing tasks and checking the
"become manager" box and pending timesheet approvals would be re-assigned
automatically.

Not sure why they didn't account for this situation in 2007...

 

[Gary L. Chefetz [MVP]]

Have you tried recalling the timesheet and then resubmitting it?

--

Gary L. Chefetz, MVP
MSProjectExperts
For Project Server Consulting: http://www.msprojectexperts.com
For Project Server FAQS: http://www.projectserverexperts.com

 

[hinrgsunshine2]

Yes, as a team member they can recall and submit. But, that is such a pain
because the timesheet manager needs to be assigned, they need to notify
the team members to recall, then the new timesheet manager has to monitor
submissions to make sure everyone has recalled. We've even run into a case
where the people needing to recall are unavailable to recall... double whammy.

Even as an administrator the only way I see timesheets for all team members
is through"Available timesheets to adjust". When I click on the timesheet,
approve, reject, recall are all grayed out. If the admin was able to recall,
then how would the timesheet get resubmitted to the new timesheet manager?

 

[hinrgsunshine2]

Anyone have advice on how to work around this? Or are we stuck with
having everyone recall their timesheet and resubmit?

 

[Mark E. Read]

Anyone have advice on how to work around this?  Or are we stuck with
having everyone recall their timesheet and resubmit?







- Show quoted text -

Following up on workarounds for importing surrogate timesheets to my
tasks on behalf of other users, how about using the tied mode code on
CodePlex to have a listener import the task data for the resource on
the timesheet submission event. Would that work?

--Mark