Time tracking, billing, accounting integration

[Sean]

We are a small professional services company that is looking to find a
solution to several issues. We have been exploring Windows SharePoint
Services for intra/extranet capabilities to share internally and with
clients. We are also in need of a tool to track time (timesheets) for
employees and contractors. Internally we also use Exchange and
Outlook.

We are currently looking at what solution or different packages that
we might use to start tracking employee time (on project or billable
time and non-billable time) have that be accessilbe via SharePoint or
an extranet, integrate with Outlook as well as have integration with
an accounting package for the purposes of billing/invoicing and
payroll.

I see that the new MS Project 2007 integrates with Outlook and has
integration with WSS3, so it looks to be a great match there. We
have considered using Project for overall project management so that
is also a great fit. But I am wondering about how the timesheet
integration might work. Out-of-the-box does any one know what
packages the timesheets might integrate with for accounting purposes
for billing and invoicing versus having to re-enter that information
into an accounting and/or payroll package??

Thanks in advance for any insight on how to integrate all these
functions.

Sean

 

[Marc Soester [MVP]]

Hi Sean,

from the requirements you are asking for and the functionality that Project
Server offers, it seem to be a very good fit for you.

In regards to your question. There is no "out of the box" module to
integrate timesheet with another system, BUT Project Server contain web
services and of course a database. There is no reason why you cant develop
the interface between Project Server and your accounting system. This is what
we do for organisations ( e.g. SAP and Great Plains).
I would recommend to contact an EPM Partner close to where you live, I am
sure they are able to help you
I hope this helps

 

[Marco Aurelio]

Hi Marc,

Regarding your answer to Sean I understand that you have EPM and SAP both
running in your company.
We, at MWM International, are implementing EPM 2007 but we have many
questions about EPM and SAP PS capabilities.
Do you have any document that compares such tools?

thanks in advance

 

[Marc Soester [MVP]]

Hi Marco,

actually we dont. we are a Microsoft Partner and implement Project Server.
There is however interesting info on the following Web Site:
http://www.theprojectgroup.com/index_e.html
Hope that will help